Amber oil light

[UdubBadger]

It's been going off every now and then when I shut off the car. If I turn the car back to on but don't start and then right back to off again it goes away. Got in this AM and noticed it was on while I'm driving which is a first. Anyone?


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[ryankokesh]

How's the oil level?


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[UdubBadger]

Not sure but I'm due for a change soon so maybe that's it


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[UdubBadger]

Lol just went away again


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[danewilson77]

Oil level may be right at sensor trip point. Please check oil level and report back.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[UdubBadger]

Will do


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[UdubBadger]

Yep she's low. What should I put in her that will last me a month or so? Mobil 5w30?


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[ryankokesh]

I'm guessing she'd have Mob1 0w-40 in her...


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[UdubBadger]

K I'm at target so I'll grab some.


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[redwagon]

Not that I like running my car low on oil, but I did an experiment and did an oil change and shorted the oil a little to see when the oil light goes on, it turns on when about a quart lower than the lower notch on the dipstick.
Not sure how consistent the sensors from car to car, but if mine goes off (hopefully never) it would take two quarts to fill to max and one quart to fill to minimum. For whatever its worth......
Tim

[UdubBadger]

Thanks Tim.

Only had 5w30 so I just put 1 qt in to get me to oil change time. It filled about 1/4 past min so I think I'm good.


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[HokieZHP]

My yellow oil light just came on tonight while driving for the first time. It's been coming on when I shut the car off for a few days now but I didn't think anything of it. Checked the oil tonight and it's right in the middle... I'm confused

[derbo]

My yellow oil light just came on tonight while driving for the first time. It's been coming on when I shut the car off for a few days now but I didn't think anything of it. Checked the oil tonight and it's right in the middle... I'm confused


Your oil level sensor can be going out. These are pretty common to go out especially if your oil levels is fine.

[HokieZHP]

Gotcha, anyone have a link to the part I need? Also is it DIY?

[WOLFN8TR]

My yellow oil light just came on tonight while driving for the first time. It's been coming on when I shut the car off for a few days now but I didn't think anything of it. Checked the oil tonight and it's right in the middle... I'm confused

My ZHP is doing the same thing. Oil level is perfect, just don't have time to change the sensor.


Sent from my 1982 Commodore 64.

[danewilson77]

Gotcha, anyone have a link to the part I need? Also is it DIY?

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/12617508003/ES31859/

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=EV53&mospid=47725&btnr=11_2187&hg=11&fg=10

DIY @ #19 below.

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?1830-BMW-E46-ZHP-DIY-and-Preventative-maintenance

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/E46OilSensor.jpg

[nike001]

From what I read, this sensor is a pretty easy DIY.

[danewilson77]

From what I read, this sensor is a pretty easy DIY.

Simple. Nice to do when you change your oil.

Basically jack car up, drain oil, remove 7 bolts for suspension stiffness, and three bolts on sensor. Unplug, install new, reverse order, done.

Sent from SIGFest-2012, USA on HTC via TTv2

[derbo]

yup easy install. Just do it next oil change since you need the pan to be empty. :)

The part just sucks in price. :(

[UdubBadger]

Nice


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[WOLFN8TR]

I did an experiment and did an oil change and shorted the oil a little to see when the oil light goes on, it turns on when about a quart lower than the lower notch on the dipstick.
Not sure how consistent the sensors from car to car, but if mine goes off (hopefully never) it would take two quarts to fill to max and one quart to fill to minimum.


My yellow oil light just came on tonight while driving for the first time. It's been coming on when I shut the car off for a few days now but I didn't think anything of it. Checked the oil tonight and it's right in the middle... I'm confused


My ZHP is doing the same thing, oil level is perfect.

My Yellow oil light has come on/off over the last month. I've checked it several times and like Chris stated my oil level was right where it should be. I just figured it was a bad oil level sensor. Well apparently they are different from car to car as Tim suggested. Yesterday it came on first thing when leaving for work and stayed on all the way to work, same thing happened today. I checked the oil and it was just below the center of the two marks, not very low at all. It took 1/4 of a quart to get it back to where it should be. Now the oil light is off after 30 miles of driving. So my oil light comes on intermittently when the oil level drops the slightest bit, and stays on when it's 1/4 of a quart low. Pretty darn sensitive but I guess it's a good thing.

[kayger12]

^ Mine does exactly this.

I wish this was sent with a Galaxy S3

[Newjack]

Mine would do this too. But way more random. Changed out my sensor with an oem hella brand and I haven't seen the oil light come on since.

