[LuckyBrand]

Just did the first oil change on the X5. I like to do 5,000 mile changes so I'll alternate with the dealer for the next few years. Actual mileage was 4800 for this one.

Oil drained from car looked great although seriously watery from the 0w-12 but that's to be expected.

I bought everything from FCP Euro. Mann oil filter which is my go to brand. Went with Liqui-Moly 0w-30 special tec B FE which is an LL-01 FE oil. I used 6.5 liters to refill and this was perfect on the oil measurement when I ran it afterwards.

I went with 0w-30 because I just hate that were now putting a 12 weight in cars today. I talked with a tech at my local BMW center and he gave me a quart of 12 and a quart of 20 to shake and said yeah, that's whats going into our cars now. Basically water. I do think though that if you use quality oils and intervals that your fine but just my way of doing things.

I also think that BMW confuses itself as far as oils and specs go lol. On our 25 it only lists 2 different specs the 12 and the 30 weights but on other years with same engine etc it lists more options. So, as to stay within specs for warranty I guess for now it's either the 12 or 30 for us. So, 30 it is. I honestly don't think it really matters though as long as within specs. When out of warranty I will go out and do whatever I guess like my other vehicles. Like a Castrol from Walmart etc.

The drain plug is a 17mm and the filter is a 32mm. Pretty straight forward. The filter sits in the back and with the height of the vehicle takes a little care to maneuver it in and out to prevent a mess. I did take the engine cover off as well. The drain plug is back a bit underneath and the car sits lower than I thought so I didn't have as much room as I thought I'd have. But it was fine.

So all in all nothing to be afraid of if wanting to do it yourself.

[Bimmeragain]

i’m about to do mine on same car at 5k. Any issues with the oil you used vs the 0w-12?

[LuckyBrand]

No. The level indicator worked fine and still shows good. Fuel mileage has stayed the same as with the 0w-12 as well. That's the one thing I thought may drop but it hasn't so in my opinion it's a win.

Any other questions feel free to ask.

[roadkillrob]

What did you use for your filter as FCPEuro isn't listing anything for 2025 models at all, is it the same as 2021 as they seem to stop looking up the X5 after 2021?

I ordered the kit for the 2021 and it came with LL-17 FE which is incorrect for the 2025, just wondering if the filter is different too?

Thanks
Rob

[LuckyBrand]

Originally Posted by roadkillrob

What did you use for your filter as FCPEuro isn't listing anything for 2025 models at all, is it the same as 2021 as they seem to stop looking up the X5 after 2021?

I ordered the kit for the 2021 and it came with LL-17 FE which is incorrect for the 2025, just wondering if the filter is different too?

Thanks
Rob

Yeah they don't update the catalogs every year. I called them and that's what they told me. If you call they can give you the correct information you need.

The filters are the same throughout. I ordered the Mann filter. HU 6022 z.

I pieced my stuff together since the kits don't offer what we need as far as the specs in manual say for the 25.

Hope that helps.

[Bimmeragain]

Is this the oil drain location?

[LuckyBrand]

Originally Posted by Bimmeragain

Is this the oil drain location?

Yep. That's it!

[Bimmeragain]

Originally Posted by LuckyBrand

Yep. That's it!

Thanks!

[Bimmeragain]

changed oil. Got the 0W12 from BMW ($25 per quart!!). Also got filter from BMW. Easiest oil change ever!. Couldn't change filter as i didn't have a socket big enough. Will do after getting one.

[LuckyBrand]

Originally Posted by Bimmeragain

changed oil. Got the 0W12 from BMW ($25 per quart!!). Also got filter from BMW. Easiest oil change ever!. Couldn't change filter as i didn't have a socket big enough. Will do after getting one.

Awesome! Yeah really nothing to be afraid of. It does help to have the socket for sure. If in a pinch you could probably use a Cresent wrench on the nut to get filter out.

[Tejas1836]

Originally Posted by Bimmeragain

changed oil. Got the 0W12 from BMW ($25 per quart!!). Also got filter from BMW. Easiest oil change ever!. Couldn't change filter as i didn't have a socket big enough. Will do after getting one.

ECS Tuning has the BMW 0w12 for about $17/qt for anyone else looking

[Synthgp]

For those that have done oil changes, do you have to jack up the car? If so, can you use ramps, or does the car need to remain on a level surface?

[LuckyBrand]

Originally Posted by Synthgp

For those that have done oil changes, do you have to jack up the car? If so, can you use ramps, or does the car need to remain on a level surface?

If your a big guy you'll probably have a tough time getting to the drain bolt. If your on the smaller side you can get to it. I didn't need anything but it was close.

Ramps or something similar would definitely help. Give it a try and see what u think without first.

[slilley]

Originally Posted by Synthgp

For those that have done oil changes, do you have to jack up the car? If so, can you use ramps, or does the car need to remain on a level surface?

I've always done it on 10" Race Ramps in the front, and 4" Race Ramps in the rear. But now you have me wondering if I could do it with just the fronts on the lower 4" ramps.

In either case, the car isn't level when doing an oil change, but as the drain plug is at the rear of the pan, I don't think it matters much.

