Yellow oil light came on and went away

[stephenkirsh]

Got to work. Turned the car off. Yellow oil light stayed on, even after I locked the doors.

Restarted the engine and it went away.

Failing oil level sensor? Faulty light in dash?

[kakashi169]

I would say its the sensor giving out soon.

[328ioc]

Or you could be low on oil.

Mine will go on if I am 1/2 quart low.

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[stephenkirsh]

I check oil weekly. Was good last time I checked. It didn't come on until I turned the car off.

Does it make sense that the light would stay on even after the car is shut off and locked?

[328ioc]

Yes. Going on after you turn the car off is they "hey you may be low" warning.

But if you just checked it then It may be going bad.

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[wsmeyer]

Here's all the different oil light scenarios:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/25621980/Oil-Lights.gif

[derbo]

If you have a laptop with BMW DIS, you can check the warnings. It will have a frequency counter on the oil level light. My oil level sensor is started to go 10% of the time.

http://i.imgur.com/Q62RQ16.png

[stephenkirsh]

Ok thanks. It's always something with this car.

[stephenkirsh]

Just checked the oil. Looks fine to me.

Hopefully it was just a glitch. If it comes back I guess the sensor is done.

Where is the sensor located?

[derbo]

Just checked the oil. Looks fine to me.

Hopefully it was just a glitch. If it comes back I guess the sensor is done.

Where is the sensor located?


Sensor is right at the bottom of the oil pan where the oil drain bolt is. When the sensor is going out, it is rather intermittent with its warnings. The last time I had a warning on my car was over a year ago, but I get small faults like the picture I linked in the previous post. I'm holding off untill I see it more often. The sensor is in the $140 range if I recall correctly.

#14 on the diagram below:

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/p/i/35.png

[Vas]

I replaced the sensor once. Easy job but kinda pricey.

[Newjack]

I replaced the sensor once. Easy job but kinda pricey.

I bought a OEM part for fairly cheap a while back. I'll check to see where I got it from. Sensor is not difficult to replace, however if you change the sensor you might as well do an oil change since pulling the sensor dumps your oil.

My oil light comes on and off fairly often in the winter. I think it has to do with my relatively short commute to work and my CCV getting clogged up a bit. Somehow I think that trips the sensor.

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[stephenkirsh]

I bought a OEM part for fairly cheap a while back. I'll check to see where I got it from. Sensor is not difficult to replace, however if you change the sensor you might as well do an oil change since pulling the sensor dumps your oil.

My oil light comes on and off fairly often in the winter. I think it has to do with my relatively short commute to work and my CCV getting clogged up a bit. Somehow I think that trips the sensor.

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Oh could be. I only have a 2 mile commute.

I looked up pricing. OEM is about $125. 3rd party is $45. I think I might go 3rd party on this if I get to changing it. Sounds like these parts fail fairly often.

[Newjack]

Oh could be. I only have a 2 mile commute.

I looked up pricing. OEM is about $125. 3rd party is $45. I think I might go 3rd party on this if I get to changing it. Sounds like these parts fail fairly often.

DONT get a 3rd party sensor. Every review I have seen says those sensors fail almost immediately. Like within a month to two weeks its done. Then you have to buy another sensor and dump all of the oil you just replaced with the new sensor. Not worth it.

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[stephenkirsh]

Geeze really? Why even bother making them if they're that bad.

[danewilson77]

Geeze really? Why even bother making them if they're that bad.

Exactly.

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[Newjack]

Bought mine in 2012 from BMA auto parts. Good luck!

12646

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[stephenkirsh]

Yea that's not OEM.

[Newjack]

Yea that's not OEM.

Hella makes the OEM oil sensor.

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[stephenkirsh]

Oooooo ok thanks

[BavarianZHP]

This exact thing happened to me on my trip in Whistler. I drove a mile from the cabin to the village and right when I shut it down in the parking lot, the oil light came on. This car has never leaked any oil in my ownership, so I kind of panicked and checked the oil right away (way too soon - oil wasn't fully drained from circulation yet) and found that it was low. I stupidly added oil that I had stored in the trunk and went over the max a bit (after I let it sit for 10 mins).

The oil light has never returned.

Lesson is to check the oil visually. Sensors are great, but they can make mistakes so keep that at the back of your mind (I feel sorry for E90 owners!). I shouldn't have listened to what the car was telling me in my case.

[jiggz]

The yellow oil light in my car comes on after I shut the car off after a short commute in the mornings. The oil level is fine - it's right in between the two lines on the dip stick. It typically won't trigger if the oil is full - but half way? Faulty sensor I'm thinking?

The yellow oil light in my old E46 325i would come on, but only when the oil level was at or just below the lower line - never when it was in the range.

[yura]

I've had this happen on my E46, too. Oil level looked fine, but the light would periodically come on. Doing an oil change always "fixed" the issue, so my guess i that the oil was a bit low in each case.

[stephenkirsh]

It hasn't come back since, so I guess it's all good.

[llll1l1ll]

Mine used to trip on short commutes, too, but the level was fine. It's when it comes on after long trips is when I worry.

I noticed that fixing a leaking VCG and OFHG fixed the light coming on all the time :)

[stephenkirsh]

I've had my ofhg and vcg replaced in the last 6 months.

[Daddyoh]

My yellow light will come on when the level is half way between the lines. And at that level it doesn't come on every time I turn it off.
I do think this is proper operation and it is a prudent reminder.

[stephenkirsh]

Hmm ok. Does anybody else agree/disagree with that?

Mine is indeed dead in the middle.

I plan on putting an extra half a quart on the next change to help alleviate some lifter tick at autocross.

[stephenkirsh]

Well I got some oil and put a half quart in.

My thinking is that if the light comes back on that the sensor is bad. If the light goes away, there is indeed a leak somewhere.

Does anybody see any problems with my logic/test?

[derbo]

Seems legit.


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[Crickett]

I’ve had similar symptoms between oil changes, but no visible leaks around VCG, OFHG, or anywhere else (haven’t looked into my CCV, though). It did seem to be more common when I parked on an incline, so perhaps I was always a touch low.

Does anyone know how to check your current sensor for proper operation? If, for example, during my next oil change I take the sensor out and hook up a multimeter, any ideas what I should check for?

[stephenkirsh]

Both my apartment and parking spot at work on a noticeable incline... Could be it.

I've done the "cardboard test" all weekend with a box under the car. No drips of any kind for 48+ hours. If there is a leak, it's super slow somewhere.

[danewilson77]

Both my apartment and parking spot at work on a noticeable incline... Could be it.

I've done the "cardboard test" all weekend with a box under the car. No drips of any kind for 48+ hours. If there is a leak, it's super slow somewhere.

Not trying to insult, but you removed the splash shield correct?

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[stephenkirsh]

No, and I know that with the shield there it's a half assed test. But I have no way of removing the shield or anywhere of storing it. I have a tiny apartment.

[gmurphy]

No, and I know that with the shield there it's a half assed test. But I have no way of removing the shield or anywhere of storing it. I have a tiny apartment.

Put the shield in the oven :) never mind that's still to small


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[stephenkirsh]

Yea :(

Hell, id put it in the shower and shower with it (clean two things at once!) but I don't think the girlfriend will go for that.

Even worse, my apartment complex has a strict "no car maintenance" rule, so I already push the limits on that lol

[gmurphy]

Yea :(

Hell, id put it in the shower and shower with it (clean two things at once!) but I don't think the girlfriend will go for that.

Even worse, my apartment complex has a strict "no car maintenance" rule, so I already push the limits on that lol

Lol that would work good!


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