How to Change Engine Oil on a BMW 3 Series E90

Tutorial for replacing engine oil & filter on BMW 3 Series E9X (06-12) with N51, N52, N54, N55 engines.

Tools:

• 17 mm socket and ratchet
• Lisle Oil Drain Pan
• Assenmacher Oil Filter Housing Wrench
• 21 mm socket and ratchet if using Assenmacher oil filter wrench
• RhinoRamps (Pair, 12,000lb. GVW Capacity)  

Parts:  

• Mann Oil Filter (Comes with drain plug and two O-ring gaskets) 
• Synthetic motor oil, options below:
• Genuine BMW 5W-30. Part number 83212365946
• Mike Miller from Roundel Magazine uses Red Line 0W40 Motor Oil - 12 Quarts 
• 2 x Castrol EDGE 0W-40 - 5 Quart European formula
• 2 x Mobil 1 Synthetic Motor Oil 0W-40, 5 Quart 
• Shell PurePlus synthetic oils

Recommended:  

• Rags, shop towels, jack and jack stands if you don't have ramps.
• I use Scott Shop Towels Pack of 2.
• Camco Wheel Chock - Pack of 2. If you jacking the front or using ramps, chock rear wheels to prevent your BMW from sliding. 
• Flat head screwdriver or General Tools Scriber
• Lumax Plastic Funnel

Steps:

• If engine is cool, start your car for 5-10 minutes to warm oil. If engine is hot, wait around 30 minutes to prevent being burned.  

• Lift BMW with a jack and jack stands or drive onto ramps. 
• Driving onto ramps is preferable if equipped with sports suspension and/or aerodynamic package due to low clearance.
• Jack one side and place jack stand or a ramp. Repeat on other side if  front bumper will be damaged driving up ramp or low profile jack cannot access the front jacking point. 
• Use a BMW Jack Pad Adapter to prevent destroying plastic side jack points.  

• Open hood and remove oil filter using Assenmacher Oil Filter Housing Wrench.
• The oil filter cap is shown below and the oil filter wrench goes on top. Place a 21 mm socket where the red circle is and loosen filter cap. 
• Place rags or shop towels around the oil filter to minimize spills when pulling out filter. 

• Locate oil drain plug access door. Door is located behind the front jacking point on RWD models and behind the transfer case beef up plate as shown below. Use a flat head screw drive and turn screw counter-clockwise to unlock shown in red circle below.

• Place an oil drain pan beneath door.

• Use a 17 mm socket and remove oil drain plug. Around 7 quarts (6.5 liters) of oil will drain out. 
• Drain plug is highlighted in red below. 
• I suggest wearing gloves to protect your hands.

• Remove and replace oil filter and two rubber O-rings while oil is draining. 

• Remove old filter from cap by pulling.
• I use a scribe to remove the old O-rings. Be careful not to damage the oil filter cap, especially the threads.
• Install new oil filter and two O-rings. Refer to the picture below from the Bentley BMW 3 Series Service Manual.
• Coat sealing O-rings with new oil
• Place large O-ring in correct location. Do not place in gap between cover and threads, place it in the correct gap below.

• Install new filter into oil filter housing and torque to 18 ft-lbs.

• Remove and replace copper washer on drain plug.

• Reinstall drain plug using 17 mm socket and torque to 18 ft-lbs. Do not over tighten. 

• Close access door and lock with screwdriver.

• Remove drain pan and lower BMW. 

• Remove oil fill cap and refill crankcase with 7 Quarts (6.5 liters) of oil.
• I pour 1 quart of oil into oil filter housing and 6 quarts into the engine. 
• Oil fill cap may be round or square depending on year and engine. N55 is pictured below.

• Reinstall oil fill cap and start engine. Check for any oil leaks and confirm the oil warning light is not on or goes out. 

• Check oil level in iDrive or the information center on the dash. Two conditions must be met to show oil level:
• Oil must reach normal operating temperatures 
• Start engine and idle or drive around for at least 6 minutes

Notes:

• Dear BMW, bring back the oil dipstick.
• Wipe away old oil in the oil filter housing after removing the filter.
• Many enthusiasts like Mobil 1, Castrol Edge European formula, or Shell PurePlus 0w-40 synthetic oils. As long as BMW's oil requirements are met you will be fine. Please refer to the owner's manual. 
• I recommend using wheel chocks for safety. 
• Picture below has useful information from Bentley's BMW 3 Series Service Manual   
• To reset CBS go to CBS explained

BMW E90 LCI 335i Dash Pictures

Gauge Cluster

M Sport Steering Wheel

Focus is overrated

Focus is overrated

BMW Wheel Style 416 - F30 3 Series

BMW Wheel Style 416

F30 3 Series Luxury Line Wheel
18" Size 8x18 245/45/18 front and rear
Part # 36116796249

I really like the look of the style 416 wheels. When I first viewed them in pictures, I thought the wheel was too busy looking and boring. My perspective has changed after seeing these 18" wheel in person and they are great for the 3 Series luxury line.

Cleaning these wheels will take time with all the spokes and very small spaces. I recommend using a thin wheel brush kit and dedicated soft microfiber towel to get all the spokes clean.

I recommend using ABN Woolies Wheel Brushes Kit to clean the tight spaces between the spokes.

BMW F30 LED Headlights

BMW F30 LED Angel Eyes, Halos, Corona DRL

2014 328i pictured below.

  

Give your E90, E92, E93, the LED halo look of a BMW 3 Series F30.

BMW F30 vs. E90 iDrive Controller Comparison

BMW E90 LCI is equipped with the iDrive Professional Navigation (CIC)

 

The E90 LCI iDrive features quick navigation buttons and updated controller wheel. Resolution, hard drive space, and processing speed has been increased compared to the previous iDrive generation. The most notable change is the menus and display which is much more efficient and requires less button clicking and navigating.

BMW F30 comes with the iDrive Professional Navigation (CIC-HIGH)

 

The F30 iDrive has the same navigation buttons as the E90, but has a larger controller wheel. The controller wheel has a smoother feel and does not click when twisting.

Processing speed and hard drive storage have improved to allow more detailed navigation maps.

I prefer the F30 iDrive because it does not have the plastic chrome trim that bubbles up on the E90. If you look at the first picture, the trim is bubbling on my E90 iDrive controller and it drives me crazy. I have sliced my fingers several times and have to be careful when using iDrive, otherwise I will bleed on the controller and my steering wheel. The bubbling in the trim is caused by oils from your fingers and BMW will not cover it under warranty because it is 'wear and tear'.

The F30 controller feels very fluid and is much smoother than the E90's, probably due to its larger size. I really enjoy using the F30 iDrive and I can't think of any negatives. 

BMW F30 320i Bare iDrive

 

The BMW 320i comes with the bare iDrive controller standard. There are two fewer shortcut buttons and movement is limited to left and right. The wheel is much smaller so there is no touch pad like the iDrive equipped with navigation. 

I believe BMW made the right decision in providing a basic iDrive as standard in their 3-series sedans.