where is the oil dipstick on my 2002 325i?

[SHauschild]

I want to check my oil and am asking a stupid question here for a female. Where is the dipstick and exactly where is the oil compartment to take my measure? Have always had someone do this for me, but now i have this car.Anyone able to show a picture? Im happy to have found this forum.... whew!

[SHauschild]

Found it.... dipstick with the reddish ring... but it is like stuck and I cannot pull it out?????

[floydr]

It seals tight. Pull *hard*.

[jayb]

There are no stupid questions for beginners. AND there is NO reason why females are not, and CAN not be as aware of auto mechanics as guys. There is nothing in the genes (ie DNA) that makes anyone different in becoming fully knowledgeable. Ask away anytime you have a question. I know of women who know as much as I do about cars (although they are harder to find). Last week I met a women at my subaru dealer that we were discussing suspension systems on a E46 while waiting for service.
Fire away-------

[DeadEd]

A slight twist when pulling really helps. To help reduce emissions, there are a couple of small o-rings on the top of the dipstick to seal it up tight.

[dembooks]

mandatory that you read the Owner's Manual Handbook

don't have one ?

order one from a BMW Dealer


and Look on lina at BMWUSA.com , "owners" tab,

"owners Manual" look for last version of
your car like "2005 325/330 3-Series"
because 2002 may be to old for the listing

YOU MUST READ A OWNER'S MANUAL BEFORE DRIVING
ANY CAR THAT IS NEW TO YOU SO YOU UNDERSTAND
ALL SYSTEMS, YOU NOT GETTING KILLED, AND SO
YOU CAN ENJOY YOUR NEW INVESTMENT
check the oil only when the car is hot after driving,
let it sit for 5-min on level ground after shutting
OFF, parked on level ground. If you need oil
add only MOBIL 1 0w/40 , or BMW Synthetic 5w/30 oil.

Fill in through black plastic "OIL" cap on top of motor near the front

[Stinger9]

a downloaded one from
BMW site is available.
only seems to go back to 2004 at this point, but that better than nothing.

[1st bimmer]

"Fill in through black plastic "OIL" cap on top of motor near the front"

Oh that's where the oil goes said the geek to the mechanic, I thought that cap had 710 written on it.

[dembooks]

[dembooks]

http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/content/owner/dgh.aspx

http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/content/owner/dgh.aspx

go to the link, "2004", "325i" = your on your way

[SHauschild]

Thanks to all who responded. Got the dipstick out, but how do you read it? I do have the owners manual and the picture is not the one used in book. How do I know where on the dipstick the oil should be before having to replace????

[Stinger9]

of your dipstick about 1/2" apart.
The lower notch is the lowest level of oil permitted, and the upper notch is not to be exceeded by the oil level.
Pull out the dipstick and wipe it clean with a rag. Push it ALL the way back into the tube and let it sit for ten seconds. Then pull it out and read the level.
The difference between the upper level and lower is about 1 quart.
This is done with the engine off.
If the engine has run recently, let it sit for two minutes to allow the oil to collect in the oil pan for an accurate reading.

questions?

[HBWT]

[HBWT]

tech on the team to which my car was assigned. She was the team leader, IIRC.