Oil in motor

Diego06330i · 07-26-2014, 09:17 PM

So as I was parking today at work I got a message saying the the oil was at it's lowest point. During my lunch I went to start my car and check the oil amount through the computer and it said +1 qt so do I just have to add a qt or all it has in the engine right now is a qt?

X_Drive · 07-26-2014, 09:21 PM

Buy 2 just in case👌

mansito · 07-26-2014, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diego06330i

So as I was parking today at work I got a message saying the the oil was at it's lowest point. During my lunch I went to start my car and check the oil amount through the computer and it said +1 qt so do I just have to add a qt or all it has in the engine right now is a qt?

Add 1 qt + re-check the oil level. That should do it.

Diego06330i · 07-26-2014, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mansito

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diego06330i

So as I was parking today at work I got a message saying the the oil was at it's lowest point. During my lunch I went to start my car and check the oil amount through the computer and it said +1 qt so do I just have to add a qt or all it has in the engine right now is a qt?

Add 1 qt + re-check the oil level. That should do it.

THANK GOD I thought all of the oil was out somehow and I had a bad oil leak!

mansito · 07-26-2014, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diego06330i

THANK GOD I thought all of the oil was out somehow and I had a bad oil leak!

The light comes on when you need to add 1 qt. Like I said add 1 qt and you should be fine. Re-check the oil level after adding 1 qt. If it says "OK" you are done. Do not overfill.

BMWUltimateDriv3r · 07-26-2014, 09:55 PM

I always add like 3/4 quart when it asks for 1. I just do not completely trust digital readings. No dipstick is the worst.

galahad05 · 07-26-2014, 10:06 PM

Slightly off-topic: anyone know how long these oil condition sensors last in our cars?

Efthreeoh · 07-27-2014, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by galahad05

Slightly off-topic: anyone know how long these oil condition sensors last in our cars?

They last longer than the system is designed to use it.

My original went 220K and is still good. I changed it because BMW programs the oil life monitor to go defunct at 186,000. When you try to reset the CBS at the next oil change after 186,000 miles, the system will not re-set correctly, then the next change it only resets to 0. I thought the sensor went bad so I changed it out; only to later discover BMW's stupidity.
BMW says they have a fix, but it doesn't work.

The dealer had my car for 8 days tying to install the software fix. Your car then tells you the oil service is past due every time you start it.

I posted a thread on this back in September last year.

Efthreeoh · 07-27-2014, 08:10 AM

OP, you should read the owners manual because your question is explained there. However you are making the mistake a lot of people do, they think the e-dipstick shows the quantity of the entire compliment of oil in the engine. What it does report on is the level of the top quart (7th quart) in the engine. The bar graph is analogous to the hatch marks on a mechanical dipstick. As long as there is an oil mark between the upper and lower ends of the hatch marks, the engine has a safe level of oil in it.

With BMW's e-dipstick, the system is programmed to recognize addition of oil in 1 qt. increments, which is why BMW recommends adding oil in 1 qt. increments because it is easier for the system to recalculate the oil level. The system updates the oil level every 5 minutes or so, so if you start adding oil in small increments you can possibly overfill the engine with oil because the system doesn't react quickly to oil level changes.

Follow BMW's recommendations on when to add 1 quart of oil. If you do, you'll never risk overfilling the engine with oil. The oil monitoring system has a static oil level check performed each time the ignition is energized. If the engine has an unsafe level of oil in it, the car will notify you.

Narcosis · 07-27-2014, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWUltimateDriv3r

I always add like 3/4 quart when it asks for 1. I just do not completely trust digital readings. No dipstick is the worst.

Quoted for truth. I really don't like not having a dipstick under the hood.

Hirschman · 07-27-2014, 09:01 AM

Read the title and thought, good... That is where oil belongs.

Diego06330i · 07-27-2014, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

OP, you should read the owners manual because your question is explained there. However you are making the mistake a lot of people do, they think the e-dipstick shows the quantity of the entire compliment of oil in the engine. What it does report on is the level of the top quart (7th quart) in the engine. The bar graph is analogous to the hatch marks on a mechanical dipstick. As long as there is an oil mark between the upper and lower ends of the hatch marks, the engine has a safe level of oil in it.

With BMW's e-dipstick, the system is programmed to recognize addition of oil in 1 qt. increments, which is why BMW recommends adding oil in 1 qt. increments because it is easier for the system to recalculate the oil level. The system updates the oil level every 5 minutes or so, so if you start adding oil in small increments you can possibly overfill the engine with oil because the system doesn't react quickly to oil level changes.

Follow BMW's recommendations on when to add 1 quart of oil. If you do, you'll never risk overfilling the engine with oil. The oil monitoring system has a static oil level check performed each time the ignition is energized. If the engine has an unsafe level of oil in it, the car will notify you.

Many thanks. Great, informative reply.

GB-335xiCoupe · 07-27-2014, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hirschman

Read the title and thought, good... That is where oil belongs.

Actually, I thought it belongs in the engine.

