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Car Forum / BMW Cars / October 2007Oil Usage - members poll
Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil light was on. The light is back on now so I reckon I've a problem, but before that it needed a top up about 6 months ago. How often does everyone else need to top on and on what model? Cheers. R. > Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My > e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil > light was on. The light is back on now so I reckon I've a problem, but > before that it needed a top up about 6 months ago. > How often does everyone else need to top on and on what model? Cheers. > R. E36 323i Sport Touring automatic 1999 M52 (alusil) engine. No top ups needed between services at all and I *do* use the revs too. I use Millers or Halfords own fully synthetic 5W50. JB > Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My > e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil > light was on. The light is back on now so I reckon I've a problem, but > before that it needed a top up about 6 months ago. > How often does everyone else need to top on and on what model? Cheers. > R. E38 728i 1996 My local garage said 750 miles per litre is 'OK' anything less than that would need investigating. >Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My >e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil >light was on. The light is back on now so I reckon I've a problem, but >before that it needed a top up about 6 months ago. How many miles before you are topping off? And how many miles are on the engine? --scott  Signature"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." > Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My > e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil > light was on. The light is back on now so I reckon I've a problem, but > before that it needed a top up about 6 months ago. > How often does everyone else need to top on and on what model? Cheers. Our '91 E34 525i M50 has 190K and uses 1 qt per 2000 miles. My '2001 E46 330xi has 110K and uses 1qt per 2500 miles. If it were 1qt per 1K miles I'd worry. FloydR >> Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My >> e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >If it were 1qt per 1K miles I'd worry. My E28 with 350,000 miles on it is getting up to 1qt/Kmi and I am starting to worry a little. --scott Signature"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." > My E28 with 350,000 miles on it is getting up to 1qt/Kmi and I am starting > to worry a little. At "your" age, Scott, 20W-50 can be your friend. Bob >> My E28 with 350,000 miles on it is getting up to 1qt/Kmi and I am starting >> to worry a little. > >At "your" age, Scott, 20W-50 can be your friend. Hey, this is the NEW car! The old one has 480,000 miles on the engine. --scott Signature"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." > Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My > e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil > light was on. The light is back on now so I reckon I've a problem, but > before that it needed a top up about 6 months ago. > How often does everyone else need to top on and on what model? Cheers. > R. My E36 325i didn't use any. My E46 M3 uses some after about 7500k miles. My E38 doesn't use any (other than feeding it to the spark plugs) but it does tell em quite frequently that the oil level is low (which it isn't.) When I drained the oil after I first bought it there was about 2 extra litres/quarts in it. > How often does everyone else need to top on and on what model? Cheers. Never topped up my '85 E30 320i since I've owned it (8 years?). Al. >Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My >e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil >light was on. The light is back on now so I reckon I've a problem, but >before that it needed a top up about 6 months ago. >How often does everyone else need to top on and on what model? Cheers. >R. In my old E38 740i I NEVER topped it up between oil services 1 or 11. 12 years and 190K SignatureSir Hugh of Bognor The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys. Intelligence is not knowing the answer but knowing where and how to find it! Hugh Gundersen hsg@h-gee.co.uk Bognor Regis, W.Sussex, England, UK Thanks everyone. I've a 65 mile round trip to work. Put about 600 miles on since the last top up. Last topped up with Mobil 0W40. I rarely really use the revs hard on the straight 6 but I do let it live a bit. Maybe some 5w30 would be a bit better. Or maybe my engine needs abit of work. The car is 2001 with 41k on. This ain't looking good is it!. R. > Thanks everyone. I've a 65 mile round trip to work. Put about 600 > miles on since the last top up. Last topped up with Mobil 0W40. > I rarely really use the revs hard on the straight 6 but I do let it > live a bit. Maybe some 5w30 would be a bit better. Or maybe my engine > needs abit of work. The car is 2001 with 41k on. This ain't looking > good is it!. R. That would be a very bad move unlkess you are trying extra hard to lubricate your spark plugs. 5W30 is *thinner oil* than 0W40. The second number is the viscosity at running temp, and the only one that is significant when considering oil use. Signature-Fred W > 5W30 is *thinner oil* than 0W40. The second number is the viscosity at > running temp, and the only one that is significant when considering oil > use. And this tells you more..... Multi-grade motor oil The temperature range the oil is exposed to in most vehicles can be wide, ranging from cold ambient temperatures in the winter before the vehicle is started up to hot operating temperatures when the vehicle is fully warmed up in hot summer weather. A specific oil will have high viscosity when cold and a low viscosity at the engines operating temperature. The difference in viscosities for any single-grade oil is too large between the extremes of temperature. To bring the difference in viscosities closer together, special polymer additives called viscosity index improvers are added to the oil. These additives make the oil a multi-grade motor oil. The idea is to cause the multi-grade oil to have the viscosity of the base number when cold and the viscosity of second number when hot. The viscosity of a multi-grade oil still varies logarithmically with temperature, but the slope representing the change is lessened. This slope representing the change with temperature depends on the nature and amount of the additives to the base oil. The API/SAE designation for multi-grade oils includes two grade numbers; for example, 10W-30 designates a common multi-grade oil. The first number associated with the W (again 'W' is for Winter, not Weight) is not rated at