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BMW 5-Series Oil Questions

15 messages,  Last post on Sep 03, 2008 at 9:32 PM

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#6 of 15 E60 535xi Oil Consumption by infinitimn Dec 23, 2007 (6:29 pm)
I got a low oil indicator on my ' 08 535xi with 6400 miles, so I added a quart of Castrol Syntec. This is my fourth BMW and I don't remember ever needing to add oil between changes.   Anyone else having the same issue? Replies to this message: shipo (Dec 23, 2007 8:00 pm)
#7 of 15 Re: E60 535xi Oil Consumption [infinitimn] by shipo Dec 23, 2007 (8:00 pm)
Replying to: infinitimn (Dec 23, 2007 6:29 pm) A quart in 6,400 miles is certainly not at all bad. My first BMW didn't use any oil between oil changes, my second used about as much as yours. All in all, the consumption of a quart every 5,000 miles or more is considered VERY good.   Best Regards, Shipo
#8 of 15 ELECTRONICS & OIL CHECK by tx_buzzard Dec 24, 2007 (7:41 am)
I elected to get my oil changed at 2,600 miles on my '08 550i. A couple of days afterwards I was playing around with the iDrive and checked my oil level... the message read "Oil Level Is Too High" This really concerned me as I was thinking they either put in too much oil, or they didn't drain all the initial oil. This being a new $70K+ vehicle, I was damn mad.   After showing how polite I can be at the dealership (LOL), I learned the car needs the indicator replaced. I can appreciate all the "bells & whistles", but at the end of the day they are just something else to go wrong. Less than 1 month old... NOTHING SHOULD BE GOING OUT! I hope this is not the start of a long love/hate relationship. Anyone else have early problems like this? Replies to this message: roadburner (Dec 26, 2007 8:03 pm)
#9 of 15 Re: ELECTRONICS & OIL CHECK [tx_buzzard] by roadburner Dec 26, 2007 (8:03 pm)
Replying to: tx_buzzard (Dec 24, 2007 7:41 am) Anyone else have early problems like this?   The SRS light illuminated on my 1995 3 Series two days after I took delivery back in November 1995. The dealer reset the SRS system and the problem never returned. The car has been essentially problem free since. In fact, today I took it on a 200 mile trip and at 112K miles it feels as tight and responsive as new. That said, BMW's decision to eliminate the dipstick from their new models has caused me to reconsider my future new car purchases...
#10 of 15 oil problem is out of hand by squadless May 08, 2008 (9:33 am)
I had the same problem, im 2/3 done with my lease on a 2006 bmw 550i and the oil problem is getting out of hand. Initially I thought i would be spending a shit load of money on gas (v8 4.8) is just hungry for it. but it also turns out that I have to "TOP OFF" my engine oil as the dealer describes it every 1700 to 1800 miles because the "low engine oil level" is on. I decided not to even bother with a dealership anymore (after 3-4 times) so I started topping off the oil myself. The indicator resets itself so its not too bad.   My buddy has a 325xi , 2006 i think, he has the same exact problem. Looks like 06 bmws burn significantly more oil then they have to. Hopefully this will be fixed. Replies to this message: rnewton60 (Jul 10, 2008 9:18 am) roadburner (Jul 10, 2008 11:16 am)
#11 of 15 Oil by rnewton60 Jul 10, 2008 (9:18 am)
Replying to: squadless (May 08, 2008 9:33 am) New 550i 2008. At 7,000 miles I had to add a quart of oil. Dealer told me this was normal. Does anyone know if that is true or are they pulling the wool over my eyes? I have no reason to doubt them, but this seems counter intuitive. Replies to this message: roadburner (Jul 10, 2008 11:16 am)
#12 of 15 Re: Oil [rnewton60] by roadburner Jul 10, 2008 (11:16 am)
Replying to: rnewton60 (Jul 10, 2008 9:18 am) At 7,000 miles I had to add a quart of oil. Dealer told me this was normal. Does anyone know if that is true or are they pulling the wool over my eyes?   One quart of oil in 7000 miles is nothing to be concerned about. The M42 four in my '95 ti goes through a quart every 2000-3000 miles, depending on how hard I drive it. That rate of consumption has stayed the same since I bought it new. It now has 113000 miles on it with no problems. On a newer BMW I wouldn't worry about oil consumption unless it exceeded one quart every 3000-4000 miles.
#13 of 15 Re: 530i oil consumption [irod] by rka_md Aug 20, 2008 (8:05 am)
Replying to: irod (Aug 08, 2007 8:53 pm) I have a 2002 530i which was bought new. For the first few years the oil consumption was not a factor with changes only done as part of periodic, scheduled maintenance. In the last couple years however the consumption is down to about 1 quart every 1500 miles. I spoke to one dealership and had the engine checked out. They could find nothing unusual and based on a bulletin printout from the bmw technical info site www.bmwtis.net (a page of which I was given - applicable to all bmw models) unless there is a drastic change in consumption (i.e. consumption rate triples) or the consumption rate exceeds 1 quart per 750 miles at any time, there is no recommended action beyond checks of: correct oil, engine speed and load operating conditions, external leakage, possible overfilling... (Note: verfication by periodic dealer measurement was a prerequisite.) My consumption level has remained stable for the past couple years so I fill up periodically and keep a spare quart in the car.   The note also talked of a 6K miles period before which consumption compliants are not considered. At 20K and a consumption of 1 quart per 600-700 miles there is a problem to be solved even by the apparently relaxed standards of the bmw service bulletin! Replies to this message: roadburner (Aug 20, 2008 1:10 pm)
#14 of 15 Re: 530i oil consumption [rka_md] by roadburner Aug 20, 2008 (1:10 pm)
Replying to: rka_md (Aug 20, 2008 8:05 am) The note also talked of a 6K miles period before which consumption compliants are not considered. At 20K and a consumption of 1 quart per 600-700 miles there is a problem to be solved even by the apparently relaxed standards of the bmw service bulletin!   That's been Munich's position on oil consumption since before I started playing with BMWs back in 1983. Most manufacturers don't consider oil usage excessive until it increases to a quart every 1000 miles or so. Some of my Bimmers have used oil while others haven't. My wife's X3 2.5 uses less than 1/4 quart between 7500 mile changes while the high-strung four cylinder in my 318ti uses a quart every 2000-2500 miles depending on how it is driven.
#15 of 15 OOil ... by nicktherabbit Sep 03, 2008 (9:32 pm)
I had a '98 528i for 45K miles - it never needed oil added during its stay w/ me. I drove the car moderately most times, always on it hard on the freeway passing people, etc. Great car, saved my life when I was rear ended by a LS400 (I was stopped for traffic on 80 outside SF, the Lexus hit me at about 50mph ... loved that car).   Anyway - I now have an '07 550i, did European delivery so drove around Munich for a few days - occasionally above 120mph and twice at 140mph for a few minutes or so ... the car uses a quart at about 6 - 8K miles which I attributed to a "quick" break-in period on the autobahn, but based on what I am reading here maybe that is normal? I admit I took a chance on being hard on the car during the first 100 miles or so, but only after getting everything very warm/hot and taking better than 20 min cooling off before shutting the beast down.   The 550i is a great car ... cannot see the need for an M5 with insurance and gas mileage, etc. It is just a blast to drive ... cheers.

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