[danallxt]

2. Buy 8" wide x 2'-3' long pieces of wood to work as ramp extensions

Is anyone else in the same boat and have any pointers?

yes, i addressed this in an earlier post in this thread.
all ya need is a couple pieces of scrap wood, not even 8" in width, 4-6 inches fine, and even only a couple feet long. All you are doing is driving up on surface that elevates the car a bit, place em in front of the ramps.
You are making this way more complicated than necessary.

[MPR]

Amazon Prime messed up my order for a 32mm socket twice, so the oil change didn't happen. Now planning for next weekend.

[MPR]

Does anyone know if the car needs to be level for the oil cooler(s) to drain correctly?

Trying to decide on ramps only for the front wheels, or front wheels on ramps & rear on jack stands.

Also thinking about making 6.5L marks on my oil drain pan, so I can see how much is drained, assuming none has burned off.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by MPR

Looking for what the other DIYers out there do to get the car in the air for an oil change.

I bought a set of ramps from harbor freight today but the front bumper is too low and hits the ramp before the wheel has a chance to climb it.

I was trying to avoid jacking up the car and using jack stands since nobody is able to confirm where the front jacking point is, and ramps seem so much easier.

Thinking of either:
1. Jack up driver's side from side jack point high enough to slide ramp under driver's side wheel, repeat for passenger side. Both front wheels will now be on ramps. Opposite steps to get car off ramps.
2. Buy 8" wide x 2'-3' long pieces of wood to work as ramp extensions

Is anyone else in the same boat and have any pointers?

I used Rhino Ramps. For my cars with clearance problems when trying to pull forward I bought some RV leveling pads, something similar to what's shown in the link below:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Camco-Fas...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

to make a stair step in front of each ramp to get the nose up high enough to clear the ramp.

With judicious choices of boards one could accomplish the same thing, of course.

I hate jacking cars a corner at a time and none of my cars had a factory sanctioned jack point to raise either end of the vehicle.

Might add if I have a garage I'd get a portable hydraulic lift and use it to properly lift the car rather than messing with ramps.

[MPR]

I did my first oil change today and it was much easier than I was expecting, especially with how I ended up doing it. I wanted the car to be level while draining so what I did is:

1. Drove the car to temp and let it rest to cool down a bit
2. Loosened the oil fill cap
3. Jacked up only the drivers side front wheel and put a ramp under it
4. Started the drain process
5. Jacked up the front wheel off of the ramp, removed the ramp and let the car back down on all 4 wheels. This would be equivalent to the car being on a lift at the dealer/shop.
6. Replaced filter
7. Jack up the front wheel again and let it down back onto ramp
8. Ensured the oil was done draining and replaced drain plug gasket and reinstalled drain plug
9. Filled with oil

A few notes for things you guys may run into:

The drain plug and oil filter housing should be torqued to 25Nm or 18.5 ft-lbs. My larger torque wrench has a minimum of 20 ft-lbs and my smaller one has a max of 15 ft-lbs, so since I could not get to exactly 18.5, I over-torqued the filter and drain plug a bit to 20 ft-lbs.

I drained the spent oil into the Liqui-Moly jugs, and I filled the larger one to the brim and one of the smaller 1 L jugs to around 3/4 of the way. I wish I'd marked the original level in each and only filled the spent oil to that level so I could determine how much oil I drained/possibly burned off.
I still have the jugs in my garage and one of these days I will pour some from the larger to the smaller to see exactly where I land.

[TJZ67201]

Much thanks for posting your experience. I will hopefully be doing th same in the next month or so 👍🏻

[MPR]

Originally Posted by TJZ67201

Much thanks for posting your experience. I will hopefully be doing th same in the next month or so 👍🏻

Just want to add that there isn't a lot of room to work with this method, I slid under on a piece of cardboard -- you're definitely not getting a creeper under there.

[TJZ67201]

Originally Posted by MPR

Just want to add that there isn't a lot of room to work with this method, I slid under on a piece of cardboard — you're definitely not getting a creeper under there.

Any idea how much oil you put in after draining? I’m seeing 6.5 to 7.2L quoted online

[MPR]

Originally Posted by TJZ67201

Any idea how much oil you put in after draining? I’m seeing 6.5 to 7.2L quoted online

Yeah, exactly 6.5L. The entire larger jug, entire smaller jug, and then half of the second smaller jug.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by MPR

Does anyone know if the car needs to be level for the oil cooler(s) to drain correctly?

Trying to decide on ramps only for the front wheels, or front wheels on ramps & rear on jack stands.

Also thinking about making 6.5L marks on my oil drain pan, so I can see how much is drained, assuming none has burned off.

My experience with a number of cars -- from a Golf TDi to a Porsche Turbo -- is all the oil that is going to drain out for the called for drain time drains out with the car on ramps. Really the engine can't pool any oil parked at this mild an out of level condition or it would suffer serious oil level issues in the mountains or just under acceleration, cornering, and braking.


For my cars I just pulled the end with the engine on the ramps. For example with my Golf and Pontiac GTO the engine was in front so I drove the car nose first on the ramps.

With my Boxster, Cayman and Turbo, with engines located mid-ship or at the rear of the car I backed the cars onto the ramps.

[MPR]

Originally Posted by RockCrusher

My experience with a number of cars — from a Golf TDi to a Porsche Turbo — is all the oil that is going to drain out for the called for drain time drains out with the car on ramps. Really the engine can't pool any oil parked at this mild an out of level condition or it would suffer serious oil level issues in the mountains or just under acceleration, cornering, and braking.


