Low Oil indicator and my first DIY

Hi All,
A few months ago, I did the oil change on my E46 325i myself. Everything seemed to have gone fine. I refilled 6 quarts of BMW synthetic oil (5W-40 if i remember correctly). After only approx 3 months and 3000 miles later, the yellow low oil indicator is on. I dont know what might be wrong. I dont see any leaks from the car. I checked the dipstick and the level is just above the lower mark which seems to indicate that it is close to getting low but I wouldnt expect the indicator to go on. What can i do to troubleshoot?

Thanks in advance.

What is the light doing? When does it come on, and how long for?

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthr...ight=oil+level

So what happens:

IF your oil light comes on AFTER you drive, when you shut the car OFF, it means you're low on oil, check your dip stick.

IF your oil light comes on A FEW SECONDS AFTER YOU START YOUR CAR, and then it turns off after about 10 seconds, it means your oil level sensor is faulty, and following my DIY above will fix this.

I just did this replacement again this weekend on my 328 as well. Also, just to note, the 328 did NOT have the large metal body panel that covered the oil pan. The whole oil pan, drain plug, AND THE SENSOR were fully exposed, so I literally jacked the car up, drained the oil, and then unbolted the old sensor, put in the new one, tightened everything up, filled the car with oil and new filter, and was done with the whole process in less than half an hour!

Hope this helps everyone!!

It all started about 5 days ago. For the first 4 days, it came on after i switched the engine off and before i took the key out. Today, it came on when i was driving and stayed on till sometime after i switched the engine off.

When the light comes on during during, it means you must top up right away. Burning 1 quart in 3k miles is fairly modest. Burning 1 quart in 1k mile is usually considered normal.

Originally Posted by GoingNuts

When the light comes on during during, it means you must top up right away. Burning 1 quart in 3k miles is fairly modest. Burning 1 quart in 1k mile is usually considered normal.

I don't burn a drop between changes, but yeah i've heard about a quart (which is enough to set the light off) is a reasonable amount to burn for like 7500 miles. I can't imagine burning that much oil every 1k though, I think all this normal business is just people with high mileage engines in denial that they've got problems with the internals. Just always carry a quart around with your spare tire and after verifying that the car is low on oil via the dipstick (don't rely on the light, the last thing you want to do is overfill the engine), top up.

Originally Posted by Acarder

I think all this normal business is just people with high mileage engines in denial that they've got problems with the internals.

This is exactly what i am worried about. I have about 86K miles on my car. Maybe my 90K service will be a big one.

Thanks to all. I will top up and wait with crossed fingers i guess.

good luck

Originally Posted by arunprakashb

This is exactly what i am worried about. I have about 86K miles on my car. Maybe my 90K service will be a big one.

Thanks to all. I will top up and wait with crossed fingers i guess.

Hey, 1 quart in 3000 miles is a lot different to 1 quart every 1000 miles . I wouldn't be worried at the moment about the internals with only 86k miles. You could possibly have a failing crankcase ventilation valve or a leaking valve cover gasket, or you could just be driving your car moderately hard... After all, oil does burn off. I just can't imagine people lose as much oil as the M3's and don't think they've got a problem. What oil did you use? That can be the basis for a oil leak as well.

I used the BMW branded oil that i bought from a dealer. I disposed off the containers, otherwise I can provide the exact details. I know a lot of ppl who have used the same oil, so I doubt it is the oil.

It's not surprising that the oil light is already on as you didn't put enough oil in when you did the change. The capacity is 6.9 quarts. When it's drained a little will still be in there but only using 6 quarts is not enough. Did you even check the dipstick after the oil change to see what the level was?

And the BMW oil is 5w-30.

It'll be Castrol Edge Sport 5w-30 European Formula then. That will obviously meet all BMW specs, but can I suggest you use Mobil 1 0w-40 at your next change for a test? It's cheaper in the states, exceeds all BMW standards, and its slightly thicker so if you've got a leak somewhere theres a chance you wont lose as much oil. If you still use 1 quart/3000miles i'd probably just write that off as oil being burnt off, the CCV valve would mean you'd lose oil a lot faster. It is possible that you have a slow valve cover gasket leak as well, if it hasn't ever been replaced it will 100% be leaking at your mileage. Not a big deal, but it'll solve your problem