[N8N]

Seen this a few times the past few days. Oil level is in the middle according to iDrive, and I'm about halfway through my service interval (really due for a change by my standards, but the car doesn't think so.)

What does this mean? 2009 335i E92...

[Meeni]

You are low on oil. If you check the oil level it will say "+1 qt". Just do that, pour an extra quart in, the car will be happy again.

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by Meeni

You are low on oil. If you check the oil level it will say "+1 qt". Just do that, pour an extra quart in, the car will be happy again.

Exactly just add a quart and drive on. Turbo charged cars are know to burn a bit of oil.

[N8N]

wouldn't it give me the low oil message while driving though? I have seen that before e.g. after stopping at a long light on a downhill slope within the first few minutes of starting the car. I have not seen that, and the last time I checked oil through iDrive it is about half a quart down from full.

[UncleWede]

When it lights up for 3 days straight, THEN put in a quart. That's how I treat mine since every now and then it pops up saying it wants a quart, but goes away before I can find one to put in. Don't want to over-fill.

[Efthreeoh]

^ not the best advice. When the "1QT" symbol comes up, add a quart within 120 miles (as instructed by the owners manual...). Once you add the quart don't immediately take a reading because it takes the CBS at a minimum 5 minutes to update the level reading; you'll add a quart and the reading will stay unchanged for a bit.

[UncleWede]

Your mileage may vary, but I'd rather run it down a qt for 3 days (we have 7+ in a full pan) than over-fill. In 3 days I wouldn't cover 120 miles most of the time.

[Efthreeoh]

If the +1qt symbol comes up, the engine is at least a quart low. The edipstick is not inaccurate to the point where it is reporting an oil level that would cause an overfill condition. Every time I've measured the drain quantity against the reported edipstick reading the real oil level is always at least a quarter of a quart lower than reported.

[MiniXP]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

^ not the best advice. When the "1QT" symbol comes up, add a quart within 120 miles (as instructed by the owners manual...). Once you add the quart don't immediately take a reading because it takes the CBS at a minimum 5 minutes to update the level reading; you'll add a quart and the reading will stay unchanged for a bit.

Last time mine came out I added just under 1/2 qt and the oil light is now at and stays at full.

I would say you don't want to immediately add an entire qt just bc the light comes on. Sitting on an incline or something could probably affect when it will say add 1 qt.

[N8N]

Well, you guys appeared to be right... light came on at shutdown consistently for a few days but I never got a low oil warning... when checking it again on idrive the engine was in yellow and "at minimum" but not below it. Must have burned some oil during a hot trip to Pittsburgh and back. Stopped by dealership yesterday and got another quart, now it is at max. I never knew about this - that if it was right at minimum you'd get the icon on shutdown but not the warning. Still learning stuff about this car

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by MiniXP

Last time mine came out I added just under 1/2 qt and the oil light is now at and stays at full.

I would say you don't want to immediately add an entire qt just bc the light comes on. Sitting on an incline or something could probably affect when it will say add 1 qt.

You can say what you want, but this is not how the manufacturer says to maintain the correct level of oil in the engine. The manufacturer celarly states to add oil in 1 quart increments upon notification of the "+1QT" warning.