Oil level problem

[Maverick630]

I recently changed my engine oil myself at about 9k miles. I only put about 8 quarts of oil in there and the oil level display showed it to be at max. After driving a couple weeks, I checked again and it says it is too high. I checked again in a couple days and it said it is at max again. I drained some oil today and again it says it is too high. Anyone ever experienced this? Anyone know if the sensor could be a problem or if in needs to be reset? Without a dip stick I have no way of knowing where the oil level really is.

Thanks in advance.

[GeezTech]

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[Maverick630]

It is a 2006 650i, manual transmission. I have not done anything to the car except this oil change. Everything is as it was when I bought it through European Delivery.
I am not sure what you mean by updating ?

[GeezTech]

Dang, cant rememebr right if it is the same procedure as a M6, but you can check the owners manual to e sure.

In the 650i it may update itself, the engine has to be warm and idling, then you check it in the i-drive.

Main menu>info sources(top of screen)>service>get cursor on middle bar>scroll to check oil level.

I think the 650 you only have to cycle the key for about 30 seconds then it will update on restart.
The M6 you have to use the BC button the turn signal switch and scroll to the oil level gauge in the cluster then push and hold the BC button for the system to update.
Yours may not have this.

But it may still have a dipstick, it has a black cap on it and it is at the drivers rear of the engine cover. It may also be real tight the first time you pull it out.

If all seems ok then maybe you have a sensor problem.

Just so you know oil changes are covered under the warranty maintenence program (free), even low mileage oil changes at the 1 year mark.

[Maverick630]

Thanks for the information. I still don't understand what you mean by cycling the key. What does that mean? I have driven the car many times since I changed the oil and every time I start the car I checked the oil level. Would this be considered cycling the key?

I was able to find the dipstick in the area you mentioned and yes, it was hard to take out the first time but I managed to pull it off. It actually showed the oil level to be below the MAX line, but the screen inside the car still showed it to be too high.

So I guess it either needs some sort of resetting as you explained before and I was not able to do or the sensor could be defective. I am not sure. But at least I can drive in peace now and not worry that the oil is too high or too low and harm the engine. I only recently learned that high levels of oil can be very damaging to the engine. I never knew that.

Thanks again.

[GeezTech]

Since the dipstick reads low and the electric one reads high, you should be ok for now but you should probably set an appointment to have the level verified.

They will tell you NOT to use the dipstick, but since it is there it helps to give you an idea.

I will try to check some cars tomorrow and see how they are on the dipstick compared to the electronic gauge.

Being a half to one quart overful isn't the end of the world, it may foam up the oil a little but it shouldn't damage anything.

But maybe being 2 to 3 quarts overfull, that could be a different story.

[Maverick630]

Thanks, Geez Tech. I appreciate your advice and help.

[GeezTech]

The dipstick matched to the green dipstick in the display when at max level.

So for now just make sure yours reads correctly on the dipstick.

[Maverick630]

Thanks for checking. I will check regularly with the dipstick as the engine burns oil over time and see what happens.

Thanks again

[GeezTech]

...you take it in next as you should be able to rely on that.
Like I mentioned before, the dealer will let you know that you shouldn't use the dipstick and use the electronic gauge.
The 6 cyls dont have a dipstick at all.

[Maverick630]

I'll do that. But what is wrong with using the dipstick? Why do they not want us to use it?

[GeezTech]

The 6cyls have been having some issues and we have to remove and measure the amount of oil to verify the level to see if the sensor is working properly. A real PITA.


I guess they feel the electronic one is more accurate, it would just be nice to still have a "mechanical" style one to verify the level against the electronic one when you run into problems.

[Maverick630]

I have heard that about the six cylenders as well and that was what got me to post my problem here. I agree with you that they should also have a mechanical way of varifying the oil level since apparantly the electronic version shows enough problems to be of concern. It seems very strange to me that BMW would make such a drastic change in something so important. Oil level being so critical to the life of the engine, it sure is very brave of them to make such a risky decision on something that they consider to be their middle name (motor). They are no amatures in engine design and am sure they have some reason for eliminating the dipstick for good but it still does not make sense to me. I guess time will tell if they are on the right track with this one.

[Maverick630]

Has anyone who tried to change the motor oil on their 650 noticed that not all the oil drains out of the drain plug, even when the oil canister is removed? It is supposed to hold about 8 qts of oil but a couple months ago I tried to change the oil and only a few qts drained out, then stopped. Even at level ground. The oil level showed it was normal before I drained it. Now, after I added some oil it shows it has too much oil. I don't understand what prevents the oil from draining completely.

Thanks in advance for help and suggestions.

[Yorgi]

Has anyone who tried to change the motor oil on their 650 noticed that not all the oil drains out of the drain plug, even when the oil canister is removed? It is supposed to hold about 8 qts of oil but a couple months ago I tried to change the oil and only a few qts drained out, then stopped. Even at level ground. The oil level showed it was normal before I drained it. Now, after I added some oil it shows it has too much oil. I don't understand what prevents the oil from draining completely.

Thanks in advance for help and suggestions.

Sounds to me like you did not remove the main drain plug. There are two plugs, the main larger plug requires an 8mm hex then a small plug using a 6mm hex on the filter. Check out my 650i oil change DIY for pics. I don't see an "insert link" on this forum so just google "Yorgi 650i oil DIY".

BTW, you better drain some oil ASAP from the filter housing and get the level back to normal. You can damage the engine by over filling with oil.

[Unregistered]

Thanks, Yorgi. That was very helpful. You are correct, I did not remove the 8 mm hex bolt and never knew that it existed. I assumed by removing the filter housing plug and the housing itself will drain all the oil.

So unfortunately I had at least 1-1.5 quarts of excess oil in there and drove approximately 80 hours with that much excess oil in the engine. What damage could it have caused to the engine? Should I have the dealer look into that? Is the damage obvious and something they can diagnose easily or it will show up later on in the engine's life?

Thanks again for all your help and advice.

[Yorgi]

Sorry for the late reply, I don't come here too often.

Hopefully you are OK with only 1L overfill. That is not too bad.

The main problem with over filling is frothing of the oil. The crank shaft will start dipping into the oil in the oil pan and whipping it into a froth / foam. Oil does not lubricate when it's frothy. Drain the oil and look for the froth / brown foam. If you see froth you may have caused serious damage to the main bearings on the crank.

If you see froth refill with fresh oil and filter. Drive 100 miles and do another oil and filter change. (and start praying) ;) Look closely for metal shavings in the oil after both changes (use a magnet and clean your dain pan well before each change). Or even send oil out for analysis (costs about $20 here in North America). If you find metal bring the car in. If you hear a ticking sound coming from under the engine that is another sign that the bearings are badly damaged. I don't want to know what a bottom-end rebuild costs on an N62 motor but it may be cheaper to source an entire used motor vs a rebuild.

[Monte.Price98]

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