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Thread: Oil level correct?

  1. #1
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    Oil level correct?

    I changed the oil and filter today and put exactly 9 qts of Castrol Synthetic. Afterwards I
    measured the oil level and it still shows halfway between the Max and Min.

    shouldn't it show Max?
    oil level.jpg
    Last edited by f10_M550i; 05-20-2019 at 10:04 AM.

  2. #2
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    Well it could that max min represents 1 qt, add a bit at a time but half way is ok

  3. #3
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    I have changed my own oil for decades. The difference between the Min and Max on a dip stick is 1 qt. so I assume the electronic measure is the same.
    Ironically the Owners Manual does not publish the oil capacity of the engine, but I found this in an online service manual source, so the measurement is correct, and 9.51 qt is the engine capacity.

    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by f10_M550i; 05-20-2019 at 11:07 AM.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by yodamel View Post
    I changed the oil and filter today and put exactly 9 qts of Castrol Synthetic. Afterwards I
    measured the oil level and it still shows halfway between the Max and Min.

    shouldn't it show Max?
    oil level.jpg
    Ditto what the others said above. Remember that your car is German...and the oil capacity recommendation from BMW was for 9 LITERS (not quarts). So if you are using quarts...you need to do the conversion which would require 9.5 quarts.

    The measurement you see in iDrive would then be correct in that the oil capacity between the MIN & MAX measurement is approx 1.1 quarts. When you take into account that you were approx 1/2 quart short...the iDrive oil measurement is correct.

    As you can see in the pic below from my X5's owners manual...historically the difference between the min & max lines on the dipstick has been 1.1 quart/1 liter...I'm sure the same has carried over to the new gen BMWs that don't have dipsticks...but an iDrive screen/display.

    Last edited by Qsilver7; 05-27-2019 at 12:39 PM.
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  5. #5
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    Here's some additional info from the BMW TIS about total oil capacity and the difference between the MIN/MAX line on the iDrive display:



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    Become a BMW CCA member! Click HERE to join and feel free to use my BMW CCA member #191509 as a referral.

    2015 650ix GC (Moonstone/Cohiba Brown) <<~>> 2014 X5 50i (Space Gray/Mocha)

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Qsilver7 View Post
    Here's some additional info from the BMW TIS about total oil capacity and the difference between the MIN/MAX line on the iDrive display:



    thank you. my previous post was from the same website and I'm good now. It has 9.51 quarts and is at the Max. I just mis-read what someone had posted before (qts vs liters) and put 9 qts that was was why it was halfway. (that's a great website btw, I'm very thankful that is online)
    Last edited by f10_M550i; 06-08-2019 at 01:01 PM.

  7. #7
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    Become a BMW CCA member! Click HERE to join and feel free to use my BMW CCA member #191509 as a referral.

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