What Is The 2011 BMW 328i Oil Capacity?

If you have a 2011 BMW 328i then you know the importance of proper maintenance. One of the crucial components of maintenance is the oil change, which keeps the engine lubricated.

Doing proper oil changes optimizes the engine’s performance and offers protection against the engine’s internal component damage.

And if you want to do the oil changes yourself, then there are some important things you need to know, like the engine’s oil capacity. Because adding too much oil is as bad as a low oil level.

DIY the oil changes is the most basic DIY anyone could perform with a simple guide. So, don’t worry because today we’ll discuss BMW’s recommended oil capacity, the oil type of your 2011 BMW 328i, and a DIY oil-changing guide.

Let’s delve right into it.

2011 BMW 328i Oil Capacity?

The 2011 BMW 328i with a 3.0-liter inline-6-cylinder has an oil capacity of 6.9 US quarts or 6.5-6.6 liters with a filter.

2011 328i uses a 3.0-liter engine, which many enthusiasts have mistaken as the engine oil capacity. So, remember this is the engine displacement, not the engine oil capacity. The 3.0 liter is the amount of oil that the engine cylinders could take not the engine oil capacity.

If you only add 3.0 liters of oil, thinking of it as the engine oil capacity, it can result in catastrophic engine damage.

If you’re still confused about the oil capacity you could also check your BMW owner’s manual.

BMW Recommended 2011 BMW 328i Oil Type

For your 2011 BMW 328i BMW recommends using Longlife-01-approved SAE 5W-30 Synthetic engine oil.

BMW is always advised to use synthetic oil for the BMW engines, because synthetic oil provides better lubrication, has better protection, and it also lasts longer than conventional oil.

Also Read: BMW N52 Engine: All You Need To Know

It’s very important that you do not use conventional oil in your 328i, because conventional oil doesn’t work properly on a 328i engine. And using conventional oil instead of synthetic oil can severely damage your engine.

Because the 328i engine is designed to use 5W-30 synthetic oil, it comes as a factory standard.

Synthetic oil is more expensive than conventional oil, however, with conventional oil you need to change oil very frequently. which balances out the synthetic oil cost. So, it’s better to use the factory-recommended quality engine oil.

How Frequent You Should Change Your 2009 BMW 328i Oil?

Now you know what is your 2011 BMW 328i oil capacity and what type of oil best. So, now you only need to know how frequently you’ll need to change the oil.

So, BMW recommends changing the oil on your 2011 BMW 328i every 7,500-10,000 miles or once a year (whichever comes first).

However, if you’ve mistakenly filled your vehicle with conventional oil, then you’ll need to change it every 3,500-5,000 miles.

I also recommend changing the synthetic oil every 5,000 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. Because everyone drives in different weather temperatures and has different driving habits/conditions, it’s better to maintain a safe mark for oil changing.

So, the engine doesn’t have to suffer any inefficiency and works smoothly while maintaining its reliability.

However, you should always check the engine oil level at least once a month, because for various reasons you may need to change the oil earlier than the recommended schedule. You’ll also notice some symptoms that your vehicle needs urgent oil.

So, let’s look at them.

Symptoms For an Urgent Oil Change

• Low oil level
• Extremely dirty dark brown or black color oil
• Oil has been contaminated with debris & looks like thick sand is mixed
• Oil burning smells from the engine, smoke from the exhaust.
• Lower engine performance
• Different weird noises coming from the engine

So, if you notice any of the symptoms you should inspect your vehicle, properly and change the oil right away if needed.

Also Read: Symptoms Of A BMW Valve Cover Gasket Leak

Otherwise, if you’re not confident about inspecting your vehicle with any of the symptoms, you can also contact any professional technician.

Step By Step Oil Changing DIY Guide

Now you know all the things you need to know about your 2011 BMW 328i oil change and now the only thing left is DIY the oil change.

So, here’s the step-by-step guide for your 2011 BMW 328i oil & oil filter change guide. Before starting the process you’ll need some supplies, so first let’s take a look at them.

Supplies Needed:

• 7 quarts of 5W-30 synthetic engine oil
• Oil filter kit
• Oil filter wrench
• 17mm socket wrench
• Car ramps
• Oil drain pan (10 ltr. capacity)
• funnel
• Shop towels
• Safety gloves & glasses

Here I’ve suggested getting 7 quarts of engine oil, because your engine capacity is 6.9 quarts, and you won’t get 6.9 quarts separately so you need to buy the full 7 quarts.

Stap-by-Step Guide

Before starting the guide gather all the supplies and wear the safety glasses and gloves.

1. Firstly start the engine for 10-15 minutes for the engine oil to warm. Because warm engine oil drains faster & easily.
2. Now drive your car above the car ramps, shut off the car, and apply parking brakes.
3. Then with the oil filter wrench loose the oil filter cap & also loose the oil filler cap by rotating it counterclockwise.
4. Now go under your vehicle and locate the oil drain plug under a cover.
5. Open the cover with a screwdriver, then with the 17mm socket open the oil drain plug and let the oil drain into the drain pan.
6. The oil should be drained in 3-5 minutes.
7. After that with the oil filter wrench open the cap and take out the old oil filter.
8. Now install the new oil filter and two O-rings you’ll get in the oil filter kit.
9. Also, change the oil drain plug washer with a new one from the oil filter kit & close the oil drain plug appropriately.
10. Now put back the new oil filter into its housing and close the cap tightly.
11. Now open the oil filler cap and with a funnel slowly add 6.9 quarts of synthetic oil.
12. Then close the oil filler cap & check the electronic dipstick for engine oil level.

After 5-10 minutes of filling the oil start the car for 10-15 minutes and check for any oil leakage, and engine oil level. If all these are all ok, then congratulations because you just did a DIY oil change on your 2011 BMW 328i without any issues.

After changing the oil always remember to dispose of the old oil in your nearby auto shop or recycling center.

For a more detailed step-by-step oil-changing DIY guide visit here: How To Change Oil On A BMW 328i: A Complete Guide

Final Words

So, now you know everything about the oil change process, which is just a 30-minute work. And you can simply do it and save the labor cost.

As you know how oil changes are becoming expensive day by day, so the DIY oil change is a very efficient way to save some money.

So, I hope you get to know everything you need for a DIY oil change in your 2011 BMW 328i & best of luck for your DIY journey.

FAQ

Image Credit: theglobeandmail

Related Articles:

What Is The 2011 BMW 328i Oil Type?

BMW N52 Engine: All You Need To Know

BMW N52 Reliability: The Great Natural Aspirated Engine

What Is The 2010 BMW 328i Oil Type?

2010 BMW 328i Oil Change DIY Guide (Complete Process)