Something I learned the hard way today - the E39 is lower than the E28! Changed the oil for the first time on this car today about 8 months since new - the plan is every 6, but I was away most of a month and awaiting a tool the last month), and although I can get under the E28 without any assist, the E39 is lower and the drain plug harder to reach because it's further back from the front bumper and the access through the wheel well (either behind or in front of the right wheel) isn't workable either.

The solution was to buy a 10 foot 2 x 10 and cut it into 4 pieces, (2) 2 ' and (2) 3'. The easy way is to cut the 10' length in half, and then cut the two resultant pieces at a 45 degree bevel into 2 and 3 ' lengths. I stacked the short piece on the long piece so I had two "stepped" ramps with 45 degree bevels on the leading edges and nailed the pieces together. This makes a pair of 3" high ramps that can be easily driven upon and provides adequate clearance to get to the drain plug.

By the way, although a box wrench will work, a 17mm socket and rachet is the better tool. A 1/2" drive 36 mm socket is available at Sears for $7 to access the top to the oil filter cannister. Use a torque wrench to tighten.

BMW oil filters come with replacement "O"ring for the filter top and a replacement crush washer for the drain plug. A caution - it really isn't necessary to torque the drain plug to throughly crush the washer for it not to leak (in fact, the factory installation didn't even start to deform the washer), and note that the oil pan is an (by definion expensive) alloy casting, so you don't want to strip it out by being a "Gorrilla" with the wrench!

Someone suggested I check and see if the dealer has "oil change specials" but I'd rather do my own and stay in touch with what's under the hood - it's a good time/reason the check belts, hoses, fluids etc. Excepting without the battery up there, I forgot to check the battery water level today. Gonna do that as soon as I sign off here while I remember it.

Call BMP Design (www.bmpd.com) and order "top oil changer" for $49. It is nothing else but a huge canister with the vacume pump. It sucks oil out through the dipstick tube. It takes about 10 minutes and a glass of wine to change oil without creating mess and making your hands dirty. Once it is done you finish the bottle and go for the test drive.;-)

Stepan.