Service Bay
2011 BMW 118d
Rob Hawkins visits his local garage to follow the service of a 13-year-old BMW 118d with a 1995cc diesel engine mated to a ZF automatic gearbox.
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 › spray grease › tyre pump/ gauge › torch › torque wrench › clean measuring jug › brake pad thickness gauge › Vernier calipers or digital Verniers › antifreeze hydrometer › pick › safety goggles › brake cleaner › pump or syringe.
UNDERBONNET CHECKS
If the engine is cold, unscrew the coolant reservoir's large cap. Upon removing the cap, a level indicator may pop up, depending on how much coolant is inside. Top-up with blue-coloured BMW G4. Use an antifreeze hydrometer to test the cooling and freezing capacity of the coolant.
Top-up the screenwash reservoir in the offside rear corner of the engine bay. Operate the windscreen wipers and washers to check their spray pattern and to look for blocked washer jets.
Shine a torch on the side of the brake fluid reservoir on the offside of the engine bulkhead – look for a MAX marker to help check the level. If you can’t see the brake fluid level, wipe around the cap before releasing it and looking inside.
Providing the engine is cold, squee
