M5 E39 OIL USAGE
Discussion
Hi
As per other posts i have just bought an M5 E39. It was a private sale therefore 'sold as seen'.
I am now getting very worried as i filled the oil last week to the max level, since then i have been driving fairly sensible getting 22MPG - i have just checked the oil and it is on the Min after 350 miles. This cannot be normal, i know they do use oil (apparantly 1lt per 1000 miles.
What do i do? Is there a problem?
It did have some VANOS work completed a few thousand miles ago at a BMW dealer therefore i assume their work is covered by a warrenty.
Any idea would be appreciated...
Jon
As per other posts i have just bought an M5 E39. It was a private sale therefore 'sold as seen'.
I am now getting very worried as i filled the oil last week to the max level, since then i have been driving fairly sensible getting 22MPG - i have just checked the oil and it is on the Min after 350 miles. This cannot be normal, i know they do use oil (apparantly 1lt per 1000 miles.
What do i do? Is there a problem?
It did have some VANOS work completed a few thousand miles ago at a BMW dealer therefore i assume their work is covered by a warrenty.
Any idea would be appreciated...
Jon
Wouldn't necessarily worry - what mileage?
Mine's used hardly any but recently decided it would go on a complete bender, even flashed up the 'check engine oil' light which had me thinking good night, Vienna.
Gave it a good flaggon full and has seemed ok since but I guess my fortnightly checks will now become weekly.
(Watch this, the fecker will probably implode tonight!)
Mine's used hardly any but recently decided it would go on a complete bender, even flashed up the 'check engine oil' light which had me thinking good night, Vienna.
Gave it a good flaggon full and has seemed ok since but I guess my fortnightly checks will now become weekly.
(Watch this, the fecker will probably implode tonight!)
Hi
Mileage is 85K on a 2000 (early, like Jan 2000)
I have just been reading another forum where people are saying anything less than 500 miles and you have a problem. One bloke said that BMW offered a rebore which he declined so new block and £8K later all is well again,
I will have to monitor it closely.....have i bought a dog?!?!
Mileage is 85K on a 2000 (early, like Jan 2000)
I have just been reading another forum where people are saying anything less than 500 miles and you have a problem. One bloke said that BMW offered a rebore which he declined so new block and £8K later all is well again,
I will have to monitor it closely.....have i bought a dog?!?!
If the VANOS was done a few thousand miles ago, I would suggest that its probably fine (famous last words of course). From what In understand, the early signs of failing VANOS are an increased consumption of oil. BUT, this is NOT a fixed correlation and there are plenty of heavy drinking M5's which are perfectly fine - noise is not a good guide to health of the VANOS.
Since it has been done recently I seriously doubt that it needs to be done again so soon. Its probably fine. Though town / city driving will burn more oil (as does bouncing it of the rev limiter all day!) so it might actually be OK. Take it for some good long trips and check the oil when cold later - shouldnt drop by too much.
Just to throw a spanner in the works though - mines a 3.5 V8 and its never used a drop of oil. I dont get it....
Since it has been done recently I seriously doubt that it needs to be done again so soon. Its probably fine. Though town / city driving will burn more oil (as does bouncing it of the rev limiter all day!) so it might actually be OK. Take it for some good long trips and check the oil when cold later - shouldnt drop by too much.
Just to throw a spanner in the works though - mines a 3.5 V8 and its never used a drop of oil. I dont get it....
If its any consolation my bosses new V10 M5 uses plenty of oil. It even has a digital display showing the oil level. I don't know how much it uses but he does top up every 1000 miles or so and always has a bottle of oil in the car just in case.
It only has about 18k on the clock now.
It only has about 18k on the clock now.
How far away is the garage that did the vanos work? I'd be getting them to check it. I'm guessing the previous owner lied about oil usage. Obviously oil usage varies according to type of use, but your car does seem incredibly high with the mpg you're getting.
My vehicle has averaged 17.9mpg over the 7k miles I've owned it. With this mpg, I've used about 1 litre of 10w60 per 2,200 miles. Although having checked the oil following a "flight" down the M5 this morning (with further flights planned for this weekend) the oil was at the maximum groove, which is strange as I've not topped the car up since it was serviced 1,000 miles ago. Either the garage over filled it or oil usage is far from constant.
DAZ
Edited to say are you measuring like for like. ie according to the manual?
>> Edited by dazren on Thursday 25th May 17:42
My vehicle has averaged 17.9mpg over the 7k miles I've owned it. With this mpg, I've used about 1 litre of 10w60 per 2,200 miles. Although having checked the oil following a "flight" down the M5 this morning (with further flights planned for this weekend) the oil was at the maximum groove, which is strange as I've not topped the car up since it was serviced 1,000 miles ago. Either the garage over filled it or oil usage is far from constant.
DAZ
Edited to say are you measuring like for like. ie according to the manual?
>> Edited by dazren on Thursday 25th May 17:42
Hi
I have called the BMW garage that completed the VANOS work and have been advised that i should continue to monitor the oil consumption over the next 1000 miles. They stated that 350 miles to a litre is not un heard of if you are driving it hard - which i am not by getting 22MPG.
Do you think i should push harder to get them to take a look?
It has only done 1800 miles since the VANOS work - surely this should have resolved the oil consumption issues?
All your advice is appreciated.
Jon
I have called the BMW garage that completed the VANOS work and have been advised that i should continue to monitor the oil consumption over the next 1000 miles. They stated that 350 miles to a litre is not un heard of if you are driving it hard - which i am not by getting 22MPG.
Do you think i should push harder to get them to take a look?
