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E39 M5 Oil Usage

5K views 52 replies 28 participants last post by  msport 
#1 ·
Recently bought a used M5 with 60k miles on the clock. The car is a 1999 with full main dealer service history.

My problem is, she seems to be using alot of oil, I rekon about 1ltr per 1000 miles. I've had BMWs before & never know anything like this.


There are no drips under the car & no obvious blue smoke out of the exhaust !

Any ideas !! What usage should I expect?

Gareth
 
#6 ·
gareth said:
Jordan
Just learning to use this site, now I've found "oil usage" I see what you mean. I have to tell you, 2hours ago I was convinced I'd been sold a real lemon ! still seems excessive to me !

Gareth
No problem Gareth. Just thought I would steer you in the right direction.

You can read about this issue for days here.

I have an 01 was using 1 qt per 1K but that has now changed. To what, I don't know yet. Just did an oil change. I use 5w30 but may make the switch at the next change.

Best,

Jordan
 
#7 · (Edited)
My 00 M5 has 52k miles. The first 20k or so I put in a quart maybe every 4000 miles. Now it's about 7500, which pretty much means it's getting from change to change with nothing added.

I was fairly conscientious about break-in as I intended to keep the car a long time. 5th anniversary next month. Longest I have ever owned a car in the last 30 years.

Steve
 
#8 ·
I have a CHECK ENGINE OIL warning lately, and I noticed my exhaust is stinky and there is a LOT of soot back there in the rear valence and the exhaust tips. Is this normal? I saw a TIS about the warning message though, so what's up? My other E39s never did this. Any thoughts?
 
#9 · (Edited)
ALEV8 said:
I have a CHECK ENGINE OIL warning lately, and I noticed my exhaust is stinky and there is a LOT of soot back there in the rear valence and the exhaust tips. Is this normal? I saw a TIS about the warning message though, so what's up? My other E39s never did this. Any thoughts?
Well, have you checked your oil level and filled it up if necessary? Not good to run around with low oil.

For blue (oil) smoke to be visible in a modern car you've got to be burning a lot of it, because at normal high-oil-consumption levels the cats will burn it up.

Sooty exhaust means a rich mixture. Most cars these days run VERY rich at startup, the extra fuel 'overloads' the cats and helps them warm to active temperature quicker. If the car ran that rich all the time the cat substrates would melt.

Other E39s have the exhaust tips pointed down, which probably helps keep exhaust soot off the rear of the car too.

My car burns very little oil, about a liter per 6000mi change. 4/2000 build (post ring/bore change, can use 5W-30) - I run the 10W-60 now anyway, though it's had 5W-30 in it at times and Amsoil 20W-50 once.

My wife's '98 540i burns nothing, at least nothing measurable by dipstick.
 
#10 ·
gareth said:
Recently bought a used M5 with 60k miles on the clock. The car is a 1999 with full main dealer service history.

My problem is, she seems to be using alot of oil, I rekon about 1ltr per 1000 miles. I've had BMWs before & never know anything like this.


There are no drips under the car & no obvious blue smoke out of the exhaust !

Any ideas !! What usage should I expect?

Gareth
Welcome to the "I have the same problem" club, or as my service adviser and BMW Master Tech told me last week "thats the way these cars are" have a good time. for me @ 86K miles I have learned to buy extra (@$8.05 per) 6 Liters of Castrol TWS 10-60 everytime I have the oil changed (every 7.5 K).
 
#12 ·
Hi, I have a 99 M5, and I was adding a quart every tank almost! I did a lot of reading on here, and currently my M5 is in the shop, getting the oil breather / crankcase valves changed, once I get the car back, I will report as to wether it has helped the oil consumption!

I had read a few posts about them getting clogged, and so the oil just gets burned off instead of being pumped around... Hopefully this works, and I will post my results once it's ready!
 
#13 ·
My RHD '99 does not use up excessive oil except during 'spirited' runs at 5000 rpms and above. It seems to be a normal phenomenon for MY 99 and 00s.
 
#14 ·
I had the same story when i bought mine last year. I reset the odometer everytime I top up. It is using about 1L per 850 miles. The local dealer says that this "is well within acceptable tolerance" and as long as i keep an eye on it, will only act if it "deteriorates significantly". Tolerance is apparently about 1L per 550 miles (according to the dealer!)