[Synthgp]

slilley LuckyBrand Thanks for the input. Just planning ahead. My car is yet to be built...scheduled for week 47. :-)

[LuckyBrand]

Originally Posted by slilley

I've always done it on 10" Race Ramps in the front, and 4" Race Ramps in the rear. But now you have me wondering if I could do it with just the fronts on the lower 4" ramps.

In either case, the car isn't level when doing an oil change, but as the drain plug is at the rear of the pan, I don't think it matters much.

Yeah I like to have the car level to give the best chance of full drain. But like you said depending on where the plug is located having an uneven drain can still work fine.

[Bimmeragain]

I did it using 4 inch front ramps. Be careful when it drains - I did it on a windy day and it blew all over the pavers as the 0w-12 is like water, not viscous like every other oil I ever used!

[slilley]

Originally Posted by Bimmeragain

I did it using 4 inch front ramps. Be careful when it drains - I did it on a windy day and it blew all over the pavers as the 0w-12 is like water, not viscous like every other oil I ever used!

This is a good point. Even when I'm in the garage changing the oil, I usually elevate the drain pan to get it as close as I can to the drain. That prevents oil from dropping into the drain pan and splashing all over. It also minimizes how far the oil will blow when it's windy.

As for the oil viscosity, I'm sticking with synthetic 5W-30 in all my BMWs and Mini's. In 100% convinced that the super-low viscosity 0W-12 oil is recommended for it's (tiny) improvement in fuel economy, not the longevity of the engine.

[Synthgp]

I wonder if the thinner weight oil is being used due to the hybrid nature of the car. If the engine is only being used intermittently, it is likely going to experience more start/stops with lower temperature oil. To counter act the lower viscosity of the colder oil, they are using a lighter weight oil…Just a theory.

[beetleman20]

Originally Posted by slilley

That is a good point. Even when I'm in the garage changing the oil, I usually raise the drain pan to get it as close to the drain as possible. This prevents oil from falling into the drain pan and splashing all over the place. It also minimizes how far the oil will blow when it's windy. As for oil viscosity, I stick with synthetic 5W-30 in all my BMWs and Minis. In 100% convinced that the super-low viscosity 0W-12 oil is recommended for it's (tiny) improvement in fuel economy, not the longevity of the engine.

Hi, my new X5 will be arriving soon in 2 weeks. Since I live in a hot climate with temperature never below 0 degrees Celsius, I think it's absolutely fine for me to use 5W30. But what about 0W20? 0W20 sits between 0W12 and 0W30, if the car can take 0W12, sure it can take 0W20, right? And is BMW Longlife certification necessary, can I just use high quality premium Japan-made 5W30 instead of going for LL-12 0W30?

Another thing is that since I live in small place, during weekdays the car will drive at most 8km/day (4km to work and 4km back), so the engine will unlikely to heat up before arriving at office, when each startup will last no more than 10 minutes. That's why I think 0W20 is fine.

[slilley]

Originally Posted by beetleman20

Hi, my new X5 will be arriving soon in 2 weeks. Since I live in a hot climate with temperature never below 0 degrees Celsius, I think it's absolutely fine for me to use 5W30. But what about 0W20? 0W20 sits between 0W12 and 0W30, if the car can take 0W12, sure it can take 0W20, right? And is BMW Longlife certification necessary, can I just use high quality premium Japan-made 5W30 instead of going for LL-12 0W30?

Another thing is that since I live in small place, during weekdays the car will drive at most 8km/day (4km to work and 4km back), so the engine will unlikely to heat up before arriving at office, when each startup will last no more than 10 minutes. That's why I think 0W20 is fine.

Wow, curse BMW for making it so hard to figure out which oil is recommended! My glovebox manual says that "up to 1 quart" can be topped up with BMW Longlife-01 FE or BMW Longlife-17 FE+. I'm assuming either of these are fine for oil changes with the X5 40i - but I wish BMW was a little less obtuse.

In any case, assuming you are getting an X5 40i, I think 0W-20 is going to be fine, as long as it has one of the certifications listed above.

But then again, I'm using Amsoil European 5W-30, which only meets BMW LL-04, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

[beetleman20]

Originally Posted by slilley

Wow, curse BMW for making it so hard to figure out which oil is recommended! My glovebox manual says that "up to 1 quart" can be topped up with BMW Longlife-01 FE or BMW Longlife-17 FE+. I'm assuming either of these are fine for oil changes with the X5 40i - but I wish BMW was a little less obtuse.

In any case, assuming you are getting an X5 40i, I think 0W-20 is going to be fine, as long as it has one of the certifications listed above.

But then again, I'm using Amsoil European 5W-30, which only meets BMW LL-04, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

Yea, I think 5W-30 is absolutely fine, and by maintaining regular change every 10000 km with good quality oil, the LL certification can be taken as a grain of salt. I will go to the dealer and ask what oil they are using, and go buy that viscosity myself. I checked the price, and our dealer here is asking for 400 USD per oil change for a 6 cylinder BWM (with 60+ item check ups) which is absurd.