[mousefarmer]

2006 330i e90 has a failing or dysfunctional oil level sensor that reads at 75% after doing and oil change and filling to the proper 100% level.

I'm thinking of taking it out the next time I do an oil change and spraying out with some mass airflow sensor cleaner then putting it back with a new seal and doing the oil change.

Alternatively, I found at $13.69 made in China special on eBay that is tempting. The new rubber oring on the first one alone is almost $5 so this one seems like a bargain if it works.

Buying the $160+ BMW one is out of the question for a part that fails and is overpriced.

Has anyone tried with success cleaning the old one out?

[lookalikehuuh]

So I did a little bit of research on alternative oil level sensor from reputable brands and they are all like $160+ that you mentioned, leads me to believe these might be a bit more complex to mfg.

If it were me I would definitely not use a Chinese oil level sensor since oil is such an integral part of the engine's life.

That being said there could be other detrimental effects from using a cheap Chinese parts. The oil level sensor is part of the BSD bus in these cars which also happens to control alternator charging and the Intelligent battery sensor, plus other electrical parts I believe. Adding a part that isn't great quality could cause a lot of strange and potentially hazardous situations in that BSD bus.

I once installed an Autozone alternator because there were no other options near me which is part of that same bus and let me tell you I quickly wished I never had. It failed spectacularly and took by IBS with it, and my oil level sensor didn't work for a few days after that too. Coincidentally my water pump died the never next day too.

Hopefully others have other experiences with something similar but I wouldn't risk not just the engine but some of the electronics to a cheap part.

[TunafishE93]

Just use your dip stick.. Its free!

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Yeah I wouldn't be putting a mega cheap no-name oil level sensor in. If get one from a junk yard or part out first. You're saying it always reads 75%? Does it ever go down? Are there any codes?

[mousefarmer]

Originally Posted by Welcome to NBA Jam

Yeah I wouldn't be putting a mega cheap no-name oil level sensor in. If get one from a junk yard or part out first. You're saying it always reads 75%? Does it ever go down? Are there any codes?

I'm aware how the oil level sensor works. It works best when the engine is warm but not hot such as briefly after starting a cold engine or after the car has driven but it sitting in the garage after it cools down but still warm.

6.5 liters of oil and filter change like all the other 3.0 liter BMW oil changes I've done and it reads 75% right after I checked it. It used to read 100%. The oil isn't going down this is right after the oil change and this car isn't burning oil or using it. I always end up with a half liter left in my Liquid Moly oil change kit from FCP Euro.

Its the junky parts that BMW uses that fail. Everything fails on this crappy BMW brand and that is why they have one of the lowest resale values. It drives ok though and super cheap thanks to this for buying resale.

The problem with a lot of these used BMWs is that most of the people that buy them new seem to like buying the new model year or refresh year and those have the most problems. 2006 & 2007 some of the higher volume sales years. I'm not buying a new BMW but after they sell them used and people like me or others buy they are like beta cars with lots of issues. If people would wait several years the issues would likely have been resolved. Well, that just what new car buyers do.

[TunafishE93]

Mine is 6.9l to fill and its 3.0..

[lookalikehuuh]

Originally Posted by TunafishE93

Mine is 6.9l to fill and its 3.0..

+1, I normally have to add about 6 3/4 for mine to show full mark on my 06 330i.

[TunafishE93]

No i was wrong.. I add 6.9 quarts which is 6.5 liters .. Sorry i forgot people still use the metric system.

But if you are using 6.5 quarts then your level sensor is dead on cause 3/4 reading is 0.42 quarts low

[mousefarmer]

Yes its 6.5 liters. This is right from the manual. You can find it under lubrication system .
https://www.bimmer-service.com/bmw-3-e90/

[ryan stewart]

Mine is fairly new and it even reads 75% sometimes but will bounce back up to 100% next time I drive the car. They must aren't THAT accurate I guess

[Efthreeoh]

The sensor is fine. Just fill the engine with 6.7L and it will read full. The engine doesn't need to be a max full. It has to be within the mix/max area.

[TunafishE93]

There is a oil level adjustment in ISTA that I seen when searching "oil". It was not selectable because I didn't have the car hooked up but maybe something to look into..

[Mantraxalos]

I literally just changed the oil on my 06 330i (241k mi) last week with exactly 6.5L and it reads 1/4 qt low. I took extra time to suck out the excess oil from the OFH though and the reading didn't surprise me at all. I'll just add a qt when it gets to the +1qt message.

[ctuna]

You do realize the it only reads the top quart and adding about
250 ml (mililiters ) would make it read full.
If it reads a little low I top off about that amount.
Also that you have to drive it three or 4 times for around 20
minutes before the sensor updates it's readings .
It's a real pain.

[Mantraxalos]

Originally Posted by ctuna

You do realize the it only reads the top quart and adding about
250 ml (mililiters ) would make it read full.
If it reads a little low I top off about that amount.
Also that you have to drive it three or 4 times for around 20
minutes before the sensor updates it's readings .
It's a real pain.

