Arrgghh! Flickerig Oil Light

[Curt C]

I run Liquimoly 10w-60 but I live in the desert. You could try 10w-40 or 15w-50. The higher the second number the higher the oil pressure will be at idle. Try the new oil first before you start spending money.

[Curt C]

Also you might hook up a pressure gauge to actually see what is going on. Might just be the sensor.

[BimmerBreaker]

I run Liquimoly 10w-60 but I live in the desert. You could try 10w-40 or 15w-50. The higher the second number the higher the oil pressure will be at idle. Try the new oil first before you start spending money.

You should not be running 10w60 in an S52... This increased viscosity will increase friction and create extra heat. It will see less hp and lower mpg. The oil will also flow slower through the engine. In S52s running a little hotter than usual, 10w40 is a suitable replacement for 5w30, but 10w60 is a big jump

OP, 10w40 or 5w30 full synthetic. I live in a very hot climate so I run Mobil1 Euro Formula 10w40 in all my engines except my S54

[Geo31]

Well, I'm going to start with an oil change soon and go from there. Like I said, it's not a HUGE worry at the moment due to the small amount of time it spends at idle. It's mainly annoying.

[Adrian G.]

Geo31,
I'd recommend 7 bottles of Amsoil synthetic 5w-40. Slightly pricier, but a great oil.

[BimmerBreaker]

Doesnt the light only turn on when the oil pressure is below a certain psi?

Meaning that even if it is lower than it should be when running, it will never throw a light unless below the certain psi that triggers the light. Since the light comes on with a pressure youd only conceivably see near idle, thia does not mean oil pressure is "OK" in the rest of the rpm range just because the light is off
IMO you should figure this out and fix it immediately. Its not something you should ignore just because you dont idle often...

[Curt C]

You should not be running 10w60 in an S52... This increased viscosity will increase friction and create extra heat. It will see less hp and lower mpg. The oil will also flow slower through the engine. In S52s running a little hotter than usual, 10w40 is a suitable replacement for 5w30, but 10w60 is a big jump

OP, 10w40 or 5w30 full synthetic. I live in a very hot climate so I run Mobil1 Euro Formula 10w40 in all my engines except my S54

10W-40 was not enough to overcome the low pressure at idle. I pulled the pan to replace the oil pump and the bearings looked fine. Hence the reason for believing the issue to be the piston squirters. I am not going to pull the crank just to replace the squirters on an otherwise healthy engine. But I am not comfortable with the idle pressure that low either. I have an oil pressure gauge and the rest of the RPM range is fine. The oil cooler maintains the heat without issue. I have seen no change in MPG and I am not really concerned about the loss of a few HP if indeed that is the case. Pickup trucks are faster than S52's these days. LOL. Its a street car that sees about 4K - 6K in mileage per year. Maybe I will try a 5W-50 or 10W-50 depending on what is available.

[Geo31]

Yeah, mine is in the same usage level as yours Curt.

I don't have a pressure gauge, and perhaps I should, at least temporarily anyhow. I suspect that at working rpm the oil pressure will hit an acceptable range. IF it is the oil squirters, it would make sense that the pressure would normalize at working rpm.

For sure, the oil pressure light only activates once the oil is up to temp, so it sounds like our problems are similar (and probably are the same, German engineering being what it is).

I'm sure not in a panic over it. I'd like to fix it, but given the usage, I have other priorities, like the self-changing oil on my E46 (bad oil pan gasket). Up until very recently I was spending all my spare time working on my wife's old house getting it ready for sale. The oil pan gasket and yaw sensor on the E46 are definitely my first priorities - probably Thanksgiving weekend.

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Doesnt the light only turn on when the oil pressure is below a certain psi?

Meaning that even if it is lower than it should be when running, it will never throw a light unless below the certain psi that triggers the light. Since the light comes on with a pressure youd only conceivably see near idle, thia does not mean oil pressure is "OK" in the rest of the rpm range just because the light is off
IMO you should figure this out and fix it immediately. Its not something you should ignore just because you dont idle often...

Well, I get your point, but there is "perfection" and there is what is acceptable. I guess, even if I get a gauge, then the question truly is, "What is acceptable oil pressure?" I don't track it and don't thrash it like I would have when I was younger, so it really doesn't see a hard life.