For my cars I just pulled the end with the engine on the ramps. For example with my Golf and Pontiac GTO the engine was in front so I drove the car nose first on the ramps.

With my Boxster, Cayman and Turbo, with engines located mid-ship or at the rear of the car I backed the cars onto the ramps.

But dealer service depts always have the car level on a lift, odd they wouldn't take that into consideration.

[meyer1son]

Originally Posted by MPR

Looking for what the other DIYers out there do to get the car in the air for an oil change.

I bought a set of ramps from harbor freight today but the front bumper is too low and hits the ramp before the wheel has a chance to climb it.

I was trying to avoid jacking up the car and using jack stands since nobody is able to confirm where the front jacking point is, and ramps seem so much easier.

Thinking of either:
1. Jack up driver's side from side jack point high enough to slide ramp under driver's side wheel, repeat for passenger side. Both front wheels will now be on ramps. Opposite steps to get car off ramps.
2. Buy 8" wide x 2'-3' long pieces of wood to work as ramp extensions

Is anyone else in the same boat and have any pointers?

Here you go

[BG42]

When I was younger I used race ramps to get the car high enough to get a jack under it. I recently got to check out a buddies quick jack and def will be picking one up costco sometimes had pretty decent sales on them. Eventually I'm building a separate garage so the dream would be a nice 2 post lift.

[MPR]

My friend who runs a tint/PPF shop has one and they are awesome. As cool as that would be I can't justify the cost or real estate in my garage. I plan to at most only do oil changes and maybe brake pads/fluid on this car. If I ever get into a house with a 2 car garage, I'd 100% invest in quick jacks.

[BG42]

Until I get mine it will just be me going to his house with a case of beer payment to use his lol.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by MPR

But dealer service depts always have the car level on a lift, odd they wouldn't take that into consideration.

Lifts are designed to lift vehicles level. That is the easiest and safest way to lift a vehicle. And the lift design is the simplest.

That still doesn't mean the vehicle has to be level in order to completely drain the oil.

Didn't mention it before -- because I thought it obvious -- but if ramps are used if the drain plug is at one end of the oil pan/sump (at the front or back) the vehicle should be driven on the ramps so the drain plug is lower.

Just a couple of my cars had the drain located at the rear of the oil pan. It so happened with these cars I could drive the car on the ramps with the front of the car elevated.

The other cars had a centrally located drain in the oil sump/oil tank.

After draining the oil with the car on the ramp when it came time to refill the engine I never encountered an engine that was that was overfilled with oil after I had poured in the called for amount of oil.

The oil drain with the car on the ramp drained all the oil.

Of coursed as is the case with so many things car related it is up the individual. Use the ramps then arrange to lift the other end of the car to bring it level.

But before I did this -- because I don't believe there is a good way to lift one of these cars without using the factory sanctioned lift points -- I'd just buy a portable hydraulic lift that would lift the car level and safely.

Some years ago it cost me nearly $400 for oil/filter services for my Porsche cars. I drove a lot of miles and changed the oil every 5K miles. A hydraulic lift would have paid for itself in maybe one year's time.

[MPR]

Maybe it's splitting hairs regarding how much residual oil is left with either approach. I'm assuming BMW designed it to allow for both lift and ramp oil changes.

[danallxt]

Originally Posted by MPR

Maybe it's splitting hairs regarding how much residual oil is left with either approach..

sure is.

I'm assuming BMW designed it to allow for both lift and ramp oil changes

not really....all cars allow for lift and ramp oil changes...no special design, just put a drainplug somewhere...usually towards the back of the pan but not always.

[MPR]

Originally Posted by danallxt

not really....all cars allow for lift and ramp oil changes...no special design, just put a drainplug somewhere...usually towards the back of the pan but not always.

That's what I was getting at. No intended design, it's just the way it is and has always been.

[PNTDG42]

I have a 2-post lift and I also have quick jacks. I do oil changes on ramps or just straight up on the floor for SUV/truck. Nothing quick about QuickJacks, takes a solid 20-30 min to set them up and get the car in the air if you are alone, another 10 to put it all away when you're done, and they are serious back breakers. I mean it, they are heavy AF and not fun to drag about. Even the 2-Post lift and crawling around the floor etc, over complicates everything. Small jobs like oil change or brake pads/rotors or wheels/tires, I just bust out the stool and creeper, and do it on the floor.

[danallxt]

Originally Posted by PNTDG42

I have a 2-post lift and I also have quick jacks. I do oil changes on ramps or just straight up on the floor for SUV/truck. Nothing quick about QuickJacks, takes a solid 20-30 min to set them up and get the car in the air if you are alone, another 10 to put it all away when you're done, and they are serious back breakers. I mean it, they are heavy AF and not fun to drag about. Even the 2-Post lift and crawling around the floor etc, over complicates everything. Small jobs like oil change or brake pads/rotors or wheels/tires, I just bust out the stool and creeper, and do it on the floor.

yup, some things are overkill for simple jobs.
Having changed my own oil for over 50 years....fastest is of course a vehicle with enough clearance to crawl under, a low clearance vehicle like this m240, a set of ramps is absolute fastest and easiest.
I always figure doin it my self is way less time than it takes to drive somewhere and have someone else do it.

[Caerus]

Originally Posted by meyer1son

Here you go

Thanks for the information. Enclosed is a underside picture of the G42 M240ix. If you zoom in to the front area, it does not match the car in the sketch that was provided. It appears to be two different cars. In the sketch, what year M240i is this? Thanks.