The Random E46/ZHP Question Thread

[az3579]

It seems that ever since I replaced my oil level sensor, it also doesn't seem to work right. I'm not entirely convinced no coding is necessary - I had a hard time finding information on whether it's required or not. Most said no, but then some said yes. Considering that the new one isn't quite working right, I'm hoping some coding is required...

Does anyone know definitively?

If I top up, it'll be fine for a while. But then eventually, after about 1000 miles or so, the light will start coming on when I shut off the car, and if I ignore it for a day or two, it will come on while driving, as though my oil level was actually low. The kicker is that when I check it, it's full on the dipstick.

I've had times when I've pre-emptively checked my oil level and it was full, and two days later the light comes on and it shows a quart low, which makes absolutely no sense, because I'd top it off and it'd be fine for another 1000 miles or so, at which point the light would come on and it would show completely full. I hope I didn't receive a defunct sensor.


No need to ask me if I check the oil on a level surface with the engine cold - of course I do.

[09mageec]

Is there a chance that your driveway is on an incline??


Very interesting, jokes aside..

[slater]

I've had times when I've pre-emptively checked my oil level and it was full, and two days later the light comes on and it shows a quart low, which makes absolutely no sense, because I'd top it off and it'd be fine for another 1000 miles or so, at which point the light would come on and it would show completely full. I hope I didn't receive a defunct sensor.

so, the dipstick is actually showing a quart low after 2 days? that would have nothing to do with the sensor. clearly that dipstick indicates the level of oil in the pan, so i'm hypothesizing that not all of the oil is getting back down to the pan. seems odd, for sure - if you had some sort of blockage, it should be present all the time.

amsoil makes a safe 'engine flush' that you add with your oil, run it, then drain. perhaps worth a shot, especially given your mileage. also, have you done an oil analysis at all?

[ELCID86]

I've used the Besian kit and the kit from i6Motorworks that is available from Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/DUAL-VANOS-O-R...ilpage_o05_s00

I highly recommend the i6Motorworks kit, as it comes with every possible seal, gasket, and replacement bolts that might be needed. When I used the Besian kit, one of the cap washers broke and I didn't have a replacement. I had to wait a few days for a replacement to arrive so I could put the car back together. You won't have this issue with the i6 kit, as everything needed is included. It doesn't include a new Vanos oil feed line, but it does have new crush washers for it. The seals are made of the same upgraded material as Besian provides. The i6 kit is only $65 shipped from Amazon and includes all of these parts, making it a much better deal than the others.

Good deal. Very convenient. Not sure why Besian doesn't offer this option.

[slater]

Good deal. Very convenient. Not sure why Besian doesn't offer this option.

yeah, that is very nice - same price as the beisan kit and comes with everything (bolts too!). the only question is - are the o-rings the same quality/material as the beisan ones?

[az3579]

so, the dipstick is actually showing a quart low after 2 days? that would have nothing to do with the sensor. clearly that dipstick indicates the level of oil in the pan, so i'm hypothesizing that not all of the oil is getting back down to the pan. seems odd, for sure - if you had some sort of blockage, it should be present all the time.

amsoil makes a safe 'engine flush' that you add with your oil, run it, then drain. perhaps worth a shot, especially given your mileage. also, have you done an oil analysis at all?

Most of the time this isn't my issue. Usually the sensor is giving me erroneous data. I just checked again this morning - dipstick showed full, but the light is on while driving. It drives me crazy - I shut the car off while in motion and turn it back on just to get rid of it.

[MrAdventure]

Who's put 17s on their ZHP in a square setup? Is this an acceptable configuration?

On my 2000 328Ci, I had style 47 wheels, 17x8,et 47, using 235/45-17 tires. Can I just move those over to the ZHP, or should I use a different tire size? According to one of the wheel size calculator site I used, the diameter is only off by 1% over the current tires on my zhp.

[slater]

Most of the time this isn't my issue. Usually the sensor is giving me erroneous data. I just checked again this morning - dipstick showed full, but the light is on while driving. It drives me crazy - I shut the car off while in motion and turn it back on just to get rid of it.

hmmm. weird. you can code out the sensor entirely, but i'm guessing that's not what you want ultimately. perhaps you have a nearly-broken wire somewhere in the harness for that sensor?

[san]

Who's put 17s on their ZHP in a square setup? Is this an acceptable configuration?

On my 2000 328Ci, I had style 47 wheels, 17x8,et 47, using 235/45-17 tires. Can I just move those over to the ZHP, or should I use a different tire size? According to one of the wheel size calculator site I used, the diameter is only off by 1% over the current tires on my zhp.

Most members running winter tires go with 17" and 225/45's I think, so you should be able to use them no problem...

[BMWCurves]

You should definitely replace the VANOS oil line. It was a leak item for me. The VANOS oil line and the VCG were both contributing to my 600-mile top-ups.

Just one oil line, correct?

I did dr.vanos almost 4 years ago and it has been great

Good to hear. I'll look into them.

I've used the Besian kit and the kit from i6Motorworks that is available from Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/DUAL-VANOS-O-R...ilpage_o05_s00

I highly recommend the i6Motorworks kit, as it comes with every possible seal, gasket, and replacement bolts that might be needed. When I used the Besian kit, one of the cap washers broke and I didn't have a replacement. I had to wait a few days for a replacement to arrive so I could put the car back together. You won't have this issue with the i6 kit, as everything needed is included. It doesn't include a new Vanos oil feed line, but it does have new crush washers for it. The seals are made of the same upgraded material as Besian provides. The i6 kit is only $65 shipped from Amazon and includes all of these parts, making it a much better deal than the others.

That looks like a great kit. How do you know they have upgraded seals like Beisan?

yeah, that is very nice - same price as the beisan kit and comes with everything (bolts too!). the only question is - are the o-rings the same quality/material as the beisan ones?

Egiles said "The seals are made of the same upgraded material as Besian provides." I'm not sure how he knows that, I'll try and confirm. But if it's true, definitely a great looking kit.

Most of the time this isn't my issue. Usually the sensor is giving me erroneous data. I just checked again this morning - dipstick showed full, but the light is on while driving. It drives me crazy - I shut the car off while in motion and turn it back on just to get rid of it.

This is exactly what my sensor does currently. My dip stick is right at the full marker but I'll still get the oil light. I'm hoping changing the sensor/oil will fix it but your issues seem to indicate that it won't. Let me know if you ever figure out if it needs to be coded. I may actually call my mechanic who was a BMW mechanic about some other stuff soon, I'll ask him and let you know what he says.

Who's put 17s on their ZHP in a square setup? Is this an acceptable configuration?

On my 2000 328Ci, I had style 47 wheels, 17x8,et 47, using 235/45-17 tires. Can I just move those over to the ZHP, or should I use a different tire size? According to one of the wheel size calculator site I used, the diameter is only off by 1% over the current tires on my zhp.

I have a square setup using APEX ARC-8 17x8.5" ET40 wheels and they work great. Those style 47 wheels should work fine on our ZHPs. The tire size is up to you. My wheels are wrapped in 245/40R17 tires and they're smaller than the stock tires by some amount but they work fine.