oil changes on E36 M3 (01-07) cost?

Question

Ive been thinking about buying a BMW m3. I was curious about how much it costs to change the oil and could i do it myself without some light on the dashbaord constantly blipping or something?

Answer 1

The price is up to individual dealers. I've seen as low as $30, and as expensive as $150. Also depends on the area you live in.

Yes, you can change the oil your self. Get yourself BMW CCA membership. You can get the OE oil and filter from dealer at discounted price with the membership identification.

Then you will need to get peak research tool for your car, that runs $100 - $180. This tool let you read the engine codes and reset the service lights (including oil change required light) for inspection I and inspection II.

change procedure requires some training. Oil filter housing is external and can be difficult to identify if you are not used to the engine. Also, E36 M3 oil pan is made of aluminum. Need to be careful not to re-threading the oil drain bolt. If you strip it, then oil pan replacement would run you $1500 at the dealer. I did that few years ago, and had to lift up the engine (and drop the sub-frame the bottom) to slide the oil pan out.

Answer 2

Just like the other inline 6 cylinder engines on other 3 series, the E36 M3 engine takes 7 quarts of synthetic oil. The oil filter is no different than the usual ones on the other 3 series too. So your oil change cost should run you about $40 if you do it yourself, to whatever sky high amount some people claim it should be elsewhere. And no, you definitely do not need to get it done at the dealer.

I recommend using Mobil 1 0W-30, Mann or Bosch filter.

As for resetting your service indicator, drive up to any independant garage that services BMW, they'd reset it for you for $5. If you want to buy something more permanent, go on eBay and buy a Peake Research tool for about $50.

I treat changing my own oil as a "personal touch" to my BMW. This way, I know I did the job right, without over-filling, and I know the exact condition of the car. You'd be surprised at how many "experienced mechanics" out there who couldn't care less about killing your car by over-filling, spilling while filling, or even not screwing the filter in properly; resulting in leaks!

There's absolutely nothing wrong with changing your own oil on an M3 or any other expensive cars. In fact, the more expensive the car, the more I want to do my own preventive maintenance!

Answer 3

It's easy to do. If you have a 95 or 96 I advice getting the lug that lets you easily take off the oil filter cap. It's about $20 from somewhere like NAPA.

Oil, if it is a 98 or newer use synthetic. I believe BMW started using synthetic from the factory in 98. If you have 95 or 96 and less than 100K miles I would start with synthetic.

I used 10w-30 Castrol GTX in my 96 328i year round. I use Castrol Syntax in my 98 M3 year round.

GTX cost about $25 while the synthetic costs me around $40 but lasts longer than the GTX.

I buy all my filters from bavauto.com . They come with all the O-rings and seals that you should replace everytime you change your oil.

You will need some ramps to drive up on to. You will also need some wood. Most ramp's slope is too steep for BMW's and will cause the front bumper to scrape on the way up. Using some wood peices you can lower the level of the slope to prevent the bumper from scraping.

You will need a large plastic container to catch the oil (Walmart $10 max).

Also a socket wrench set with an adapter for the lug to remove the oil filter top.

Any other questions you can feel free to contact me, I can answer any oil related questions for you.

Answer 4

E36 M3 Oil Change

Answer 5

Honestly, if you are worried about the cost of oil changes, then you should be looking at a cheaper car. Sorry. They are GREAT, but do occassionally have some costly maintenance. That said.

You can get oil and filters from any auto parts store, and look online for a service light reset tool, they are usuallyunder $100 try Peake tools. Good luck.

Answer 6

You should change oil AND filter every three to six thousand miles. The problem with not doing it is that oil gets dirty, even with a filter and the combustion process contaminates the oil with acid. Let it go long enough and the filter clogs so there is no filtration of dirt and metal particles and the acid builds to the level that it eats away engine components leading to early engine failure. If you are having to add oil frequently then you either have a leaky gasket somewhere or the acid and dirt have worn components to the point that your engine is burning oil. If you see a bluish smoke coming from your exhaust you are burning oil.