Anyone here using a fluid extractor to do oil changes?

[mdlimy]

My local bmw dealership does not drain, sucks the oil out on every service oil change.
Personally I don't give a shit how its done, if I had an extractor I would use it, althought I might drain the oil maybe every few changes just to relace the drain plug washer and see if there is any debree but honestly both ways are efficient enough to get the job done.

[markseven]

Evacuators make sense if you have a top-side oil filter (if you have to lift the car to get to the oil filter, you may as well drain the oil).

[Farbin Kaiber]

Ive been looking at getting one for some of the larger oil services I perform, problem is I cant find one that does 5gal in one filling.

[DREWHALL]

We drain at my stealer, and on S54s we do not use the gun. 10W60 in liter bottles just like all the M cars. Parts department sets the oil gun when we do use them. I prefer to drain, just easier to me.

[nrubenstein]

Evacuators make sense if you have a top-side oil filter (if you have to lift the car to get to the oil filter, you may as well drain the oil).

I can get the oil filter on an M20 from the top. :p

[markseven]

I can get the oil filter on an M20 from the top. :p

That's pretty cool - I never tried it.

[Kvasi]

Theres no way i would suck the oil up and potentially dont get crap laying in the pan out.
When i change oil i do it to keep my engine at its best and its really worth the 30mins of work.

[mikeedler]

this man /\ has a valid argument.

that's not an arguement at all. He is just twisting words around to make it seem like the hack way of doing something is right. sure it works, but it is not right. And because your dealership overfilled your car once by 1,5 quarts (which I can't really see being that 10W60 is like 30 dollars a quart by us)doesn't mean its like that everywhere...... but whatever.
sorry, I know there is no plastic rails in an M20, but there is plenty metal pieces that could be laying in there that would be nice to find before a motor might grenade and take the head with it.

[nrubenstein]

that's not an arguement at all. He is just twisting words around to make it seem like the hack way of doing something is right. sure it works, but it is not right. And because your dealership overfilled your car once by 1,5 quarts (which I can't really see being that 10W60 is like 30 dollars a quart by us)doesn't mean its like that everywhere...... but whatever.
sorry, I know there is no plastic rails in an M20, but there is plenty metal pieces that could be laying in there that would be nice to find before a motor might grenade and take the head with it.

10w60 is barely any more expensive than 5w30 here. And I had 6 dealer oil changes back when my old '04 M3 was getting free maintenance and EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY OVERFILLED BY AT LEAST A QUART. I've seen many reports of them doing that at many dealers. Was it universal? Probably not. Certainly common, though.

Anyway, while you're railing about how BMW uses the drain plugs always (except when they don't), why don't you comment on the 15-25,000 mile oil change intervals that they are specifying?

[quikveedb2]

I can get the oil filter on an M20 from the top. :p

+1, and my car is lowered & I can still change the oil with the car on the ground, provided I have a thin enough drain pan. And to pull the filter you just have to reach around the exhaust manifold, which sucks if it's hot, but typically by the time my oils is done draining it's bearable. Or just wear a long sleeve shirt. Honestly, I like the idea of the extractor for convenience sake, but the drain plug is there for a reason, so I use it. Come on, it's like a 30 minute job. And @ OP, unless you're spilling oil all over the place I'd see no reason a landlord or property manager would give a shit. If you are spilling oil all over the place, maybe just take it to a mechanic.