Service today by independent I use
- Thread starter Busterboo
- Start date
Avityesboy
Member
Done oil service on mine the other day 35i, 10l litres of ll04 spec oil, Bosch filter £40 for all. Nice 20 min job..
If it’s LL04 spec no point spending any more…IMO
If it’s LL04 spec no point spending any more…IMO
Rockhopper
Senior member
Is the price for disks and pads for both sides or is it x2?
Avityesboy said:
20 mins to do an oil change? Curious as to how you are raising your car - takes me as long to assemble tools!
My last year's service was done at an indie shortly after acquiring my 2012 N20 which was on 72K miles. I wanted a proper once-over since I bought privately. Bill was circa £700 with VAT. Don't know if OP has included the VAT but mine similarly required rear discs and pads which was charged at £89 for pads, £25 for sensors and £70 for discs all with the VAT on top.
Having done just over 2K miles in the year since then, I decided it didn't really warrant going into a garage to get fleeced so just settled for a DIY oil change. Yes oil and filter but if you don't have a car lift etc. then you need 2 trolley jacks and a set of jack stands. I guess you could also use ramps if you can get them wide enough and are comfortable with that. Then there is the filter tool, a drain pan and ideally a torque wrench. Had everything except the filter wrench which admittedly doesn't break the bank but cost is 'only' 40 quid if you have already got all these. Doing things safely and deliberately took me over an hour.
Also have to allow minutes for checking the actual level once filled since there is no manual dipstick!
Reamesy
Active member
One trolley jack under the central jacking point at the front. Two jack stands. Drain plug out into a drain pan. New filter using the filter tool. I change my oil twice a year so worth it as it doesn’t mangle the filter housing. 30 mins tops
6-6.5 litres of new oil. Always bang on the correct level. Reset using service using Autel or you can do it manually.
6-6.5 litres of new oil. Always bang on the correct level. Reset using service using Autel or you can do it manually.
Scooba_Steve
Lifer
For the N54: "1) For petrol engines, only BMW Longlife-04, BMW Longlife-12 FE and BMW Longlife-19 FE oils are permitted in Europe (EU plus Switzerland, Norway and Liechtenstein). They must not be used outside this area."
Avityesboy
Member
B21
Lifer
Scooba_Steve said:
A more insightful expose on the life and times of BMW oil approvals is here..
https://www.bimmerworld.com/BMW-Engine-Oil/
For the N54 an oil meeting API-SN+ or API-SP in a 5W-30 0W-30 or if hard driven 5W-40 are the current gold standards ..
Some of those oils will certify their BMW compatibility but since N54s are now 10 years out of production wasting time labelling these for obsolete designs are not their priority ..
Avityesboy
Member
An LL04 is fine, I’ve never heard of an engine failure due to non compatible oil tbf on anything tbh.
Only times are when the engine has fuck all in it…
Only times are when the engine has fuck all in it…
B21
Lifer
Avityesboy said:
Of course an LL04 oil is fine..I’m simply saying there are now better oils than oils that just meet LL04 spec…
Since that spec was formulated the world found out a lot more about sludge and varnish formation, cam chain wear and low speed pre ignition which only affects turbo petrol engines…SN+ and SP address all those issues..an oil just meeting LL04 does not..
Just as an ester based oil that does not explicitly meet LL04 such as Fuchs or Redline ester based oils will far exceed the engine protection of a base LL04 oil is
Each to their own..
Bombur
Member
Reamesy said:One trolley jack under the central jacking point at the front. Two jack stands. Drain plug out into a drain pan. New filter using the filter tool. I change my oil twice a year so worth it as it doesn’t mangle the filter housing. 30 mins tops
6-6.5 litres of new oil. Always bang on the correct level. Reset using service using Autel or you can do it manually.
Did mine on Rhino Ramps no problems at all
Scooba_Steve
Lifer
Not saying that there aren’t oils that meet and exceed, just quoting TIS.B21 said:
Reamesy said:One trolley jack under the central jacking point at the front. Two jack stands. Drain plug out into a drain pan. New filter using the filter tool. I change my oil twice a year so worth it as it doesn’t mangle the filter housing. 30 mins tops
6-6.5 litres of new oil. Always bang on the correct level. Reset using service using Autel or you can do it manually.
Which make of trolley jack do you have? In order to get a trolley jack to reach the front central jacking point without damaging the bumper, I first had to elevate the car at a front side jacking point with a second trolley jack. This was after seeing someone do the same on a youtube video.
Bombur said:Reamesy said:One trolley jack under the central jacking point at the front. Two jack stands. Drain plug out into a drain pan. New filter using the filter tool. I change my oil twice a year so worth it as it doesn’t mangle the filter housing. 30 mins tops
6-6.5 litres of new oil. Always bang on the correct level. Reset using service using Autel or you can do it manually.
Did mine on Rhino Ramps no problems at all
20250430_095934.jpg
What width of wheels do Rhino ramps accommodate?
Reamesy
Active member
I use a SGS low profile jack. But I first run the car onto two pieces of 4x2Fady said:Reamesy said:One trolley jack under the central jacking point at the front. Two jack stands. Drain plug out into a drain pan. New filter using the filter tool. I change my oil twice a year so worth it as it doesn’t mangle the filter housing. 30 mins tops
6-6.5 litres of new oil. Always bang on the correct level. Reset using service using Autel or you can do it manually.
Which make of trolley jack do you have? In order to get a trolley jack to reach the front central jacking point without damaging the bumper, I first had to elevate the car at a front side jacking point with a second trolley jack. This was after seeing someone do the same on a youtube video.