[BMW335icoupe]

Ok so I know this might be common sense to some of you but this is my first BMW and have no car knowledge except for detailing.

So last night while driving home the warning triangle came up in the instrument cluster. I have no iDrive. So I hit the check control button and it shows the oil canteen. I then go to check the oil and it says +1 quart and the bar was on min.

My question is I was 10 miles away from home and drove home with the low oil warning on and then added a quart today like it said and now it's fine. I kept it below 4k rpm on the way home. Would driving home on this little oil hurt my car.

I now know to keep a extra quart of oil in my car.

Thanks,

[MstrRogers330i]

I think you'll be alright since you topped it off pretty soon. I wouldn't drive for days like that ha. I went to the local BMW place and they topped it off for free right then and there and I drive an 06 330i. Something else to keep in mind if you live near one.

[shata]

Originally Posted by BMW335icoupe

Ok so I know this might be common sense to some of you but this is my first BMW and have no car knowledge except for detailing.

So last night while driving home the warning triangle came up in the instrument cluster. I have no iDrive. So I hit the check control button and it shows the oil canteen. I then go to check the oil and it says +1 quart and the bar was on min.

My question is I was 10 miles away from home and drove home with the low oil warning on and then added a quart today like it said and now it's fine. I kept it below 4k rpm on the way home. Would driving home on this little oil hurt my car.

I now know to keep a extra quart of oil in my car.

Thanks,

Your owners manual says that you can go ~130 miles with low oil warning when it initially comes on. I would keep 1qt in car at all times. I do, same with coolant, power steering and small set of tools. These cars are pretty reliable but sometimes stuff does happen.

[shata]

Originally Posted by MstrRogers330i

I think you'll be alright since you topped it off pretty soon. I wouldn't drive for days like that ha. I went to the local BMW place and they topped it off for free right then and there and I drive an 06 330i. Something else to keep in mind if you live near one.

Hey Mstrrogers, Does your 330i burn little oil between changes? What interval do you change oil at and how much if you do does your car burn in certain mile period?

[ctuna]

Check your oil more often.You know how to do it now don't wait
till it tells you there is a problem.
You should be doing that on all your autos and things with Internal
Combustion Engines.
I would be googling for the Mike Miller old school maintenance schedule
also.
The car has 7 quarts of oil when full so it was down 1 quart.
Its not like a 4 cylinder jap car where you have 4 quarts
and if you are down 1 its 25 % of the oil.

[Flying_Dutchman13]

Originally Posted by ctuna

Check your oil more often.You know how to do it now don't wait till it tells you there is a problem.

I dont think he could have done anything different here. The manual shows that the system will show "OK" when checking the oil level. It will show that until it shows "+1 quart".

OP - Your engine will be fine, you still had roughly 6 of 7 quarts in there. The manual also says that until you see that (+1 quart) you are not supposed to add any oil. Just FYI

[BMW335icoupe]

Thanks everyone for the help!!

[BMW335icoupe]

Originally Posted by ctuna

Check your oil more often.You know how to do it now don't wait
till it tells you there is a problem.
You should be doing that on all your autos and things with Internal
Combustion Engines.
I would be googling for the Mike Miller old school maintenance schedule
also.
The car has 7 quarts of oil when full so it was down 1 quart.
Its not like a 4 cylinder jap car where you have 4 quarts
and if you are down 1 its 25 % of the oil.

Ok, thanks for the info!!

[BMW335icoupe]

Originally Posted by Flying_Dutchman13

I dont think he could have done anything different here. The manual shows that the system will show "OK" when checking the oil level. It will show that until it shows "+1 quart".

OP - You engine will be fine, you still had roughly 6 of 7 quarts in there. The manual also says that until you see that (+1 quart) you are not supposed to add any oil. Just FYI

Great that's what I was hoping!!!!

[BMW335icoupe]

Is it ok for the BMW to burn this much oil.

[Flying_Dutchman13]

Over how long of a period of time? Also under what driving conditions?

[BMW335icoupe]

Originally Posted by Flying_Dutchman13

Over how long of a period of time? Also under what driving conditions?

Well I think I had my oil changed about 3-4k miles ago and I have been driving it pretty hard. 20*F weather - 80*F weather.

Thanks.

[ENINTY]

Originally Posted by ctuna

Check your oil more often.You know how to do it now don't wait
till it tells you there is a problem.
You should be doing that on all your autos and things with Internal
Combustion Engines.
I would be googling for the Mike Miller old school maintenance schedule
also.
The car has 7 quarts of oil when full so it was down 1 quart.
Its not like a 4 cylinder jap car where you have 4 quarts
and if you are down 1 its 25 % of the oil.

So some of this is not good information. The part that is good is there are 7 quarts of oil in the engine, being 1 quart low is not an issue and actually all automotive engines are designed with extra oil capacity than really required to keep the internal engine parts lubricated. The bad advice here is checking the oil more often. Yes, you should keep an eye on the oil level, but ctuna implies you should do something about it, which you shouldn't until the CBS notifies you to add one additional quart. The e-dipstick is an oil monitoring system, not just a oil level indicator. The system is not designed to keep topping off the oil level when it reads less than 100% full; it IS designed to add single quarts of oil when indicated to do so. Follow the manufacturer's instruction as provided in the owner's manual.

No flame intended.

[Clifton]

Originally Posted by ENINTY

The bad advice here is checking the oil more often. Yes, you should keep an eye on the oil level, but ctuna implies you should do something about it, which you shouldn't until the CBS notifies you to add one additional quart. The e-dipstick is an oil monitoring system, not just a oil level indicator. The system is not designed to keep topping off the oil level when it reads less than 100% full; it IS designed to add single quarts of oil when indicated to do so. Follow the manufacturer's instruction as provided in the owner's manual.

The only bad advice here is stating you shouldn't do anything until the CBS notifies you. That is like saying, don't fill your car with gas until the car's warning lamp "refuel soon" notifies you.

The owners manual states that if it is telling you to add a quart, you need to do so ASAP (add oil now idiot!!) or you will damage the engine. Waiting till the idiot light comes on is just for that, idiots.

While the e-dipstick does more than just monitoring the oil level, it is not limited to 1 quart measurements. It is fairly sensitive and I've been able to record 1/4 quart increments albeit not instantaneously. Topping off the oil level within the min/max marks will not hurt anything as you suggest.

As to the design - BMW's obvious concern was for those unacquainted with e-dipsticks. An uninformed owner that see less than max might keep adding oil till its reads full. The rub is that e-dipstick can take 30 min to register and possibly lead to an overfill and possible subsequent engine damage. That is why BMW played it safe and stated in the manual that it is "OK" if it is not at the max level.

In short, there is nothing wrong with proactively monitoring the oil level (every gas fill-up) and adding measured amounts of oil. The system is designed to handle topping-off, that is, unless you are an idiot.

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by Clifton

The owners manual states that if it is telling you to add a quart, you need to do so ASAP (add oil now idiot!!) or you will damage the engine.

You must have a different manual, as mine says to add oil ASAP and specifically warns against adding more than one quart. Possible engine damage is ONLY mentioned in the section which cautions that oil should be added within 125 miles of the warning.

Tom

[Clifton]

Originally Posted by Tom K.

You must have a different manual, as mine says to add oil ASAP and specifically warns against adding more than one quart. Possible engine damage is ONLY mentioned in the section which cautions that oil should be added within 125 miles of the warning.

Tom

Correct, that is the result of not doing it ASAP.

Page 228 - "Engine Oil Level"
"Engine oil level below minimum. Add 1 quart!" Add engine oil as soon as possible, but no more than 1 US quart/1 liter, refer also to Adding engine oil below. If the oil level is below the minimum value, add engine oil immediately to avoid engine
damage.

[Casper]

Originally Posted by ENINTY

So some of this is not good information. The part that is good is there are 7 quarts of oil in the engine, being 1 quart low is not an issue and actually all automotive engines are designed with extra oil capacity than really required to keep the internal engine parts lubricated. The bad advice here is checking the oil more often. Yes, you should keep an eye on the oil level, but ctuna implies you should do something about it, which you shouldn't until the CBS notifies you to add one additional quart. The e-dipstick is an oil monitoring system, not just a oil level indicator. The system is not designed to keep topping off the oil level when it reads less than 100% full; it IS designed to add single quarts of oil when indicated to do so. Follow the manufacturer's instruction as provided in the owner's manual.

No flame intended.

Originally Posted by Clifton

The only bad advice here is stating you shouldn't do anything until the CBS notifies you. That is like saying, don't fill your car with gas until the car's warning lamp "refuel soon" notifies you.

The owners manual states that if it is telling you to add a quart, you need to do so ASAP (add oil now idiot!!) or you will damage the engine. Waiting till the idiot light comes on is just for that, idiots.

While the e-dipstick does more than just monitoring the oil level, it is not limited to 1 quart measurements. It is fairly sensitive and I've been able to record 1/4 quart increments albeit not instantaneously. Topping off the oil level within the min/max marks will not hurt anything as you suggest.

As to the design - BMW's obvious concern was for those unacquainted with e-dipsticks. An uninformed owner that see less than max might keep adding oil till its reads full. The rub is that e-dipstick can take 30 min to register and possibly lead to an overfill and possible subsequent engine damage. That is why BMW played it safe and stated in the manual that it is "OK" if it is not at the max level.

In short, there is nothing wrong with proactively monitoring the oil level (every gas fill-up) and adding measured amounts of oil. The system is designed to handle topping-off, that is, unless you are an idiot.

So let me understand this a bit better. You use the term “idiot” 4 times in your reply to Eninty. So you’ve obviously tried to imply that Eninty is an idiot, when all he did was suggest that the OP follow the instructions in the owner’s manual. Then you proceed to give good reason why not to try and top off the oil level since trying to follow the slow-to-react e-dipstick can lead to overfilling the crankcase (which just enforces Eninty’s position to just follow the Manufacturer’s instructions). According to the Manfacturer topping off the oil level in measures less than 1 quart is not recommended.

So really, who looks like an idiot.

[Clifton]

Originally Posted by Casper

So let me understand this a bit better. You use the term “idiot” 4 times in your reply to Eninty. So you’ve obviously tried to imply that Eninty is an idiot, when all he did was suggest that the OP follow the instructions in the owner’s manual. Then you proceed to give good reason why not to try and top off the oil level since trying to follow the slow-to-react e-dipstick can lead to overfilling the crankcase (which just enforces Eninty’s position to just follow the Manufacturer’s instructions). According to the Manfacturer topping off the oil level in measures less than 1 quart is not recommended.

So really, who looks like an idiot.

The term "idiot light" is automotive nomenclature. The meaning is self-explanatory - light(s) intended to forewarn idiot(s). I did not imply Eninty was an idiot, I simply pointed out his heavy reliance on these lights.

To set the record straight, Eninty gave a trifecta of bad advice, non of which can be found in the owners manual. Let's recap - he suggested that people should not check oil often, should only add a oil when indicated, i.e., idiot light and that the e-dipstick was not designed to handle top offs (see bold below).

Let's stop and think a minute - on a car with a physical dip-stick you would not wait until the car told you it needed oil to add oil; triggered by low oil - a quart or more. If the car needs oil at any point, .25, .5, .75 qt, a sensible owner adds the required measured dosage. In the age of e-dipstick, it is no different.

Just like with the physical dipsticks, you can check as often as you like and top off with measured amounts of oil whenever needed. Due to gravity and mechanical interference, neither physical dipsticks nor e-dipsticks register immediately since oil is measured at the oil pan. However, that slowness to display the oil level has never prevented topping off oil in the history of the automotive world. Years of faithful service unless you do something idiotic, like adding a full quart when only a 1/4 is needed.

Apart from giving bad advice, ENINTY is free to wait until the car has to tell him it needs oil. The dash lights are there to protect the car and warn idiots.

Originally Posted by ENINTY

So some of this is not good information. The part that is good is there are 7 quarts of oil in the engine, being 1 quart low is not an issue and actually all automotive engines are designed with extra oil capacity than really required to keep the internal engine parts lubricated. The bad advice here is checking the oil more often. Yes, you should keep an eye on the oil level, but ctuna implies you should do something about it, which you shouldn't until the CBS notifies you to add one additional quart. The e-dipstick is an oil monitoring system, not just a oil level indicator. The system is not designed to keep topping off the oil level when it reads less than 100% full; it IS designed to add single quarts of oil when indicated to do so. Follow the manufacturer's instruction as provided in the owner's manual.

[Casper]

Originally Posted by Clifton

The term "idiot light" is automotive nomenclature. The meaning is self-explanatory - light(s) intended to forewarn idiot(s). I did not imply Eninty was an idiot, I simply pointed out his heavy reliance on these lights.

To set the record straight, Eninty gave a trifecta of bad advice, non of which can be found in the owners manual. Let's recap - he suggested that people should not check oil often, should only add a oil when indicated, i.e., idiot light and that the e-dipstick was not designed to handle top offs (see bold below).

Let's stop and think a minute - on a car with a physical dip-stick you would not wait until the car told you it needed oil to add oil; triggered by low oil - a quart or more. If the car needs oil at any point, .25, .5, .75 qt, a sensible owner adds the required measured dosage. In the age of e-dipstick, it is no different.

Just like with the physical dipsticks, you can check as often as you like and top off with measured amounts of oil whenever needed. Due to gravity and mechanical interference, neither physical dipsticks nor e-dipsticks register immediately since oil is measured at the oil pan. However, that slowness to display the oil level has never prevented topping off oil in the history of the automotive world. Years of faithful service unless you do something idiotic, like adding a full quart when only a 1/4 is needed.

Apart from giving bad advice, ENINTY is free to wait until the car has to tell him it needs oil. The dash lights are there to protect the car and warn idiots.

Well, I'm not sure I totally agree. The mechanical dipstick will accurately measure the oil within a few minutes of time (versus the 30 minutes as you believe the e-dipstick does). Of the other cars I own with mechanical dipsticks (one being a BMW) the owners manuals of two of them say not to add oil to the engine if the oil level is within the hatch markings on the dipstick, and to only add oil when the dipstick shows the level at the lower mark (generally in most cars this means the engine is a quart low).

Regarding idiot lights, generally the idiot light nomenclature (in reference to oil) is the low oil pressure light, which indicates either the engine is too low on oil and not enough is available to keep the oil pressure at the minimum pressure, or the oil pump is failing to maintain pressure. From my understanding of the language in the E90 owner's manual, the procedure is to wait until the CBS indicates the engine requires a full quart of oil before adding oil to the crankcase; why else would BMW make specific mention to add oil at a 1-quart measure only. If the system were designed to be topped off at lesser amounts, say ¼ quart, why not have the CBS do so?

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by Casper

Well, I'm not sure I totally agree. The mechanical dipstick will accurately measure the oil within a few minutes of time (versus the 30 minutes as you believe the e-dipstick does). Of the other cars I own with mechanical dipsticks (one being a BMW) the owners manuals of two of them say not to add oil to the engine if the oil level is within the hatch markings on the dipstick, and to only add oil when the dipstick shows the level at the lower mark (generally in most cars this means the engine is a quart low). ...
If the system were designed to be topped off at lesser amounts, say ¼ quart, why not have the CBS do so?

The last vehicle I owned that routinely needed less than a quart added was a '76 BMW /6 motorcycle - probably because the sump held only two quarts.

From the manual for my wife's 2010 Ford Fusion, referring to the hash marks on the dipstick (emphases in the original):



"• If the oil level is within this range, the oil level is acceptable. DO

NOT ADD OIL."

Tom

[Clifton]

Originally Posted by Casper

Well, I'm not sure I totally agree. The mechanical dipstick will accurately measure the oil within a few minutes of time (versus the 30 minutes as you believe the e-dipstick does). Of the other cars I own with mechanical dipsticks (one being a BMW) the owners manuals of two of them say not to add oil to the engine if the oil level is within the hatch markings on the dipstick, and to only add oil when the dipstick shows the level at the lower mark (generally in most cars this means the engine is a quart low).

Regarding idiot lights, generally the idiot light nomenclature (in reference to oil) is the low oil pressure light, which indicates either the engine is too low on oil and not enough is available to keep the oil pressure at the minimum pressure, or the oil pump is failing to maintain pressure. From my understanding of the language in the E90 owner's manual, the procedure is to wait until the CBS indicates the engine requires a full quart of oil before adding oil to the crankcase; why else would BMW make specific mention to add oil at a 1-quart measure only. If the system were designed to be topped off at lesser amounts, say ¼ quart, why not have the CBS do so?

Casper (aka ENINTY),
I'm looking at the BMW owner's manual of my two dipstick cars (E36 & E46) and neither support your claim of "not to add oil to the engine if the oil level is within the hatch markings on the dipstick"

What they do suggest is to add oil while the level is still above the low mark and to never let the oil drop below the low mark. Which by the way, can and will trigger the low/add oil idiot lights. They also explicitly state not to overfill when adding.

Sure on an E90 you can wait till the car tells you it needs oil but you have ~125 miles to take corrective action albeit with possible engine damage. NO THANKS!!! Proactively monitoring the oil level and occasionally topping-off oil is preventative, not forbidden.

Case in point, do you only refill your car with gas when the refuel now message appears in the dash? You might, but I digress.

As stated before, telling someone not to check their oil, nor to top off when it is low and only add oil when the idiot light tells you, is well, bad advice.

Also - per the manual for both mechanical dipstick and e-dipstick cars, wait time is approximately 5 min to register oil level.

[Casper]

Originally Posted by Clifton

Casper (aka ENINTY),
I'm looking at the BMW owner's manual of my two dipstick cars (E36 & E46) and neither support your claim of "not to add oil to the engine if the oil level is within the hatch markings on the dipstick"

What they do suggest is to add oil while the level is still above the low mark and to never let the oil drop below the low mark. Which by the way, can and will trigger the low/add oil idiot lights. They also explicitly state not to overfill when adding.

Sure on an E90 you can wait till the car tells you it needs oil but you have ~125 miles to take corrective action albeit with possible engine damage. NO THANKS!!! Proactively monitoring the oil level and occasionally topping-off oil is preventative, not forbidden.

Case in point, do you only refill your car with gas when the refuel now message appears in the dash? You might, but I digress.

As stated before, telling someone not to check their oil, nor to top off when it is low and only add oil when the idiot light tells you, is well, bad advice.

Also - per the manual for both mechanical dipstick and e-dipstick cars, wait time is approximately 5 min to register oil level.

So here is the exact wording from the 2006 Z4 owner's manual. The 2006 Z4 has a mechanical dipstick.:

The oil level should be between the two marks on the dipstick.

The oil volume between the two marks on the dipstick corresponds to approx.1.1 quarts/1 liter. Do not fill beyond the upper mark on the dipstick. Excess oil will damage the engine.

While you should wait until the level has dropped to just above the lower mark before adding oil, you should never allow the oil level to fall below this mark.

So the way I read this is, "wait until the engine needs 1 quart of oil before adding oil to the crankcase." The language in the Z4 manual reads pretty much the same way as the E90 E-dipstick operates: the owner keeps track of the oil level using the e-dipstick and when it gets to 1 quart low (as notified by the CBS), he adds 1 quart of oil.

No where does the manual say the owner should top off the oil level in small measured increments to keep the oil level at the top mark.

Casper (aka Casper).