2003 BMW 325xi Oil Change

[55802]

This will be my first oil change on my 2003 BMW 325xi, and I want to be sure I have the facks straight before going forward with it.

Is Castrol EDGE Synthetic 5w30 good to use? Is Castrol EDGE better then the Castrol Full Synthetic oil?

I've never used synthetic oil before in any of my previous BMW's - my 2002, 320i, 318i It's always been conventional oil....

What is the recommended mileage between oil changes, with Castrol EDGE Synthetic?

Is there anything I'm missing, or is it fairly straight forward?

Thanks in advance for your reply!

Skip

[AG]

Look here for a list of approved oils for gas engines. I believe BMW-LL04 oils are only approved for use in diesel engines.
http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...ngineOils.aspx
I personally use Mobil1 0w-40 at 7500 mile intervals in my 01 330i.

[John in VA]

You may also consider Mobil 1 0W-40 European Car Formula. It's BMW Longlife Oil 01 approved, and available at Advance Auto. Check for pricing at advanceautoparts.com, as they were recently running a special. It's usually cheaper at their site vs. store, and you can purchase it, and then pick it up at your local store.

If it's not on sale, you may be surprised to find the Castrol 5W-30 at your local dealer is actually cheaper than the big box stores with your club discount. Tischer will ship an OEM BMW E46 3 Series Oil Change Kit for $72 - xi requires 8 quarts.
http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=4462

If you're not seriously trying to squeeze out 15K miles between oil changes, I don't feel that the longlife business is too important. I change oil and filter at 7.5K on our '00 E46.

[Joshua]

Just a bit of advice. I've performed about 1000 oil changes on BMW's and what I tell all my customers is that the one thing that most BMW owners don't know is that any oil filter made in China will disintegrate in the oil filter housing. I've seen it happen a hundred times and it's a nightmare to remove the cheap Chinese filter because it is in 1000 pieces. If you are looking at a cheap alternative to the dealership filter get a MANN filter or go to the dealer and spend the extra money to get the proper filter. In addition to disintegration, cheap aftermarket oil filters come with a cheap oring and is known to cause a leak.
Good luck and if you have any questions regarding servicing your BMW feel free to call us at 410-866-5440

[ventsyv]

You can get an oil change kit for about $50 - $60 bucks from getBMWparts.com - it's the online operation of Tischer BMW of Silver Spring, MD. It's the best deal you'll find and it's original oil and filter (MANN).

When you go to their site, go to the "Specials" section and then to E46Fanatics. You'll find the kit there.

[Bob]

As stated above, BMW has somewhat different oil specifications than US manufacturers, and only a few oils meet those requirements. Not that the oils are not necessarily better in a generic manner, it's just that their chemical composition meets the requirements. Part of the rationale for the BMW specifications is supposedly to achieve the long-life of the oil.

The E46 oil change interval is about 15,000 miles. Many people simply cut that in half, and change their oil every 7,500 miles.

Supposedly, Castrol EDGE is better than Castrol Syntec. At least that's what the marketing says. Both are full synthetics. But note that only the Syntec European Formula 0W-30 meets the BMW specs.

Vic

Well thats clear as mud, Castrol says EDGE is better, BMW says Syntec is better, LOL.

[ventsyv]

You are assuming that BMW oil is the same as Castrol Sync. That is not necessarily true. Most likely the BMW oil is European Formula Syntetic which is different than Castrol Sync sold in the US. It could also be a specific blend that was developed specifically for BMW.
So to put it in math terms : if Edge > Sync US and Sync US not equal BMW oil => Edge ??? BMW oil :-)

[Nick325xiT 5spd]

The BMW 5w30 is close to a 5w40. (Whereas the M1 0w40 will shear down rapidly - I wouldn't bother using it.) The truth is that the cheapest synthetic you can buy is probably BMW Castrol with the 20% BMWCCA discount at Tischer. And it meets the specs and it's a good oil.

[prentissra]

Stick with the getBMWparts oil kit.

[Neil22]

The BMW 5w30 is close to a 5w40. (Whereas the M1 0w40 will shear down rapidly - I wouldn't bother using it.) The truth is that the cheapest synthetic you can buy is probably BMW Castrol with the 20% BMWCCA discount at Tischer. And it meets the specs and it's a good oil.

Good advice. They also have an oil change kit package comes with oil, filter, and gasket. Call them and ask for Evan. I've bought almost all of my oil change kits from them.