[2001bmw330xi]

So I had my oil topped off at the dealership probably within the last 90 days; it has steadily been going down since then and stabled out at 0.5 liters for about a week or two. This morning was, as expected, 0.5 L, but then tonight when I pulled back into my driveway it said 0.2L and "engine oil at minimum" notification.

So my quesiton is, is this normal (i don't think it is)? I'm only at 9800 miles, I haven't run over anything or the car hasn't had any trauma - could engine oil be leaking?

When I wake up in the morning, will I have enough oil left to get to the dealership (~25-30 miles away)? Or is 0.2L too dangerous to drive that far with? Could I have a faulty sensor?

 

[Dick Fidd]

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=118827

 

[2001bmw330xi]

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=118827

look at the time - my thread was created first. go back and quote this thread in that one.


kthnxbye :typing:

PS: my problem is a little different - i dropped from 0.5 to a critical level with warning messages within hours, not slowly over the course of 900 miles.

 

[Dick Fidd]

Sorry, feeling evil this evening...

I think if you don't manually check the oil and only use the car for short jaunts , the computer doesn't have enough time to check it either, and it could very well burn through some oil before registering. My car no longer burns oil, but when it did, I remember not checking it for a while, and then it suddenly dropped from .9 to .2.

 

[2001bmw330xi]

so do you think .2 is enough to go ~25-30 miles to the dealership tomorrow to get more oil?

 

[///Marshall]

The car holds 9 liters of oil. You're fine. When you're at the
dealership get a few liters of oil and keep it in your trunk.

 

[2001bmw330xi]

so i never understood, if the engine holds 9 liters, why does the dash reading top out at 1 liter?

 

[pvr]

so i never understood, if the engine holds 9 liters, why does the dash reading top out at 1 liter?

Think of the dash readout as the high and low lines on the dipstick. No engine ever made, and certainly not this engine, absolutely requires the oil to be between the lines all of the time. Most certainly, driving for a short period while a little "below the line", until a liter can be added, won't cause the engine to blow.

 

[chakka]

I had the same response when I first got my car, but my drive is about 8-10min. to work. Took it on a trip and now understand that the computer needs time/mileage to recalculate the oil level. Had the 1.0 drop to .3 after 20 miles of highway driving. Freaked me out.
I remember looking in a catalog and laughing at a single litre zippered oil container holder with disponsible funnel and gloves(Bavarian motorworks). Now I know why they sell them and have one....lol....definately get a couple litres for yourself.

 

[ATL]

I had the same response when I first got my car, but my drive is about 8-10min. to work. Took it on a trip and now understand that the computer needs time/mileage to recalculate the oil level. Had the 1.0 drop to .3 after 20 miles of highway driving.

The BMW TIS has an article on oil consumption and explains that driving short trips, gasoline gets absorbed into the oil and can keep the level up; but then taking a longer trip, the gasoline boils out and the level can drop suddenly.

 

[Dick Fidd]

^^^ nice, I love the smell of boiling gasoline over an open flame

 

[Clyde]

The BMW TIS has an article on oil consumption and explains that driving short trips, gasoline gets absorbed into the oil and can keep the level up; but then taking a longer trip, the gasoline boils out and the level can drop suddenly.

I would like to read this article, since it does not make sense.
While a small amount of gasoline might get absorbed in to the oil, an amount large enough to be measured (~0.5 liter) would damage the engine ouich

 

[SpeedTrap]

1 litre every 2500 miles is very common with myself and friends who has the same E60 M5. Anything beyond that; you need to get it checked up. J

 

[MDrive]

I find that the car does not use much oil when I dirve it tamely, but when I give it a little through the hills or use launch control and then drive hard for a while, I go though about 1/2 +/- litre.

 

[m6ontheway]

I am halfway through my second case of oil...16k miles. About 1l every 1k miles.