oil change - underpanel
08-23-2010, 07:55 AM
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2004 545i
so i did my first oil change saturday. this resulted in a large mess due to me just letting the oil drain plug drop and it being the perfect fit for my drain pan. while looking at the front sway bar and wondering what that thingy was that it went into that has a sensor and was a little wet, i didn't notice the mini BP level mess i was making on my garage floor. not funs
anyway, how am i supposed to get this underpanel snugly on? one of those weird screws seems like what i'm driving it into may be stripped. the others i did hand tight once my oil change was done and then twisted a little with my screwdriver. i thought i was ok. bro and his friends borrowed the car for a beer run and didn't say anything.
next day i didn't notice anything either, and drove 1.5 hours to a race track. i was going to try her out for touring laps on autobahn south. i'm in line driving up to enter the track and some dude is like hey man, i think you're dragging something. look down and there is that damn underpanel. i couldn't get a screwdriver in for most of those screws, i'd hand tighten them as best i could but i'd get one side done and then the other would fall. over and over. eventually i just said duh, fuck it - unscrewed them all and tossed them in the grass. lost a few laps of my time. the panel is in my trunk right now. is there a better panel or system for doing this? or what am i doing wrong, how do i make sure this thing is properly secured?
so i did my first oil change saturday. this resulted in a large mess due to me just letting the oil drain plug drop and it being the perfect fit for my drain pan. while looking at the front sway bar and wondering what that thingy was that it went into that has a sensor and was a little wet, i didn't notice the mini BP level mess i was making on my garage floor. not funs
anyway, how am i supposed to get this underpanel snugly on? one of those weird screws seems like what i'm driving it into may be stripped. the others i did hand tight once my oil change was done and then twisted a little with my screwdriver. i thought i was ok. bro and his friends borrowed the car for a beer run and didn't say anything.
next day i didn't notice anything either, and drove 1.5 hours to a race track. i was going to try her out for touring laps on autobahn south. i'm in line driving up to enter the track and some dude is like hey man, i think you're dragging something. look down and there is that damn underpanel. i couldn't get a screwdriver in for most of those screws, i'd hand tighten them as best i could but i'd get one side done and then the other would fall. over and over. eventually i just said duh, fuck it - unscrewed them all and tossed them in the grass. lost a few laps of my time. the panel is in my trunk right now. is there a better panel or system for doing this? or what am i doing wrong, how do i make sure this thing is properly secured?
08-24-2010, 12:53 AM
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My Ride: 2007 530d M Sport Automatic, Le Mans Edition.Le Mans Blue Individual Paint Special, Syrah Blue Individual Leather, Piano Black Individual Interior Trim, Front seat heating,M Double Spoke 172 19
The underpanel has a triangular section secured by 3 screws which is removed for an oil change.Do you not have this?
See item 9 here :-
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...11&hg=51&fg=75
Also,see :-
https://5series.net/forums/topic/497...my-535i-today/
See item 9 here :-
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...11&hg=51&fg=75
Also,see :-
https://5series.net/forums/topic/497...my-535i-today/
09-01-2010, 03:58 PM
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i don't think i have that? but wonder why the 545i link there has it?
the piece i'm talking about is #1 here. looks like i am missing a quick release screw too.
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...89&hg=51&fg=75
the piece i'm talking about is #1 here. looks like i am missing a quick release screw too.
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...89&hg=51&fg=75
09-01-2010, 09:05 PM
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i don't think i have that? but wonder why the 545i link there has it?
the piece i'm talking about is #1 here. looks like i am missing a quick release screw too.
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...89&hg=51&fg=75
the piece i'm talking about is #1 here. looks like i am missing a quick release screw too.
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...89&hg=51&fg=75
09-01-2010, 11:31 PM
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09-02-2010, 05:41 AM
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i'm too lazy. i might do the clutch delay valve this weekend, else i'll have to wait until the next oil change! will report back next time i'm under there.
09-03-2010, 06:52 AM
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09-03-2010, 09:16 AM
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well i'm not going to jack it up and crawl down there for funsies, i'm a busy man eating oreos and watching tv and such. i need to flush the brake fluid and do the clutch delay valve though so i might end up under there this weekend. will report back.
09-05-2010, 08:38 AM
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My Ride: 2006 BMW 550i "Ben Hogan's 5 Iron"
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Same thing happened to me.
I could not believe how fast the oil came flowing out. My old tray looked like a toilet filling up with that OH NO FEELING!!!! Fortunately, it didn't make it over the lip so I thought everything was okay. Suprised no one has cautioned about this in the DIY oil change writeups.
So drive off the ramp feeling happy, only to hear the oil tray scrap along the ground. Forgot to take the tray out and the clearance wasn't enough. Oil all over the place.
Anyway to your point, the panel is flimsy and doesn't fit as well as it should. Suprising given the nice layout and other parts under the car. I thought of using black tape but it seems okay as is.
I could not believe how fast the oil came flowing out. My old tray looked like a toilet filling up with that OH NO FEELING!!!! Fortunately, it didn't make it over the lip so I thought everything was okay. Suprised no one has cautioned about this in the DIY oil change writeups.
So drive off the ramp feeling happy, only to hear the oil tray scrap along the ground. Forgot to take the tray out and the clearance wasn't enough. Oil all over the place.
Anyway to your point, the panel is flimsy and doesn't fit as well as it should. Suprising given the nice layout and other parts under the car. I thought of using black tape but it seems okay as is.