Revo + TT

[WOLFN8TR]

Hmmm...

So it seems when it's going bad it's Super sensitive. Been driving it all day now after adding 1/4 of a quart and NO light. Thanks for the input.

[kayger12]

Mine would do this too. But way more random. Changed out my sensor with an oem hella brand and I haven't seen the oil light come on since.

Revo + TT

Yeah, I'm thinking mine is on the way out.

Will change it out next time I do the oil.

I wish this was sent with a Galaxy S3

[MrMaico]

Mine was doing the same...1/2 qt low would trip the light on shutdown after a short drive. Changed the sensor with an OE BMW one and it was still the same. Just need to keep it on the full mark.

[Whitexi]

I changed mine out with OEM hella one and it came on at the low mark. Horray I thought its fixed..... But then the last few times it trips at the half mark now again lol. Must be normal since that's what everyone else is seeing.

[WOLFN8TR]

Interesting. Maybe I will just deal with it.

[Whitexi]

What I've noticed as well is if you don't park flat and level it trips more.

I Backed into a parking spot the other day that was slanted down and the light came on. Parked it a few times flat after that and nothing. It makes sense for the fact of the sensor being placed at the back of the oil pan. If it was placed more in the center I think it would be on less.

[iZHP]

Every time mine comes on, I think it's the sensor and I'm actually low on oil. Don't doubt the sensor!


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[MrMaico]

I noticed with mine if I would turn on the ignition and back off again before starting the car it wouldn't come on the next time I shut it off. Also, like I mentioned, it only did it after a short 10 or 15 minute drive. A longer drive and it wouldn't come on. I'm guessing it got the oil hot enough to cause some expansion so the oil level was a little higher and the sensor wouldn't trigger then.

Barry

[Vas]

Do not mean to bump a semi-old thread but my zhp started having this issue. Noticed the light stay on today so I checked the oil and it is right on the middle of the dip-stick. However it is not a consistent problem when the car is shut-off meaning sometimes the light stays on and sometimes not when the engine is shut-down.

Just to be safe I ordered a new oil level sensor from ecs and plan to replace it when I do my oil change.

[UdubBadger]

let us know if that fixes it. I changed my oil and light has not come back on the mean time.

[Vas]

Will do.

I know I am due for an oil change though since I have no clue when the previous owner had one done.

[Hermes]

I've already danced this dance once before and still lose oil slowly, I'm just planning on changing my oil separator system so I don't have to worry about anything

[MrMaico]

Do not mean to bump a semi-old thread but my zhp started having this issue. Noticed the light stay on today so I checked the oil and it is right on the middle of the dip-stick. However it is not a consistent problem when the car is shut-off meaning sometimes the light stays on and sometimes not when the engine is shut-down.

Just to be safe I ordered a new oil level sensor from ecs and plan to replace it when I do my oil change.

I think I would have tried just topping off the oil first. I could have saved the time and expense of changing mine out since it works exactly the same as before......once it gets close to 1/2 quart low it will come on intermittently just like yours does.

If a person didn't have to remove the aluminum reinforcement plate to change it it would be a much easier job. If you've ever thought about changing your steering guibo that would be a good time to knock out that job also, looks real easy to get at from below with the plate off.

[WOLFN8TR]

I noticed with mine if I would turn on the ignition and back off again before starting the car it wouldn't come on the next time I shut it off. Also, like I mentioned, it only did it after a short 10 or 15 minute drive. A longer drive and it wouldn't come on. I'm guessing it got the oil hot enough to cause some expansion so the oil level was a little higher and the sensor wouldn't trigger then.

Barry

My car did the same thing and my oil level was always spot on. It did this for a month or so the stopped. Weird...

[alexandre]

Mine's doing the same randomly when I shut off the car... Oil level is right in the middle. Sensor was replaced 30k ago so I know it's not that. I'm glad we have a dipstick :)

[MrMaico]

Mine's doing the same randomly when I shut off the car... Oil level is right in the middle. Sensor was replaced 30k ago so I know it's not that. I'm glad we have a dipstick :)

See if you can narrow it down to only happening after a short, 10 minutes or so, drive. That seemed to be the only time it happened to me.

Off topic now, but when I changed my oil last time I just jacked up the left side far enough to get a jackstand under the left front jack pad rather than using my ramps to lift both front wheels like I had been doing and got a full 7 quarts in when I refilled. Before I was only getting in 6 3/4 quarts. Was a little surprised it was holding that much old oil in the back of the oil pan. I guess I'll be changing how I drain the oil from now on. Might just have to get a MightyVac one of these days and not have to deal with lifting at all.

