BMW's with no dipstick, how do you approach topping up?

[eltax91]

Hi guys

I have just picked up a 530i (e61) as a daily hack, and iDrive now shows that the car is one 'dash' of oil from the max. The previous owner said it used a touch so I'm not worried, but.... What about these cars without a dipstick?

Some will say of course that the dipstick is missing from my car when I'm not in it.;) however, how does one know how much to put in for one 'dash' on iDrive?

Is it a case of half a litre at a time and check the screen, or can it be measured easier? Seems fking batst stupid to not have a dipstick to me!

I guess its irrelevant at oil change time as I stick the nominated amount in that its meant to hold?

Jeez, this car is too clever for its own good

[premio]

I've got this on my Z4 and when the indicator on I drive drops the first segment I add 1/4 litre and this puts it back to being displayed as full.

[eltax91]

premio said:

I've got this on my Z4 and when the indicator on I drive drops the first segment I add 1/4 litre and this puts it back to being displayed as full.

Thanks. Is yours the same engine as mine? Just realised I had a mind fk for a second, I bought a 525i!

[stevesuk]

With our E91, we were told that when the yellow oil warning light appears, it means the car would like 1 litre of oil.

I never normally check iDrive until then, but when I do, putting in 1L of oil at that point always seems to restore the level to max.

Of course, this is fine all the time the various sensors are working properly :-)

[eltax91]

stevesuk said:

With our E91, we were told that when the yellow oil warning light appears, it means the car would like 1 litre of oil.

I never normally check iDrive until then, but when I do, putting in 1L of oil at that point always seems to restore the level to max.

Of course, this is fine all the time the various sensors are working properly :-)

I see. So, the amount from 'min' to 'max' is on litre, which is pretty similar to every car I've ever owned with a dipstick! So, by that measure, its 1/4 litre per 'bar' on iDrive. ste design.

[stevesuk]

eltax91 said:

I see. So, the amount from 'min' to 'max' is on litre, which is pretty similar to every car I've ever owned with a dipstick! So, by that measure, its 1/4 litre per 'bar' on iDrive. ste design.

I agree, would much rather have a proper dipstick to look at. The trouble with relying on electronics is that as cars get older, they tend to fail and/or give misleading information (the "oil low" sensor on my older E46 seems to have a mind of its own when the car is cold, but at least I have a proper dipstick to check).

[premio]

Eltax, yes I'd say 1/4 bar is about 1/4 litre yes. I'm my old Z4 (previous model) I managed to overfil by adding in just over half a litre when the display showed 3/4 full, and the display showed as an overfill (which is quite handy).

[Garvin]

On my Z4 (3.0 litre engine) it is 1/4 litre per 'bar'. However, the system is rubbish as a) you can't just check the oil level when the car is cold when the other w/e checks are performed - it has to be driven for several miles to get a reading; and b) I like to see the condition of the oil when I check it!

[Patrick Bateman]

Seems like a pointless technology exercise.

'If it ain't broke don't fix it' applies to a dipstick for me.

[5to1]

Patrick Bateman said:

Seems like a pointless technology exercise.

'If it ain't broke don't fix it' applies to a dipstick for me.

I agree they should have left the dipstick in. But I don't think it's a pointless technology exercise to add sensor based measurent, many people aren't very proactive/knowledgeable about maintenance/checking their cars. Therefore, I could see the sensor based mechanism saving some people a costly repair bill :/

[exronin]

Don't see the issue personally, once the iDrive starts complaining about the oil level you add 1L of oil and you know it will be back to full. IIRC, you have a 100mile window until you absolutely must add it.

[Patrick Bateman]

The issue would be sensors failing and having no actual dipstick to check yourself and physically see.

From what my friend tells me the technicians find them a pain in the arse as well.

[Jayyylo]

stevesuk said:

the "oil low" sensor on my older E46 seems to have a mind of its own when the car is cold, but at least I have a proper dipstick to check.

If the oil light shows orange for 30s everytime you start the car it means your oil level sensor is broke. Regularly check your oil level and change the sensor next time you change the oil.

HTH.

[Big E 118]

I just keep a 1 litre bottle in the boot under the floor, when "Engine oil level - add 1 litre of oil" pops up on the iDrive I just add 1 litre.

Am I just over simplifying this or am I missing something here?

[S3_Graham]

Big E 118 said:

I just keep a 1 litre bottle in the boot under the floor, when "Engine oil level - add 1 litre of oil" pops up on the iDrive I just add 1 litre.

Am I just over simplifying this or am I missing something here?

This - Keep 1L of oil in the boot.

I was keeping an eye on my 130 level for ages then one day, on the M4 mid junction at 70(ish) it popped up add 1L.

Pulled off at the next junction and chucked the litre I had in the boot in.

Annoying if i'd left it at home in the garage though!!

[exronin]

Patrick Bateman said:

The issue would be sensors failing and having no actual dipstick to check yourself and physically see.

From what my friend tells me the technicians find them a pain in the arse as well.

Surely the iDrive would tell you that the sensor has failed? It's not a 'silent death', is it?

[E38Ross]

5to1 said:

I agree they should have left the dipstick in. But I don't think it's a pointless technology exercise to add sensor based measurent, many people aren't very proactive/knowledgeable about maintenance/checking their cars. Therefore, I could see the sensor based mechanism saving some people a costly repair bill :/

This exactly.

[Patrick Bateman]

E38Ross said:

5to1 said:

I agree they should have left the dipstick in. But I don't think it's a pointless technology exercise to add sensor based measurent, many people aren't very proactive/knowledgeable about maintenance/checking their cars. Therefore, I could see the sensor based mechanism saving some people a costly repair bill :/

This exactly.

Having the electronic one along with a physical one would be ideal.

[Tim330]

If enough of us ask BMW perhaps they will add a dipstick to the options list for the next model.

[stevesuk]

Jayyylo said:

If the oil light shows orange for 30s everytime you start the car it means your oil level sensor is broke. Regularly check your oil level and change the sensor next time you change the oil.

Thanks. It doesn't do it every time from cold - maybe 25% of the time. Light comes on for a few seconds, then goes off again. I understand the sensor in the sump gets clogged (or similar) over the years, and its a common fault. Was planning to get it changed when I had the next oil change carried out. But its an 11 year old car that's covered well over 100k, and fast heading towards shed value. So I'm beginning to think I'll just live with it to save some money.

I check the oil level regularly anyway, and unusually for a 3.0L M54, it doesn't actually use that much anyway...

Cheers,

Steve.