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      06-12-2016, 05:59 PM   #1
delirium45
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E70 X5 Oil Change DIY

I recently picked up a used 2012 X5 50i. Being a good [aka paranoid] used-vehicle-owner i read the history and was not impressed so i knew i'd be doing an oil service ASAP. Our good friends at BMW, Google and this, among other, forums had little in the way of DIY info. I did find a YouTube video, while it was helpful, it was also a little misleading and not the greatest quality.

So, today i finally had some time to get under there and get it done. What follows is my documentation on how to change the engine oil and filter on a 2012 X5 50i. I am not sure if this translates to other engines or different years... so you YMMV.

To start, make sure you get the right oil and the right amount.
BMW owners manual seems to think that owners will not change their oil themselves, so they don't even tell you what grade oil to use. A few internet searches and info from respectable sources comes away with BMW 5w30 'Twin Power Turbo' oil.
You'll need 8.5L (9Qt), these are sold in 1L bottles. I bought mine from Turner Motorsports.
You'll also need a filter, ALWAYS change your filter. Don't be cheap, this is what keeps the bad stuff from flowing through your engine and turbo.
And to remove the filter you'll need a filter wrench, i got mine from Burger Motorsports.



Also, a clean oil catch pan capable of holding at least 9L of hot fluid. Always clean it before you use it, so that you know if any debris that you see in the pan afterward is from inside your engine or not.



Get the vehicle up on sturdy ramps, or jack stands... these are some Rhino ramps i have had for many many years.



Pop the hood and locate the engine oil filler cap, and remove it. Leave the filler cap off while draining the fluid, this will help smooth the flow (less mess).




I always clean the inside of the cap, around the filler neck and inside the filler neck to remove any debris and grime... this one was pretty grungy.



Now under the vehicle, locate the filter housing and the drain plug. You can see there are a few cutouts in the metal undertray, the large round one on the left is the opening for the filter housing and the small round one in the center is the opening for the drain plug.



Filter housing


Drain plug


Start by removing the drain plug this is done with an 8mm allen key wrench


As mentioned by others, the dealership seems to put this on with an impact gun, it need not be so tight... i think i read somewhere 10Nm is all. Luckily this is a steal pan otherwise you'd only make that mistake once (like i had on my E46M and stripped the aluminum threads). So, if you or your mechanic over tightened it last time, you may need some assistance... i used a jack handle extension to get more leverage. It is imperative that you ensure the 8mm allen wrench is firmly set before you apply extra force, otherwise you might just round the key hole.


Once you get it loosened, position your catch pan directly underneath (make sure not to lose the drain plug and/or allen wrench during the draining deluge).


While the oil is draining out, get the drain plug cleaned up and ready with a new copper crush washer (throw the old one out, never reuse a crush washer, these are single use items). A new crush washer is included with your oil filter.



Once the oil is done draining, clean the drain area and threads with a clean rag, and reinstall the drain plug. Don't over tighten when you reinstall.

Now onto the oil filter. Use a 19mm socket and wrench to get it loosened.


Fit the filter cup wrench by hand, make sure it is on fully and snug.



Add the socket+wrench and turn counter clockwise to remove, while applying upward pressure on the filter cup wrench to keep it from slipping.


Once it is loosened to the point that you no longer need the leverage of the tools, remove it by hand. It will make a bit of a mess and the oil will be hot, so move quickly and be ready with a rag for clean-up.



Throw away the old filter, it fits very snugly in the housing cover, so you'll need to give it a good solid pull. Also remove the black o-ring from the filter housing with a small screwdriver and discard it.


Clean the filter housing to remove any old oil or debris (inside and outside).
Reassemble the the filter by applying a small amount of oil to the new o-ring (included with the filter) and massage it into the rubber. Reinstall the o-ring on the filter housing in the correct groove. Then press the new filter into the housing by hand. The small o-ring is not used in this case because this filter housing does not have a drain plug. If yours has that, you can opt to replace it, but i'd recommend leaving it be unless it appears to be leaking.


Clean the oilfilter area on the engine to remove any build-up and to remove any spill/splash from removal.


Ready the new filter assembly and reinstall by hand making sure not to crossthread and finish with the tools, no need to use gorilla strength here either.


Double check that everything is buttoned up underneath.
Back up top, add 8.5L of fresh oil.


