'07 328xi coupe loosing oil?!?!?

[PhiTauFord]

Hi! I'm new to the forum. Looking for some info regarding the following issue:

My girlfriend JUST got a new 328xi coupe, automatic transmission. Her car keeps telling her that her oil level is below minimum. The oil sensor has already been replaced. When it was replaced the oil level was fine. My girlfriend tells me that there is no dipstick on the car (hard to believe) to be able to check the oil level manually.

The dealership she's been dealing with has told her that this "they've seen this before with the 3 series".

I've never heard of a new car loosing (I can only imagine burning being the method of loss) oil before without some major problem.

Oil warning came on again today. Have any of you had any experience with this problem and if so how was it resolved??

I can't help but think that she's getting the run around from the dealership.

Thanks!

[PhiTauFord]

Just a Bump to keep it going. Can anyone help?

[greenie99]

Hi! I'm new to the forum. Looking for some info regarding the following issue:

My girlfriend JUST got a new 328xi coupe, automatic transmission. Her car keeps telling her that her oil level is below minimum. The oil sensor has already been replaced. When it was replaced the oil level was fine. My girlfriend tells me that there is no dipstick on the car (hard to believe) to be able to check the oil level manually.

The dealership she's been dealing with has told her that this "they've seen this before with the 3 series".

I've never heard of a new car loosing (I can only imagine burning being the method of loss) oil before without some major problem.

Oil warning came on again today. Have any of you had any experience with this problem and if so how was it resolved??

I can't help but think that she's getting the run around from the dealership.

Thanks!

I have NEVER heard of a 3-series car losing oil. You say that the dealership is giving you the run around. Why would they? If they replaced the sensor and it is still giving the warning, go back to the dealership. You probably havent spoken to the right person. Ask them what theyve done in the past seeing as though they claim to have seen this before. You can always find another dealer or call the zone office if you are not satisfied.

[sosua13]

I just had the same thing happen to my 06' 325 the other day. There is no dipstick unless the car was ordered with it, so do not spend any more time loking for it. Does your car have a navigation screen? You can check the oil stat. manually through the computer. I just added a half court of oil and now it shows full. I'll see what happens. Let me know what happens. Good luck.

[PhilG]

The sensor on my 328xi failed on the first day we had the car - reading 'below minimum' - it was replaced the next day - no further problems. Return to your dealer, have them thoroughly check the car for oil leaks, and replace the sensor again as needed. BMW needs to make this right for you - a brand new car should not burn or lose oil.

[Eric5964]

nt

[aftp302]

The sensor on my 328xi failed on the first day we had the car - reading 'below minimum' - it was replaced the next day - no further problems. Return to your dealer, have them thoroughly check the car for oil leaks, and replace the sensor again as needed. BMW needs to make this right for you - a brand new car should not burn or lose oil.

You would think that. My '02 C230 would be a quart low within 5k miles of an oil change and the service interval on it is roughly 10k miles. After having it back at the dealer MANY times for this "problem" they replaced the engine at 30k miles because there was a mis-matched piston/cylinder (wtf?). But after the engine replacement the car still used a quart of oil within 5k of an oil change. After more trips back for the problem after the engine replacement I was finally told that it was normal and just to add oil whenever I got the oil warning on the dash.

I was told when I started looking at the 3 series that the same holds true. The sales rep actually said the service interval was 15k but that you usually have to add a quart in the middle because the car will burn some.

I spent the first 3 years of owning the C230 being constantly pissed off about oil. Thinking things like "A new car should burn or leak a single drop of oil" and getting really wound up about it. Now I just ignore it and happily add a $4 quart of Mobil 1 synthetic every 5k and go about my day.

[PhilG]

You would think that. My '02 C230 would be a quart low within 5k miles of an oil change and the service interval on it is roughly 10k miles. After having it back at the dealer MANY times for this "problem" they replaced the engine at 30k miles because there was a mis-matched piston/cylinder (wtf?). But after the engine replacement the car still used a quart of oil within 5k of an oil change. After more trips back for the problem after the engine replacement I was finally told that it was normal and just to add oil whenever I got the oil warning on the dash.

I was told when I started looking at the 3 series that the same holds true. The sales rep actually said the service interval was 15k but that you usually have to add a quart in the middle because the car will burn some.

I spent the first 3 years of owning the C230 being constantly pissed off about oil. Thinking things like "A new car should burn or leak a single drop of oil" and getting really wound up about it. Now I just ignore it and happily add a $4 quart of Mobil 1 synthetic every 5k and go about my day.

It's normal for any car to burn a small amount of oil - needing to add 1 quart every 5-7K miles shouldn't be of concern. I do wish these cars had a dipstick. My '04 911 has computerized oil measurement as well, but also has a dipstick, just to make sure that if the level is reading low, it's real v. just a sensor problem.

[brewster240]

bmw's dont "burn" oil. they have an oil consuming engine. a certain amount of oil is used to lubricate the valve train and does get burned up in the combustion process. its completely normal, but on bmw/mb it is more noticeable becuase of the length of times between service.

and yes, there is no dipstick on the 3 series anymore.

bring your car back to the dealer. they will drain and measure the amount of oil, and see if its the sensor again. or find the leak, if there is one.

