I'm going to attempt my first oil change. My mechanical
abilities will grow now that I'm out of warranty.

How do you get to the oil pan drain plug on a 2002 330xi?

I've heard people talk about a 2" x 3" access panel, but I
don't see it. There have been posts about removing the
entire front plastic cover.....size = 3 feet wide probably 2
feet deep. Do I have to remove that? I have the sport
package and the screws holding the plastic cover in place
also go through the front spoiler.

I think there's a difference between the xi and all other
e46's because of the AWD. The xi takes 8 quarts instead of
7 quarts of oil.

I'm not one for removing a bunch of stuff to finally get to
the drain plug, so before I start on this, I thought I'd ask
so I can find the easiest way.

Tom