Oil Filter Change (NISMO filter!)

I completed an oil and filter change a few weeks back and its actually very straightforward, nothing too surprising for any would be mechanic.  I opted for the Nismo oil filter which is part 15208RN011, it was £14 from eBay.  You can buy a standard replacement for £5-8 but hey I wanted the Nismo one on my E52.

You will need to jack up the car either at the front or if its easier you can just raise the drivers axle.  First thing is to remove the plastic panel inside the drivers wheel arch.

This should reveal the oil filter inside the arch.  Its quite a small filter compared to some cars.

To drain the oil first, you need to just remove the head head drain plug from sump underneath near the drivers side.  The pic below shows the plug to remove.  Don't confuse it with the drain plug on the gearbox (which is the passenger side unit).

Once its empty you can unscrew the old filter.  Mine was very very tight and fortunately I managed to get it unscrewed in the end, but you might want to see if there is a tool you can purchase to help if you are worried.  It will drain more oil once removed, so remember to catch it and not ruin your driveway.

Finally, my Nismo filter was screwed in place ready for action.

Now you can replace the drain plug and cover and drop the car back down ready to refill the oil. You will need around 5 litres of oil so do have two cartons on hand or a bit over one at least.  I used Castrol Edge 5W-30 oil.  You may want to measure the oil you can drained and replace that volume initially, and then use the dip stick to top up the right level.