Underbonnet layout
THANKS TO
LIQUI MOLY for the supply of the essential oils for this
BMW’s recommended service intervals are potentially more intuitive than the typical once-ayear approach that most vehicles use, but when it comes to DIY servicing, they can be quite a head-scratcher. Our recommended service schedule tries to simplify it all, but if in doubt, stick to what your 1-Series tells you.
When it comes to refreshing the ZF automatic gearbox oil, for instance, it doesn’t help to notice there’s a large yellow sticker on the side of the sump that states the oil is for life. We’ve seen this before on other vehicles with ZF automatic gearboxes, only to discover that many garages and specialists prefer to change the sump, filter and oil every 30,000-70,000 miles.
Such mixed opinions don’t end there. After we had refilled the gearbox with the appropriate gearbox oil, we connected diagnostic equipment from Launch and followed a rather complicated procedure for running the engine, selecting specific gears and topping-up the oil. Autodata has a different set of instructions for this job, which doesn’t involve connecting diagnostic equipment.
Fortunately, all the other servicing jobs we have tackled on this BMW 118d are straightforward, even the fuel filter.
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
› jack › axle stands (or ramp) › oil drain bowl › 8-17mm sockets/spanners › Hex: 8, 10 and 15mm › Torx T30 bit › 76mm-diameter (14-sided) oil filter cup › screwdrivers › pry bar › battery tester or multimeter ›
