Quote:
Originally Posted by 702MoxyBMW
So I recently got a message that my M240 was 2 quarts low a few days ago. The dealership took a look and filled it with 1 and 1/8 quarts or so. I am concerned about the B58 engine issues with oil burning I have seen from past Supras. Any feedback would be great at this point. I have 9200 miles at this point. I just changed the oil around 3,000 miles ago.
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You changed the oil? Did you confirm the level was right after the oil change?
Ran into some negativity from owners of Porsche cars that the engine didn't have a dipstick. My first Porsche (2002 Boxster) had a dipstick and the ability to check the oil level from behind the steering wheel.
I came to trust the electronic oil level measuring system. (Even bought a used oil level/temperature sensor to cut apart to see "how it worked".)
Subsequent Porsche cars only came with the electronic oil level system.
It was quite a shock when after my Porsche cars I bought cars that had just a dipstick. What a medieval way to check the oil level. My 230i having an electronic oil level sensor and thus allowing me to check the oil level from behind the steering wheel is a real bonus.
I will note the techs told me the proper way to change the oil was to drain it hot for the factory service manual time (20 minutes in the case of my cars). Then to add in the recommended amount of oil. I was told this was not necessarily the amount stated in the owners manual but an amount that was tied to the car's VIN. This took into account any changes in production that could affect the amount of oil the engine required to be properly full.
Only after one had put the correct amount of oil in the engine did one then check the oil level via the electronic oil level system to confirm its reading *agreed* with correct amount of oil being in the engine.
The techs had an easier time adding oil as the oil dispensing gun in the service bay displayed volume in tenths of a liter, so adding say 7.8l of oil was not a problem.
I was adding oil from oil bottles but was careful to add the correct amount. Also, with no dipstick I counted the empty oil bottles twice to be sure I had added the right amount of oil.
It is important to be sure when checking the oil level the car is level. With my Boxster there was no warning about the car being out of level. At the post office in town the road was heavily crowned. Checking the oil level with the car parked on this crown had the level several bars below full. Quite a bit of difference vs. the right at full level when checked parked on level ground.
My later Porsche cars, Cayman S and Porsche Turbo, were quite demanding the car be level. So far I have not "tested" my 230i to see if it is sensitive to level when checking the oil level but I believe it will be be, just like my Porsche Turbo, and maybe my 2018 MINI Cooper S JCW.
During break in it is possible the engine will use some oil. It is not a given all will or those that do will use the same amount.
During break in I check the oil level often. But as time goes by and I become accustomed to the engine's oil use -- in a number of previous cars generally nil over 5K miles between oil changes -- I check the oil less often. But at least once a week after the engine has run long enough to allow an oil level check and generally this is when I put the car in the garage I'll check the oil level so I know it is good come the next time I want to use the vehicle. Oh, and always after filling up the fuel tank.
Do not recall how much oil consumption BMW considers normal. With other vehicles, for example my Porsche cars, Porsche considered oil consumption only to be excessive if the engine used 1l per 1000km or about 1 quart every 600 miles. Now I believe 1 quart every 600 miles is excessive but fortunately I never had an engine use anywhere near that amount of oil over that few miles.
Oh, oil consumption can be affected by usage. Lots of idling -- and after having data logged cars for a number of years I can tell you personal passenger vehicles spend considerable time idling -- or the flip side is being operated at high RPMs.
A problem with some engines is the oil does not get that hot. Water accumulates in the oil. (One time I had the oil analyzed in it just so happens my Boxster at 4K miles after buying the car new and the oil contained about 7% water or 1/2 quart of over 9 quarts of oil in the engine was water. Subsequent data logging found the engine ran surprisingly cool granted in winter but still quite cool.)
At any rate the engine uses oil but the accumulation of water masks this. Then the car is driven a good distance and the oil gets hot enough to boil the water out of the oil and the oil level drops often quite a bit. This then looks like the engine used lots of oil over relatively a short period of time but that is not the case.
Now I note with my 230i the oil temperature gets up to 215F and a bit higher and stays there. So I believe water build up in the oil will not be a problem.