Motor/Engine. The difference is subtle, but they are mostly synonymous now. I used to always think of "electric motor", or "gasoline engine". You never hear of an "Electric Engine". To me, Engine means "internal combustion". Maybe I'm just old school, old dog.

http://engineering.mit.edu/ask/what%...tor-and-engine

ctuna · 07-27-2014, 11:55 AM

The scale is 1 quart (supposedly) but the resolution is more.
I estimate that ones segment is 150 to 200 milliliters.
Whats makes this frustrating is that it seems to update when
it wants to and not in any particular amount of time. Mostly
when I add oil it takes a 20 minutes or more and may take several
drives to settle in at a constant value . If you don't know this
it makes difficult to top off.(Its actually difficult anyway) Also the warranty manual says or ,used to ,
says the car is suppose to get and oil change once a year regardless of
miles driven . (Many in warranty don't know or care they are actually entitled to this) This is something that seems to get ignored by some
dealerships and most owners.

Hirschman · 07-27-2014, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GB-335xiCoupe

Actually, I thought it belongs in the engine.

Motor/Engine. The difference is subtle, but they are mostly synonymous now. I used to always think of "electric motor", or "gasoline engine". You never hear of an "Electric Engine". To me, Engine means "internal combustion". Maybe I'm just old school, old dog.

http://engineering.mit.edu/ask/what%...tor-and-engine

Engine is a subset of motor, not cut and dry like electric vs IC. If your logic was correct we would have enginecycles, enginelodges, Ford Engine company and so on.

GB-335xiCoupe · 07-27-2014, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hirschman

Engine is a subset of motor, not cut and dry like electric vs IC. If your logic was correct we would have enginecycles, enginelodges, Ford Engine company and so on.

funny.

Miller335 · 07-27-2014, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hirschman

Read the title and thought, good... That is where oil belongs.

Lol same here.

07-26-2014, 09:17 PM	#1
Diego06330i Private First Class 7 Rep 102 Posts Drives: 2006 White BMW 330i Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Los Angeles CA iTrader: (0)	Oil in motor So as I was parking today at work I got a message saying the the oil was at it's lowest point. During my lunch I went to start my car and check the oil amount through the computer and it said +1 qt so do I just have to add a qt or all it has in the engine right now is a qt?
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07-26-2014, 09:21 PM	#2
X_Drive Second Lieutenant 8 Rep 263 Posts Drives: E46, E91, F21 Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Northwest iTrader: (0) Garage List 2017 M140i LCI [0.00] 2005 E46 325xi [0.00] 2011 E91 328i xDriv ... [0.00]	Buy 2 just in case👌
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07-26-2014, 09:55 PM	#6
BMWUltimateDriv3r First Lieutenant 82 Rep 324 Posts Drives: '08 328xi Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY iTrader: (0)	I always add like 3/4 quart when it asks for 1. I just do not completely trust digital readings. No dipstick is the worst.
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07-26-2014, 10:06 PM	#7
galahad05 Brigadier General 158 Rep 3,158 Posts Drives: '07 335i e90 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Long Island NY iTrader: (0)	Slightly off-topic: anyone know how long these oil condition sensors last in our cars? __________________ Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. --Mark Twain
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07-27-2014, 08:10 AM	#9
Efthreeoh General 17364 Rep 18,757 Posts Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	OP, you should read the owners manual because your question is explained there. However you are making the mistake a lot of people do, they think the e-dipstick shows the quantity of the entire compliment of oil in the engine. What it does report on is the level of the top quart (7th quart) in the engine. The bar graph is analogous to the hatch marks on a mechanical dipstick. As long as there is an oil mark between the upper and lower ends of the hatch marks, the engine has a safe level of oil in it. With BMW's e-dipstick, the system is programmed to recognize addition of oil in 1 qt. increments, which is why BMW recommends adding oil in 1 qt. increments because it is easier for the system to recalculate the oil level. The system updates the oil level every 5 minutes or so, so if you start adding oil in small increments you can possibly overfill the engine with oil because the system doesn't react quickly to oil level changes. Follow BMW's recommendations on when to add 1 quart of oil. If you do, you'll never risk overfilling the engine with oil. The oil monitoring system has a static oil level check performed each time the ignition is energized. If the engine has an unsafe level of oil in it, the car will notify you.
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07-27-2014, 09:01 AM	#11
Hirschman Second Lieutenant 10 Rep 206 Posts Drives: 2011 e90 Join Date: May 2013 Location: Rochester, NY iTrader: (0)	Read the title and thought, good... That is where oil belongs.
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07-27-2014, 11:55 AM	#14
ctuna Lieutenant General 1917 Rep 13,109 Posts Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz, Ca iTrader: (0)	The scale is 1 quart (supposedly) but the resolution is more. The scale is 1 quart (supposedly) but the resolution is more. I estimate that ones segment is 150 to 200 milliliters. Whats makes this frustrating is that it seems to update when it wants to and not in any particular amount of time. Mostly when I add oil it takes a 20 minutes or more and may take several drives to settle in at a constant value . If you don't know this it makes difficult to top off.(Its actually difficult anyway) Also the warranty manual says or ,used to , says the car is suppose to get and oil change once a year regardless of miles driven . (Many in warranty don't know or care they are actually entitled to this) This is something that seems to get ignored by some dealerships and most owners.
	Appreciate 0 Quote