Specs Cars

How to Change a BMW E46 Engine Oil

1. Turn your E46s engine on and allow it to run for a few minutes so that the engine oil heats up and becomes more viscous.
2. Park your E46 on a level surface and position the ramps so that you can drive the front of the car on to them in order to raise it and provide more clearance for the oil change.
3. Drive the car on to the ramps and turn it off, leaving it in gear and with the parking brake engaged.
4. Open the hood and loosen the oil filler cap.
5. Remove the oil filter housing cover using your 36 mm socket wrench. The cover is circular, black, and metal, and is located at the front of the engine.
6. Remove the old oil filter and replace it with the new one, mopping up any oil that has dripped using your towels.
7. Tighten the oil filters cover and go to the underside of the car.
8. Position the oil drain pan below the oil drain plug, then remove the oil drain plug using your 17 mm socket wrench.
9. Allow the oil to finish dripping out of the oil pan, then replace the oil drain plug using your socket wrench.
10. Insert the plastic funnel into the oil filler neck at the top of your E46s engine and slowly pour all 7 quarts of the new oil into it.
11. Replace the oil filler cap when you have finished pouring the oil, then back the car off of the ramps to complete the procedure.