[theHSB]

Clearly BMW has an oil sensor problem. Had the same problem with my 328xi. 1500 miles after purchase "Betty" was tellin' me I was low on oil. Dealer changed the sensor. Right after picking the car up "Betty" said the problem was there again... then she "shut-up". Problem hasn't occured since.

[TheRealMadDog]

Clearly BMW has an oil sensor problem. Had the same problem with my 328xi. 1500 miles after purchase "Betty" was tellin' me I was low on oil. Dealer changed the sensor. Right after picking the car up "Betty" said the problem was there again... then she "shut-up". Problem hasn't occured since.

Perhaps you need to treat "Betty" a little rougher. :spank

[brendonm12]

i have an 07 328xi coupe with the same problem.....dealer said its common with the new cars...sensor was replaced and every once in a while it will pop up again, but then goes away

[rjm]

This is a known problem with some 328xi oil sensors. They had a bad batch. A newer oil sensor should fix the problem.

[ninekrpm]

just experianced the same issue with my GF 1 week old 07 328xi

we took the car to the dealer and they gave us similar feedback "they have seen this recently on the e92's)

however, on this one, they only cleaned off the sensor...

we have driven the car 500 miles since this happened and have not seen it since...hopefully it was a simple thing as a bad sensor

[Bulldog 6]

Hi! I'm new to the forum. Looking for some info regarding the following issue:

My girlfriend JUST got a new 328xi coupe, automatic transmission. Her car keeps telling her that her oil level is below minimum. The oil sensor has already been replaced. When it was replaced the oil level was fine. My girlfriend tells me that there is no dipstick on the car (hard to believe) to be able to check the oil level manually.

The dealership she's been dealing with has told her that this "they've seen this before with the 3 series".

I've never heard of a new car loosing (I can only imagine burning being the method of loss) oil before without some major problem.

Oil warning came on again today. Have any of you had any experience with this problem and if so how was it resolved??

I can't help but think that she's getting the run around from the dealership.

Thanks!
My drive way is on an incline, usually I park in the garage. Once when I parked in the dw my low oil warning came on, after the car warmed up it went away and never happened again. I figured it was becasue I parked on an incline.

[monokakata]

2007 328xit with about 17K miles...got the "below minimum" warning yesterday. It's kind of scary but since I had burrowed down in the menus and checked oil level last week I wasn't too worried.

Called the dealer who said to bring it in. I did.

News from the service advisor is that it's not the oil sensor, but the software that reads it. Update available Real Soon Now he said.

They did their procedure to deactivate the warning, which involved running the engine at 4k RPM for a while...other stuff...and said that the warning would probably stay off for two weeks or so.

I tried for an oil change (2900 miles to go, indicated) without success.

Anyway..I'm adding to this thread because of the news that there's a software problem out there, and that a fix is expected.

Maybe somebody else has more information.

[E92!Dreier]

I have also experienced a blip of a problem with my oil level sensor. I pulled over almost immediately and shut the engine just like a paranoid maniac would. Then I did the oil check and the little display indicated slightly low. I was about to walk to a gas station and get some oil and begin adding it a drop at a time until I came to my senses. I restarted the car, and the light was off. Faulty reading, Cold weather, whatever. I looked in the engine compartment and under the car and saw no evidence of catastrophic oil problems/leakage. Then I drove on, and have not seen anything since. The car is brand new. There is not an oil leak. The last thing I would do is go to a dealership and expect an honest answer. The problem is intermittent in some 3 series it seems, and more permanent in others. Perhaps a recall is already in order from BMA NA? Especially since my dealer quoted me more than $200 for an oil change off of service schedule. They get you coming and going, and they don't use any vaseline.
IMHO there should just be a dipstick, this is overengineering at its worst, except for maybe the driver's cupholder or the seat belt presenters I also wish were less egg-headed, and more practical and utilitarian.

[E92Vancouver]

I have also experienced a blip of a problem with my oil level sensor. I pulled over almost immediately and shut the engine just like a paranoid maniac would. Then I did the oil check and the little display indicated slightly low. I was about to walk to a gas station and get some oil and begin adding it a drop at a time until I came to my senses. I restarted the car, and the light was off. Faulty reading, Cold weather, whatever. I looked in the engine compartment and under the car and saw no evidence of catastrophic oil problems/leakage. Then I drove on, and have not seen anything since. The car is brand new. There is not an oil leak. The last thing I would do is go to a dealership and expect an honest answer. The problem is intermittent in some 3 series it seems, and more permanent in others. Perhaps a recall is already in order from BMA NA? Especially since my dealer quoted me more than $200 for an oil change off of service schedule. They get you coming and going, and they don't use any vaseline.
IMHO there should just be a dipstick, this is overengineering at its worst, except for maybe the driver's cupholder or the seat belt presenters I also wish were less egg-headed, and more practical and utilitarian.

I hope you put synthetic oil in your engine or its all over but the crying. You should always carry a spare quart in your car.

I had a 2000 E46. I changed the oil every 12,000 miles just like BMW recommended. In the 7 years I owned that car, it did not use one drop of oil between oil changes. Other Japanese cars I owned, needed a quart of oil every 3,000 miles.