2002 530i Oil Change - Shall I DIY or Dealer?

[rufryder]

I believe I need to get an oil change done on my car. I've owned it for 3 months and it has 56k miles now (don't know when the last one was done) and it's telling me to "check oil level" and no other signs. It doesn't seem like it has enough oil (while measuring with the dip-stick).

So, whats the BMW recommend oil filters? Castrol oil (as stated under the hood)? Where is it a good place to purchase these? Also should I DIY or how much will the dealer charge? Any writeup?


Thanks all for your input.

 

[DaddyKuel]

As you know we have the same car, I need to top off every now and then with 80K miles, maybe about every 3 months a half of quart. Other than that I go by the green lights on the dash and let the "stealer" do it because of warranty. I use Castrol Synthetic.

 

[rufryder]

I had sent you a PM earlier as well. Yeah, its telling me to check the level. I wasn't sure if I should go to the "stealers" and let them do it (entire oil change). For now, I'll just add additional Castrol Synthetic 5w-40 or 5w-30 from AutoZone (hopefully I'll find it there) and once it reaches 100k and then I'll take over. I don't want the stealers to charge me $300.00 for an oil change or add fluids and stuff.

 

[bimmerZ5]

that's funny... DaddyKuel has the same cars I do... just different year.

i would highly recommend using a BMW-LL certified oil like Mobil1 0w-40 or Valvoline 5w-40 or Castrol's 0w-30 (this one can be hard to find). The mobil1 can be found cheapest at Walmart.

For oil filters, get the MANN oil filters. .that's the OE manufacturer of the BMW oil filters. Much cheaper if you go direct to MANN vs buying thru BMW. About $4-$6/filter... retail.. wholesale, it's like $2-$3/filter... if you can buy wholesale. Most common retail places don't have MANN filters. Your best bet is online and buy a pack of 4 or 5 at a time to save on shipping costs.

the warning you're getting just means you're low on oil. double check your dipstick and add as necessary... the difference between low and high mark is about 1qt, so add a little at a time; you DON'T want to overfill.

DIY oil change is easy. I recommend buying a mityvac oil extractor.. makes it even easier. Cost of DIY oil change the first time will be about the same you pay at dealer cost because of the tools you might need. But after that, oil change cost out of pocket is going to be about $45 for parts. Dealers around here charge $150 for an oil service. I say go the DIY route... w/ the mityvac tool, you don't even have to get underneath your car at all.

 

[aklmnkn]

i am confused my message said inspect oil so i checked the dip stick it neeeded oil so i added some . but i still get message should i just go ahead and change oil maybe message will reset?

 

[Kirby]

I can't speak directly to the 5 series, but on the 3 series there are two indicators, I'm not sure which one you are seeing. An icon that looks like an oil can means you are low on oil. But there are also message displays regarding service/inspection. This is a reminder to have the oil or BMW inspection performed. It is not an indicator of a problem.

 

[aklmnkn]

adding oil

As you know we have the same car, I need to top off every now and then with 80K miles, maybe about every 3 months a half of quart. Other than that I go by the green lights on the dash and let the "stealer" do it because of warranty. I use Castrol Synthetic.

with using the castol synthetic do you find yourself adding a quart of oil once in a while?

 

[DaddyKuel]

with using the castol synthetic do you find yourself adding a quart of oil once in a while?

Never at one time, maybe 1/2 qt.every 3-4 months. Much depends on my driving. Info----just returned from 1500mile round trip to Florida. 75-80 mph averaged 29.7 mpg. 120,000 on th OD