It has only done 1800 miles since the VANOS work - surely this should have resolved the oil consumption issues?
All your advice is appreciated.
Jon
daisythecamper said:
They stated that 350 miles to a litre is not un heard of if you are driving it hard - which i am not by getting 22MPG.
There is your answer. If it was a litre per 350 miles whilst hooning around a track, then fine. A litre per 350 miles whilst getting over 22mpg needs looking it.
DAZ
Mine used approx 1ltre every 500 miles which I thought was high, Vanos was checked when bought and found to be ok (apart from a small leak at one of the hoses)
I was later informed by a friend who was following that it smoked quite badly from 5k revs > red line, had it checked at BMW dealer who found 4 of the cylinders were low on compression and probably needed new rings
the car had FBMWSH for it 75K miles 
although it pulled to 168mph at Vmax
I hope yours is less serious, get someone to follow you up the road whilst you ring its neck....
Good luck
I was later informed by a friend who was following that it smoked quite badly from 5k revs > red line, had it checked at BMW dealer who found 4 of the cylinders were low on compression and probably needed new rings
the car had FBMWSH for it 75K miles although it pulled to 168mph at Vmax I hope yours is less serious, get someone to follow you up the road whilst you ring its neck....
Good luck
Let me first ask what kind of oil is in the engine - is it the correct weight and type of synthetic that IIRC BMW specs for this car? And, how do you know? Shops have been known to put in whatever's cheap, whatever's on hand.
The specks of oil on the back bumper and etc. would indicate an oil leak.
By all means check the cheap and simple things first. Oil leak may be as simple as a bad seal on the oil filter cannister. Check that the engine has a vacuum in the crankcase at idle, take the oil filler cap loose while idling and feel that it is being pulled onto the engine by vacuum rather than wants to blow off. Lack of proper crankcase venting probably means the hose to the intake is plugged or kinked, this tends to pressurize the crankcase and this will make an engine leak oil.
If the engine is really burning this much oil you should be able to see smoke under some driving conditions, or at least a mate in another car following you could see it.
The specks of oil on the back bumper and etc. would indicate an oil leak.
By all means check the cheap and simple things first. Oil leak may be as simple as a bad seal on the oil filter cannister. Check that the engine has a vacuum in the crankcase at idle, take the oil filler cap loose while idling and feel that it is being pulled onto the engine by vacuum rather than wants to blow off. Lack of proper crankcase venting probably means the hose to the intake is plugged or kinked, this tends to pressurize the crankcase and this will make an engine leak oil.
If the engine is really burning this much oil you should be able to see smoke under some driving conditions, or at least a mate in another car following you could see it.
I'm not gonna make you happy, I have a 2001 90K M5 and its used about 500ml of oil in the last 6000 miles. I know that because I did the two oil checks. But then neither have I reset the fuel consumption in the last 6000 and its currently sitting at 24.1mpg.
I think theres quite a lot of variation in these cars.
I think theres quite a lot of variation in these cars.
Julian64 said:
I'm not gonna make you happy, I have a 2001 90K M5 and its used about 500ml of oil in the last 6000 miles. I know that because I did the two oil checks. But then neither have I reset the fuel consumption in the last 6000 and its currently sitting at 24.1mpg.
I think theres quite a lot of variation in these cars.
My oil consumption of a 2001 settled down to about 1200 miles per litre and the mpg 19ish. If you drive them the way they're designed to be driven their oil consumption increases. To pussy around and get a whopping 24.1mpg I'm amazed it uses a drop of oil.
Julian64 you should buy a 520i -- performance enough for you and a fraction of the running costs.
SM
supermono said:
I'm not gonna make you happy, I have a 2001 90K M5 and its used about 500ml of oil in the last 6000 miles. I know that because I did the two oil checks. But then neither have I reset the fuel consumption in the last 6000 and its currently sitting at 24.1mpg.
I think theres quite a lot of variation in these cars.
My oil consumption of a 2001 settled down to about 1200 miles per litre and the mpg 19ish. If you drive them the way they're designed to be driven their oil consumption increases. To pussy around and get a whopping 24.1mpg I'm amazed it uses a drop of oil.
Julian64 you should buy a 520i -- performance enough for you and a fraction of the running costs.
Might interest you to know that my route home entails mainly motorway, A2 M25 A20/M20, Considering my other two cars are a TVR Cerbera, and an AC Cobra, I would venture to suggest if the M5 has any weakness, its that its a bit slow for my style of driving.
But I think you may be confusing speed with smoothness. I might also venture that as well as my fuel, my brake pads last longer than yours.
SM
Julian64 said:
But I think you may be confusing speed with smoothness. I might also venture that as well as my fuel, my brake pads last longer than yours.
You may well be the smooooooothest driver in town and I salute you for it, and your long brake life (and no doubt your superior love making ability). But I still maintain that if you were driving that car the way it's designed to be driven you'd be getting more like 19mpg and more oil consumption.
Point being that low revs and smaller throttle openings plus smaller cruising speeds will all contribute to your excellent oil consumption.
SM
supermono said:
But I think you may be confusing speed with smoothness. I might also venture that as well as my fuel, my brake pads last longer than yours.
You may well be the smooooooothest driver in town and I salute you for it, and your long brake life (and no doubt your superior love making ability). But I still maintain that if you were driving that car the way it's designed to be driven you'd be getting more like 19mpg and more oil consumption.
Point being that low revs and smaller throttle openings plus smaller cruising speeds will all contribute to your excellent oil consumption.
SM
How did you know about my love making abilities, thats just uncanny.
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