[MonacoBimm]

Id change it if I could

[triton.]

Originally Posted by BimmerEnvy

$20? I think a stripped oil pan drain could be more costly than that..

Yep that's why I pay them to do it now. for $20 they lift the car and change the oil in 10 min, plus I don't have to worry about trapsorting the oil somewhere.

[KevinC]

Originally Posted by Chesmu

is that bmw N Scottsdale? They used to use hertz rent-a-POS for their loaners when we lived up there. We're in Central Phx now and use Chapman on McDowell Road...I got a 330 when I took my car in for its first oil change.

Nope, Chapman on McDowell.. their standard deal.

[younghov85]

its very much worth it, as your gas mileage slightly increases.

[ages944]

You can dispose of your used oil at Jiffy Lube for free.

[txusa03]

Originally Posted by 742

There are several advantages to doing it yourself other than cost (which is minimal). One is time, since I can do an oil change in less than the time it takes me to drive to the dealership.

Another is simply looking for problems, which a hurried technician is unlikely to do. For example on the last oil change on one of my other cars I found a seeping fitting on a power steering line. Even though I took it to the dealer to get fixed, I saved myself a possible problem while away from home and perhaps even the cost of a power steering pump.

And with regard to the marking paint on the filter cap, the purpose is almost certainly opposite of what many of you seem to think. It is not unheard of for people to have failed engines at 30 to 40k as a result of never having had the oil changed, and the marking paint is just a simple/quick way for BMW (and any other manufacturer) to identify an engine that has never been serviced. For the same reason you may find on other brands that the oil filters put on at the factory are marked differently than those available in the aftermarket, including the dealerships.

+1