Oil level inaccuracy

[paul0130]

Hello. My son's 2001 325Ci has some weird oil level issues. I don’t recall this happening before oil change. He recently had his oil changed at the dealer. They put in LL-01 FE OW-30 synthetic oil. I had Mobil1 0W-40 in there before that. The vehicle has a valve cover gasket leak, so I need to add oil every once in a while.
Well, it seems now I have inaccuracy with the oil check. I checked this morning and it appeared to be half a quart low. So I had a 4 hour drive ahead of me and figured I would see how much further it would leak (seeing how it took at least 20 hours of driving to get to where it is). I let it sit 15 minutes, checked it, and the level was full. So I went to the store, and came back an hour and a half later, and still full.
Anyone know reason for this? Someone suggested the paths where the oil is suppose to drain to the pan may be clogged. Just wondering if anyone has seen this on E46. Thanks!

[shogun]

http://www.linquist.net/system/files/E462000i.pdf
Checking the oil level
1 Park the vehicle on a level surface.
2 Shut the engine off after it has reached normal operating temperature.
3 After approx. 5 minutes, pull the dipstick out and wipe it off with a clean lint-free cloth, paper towel, or similar material.
4 Push the dipstick all the way into the guide tube and pull it out again.
5 The oil level should be between the two graduations on the dipstick.
As with fuel economy, oil consumption is directly influenced by your driving style and vehicle operating conditions

The space between the two marks on the dipstick corresponds to approx. 1.1 US quarts (1 liter). Do not fill beyond the upper mark on the dipstick. Excess oil will damage the engine.
To add oil
Wait until the level has dropped to just above the lower mark before adding oil. However, never let the oil drop below the lower mark.

[dworthy]

Yes, these cars are odd like that, for they will hold oil it seems at times, more so when cold.

I would stick with the Mobil-1 0W-40 European formula to change the oil every 7.5k or about half the service counter. Of course oil threads can be a heated discussion.

P.S. the 0W-30 is LL-12 oil IIRC.