[Vas]

I been driving the car all day today and the light has not come on. The oil level via the dipstick also looks to be fine.

But i rather replace the sensor and know it has been replaced with a factory part. And I am not worried about replacing it since I have access to a lift and a pit in the ground.

[Newjack]

I been driving the car all day today and the light has not come on. The oil level via the dipstick also looks to be fine.

But i rather replace the sensor and know it has been replaced with a factory part. And I am not worried about replacing it since I have access to a lift and a pit in the ground.

I changed my sensor out for peace of mind. Very easy to do. The reinforcement plate is a little time consuming to remove, but not hard. And I don't have a lift or pit.

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[Washburn]

confusing dipstick - when you guys say 'notches' which ones are you talking about? and what does each notch signify?
a picture would help - I feel dumb asking this that dipstick has all kinds of notches...

(my oil light has never come on, but I want to be sure that I am checking and reading the oil level correctly)

[WOLFN8TR]

Correct oil level is right between these two notches. If its at the lower notch its approx 1/2 quart low. Well on my car anyway.

6453

[Washburn]

Thanks a lot for the pic/explanation
- that's where mine was before and after the oil change: dead center between those 2 notches :)

[WOLFN8TR]

Your Welcome.

[NorCalZman]

Yeah I can see how that would be confusing. That higher notch is a lot bigger than the lower notch for some reason.

[Crickett]

Aren't most (all?) dipsticks designed so that the amount between the "low" & "high" marks is 1 qt? As mentioned, I know our M54s' dipsticks are that way (hence the 1/2 qt low if you're at the bottom notch) & I believe my wife's X5's N54 is that way, too. That'd be a nice rule of thumb for general automotive maintenance knowledge.

[Vas]

New sensor arrived today :)

[alexandre]

OK I was able to find a pattern. My sensor has 30k on it so I know it's not the problem. It only happens when I start the car in the morning, do my highway commute for 20 mins, and park it in the heated garage. Then I see the light. When I get home at night, the light doesn't show. Something to do with oil thickness maybe ? I'm running OEM 5W30 and level seems fine.

[Vas]

I swapped out to a new sensor and did an oil change. No more light.

[wsmeyer]

That little oil symbol is used for two different warning systems. From the manual:


RED - Oil Pressure
The engine oil pressure is too
low. Stop the vehicle immediately
and switch off the engine. It is not
possible to continue driving. Please
contact the nearest BMW center.

**************************

Yellow - Oil Level

If the lamp comes on during
normal vehicle operation: the
engine oil level has fallen to the absolute
minimum; refill as soon as possible.
Do not drive more than approx.
30 miles/50 km before refilling.

If the lamp comes on after the engine
has been switched off: add engine
oil at the earliest opportunity, such as
the next time you stop to refuel.



From that I would say

Yellow = Investigate as soon as possible.
Red = Immediately shut engine off and investigate.

William.

[alexandre]

Bump as the ZHP eats a qt every 900-1,000 mi now.

My exhaust gas is clear (sometimes foggy when it's very cold but doesn't look like burnt oil) and I couldn't find any apparent leaks. OFHG, VCG are recent. Sometimes (maybe once a week) the car smeels like burnt oil after parking. Does a failing CCV drink oil ? Only related part that I can think of that I don't have records for, apart from oil pan gasket and rear main seal.

[BimmerWill]

Bump as the ZHP eats a qt every 900-1,000 mi now.

My exhaust gas is clear (sometimes foggy when it's very cold but doesn't look like burnt oil) and I couldn't find any apparent leaks. OFHG, VCG are recent. Sometimes (maybe once a week) the car smeels like burnt oil after parking. Does a failing CCV drink oil ? Only related part that I can think of that I don't have records for, apart from oil pan gasket and rear main seal.

From what I understand a failing or failed CCV will cause the motor to consume more oil then normal.

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[328ioc]

From what I understand a failing or failed CCV will cause the motor to consume more oil then normal.

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I am going to agree with this because I know mine needs to be replaced soon and I have a slight increase in oil consumption but not nearly as much as Alexandre.

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[WOLFN8TR]

Do the CCV oil cap test to see if its bad.

[alexandre]

Removing the cap sucks in a plastic bag about .5", and raises RPM by about 100-150. Nothing looking weird. No BMW mayo under cap. Any other tests?