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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Mechanical Maintenance: Break-in / Oil & Fluids / Servicing / Warranty > How to check the oil level



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      09-08-2018, 06:02 AM   #45
Efthreeoh
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Swicked86 View Post
Thinking back to my 390 with a similar oil capacity the dipstick had lines for adding 2 quarts... Anyhow

Since oil is critical for cooling you'd expect any high output engine to have oil pressure indicator (undampened) and an oil pressure warning light.

In addition the low oil level indicator is great, but I don't want to d!ck around with going in and out of a car to see I managed to end up X quarts low.

There's no excuse for no backup for the electronic sensors on these systems, without even researching it I don't believe there is a reliable way to guarantee a good analogue to digital count over copper wires for the life of the vehicle.

Maybe I'll run an 1/8 inch line to an mechanical oil pressure gauge on this car so I'll actually know if oil damage may occur. That low oil warning message really upset me. If you've sucked air through the system you'll know why I say what I do.
Maybe you need to research before you make such decisions. The lubrication system in the N-series engines with VANOS uses a volumetric-controlled oil pump, which provides the correct volume of oil required to meet the needs of the VANOS system. I'm not sure watching an un-dampened oil pressure reading would tell you anything nor help determine the state of the oil level in the engine. The oil level sensor is a pretty simplistic device that works on measuring the dielectric value of the engine oil to determine oil quality (contamination level) and engine oil level. The system has a static oil level self test routine that is automatically performed upon engine ignition, which warns the driver of an unsafe oil level. The oil sensor also has a function where if it can't determine the engine oil level, a warning notification is sent to the gauge cluster.

If the engine were in such a low state of oil level there are several warning signs that would become obvious to the driver, one being a SES light for improper operation of the VANOS system, the others being failure of the static self-test, and if the oil level sensor is faulty, a notification that the oil level can't be determined. Base on the design of the oil pump pickup, unless the engine had only a few ounces of oil in it, there is no way, even at less than half full of the required oil quantity, the lubrication system would suck air into the oil pump.

Maintenance of the N52 lubrication system is pretty easy. Drain the oil, remove the filter, remove the residual oil from the OFH, change the filter (element), refill the crankcase with 7 quarts of oil, then check the oil level via the e-dipstick periodically throughout the OCI period. Top off the engine with 1 quart of oil once the notification appears.
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A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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      09-26-2018, 05:40 PM   #46
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So, I seem to have finally found that Gremlin. Not quite as big as I might have worried, but not insignificant either.

Oil re-breather/separator has a diaphragm that is prone to rip at around 125K. I'm at 138. The old one had definite sludge in the side where only air was supposed to be feeding back into the manifold, and we were -2qts. Indy did this work for ~$675. She was eating the oil. . .
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      10-06-2018, 11:26 AM   #47
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kinda werid question .. but when i try and check oil level i get no spinning clock it just shows oil level ok thats after driving and car fully at operating temp i do have a footwell module code so would the bad footwell module effect it? all my lights ,windows etc work so werid i have the footwell code
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      10-07-2018, 08:04 AM   #48
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mesa50w View Post
kinda werid question .. but when i try and check oil level i get no spinning clock it just shows oil level ok thats after driving and car fully at operating temp i do have a footwell module code so would the bad footwell module effect it? all my lights ,windows etc work so werid i have the footwell code
That how it is supposed to work.
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A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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      11-14-2019, 02:40 AM   #49
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 46m3csl View Post
I know the one way is to get it up on the display but, where the heck is the dipstick on the 335i, does it even have one?
Hi Hope you are well.

I have a bmw 320D E90 2010, how do i get a display reading on the oil level because I have always been using the dipstick to check oil levels.

Thank you kindly.
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      11-20-2019, 07:50 PM   #50
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