Guys, I'm gonna change my oil soon. What kind of oil is recommended, at what weight and how many quarts? I've been using Mobil One full synthetic on my Bimmer for a while and I've been happy with it. It's getting cooler here in TX, but the coldest will be around 30 degrees or something. I've used Royal Purple before, but I've heard some negative things about it.

 

Mobil 1 is what is installed at the factory, and that's what I use in my 99. I use 5w-30 which is the "preferred" weight but 10w-30 should be fine also. There are other excellent synthetic oils on the market, but I've never had a problem with Mobil 1, so I see no reason to switch. Some folks favor other brands; Redline, Amsoil, etc. The important thing, especially if your car is still under warranty is to use an oil which meets GM spec 4718M. My 99 takes 6.5 quarts to bring the oil to the full mark. Hope this helps.

 

A good 5w30 or 0w30 synthetic is the way to go, the LS1 prefers an oil which is on the thicker side of the 30wt range, so when looking at oils to choose from, pick one which has a 100c viscosity of around 11.5cst or higher. The thinner 30wts that are closer to 10cst tend to show higher wear numbers (especially higher iron values for instance, showing more valvetrain wear)

 

SJTrance,
After you've done the dirty work you'll need to reset the % oil life. Here's the easy way; turn key to "on", depress gas pedal 3 times - you're done.

later,


[Modified by THRAP 42, 7:17 AM 12/5/2003]

 

any good brand name 5w30 synthetic. mobil one is good, as is valvoline synpower etc.

 

Mobil 1 is hard to beat on availability/price/performance. Stick with 5W-30 or go to Amsoil 0W-30, which is excellent too. :yesnod: :)

 

[Modified by IMQUIK, 10:54 AM 12/5/2003]

 

...or you could just turn the key to on, without starting the engine, and then hold down the reset button for about 2 secs.

Mobil 1 :yesnod:

 

6.5 Quarts and you should be good to go! :thumbs:

 

If you get all the old oil out it may take close to 7 qts to fill it according to the stick ( at least on mine it did).. Sid.

 

Does anyone have a write-up on how to change the oil or should I just play it by ear. It should not be that hard, but basic stuff regarding the location of the oil filter would help. Now, there is a "page" on my HUD which has an oil guage. It's got two of the blocks worn down. Does this mean that I have that much less oil in the engine, or does it act like a count down to change the oil next? How long do you guys wait to change the oil in your car?

 

Very simple to change the oil. Get in up on ramps. I use Rhino Ramps. jack the rear end up with a good floor jack. Use jack stands under the rear end for safety. The rear should be a few degrees higher than the front as the drain plug in on the front of the oil pan. Oil should be hot so it will flow out nicely. Wear gloves so you don't get burned with hot oil. You could wait unitl it cools a little. Make sure your drain pan can hold a full SIX quarts. If you remove the oil filler cap the oil will drain better. Change out your oil filter and use a good one, AC Delco, Mobil One or the like. Fill it up with 6.5 quarts and you are good to go. Good idea to prime the oil filter before you install it. Just add oil to the filter, several times. You will see the filter absorbs some of the oil. Adding oil a couple of time will give you a full oil filter so the system come up to full pressure sooner. Make sure the drain plug is snugged up but don't over tighten it. Fire up the engine, check for leaks and you are done. Hope this helps. :chevy By changing the oil yourself you'll save money. Total cost with Mobil One oil and a good filter should be around $40. :thumbs: Oh, I change the oil at least once a year, sooner if I get to 6K miles. I also change out the oil filter only at about 2500 miles. The oil filter is located at the back of block on the driver's side. You'll see it when you are under the car. It will leak oil once you start to loosen it up so be prepared to catch a little oil when removing it. :yesnod:


[Modified by Shortimer, 11:11 PM 12/5/2003]

 

Stick with Mobil 1 for your oil changes. I took a masters class at a local Detroit college and the teacher was the lead tribologist at GM and was on the board of the American Petroleum institute. He always, and I mean always, held Mobil 1 in the highest regard.

:cheers: