Quote:
Originally Posted by Racer Louis
What I use, but not on my M5, is a quick connect fitting that replaces the drain plug. It uses a matching female connector that you can attach a piece of garden hose to to direct the draining oil directly into a container. The male piece stays on the car, it comes with a protective screw on cover.
I haven't put one on the M5 for two reasons--1) I'll still take the car to the dealer for the scheduled services and the techs & dealer won't want to use them and assume the risk of being charged with the loss of an engine if something were to go wrong with it at any time after the service, and 2) I don't like the idea of putting something on the oil pan drain that protrudes farther down and has a greater (albeit minor) risk of getting hit if it isn't otherwise protected.
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I ordered the quick disconnect from Pegasus, good fast service and the piece is high quality. I'll have it on the car before the last oil change under warranty and I don't think my dealer will have a problem with it. I'll just have to make sure I don't forget to take the mating part with the hose for the mechanic! I had some worry over the protective cap vibrating off, but it feels like the o-ring on the base will secure it adequately when it's tightened.
I was a Mobil One 0W - 40 user but for some reason they've lost the LL-01 BMW rating. The Castrol Edge 0W - 40 still has it, so that's what I bought. I have to think that's more of a business agreement between Castrol and BMW than any change in the Mobil One oil.
Another small part of changing your own oil, the drain pan. Napa has a large capacity plastic pan (over 4 gallons) with a handy pour spout. I'm not fortunate enough to have a proper lift, so my car is on jack stands when I change the oil. The spout allows me to transfer the old oil to the 5 quart containers with no mess for transport to the gas station for recycle. The Napa part number is 821-8033, $27 at my store.