Changing the oil and oil filter on your BMW E46 may be one of the most important maintenance items you can do on your car. This guide applies to all M52 and M54 engines, which can be found in the BMW 323i, 325i, 328i, and 330i coupes, sedans, wagons, and convertibles.
The E46 platform all have inline six cylinder engines that have a very similar process for changing the oil. The maintenance interval for an oil change is every 5,000 miles, or when an Inspection 1 Service (every 30k miles) or Inspection 2 Service (every 60k miles) is due.
You will need to lift your vehicle in order to access the oil drain plug. An easier way to gain access to underneath the vehicle is to drive the front of the vehicle up onto vehicle ramps. As for tools, you’ll probably have most of the tools required for this job, but all tools and materials needed will be listed below.
Tools & Parts Needed
The main parts required for an oil change is motor oil, an oil filter and an engine oil drain plug gasket. Some oil filters come with a drain plug gasket (i.e. when you buy an OEM oil filter), while others (aftermarket) may only come with the oil filter itself.
You should be replacing the crush washer drain plug gasket every time you change the oil. Tools you will need will be a 17mm socket, oil drain pan, nitrile gloves, and a pair of tongue-and-groove pliers (or a 24mm socket).
Motor Oil
The recommended motor oil for the BMW M52 (323i, 328i) and M54 (325i, 330i) engines is a full synthetic motor oil with 5W-30 or 5W-40 viscosity (specification API SH or higher). At the time of this post, API SH is actually an obsolete specification; most if not all motor oils these days are rated higher than this. The oil capacities for both M52 and M54 engines is the same, although depending on whether your vehicle is RWD or AWD, the capacities will differ. Below, you’ll find the corresponding capacities for the BMW E46:
| Engine Oil with Filter Change | Oil Capacity |
|---|---|
| Rear Wheel Drive models | 6.9 US qt (6.5 liters) |
| All Wheel Drive models | 8 US qt (7.5 liters) |
BMW LL-01 (Long-life) Rating?
There has been a lot of discussion over the years surrounding BMW’s recommendation of using BMW Long-life rated motor oils with an LL-01 rating. It has been a debatable topic with us E46 owners with everyone having their own opinions about whether you should use it or not. If you read the various threads on various BMW forums regarding this subject, you could read for weeks on end. I recommend you do your own research and come to your own conclusion on what type of motor oil you want to use on your E46.
Supposedly there are certain standards and testing that needs to be met in order for these qualifying motor oils to get this LL-01 rating, but no one knows for sure. Furthermore, BMW used to have an approved oils list that is a bit antiquated, but can be found in the file below. Keep in mind that this list is dated back to January 2008 and can no longer be found on the BMW website. So if you believe that your E46 should only use LL-01 rated oil, then you may want to use one of the oils found on the list below.
Motor Oil Type
At the time of this post, we are already 15 years from the time that the BMW approved LL-01 list was available and I’ve even heard that the list may have changed. I’ve also heard from members on BMW forums that some oils that have met the specifications to get the LL-01 rating, have not gotten added to BMW’s list of approved oils. So who knows… as I mentioned before, you could go on and on reading and researching all of this and you may end up going around in circles.
My own personal opinion is that you should be generally okay using an oil recommended in both the owner’s manual and Bentley Repair Manual, which is to stick with a full synthetic motor oil that meets the API classification SH or better. There are a lot of high quality motor oils out there today, so in today’s market it may be a non-issue. I’ve taken the liberty of listing some of the most popular and commonly used ones you can find for the E46 below.
LiquiMoly Full Synthetic Leichtlauf High Tech: 5W-40 (5L) & (1L)
Valvoline Full Synthetic European Formula: 5W-30 (5qt) & (1qt) / 5W-40 (5qt) & (1qt)
Castrol Edge Euro Car Synthetic: 5W-30 (5qt) & (1qt)
Castrol Edge Synthetic: 5W-30 (5qt)
Mobil1 Advanced Full Synthetic: 5W-30 (5qt)
Oil Filter
Just like the engine air filter, the most popular brand of oil filter you’ll find for the E46 is the Mann Filter. It is an OE product and costs about $7 at the time of this post. Other choices you have are the BMW Genuine oil filter ($10-$15), the MAHLE ($9-$13), or a variety of other aftermarket options ranging from $7 to $25 depending on the brand you go with. Also, the oil filter should come with (2 qty) O-rings for the oil filter cap.
Mann Engine Air Filter (HU925/4X): Amazon
Mahle Oil Filter (OX154/1D): Amazon
BMW Genuine OEM Engine Oil Filter (11-42-7-512-300): Ebay
Other Aftermarket Options: Mobil 1 M1C-252A / Fram Extra Guard CH8081
Oil Drain Plug Gasket
If your new oil filter didn’t come with an oil drain plug gasket (crush washer), then you’ll need to order it separately. The OEM Part # is 07-11-9-963-151 (size M12 x 17 x 1.5). You can also find a pack of them here:
BMW OEM Oil Drain Plug Gasket Ring (Part # 07-11-9-963-151
M12 Copper Oil Drain Plug Crush Washer Gasket Fits for BMW, M12 x 17 x 1.5, 10 Pack
Mechanics Tool Set or Socket Set
For the oil change, you need a 17mm socket to remove the oil drain plug. If you don’t have a mechanics tool set, here’s a nice starter set that I recommend: DEWALT Mechanics Tool Set, 84-Piece.
If you want to do a bit of research before getting a mechanics tool set, this is an article that I wrote that goes into more detail on what to consider when choosing one.
Tongue-and-Groove Pliers or 24mm Socket
Either a set of tongue-and-groove pliers or a 24mm socket can be used to remove the oil filter cap. 24mm sockets are not a typical size found in mechanics tool sets or socket sets, so they typically need to be ordered separately if you plan on using one.
Channelock Pliers
Tekton 24mm Socket
Oil Drain Pan
NEIKO Oil Drain Pan | Black Plastic Anti Splash | 2 Gallon (8L)
Nitrile Gloves
MedPride Nitrile Exam Gloves, Powder-Free Box/100 – Small | Medium | Large
Shop Towels
Scott Shop Towels Original, Blue, 12 Rolls/Case, 660 Towels/Case
Torque Wrench
Many folks don’t use a torque wrench when tightening the oil drain plug, but if you wish to torque it to spec (25 Nm or 18 ft-lbs), then you’ll need a torque wrench.
TEKTON 3/8 Inch Drive Micrometer Torque Wrench (10-80 ft.-lb.)
How to Change Oil & Oil Filter on a BMW E46
There won’t be much access to the drain plug underneath the car, so you’ll need to lift the front of the vehicle. Alternatively, I prefer to drive the front wheels up onto a set of vehicle ramps, put a set of jack stands at the front side lift points as an added safety, and then chock the rear wheels to keep it from rocking.
Position a drain pan underneath the engine. It helps to run the engine to get it warm prior to draining the oil. Using a 17mm socket, loosen the oil drain plug and let it drain. Opening the oil filler cap will facilitate the draining of the engine oil.
While the oil is draining, we can remove the oil filter housing. It accepts a 24MM socket on top, but most mechanics tool sets and socket sets don’t go up to a 24mm. An adjustable wrench could work, but again it’s not a typical size; you’d need a really large adjustable wrench. The easiest method is probably using a set of Channellock pliers (a.k.a. tongue and groove pliers). Remove the oil filter cap and set it aside.
Once the engine oil is fully drained, use a new oil drain plug gasket (crush washer) and reinstall the oil drain plug. Make sure that the old crush washer is not stuck to the drain opening when installing the new one. The torque for the oil drain plug is 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs), or you may also tighten the drain plug snug.
Replace the (2 qty) oil filter O-rings on the oil filter cap; there should be a larger one and a smaller one. Replace the old oil filter with a new one, then reinstall and tighten the oil filter cap to 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs), or tighten slightly snug. Both oil drain plug and oil filter cover have the same torque specification.
Now, refill the engine oil. If your car is not level because it is sitting on wheel ramps, then refill the oil to a lower level than the oil capacity. Then you can re-cap the filler cap, start the engine, drive it down the wheel ramps and then refill the remaining oil to the proper oil level.
The oil dipstick on the E46 has a unique design, nonetheless it still operates the same way as any other dipstick. There is a minimum level at the lower groove and a maximum level at the upper groove. The oil level should be somewhere in-between; the difference between the max and min level is approximately one quart of oil.
