Please tell me what kind of oil to use 318ti a

[mikem]

Hi I have a 1996 bmw 318 ti a.

What kind of oil can I use? I need to know exacly what kind brand and weight. I'm sure there are many different kinds, but please give me a few good examples. I usually have the oil changed at the car wash, but I am going to do it myself and I want to know what kind is best to use with this car.

Thank you.

[L84THSKY]

My philosophy is this. Since you're saving money by doing it yourself, buy the good stuff. I use Mobile 1 exclusively. The only thing I change is the weight of the oil during the change in seasons.

The truth is, changing it regularly is the most important thing. So just use thinner oil in the winter, and thicker in the summer. Maybe 5-30 or 10-30 in the winter, and 10-40 or 15-50 in the summer. Of couse it depends on where you live, as to how cold or hot it gets throughout the year.

Originally Posted by mikem

Hi I have a 1996 bmw 318 ti a.

What kind of oil can I use? I need to know exacly what kind brand and weight. I'm sure there are many different kinds, but please give me a few good examples. I usually have the oil changed at the car wash, but I am going to do it myself and I want to know what kind is best to use with this car.

Thank you.

[DustenT]

I use Mobile 1, 10w30 in the summer, 5w30 in the winter. 5 quarts are needed for an oil change. The oil filter is on top of the motor, right in front. My local Napa store stocks the oil filter, but you my need to order one if BMWs are popular in your area. If you plan on doing any more work on your car, invest in a Bentley repair manual, it gives step by step instructions with great pictures for anything you'll ever need to do.

[clex2]

I'm partial to Mobile 1 0W-40. The viscosity is dependent on the outside temperature, but regardless, M1 is relatively inexpensive for a synthetic, has a long track record, and is readily available.

[mikem]

let me ask another question before I do this. last time i had my oil changed I got it changed at the car wash. I have no idea what kind of oil he put in it. I checked my oil level today and even though I do have a leak (a few drips here and there), it's still pretty much full.
I've never changed my own oil before so should it be completely changed or can I just add more? And keep in mind I have no clue what he used before. So I'm assuming mixing 2 different types of oil would probably be bad.
But let me be more clear, I wasn't planning on actually changing the oil, i don't know how to do that. Basically, since I have a leak, I just want to make sure the car has oil and if it gets low I was going to ADD some..

[clex2]

You can mix oils, it's not a problem. Here are my personal rules of thumb for changing oil. If you ask, you will get a million different answers, so do what you feel comfortable with after doing some (search) research.
You can never go wrong with frequent changes, but you could go broke.

I change the oil and filter in each of my cars every 5000 miles. Makes it easy to keep track(5K, 10K, 15K, etc). I do it myself to save$$ and to justify using Mobile 1 synthetic. By doing it yourself, you know exactly what WAS done and what nuts and caps were tightened and replaced. Let's just say that even the most trusted names in the BMW industry can make mistakes, like Dinan leaving my oil cap off after an oil change........and yes it happens at Jiffy Lube too!!

Adding oil when the dipstick reads low is proper procedure, but obviously it cannot replace changin the oil.

There are a number of DIY writeups on changing the oil in the ti. It's not hard to do.

[Den]

. . .i had my oil changed at the car wash.

I have no idea what kind of oil he put in it.

You could go back and ask. They probably buy in bulk and use the same stuff for long periods of time.

I checked my oil level today and even though I do have a leak (a few drips here and there), it's still pretty much full.

How long ago was the oil changed? If you are only losing a few drops in a week, I wouldn't obsess about it. OTOH, are you sure the drips you are seeing are motor oil? It could be from the transmission. It could also be brake fluid or power steering fluid, but they are easier to recognize, and the guy at Pep Boys probably would've been able to. OTOH, a guy who knows BMW's could probably find the source of the leak without steam cleaning the motor.

I've never changed my own oil before so should it be completely changed or can I just add more? And keep in mind I have no clue what he used before. So I'm assuming mixing 2 different types of oil would probably be bad.

Most brands of motor oil say something like ". . .compatible with all major conventional and synthetic motor oils, blah, blah blah. . ." on the label. It's okay to mix. Not optimal, but okay.

But let me be more clear, I wasn't planning on actually changing the oil, i don't know how to do that. Basically, since I have a leak, I just want to make sure the car has oil and if it gets low I was going to ADD some...

Good idea, just be sure that you are not neglecting something else that's leaking, perhaps the gearbox. Also, be careful. Do not to add too much oil.

Originally Posted by clex2

. . .By doing it yourself, you know exactly what WAS done and what nuts and caps were tightened and replaced. Let's just say that even the most trusted names in the BMW industry can make mistakes, like Dinan leaving my oil cap off after an oil change........and yes it happens at Jiffy Lube too!!

There are a number of DIY writeups on changing the oil in the ti. It's not hard to do.

I agree with Clex. If you want to save $, you should DIY. Doing your own oil change is the perfect place to start DIY. It's easy. Messy, but easy. Just put down some newspapers to catch the stray oil that misses the drain pan and be sure to recycle the used oil.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/tech...Oil-Change.htm

http://www.318ti.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=42


Nice oil drain pan. Also available at K-Mart.
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductD...rtnumber=11837

[Keach]

[QUOTE=clex2;97756]You can mix oils, it's not a problem.

Mixing oils is really not recommended. However having mixed oil would be much better than having too little oil. I've been changing my own oil since I got my 96 ti and to be honest i really wouldnt trust an oil shop. A lot of those guys don't know what the hell they are doing, plus it's easy for them to become distracted.(no offense to anyone reading who works changing oil, it's just the fact that not everyone knows what they are doing) Changing it yourself is a pain but at least you know its been done right. Unlike most of these guys I don't run a full synthetic, but Mobile 1 is good stuff. I use mobile 7500, its partial synthetic and has an extended life. Still change the oil before 5 months. Every 3mon or 3,000 miles is a bit of an overkill in my opinion. As for the viscosity of the oil, 10w30 usually does the trick, but it depends on the climate you live in. I believe it tells you in the owners manual what weight of oil to use for what climate. One thing is for sure, changing your own oil isn't tuff and it's safer than bringing it some where to have it done. BMW's are a bit different to change because of the internal filter but once you do it for the first time, after that it's a piece of cake. Good luck