If he didn't, I'm sure he realizes it by now. Some occasions I've had the sensor read 1/4 of a qt low or even 3/4 of a qt low after an oil change. Then after a few days/startups the sensor will read full. In my case this time, with the removal of the OFH oil, I wasn't surprised that it displayed slightly low and that hasn't changed after over a week.
How many miles do you have on your wagon now Ctuna?

[ctuna]

85k I usually only drive 10 or 15 miles a day unless I leave town to go windsurfing
in which case I put on around 160 round trip.
I used to have an Integra GSR beater that I was putting the most of the miles on but
it finally was toast at 320k.
The oil sensor can also indicate different stuff from day to day and vary s with Temperature.
Both the OFG and the VCG have been done on mine and the motor seems pretty tight I used to add
maybe .5 quarts between oil changes (5K or one year) now it's about half that.

To the original poster you probably don't have a problem you just don't realize how wacky
the sensor is when it's working normally.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by mousefarmer

Yes its 6.5 liters. This is right from the manual. You can find it under lubrication system .
https://www.bimmer-service.com/bmw-3-e90/

I've only used BMW in my N52 E90. Back in the mid 2000's, BMW used to sell its oil in quart-sized bottles. When BMW switched suppliers in 2015 or so (?) with a natural gas based oil stock, they also switched to liter-sized bottles. When refilling the engine with BMW oil in quart-sized bottles I just poured in all 7 quarts. The e-dipstick always read full after the proper perimeters were achieved that results in a new oil level reading.

The first time I changed oil using the liter-sized bottles, I poured in exactly 6.5L of new oil. The e-dipstick reading came back as 3/4 full, just as you are describing. I left it alone, because all owners manuals with engines using either a mechanical or electronic dipstick, tell you the engine is safe to operate as long as the oil level is in between the upper and lower marks. Once the oil level hit the low mark and the +1QT notification appeared, I added in a full liter of new oil and the next oil level read came back as full.

On the next oil change I refilled the engine with 6.7 liters. The e-dipstick reported a full oil level once the perimeters were met. The N52 in my Z4 behaved the exact same way as my E90 N52 did. So I've validated the 6.5L vs. 6.7L phenomenon on at least two N52 engines.

There is nothing wrong with the oil level sensor in your car. Just use 6.7L as the fill quantity.

[lookalikehuuh]

Agreed, like Efthreeoh I can also confirm you definitely need more than the "spec" 6.5L to make it read "full".

Sounds like he uses 6.7L i use roughly 6.75L every fill up and mine reads full and I've never had any issues with it being overfilled or anything. I think thats your answer, use 6.7-6.75L and call it a day instead of risking your car to a junk ebay sensor.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by lookalikehuuh

Agreed, like Efthreeoh I can also confirm you definitely need more than the "spec" 6.5L to make it read "full".

Sounds like he uses 6.7L i use roughly 6.75L every fill up and mine reads full and I've never had any issues with it being overfilled or anything. I think thats your answer, use 6.7-6.75L and call it a day instead of risking your car to a junk ebay sensor.

100% agree with @lookalikehuuh, NFW you put a knockoff oil level sensor in a BMW. Too risky. But again, the sensor is acting normally, so it doesn't need replacement.

[ctuna]

BMW has a lot of hubris after all the 3 series won Car and Driver Car of
the year for a decade plus. The bean counters and Creative Engineers
could not be questioned. That is why you get no dip stick and Run Flat tires
no matter if you liked them or not. The car still drives better and is more
comfortable than most . But it comes with a set of problems you must be aware
of and stay ahead of. They lagged on the Entertainment system electronics
and still do . The E46 had a good stereo with decent amplification and standard
size Speakers that had presence. The trend toward many small speakers is
a mistake that all car manufacturers seem to be making now.

[Vivek.]

Originally Posted by mousefarmer

Its the junky parts that BMW uses that fail. Everything fails on this crappy BMW brand and that is why they have one of the lowest resale values. It drives ok though and super cheap thanks to this for buying resale.

The problem with a lot of these used BMWs is that most of the people that buy them new seem to like buying the new model year or refresh year and those have the most problems. 2006 & 2007 some of the higher volume sales years. I'm not buying a new BMW but after they sell them used and people like me or others buy they are like beta cars with lots of issues. If people would wait several years the issues would likely have been resolved. Well, that just what new car buyers do.

You do realize that when buying a used e90 you could've NOT bought a 2006 or 2007 model, right? I'm not sure how the buying behavior of new BMW buyers affects your decision...


If you think they're crappy cars and always breaking then the solution is to buy a Japanese car, not throw China parts at your BMW hoping they're somehow better than the original.

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Originally Posted by mousefarmer

Its the junky parts that BMW uses that fail. Everything fails on this crappy BMW brand and that is why they have one of the lowest resale values. It drives ok though and super cheap thanks to this for buying resale.

The problem with a lot of these used BMWs is that most of the people that buy them new seem to like buying the new model year or refresh year and those have the most problems. 2006 & 2007 some of the higher volume sales years. I'm not buying a new BMW but after they sell them used and people like me or others buy they are like beta cars with lots of issues. If people would wait several years the issues would likely have been resolved. Well, that just what new car buyers do.

Solution: buy a used LCI, don't buy an early model year, and buy it as a CPO. I haven't experienced any of these issues you described.