As the oil consumption is pretty steady, I just keep a few litres in the car just in case-although at £13.98 per litre of 10W/60 it's not ideal.

Unfortunately you'll probably have to live with it but I certainly notice that it can burn more when being driven hard.

I just keep an eye on it and all the experience on the board suggests that you'd be wise to do likewise!

Enjoy the experience anyway.....
 
#15 ·
gareth said:
Jordan
Just learning to use this site, now I've found "oil usage" I see what you mean. I have to tell you, 2hours ago I was convinced I'd been sold a real lemon ! still seems excessive to me !

Gareth
Gareth

Until I sold my M5 at 96K miles I had run it throughout its life at about 950miles per quarter gallon of oil and no problems, (apart from the cost).

Good luck.
 
#17 ·
Davido164 said:
I had the same story when i bought mine last year. I reset the odometer everytime I top up. It is using about 1L per 850 miles. The local dealer says that this "is well within acceptable tolerance" and as long as i keep an eye on it, will only act if it "deteriorates significantly". Tolerance is apparently about 1L per 550 miles (according to the dealer!)

As the oil consumption is pretty steady, I just keep a few litres in the car just in case-although at £13.98 per litre of 10W/60 it's not ideal.

Unfortunately you'll probably have to live with it but I certainly notice that it can burn more when being driven hard.

I just keep an eye on it and all the experience on the board suggests that you'd be wise to do likewise!

Enjoy the experience anyway.....
 
#19 ·
BMW_Jim said:
Not all M5s burn oil. I have almost 40,000 miles on my 2002 and have never had to add any oil between oil changes (every 5,000 miles). :cheers:
Just out of curiosity (because of this thread) I went out to check my oil (I check it everytime that a take a long drive)...and it was still at the top hash mark after 2500 miles...I have almost 15,000 miles on the car and I am using 10w-60.

I guess the techs were on the ball when they assembled our motors in 2002...

:D

Mark
 
#20 ·
gareth said:
David
I've just received Castrol 10W60 from a company called OPIE OILS in Cornwall.
4 ltrs for £36.49 including next day delivery. Phone 01209 215164, couldn't be more helpfull.
Gareth
Thanks for the info-that is interesting Gareth-and a huge saving. Is it TWS 10w60 or RS 10w60?

I ask because I was told by the service advisor that ONLY TWS could be used. The assumption was that if, say, the engine blew up-and i was found to be using NON TWS oil-the warranty would not cover me. Ouch!!

As I have to pay £970 for the warranty in November when i renew it i was reluctant to take a chance with the RS oil, unless someone could tell me otherwise.....
 
#22 ·
That's just plain rediculous....1lt./1,000 miles. I'd be more than pissed. To me, that's a serious defect and BMW should give you new engines or rebuild them...imo. I know I'm preaching to the quior. It's just not right.
 
#23 ·
I typically change the oil in my 00 M5 (6.00 production) every 4k miles or so. I lost track of time this past interval and went 5500 miles, no oil added (also no track time). Typically i add a Litre, usually needing it around 3500-4000 miles, but there is also usually 1 or 2 track weekends involved. I guess i'm not one to say this,(since i don't routinely add oil) but I would not be surprised to have to add oil more often to an engine of this level of performance. I'd imagine similar consumption with a porsche or ferrari.
I use 10/60 as well, by the way, and sent out a sample of my 5500 mile oil to blackstone for their eval yesterday!
Mike
 
#24 ·
mottati said:
... I would not be surprised to have to add oil more often to an engine of this level of performance. I'd imagine similar consumption with a porsche or ferrari.
I use 10/60 as well, by the way, and sent out a sample of my 5500 mile oil to blackstone for their eval yesterday!
Mike
Would be grateful if you could share your analysis result on the board. 99/00 models with only Castrol 10w60 specified are having higher oil consumption issues, although I doubt it very much that the oil quality would deteriorate within just a few thousand km/miles.
 
#26 ·
ttboyvanc said:
Hi, I have a 99 M5, and I was adding a quart every tank almost! I did a lot of reading on here, and currently my M5 is in the shop, getting the oil breather / crankcase valves changed, once I get the car back, I will report as to wether it has helped the oil consumption!

I had read a few posts about them getting clogged, and so the oil just gets burned off instead of being pumped around... Hopefully this works, and I will post my results once it's ready!
Any results since getting the oil breather / crankcase valves changed?

Gareth
 
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