[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.

[danallxt]

Wondering why dealer put in only 1 and 1/8 quarts if it was 2 quarts low?
Also are you certain when you changed it that ya got it totally full? I reckon BMW will say a 1 quart use in 6,200 miles is ok. In many cars that amount of use is considered acceptable (but not in my book). Good luck and do closely monitor it in the future.
I've driven mine hard in a track day and saw no change in oil level.

[702MoxyBMW]

So I think the way the car DMU or ECU reads it is if its over 1 quart than it shows 2 being low or missing. So it can be 1.2-1.9 quarts low and still show the 2 number. I am a mechanical engineer by trade so that is my best take on it. Either way I am going to monitor this and have the dealership pay attention to any important details for this car.

[danallxt]

Thanks, makes sense. But how the heck does one know how much to top it off with?...no dipstick, so add a bit, run the car check the readout, if not enough add more and repeat, etc etc....seems pretty wonky to me to have to guess at the amount.

[702MoxyBMW]

that is an excellent point. I recall someone complaining about the no dipstick thing and its really dumb. Porsche and BMW do this now where the car tells you what is going on. So you fill it with 1 quart I guess and run the engine test and see how it comes up after that and then adjust as needed. I think its rather stupid honestly. I love bmw cars to drive but they drive me nuts with some of the backwards ideas they use with things. I with there was a reliable bmw that performed well and we could hold on for years with and not worry about astronomical costs or that the engine might implode at some point. I love my car BUT I also weigh out the collective pain in the ass issues that develop over time and wonder if its worth it. Lexus was very good for customer service and they run forever. That said they are boring cars and have no soul. If the RC-F had a better transmission I would have considered that as well. ventilated seats would be nice as well. sorry for the rant. Been a long week.

[RockCrusher]

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.

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.

[Bandit009]

I received the two quarts low message as well with less than 5k miles. Called the dealer and was told B58 burns oil when driven hard and depending on weather. I live in South FL so hot summers. In any evenr, dealer advised add the two quarts. I added one and remeasued with electronic dipstick. Said one quart low. I added the additional quart and remeasured. Said full. Has said full since. First oil change in 1,800 more miles.

[LivingInSalt]

No oil burned 13,000 miles. You've got issues

[Ruebarb]

8k, no oil issue, only drive it hard.

[Bandit009]

Originally Posted by LivingInSalt

No oil burned 13,000 miles. You've got issues

I google searched “B58 oil consumption” and there’s so many threads on the B58 eating oil that I lost count. I called three BMW service centers down here and they all said the B58 is thirsty when driven hard especially in hot weather. And we do have some pretty hot summers here in South, FL.

I will continue to watch. So far no obvious evidence of a leak and no odor of burning oil. Since topping off, continues to say “full” and I mostly drive in manual mode with drivetrain set to sports plus.

But, I do have issues. My therapist confirmed.

[LivingInSalt]

Originally Posted by Bandit009

I google searched “B58 oil consumption” and there’s so many threads on the B58 eating oil that I lost count. I called three BMW service centers down here and they all said the B58 is thirsty when driven hard especially in hot weather. And we do have some pretty hot summers here in South, FL.

I live in Austin. It was at/above 100 degrees for 45 straight days this past summer. And at/above 105 for 40 days over the course of the summer

[TJZ67201]

5.5k miles, 2 oil changes (one after break in, one after 1 year because it was free from the dealer) and the bar always stayed at MAX, never moved. I checked right before my last oil change to confirm

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by Bandit009

I received the two quarts low message as well with less than 5k miles. Called the dealer and was told B58 burns oil when driven hard and depending on weather. I live in South FL so hot summers. In any evenr, dealer advised add the two quarts. I added one and remeasued with electronic dipstick. Said one quart low. I added the additional quart and remeasured. Said full. Has said full since. First oil change in 1,800 more miles.

No longer have my 230i. Traded it in for a M2 April this year. (But believe it or not I may go buy a new 2024 230ix later today.)

Anyhow, in the around 8K miles I put on the 230i it didn't use oil. But I didn't track the car/engine. I did drive it with some spirit upon occasion.

After I drove my new M2 some miles -- less than 500 -- I checked the oil level and it was down a bit. The car did not give me a low oil warning which I understand would have been accompanied by info on how much oil to add.

I winged it and added less than 1/4 liter of oil. Checked the level and it was still a bit low. Added a bit more oil and checked the level again. It was ok.

Have over 5K miles on the M2 now and it has not used any oil. No tracking but I give the engine the whip once in a while.