I have a confession to make. I let the car go over 11k miles between oil changes. The first time I did the job I had gotten so fed up with an overtightened filter that I’ve had garages to do the job since then. I’ve been wanting to do the job myself lately since I’ve been nursing some oil leaks. I just procrastinated.

Back when I had my 740T I used to do my own oil changes. I made a few mistakes out of inexperience (and lack of internet resources in 1994), including opening the plug over my bare hand while the oil was still scalding hot, and dropping my wagon over the end of the ramps. Since I got the black brick I’ve been using jacks and stands to work under the car. This makes sense for suspension work but adds extra labor to what should be a quick job. So last week I finally got a new set of ramps and it made the oil change a breeze. No Dukes of Hazzard jumps off the end this time. Just a quick twist of the plug, a twirl of the filter and 4 quarts of Castrol GTX high-mileage at 10W30 and in 20 minutes it’s over. I’ll easily be able to do that 3-4 times a year.

I recommend oil filter pliers over the universal or strap type. There’s just not a lot of room to maneuver so it’s easier to just claw the thing and twist. After trips to AutoZone I was unable to get a new drain plug washer so I flipped the old one and have no problems. Now I’ve got to get a case of  drain plug washers.