Once you're done adding oil, start the vehicle, back it down off the ramps.
Let it idle for a bit (i used this time to clean up the floor a bit).
Then check the oil-level from iDrive system.


Note your mileage and be happy that you've done a solid for your X5.
That's it, now enjoy the drive.
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      06-12-2016, 08:22 PM   #2
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Nice. Excellent write up.

Can you include how to reset the oil service indicator?

Thanks.
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      06-12-2016, 10:55 PM   #3
delirium45
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PAX5 View Post
Nice. Excellent write up.

Can you include how to reset the oil service indicator?

Thanks.
Duh, thanks... i needed to do that too, thanks for the reminder.
It is pretty easy to do, too.

With the key in, press the start button without your foot on the brake. This will turn the accessories on but not start the engine.


Press and hold the trip odometer button on the left side of the dash, this will enter into the service indicator reset mode.



Once in this mode, press again to toggle until you see the oil icon.


While there, press and hold again. It will ask if you want to reset.


To confirm, press and hold again. This will reset this service.


You can do the same to reset other service indicators as well.
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      09-25-2018, 09:25 AM   #4
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Attachment 1906169Some Helpful Hints on this EXCELLENT DIY!

I have the exact same vehicle and engine (2012 BMW X550 e70 n63). I performed this service last night and this DIY is spot on, but I thought a couple comments could be made to help others.


1) *Warning* on the Housing Removal tool:
I purchased the filter housing removal tool/wrench at the dealer with the filter since it was only ~$15 with the discount. The part number is 83 30 0 493 936 and they double checked the application for the tool to make sure it matched my vehicle.
HOWEVER this tool is not the right fit! It's a hair too large. I didn't notice when removing the housing since there is a wiring harness pressing against the tool when you apply it on to the housing, which makes it seem like a snug fit that stays on when you let go. I think it would have fallen off if those wires were not firmly pressing on the side of the tool.
It DID remove the filter, but upon re-installation the now slightly oily tool slipped on the housing making it a challenge to get it snug again. I tried putting cardboard inside the tool and managed to get it j-u-s-t tight enough, but am worried that I rounded the housing edges, though it looked fine upon inspection. (I also made sure no dripping once I started the engine)

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I measured this tool vs the one used in the writeup. This one is over 87mm, vs the 86.4mm in the writeup.

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See gap / imperfect fit. I will be taking it back to the dealer and ask them what THEIR mechanics use for this job, because this can't be it.

2) Just to point out - The 19mm socket mentioned for the housing removal tool is specific to the tool used in THIS DIY. There are at least 5 diff brands of removal tools and they are likely all different. The one used here looks nice as it allows you multiple ways to connect/turn it. (the one the dealer sold me ONLY can be used with a 26mm socket. Or a large 1 1/16 box wrench like I did )

3) *WARNING - install filter element correctly*
When removing the dirty filter element, note the orientation of the inside of the filter. There is what appears to be a valve inside the element and the new one must be re-installed correctly the same way. I think it would be possible to put it in the housing BACKWARDS, but then it might not screw into the engine pan correctly - but once you have a wrench on it, it might not be noticeable and you could possibly destroy the internal valve/whatever in the filter as you torqued it down.

4) When doing the Oil Service Reset procedure, SHUT YOUR DOOR. I tried it 5 times and never got to the service menu but instead was seeing a large exclamation point (!) and got extremely frustrated. This was accompanied by a message on the iDrive screen "Warning - ignition switched on". Duh, I knew that.
Later I went back out to try again and this time closed my driver door and it instantly worked as described above. So that warning message was to let you know your ignition is switched on WHILE YOUR DOOR WAS OPEN.
Hoping I can save someone some frustration on this.


And a final note - I was short 1 qt of oil when I filled it, I had 8 on hand instead of 9. I figured this would be fine and I could pick up some more the next day. But when I measured the oil level in the iDrive this morning, it said exactly FULL. Go figure!
I do think their software buffers any shortage until it gets to a certain amount, then triggers a Low Oil Level warning all at once. I do not believe the gauge is completely accurate to see a 1/4 qt low, for instance. That said, it doesn't explain why adding only 8 qts doesn't show as low...
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Last edited by heatmizr; 09-26-2018 at 08:56 AM..
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