any single temperature. The "10W" means that this oil can be pumped by your engine as well as a single-grade SAE 10 oil can be pumped. "5W" can be pumped at a lower temperature than "10W". "0W" can be pumped at a lower temperature than "5W", and thins less at temperatures above 99°C (210°F). The second number, 30, means that the viscosity of this multi-grade oil at 100°C (212°F) operating temperature corresponds to the viscosity of a single-grade 30 oil at same temperature. The governing SAE standard is called SAE J300. The motor oil grade and viscosity to be used in a given vehicle is specified by the manufacturer of the vehicle. Many new vehicles are marked to use 5W-20 oil (Honda, Ford, and more recently Toyota). Some ultra fuel efficient and hybrid vehicles are marked to use 0W-20 oil. For some selective mechanical problems with engines, using a more viscous oil can ameliorate the symptoms, i.e. changing from 5W-20 to 20W-50 may eliminate a knocking noise from the engine but doesn't solve the problem. > Thanks everyone. I've a 65 mile round trip to work. Put about 600 > miles on since the last top up. Last topped up with Mobil 0W40. > I rarely really use the revs hard on the straight 6 but I do let it > live a bit. Maybe some 5w30 would be a bit better. Or maybe my engine > needs abit of work. The car is 2001 with 41k on. This ain't looking > good is it!. R. No. I have a '96 525 SE with 180k. No oil needed between oil changes. I also have a '97 528i with 170k. Again no oil needed between oil changes. Having said that, all engine burn oil, but a good std engine shouldn't burn enough to need topping up between oil changes. Any drop in the oil levels on my two cars is not really noticeable. Mike. > Thanks everyone. I've a 65 mile round trip to work. Put about 600 > miles on since the last top up. Last topped up with Mobil 0W40. > I rarely really use the revs hard on the straight 6 but I do let it > live a bit. Maybe some 5w30 would be a bit better. Or maybe my engine > needs abit of work. The car is 2001 with 41k on. This ain't looking > good is it!. R. What's often forgotten - and is a cheap check - before thinking about worn valve guides, seals, or piston rings etc, is that excessive crankcase pressure will cause oil to be forced past the pistons and or valve guides. So check the breather system - all of it. Signature*A closed mouth gathers no feet. Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. >Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My >e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil >light was on. The light is back on now so I reckon I've a problem, but >before that it needed a top up about 6 months ago. >How often does everyone else need to top on and on what model? Cheers. >R. My 89 325i (E30) leaks about a quart every 2500 miles. I know it leaks (and I know where, the oil cooler plate on the side of the block) so I haven't been too concerned with it. The plugs are clean and the motor runs strong. 225,000 mile +... > Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My > e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil > light was on. The light is back on now so I reckon I've a problem, but > before that it needed a top up about 6 months ago. > How often does everyone else need to top on and on what model? Cheers. In 5000 miles, I did not notice any oil consumption on my e39 530i, certainly not enough that it would warrant a top up. That's with 0w-30 oil... in Florida. Pete > Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My > e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil > light was on. The light is back on now so I reckon I've a problem, but > before that it needed a top up about 6 months ago. > How often does everyone else need to top on and on what model? Cheers. > R. The low oil light came on in my 2003 325 at about 14k miles. Nearly all of its predecessors (none were BMWs) needed a quart or so after 3k miles. Jim I was told by the salesman that there was no need to check the oil level as the warning light on the dash would tell me. There's nothing clever in the model I have - its just a low pressure warning light, I remember when I was learning to drive around 33 years ago that If that light came on there were just a few seconds before the engine "blew up" so get over to the verge immediately and dip the clutch - how many younger people now never check oil levels? Its a bit worrying > I was told by the salesman that there was no need to check the oil level as > the warning light on the dash would tell me. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > get over to the verge immediately and dip the clutch - how many younger > people now never check oil levels? Its a bit worrying There's a low oil level warning light and a low oil pressure warning light. You're referring to the latter and you're pretty much screwed if that comes on anyway. I know people who don't even know how to open their hoods/bonnets. >I was told by the salesman that there was no need to check the oil level as >the warning light on the dash would tell me. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >get over to the verge immediately and dip the clutch - how many younger >people now never check oil levels? Its a bit worrying Usually by the time that light comes on, it's too late. Most of the pressure switches don't activate until <10psi, and if you're at high revs, that's just not enough to protect your big end bearings. Even if the car still sounds fine after a top up, you've probably put several thousand miles of wear onto the bearings in those few seconds. I've even had cars that have run a bearing, and I've pulled over because I've heard the noise, and only then has the light come on! Never trust a light... The dipstick is your friend! Plus a dipstick will also tell you if you have any water getting into the oil etc etc, and sticking your head under the bonnet might help you spot all manner of faults that might come and get you in the future. Oh, and find the neighbours missing cat! Dodgy. SignatureMUSHROOMS ARE THE OPIATE OF THE MOOSES '03 330 - uses 1 litre per 5000 k kilometers this is "normal" as per my mechanic > Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My > e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil > light was on. The light is back on now so I reckon I've a problem, but > before that it needed a top up about 6 months ago. > How often does everyone else need to top on and on what model? Cheers. > R. SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com > Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My > e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil > light was on. The light is back on now so I reckon I've a problem, but > before that it needed a top up about 6 months ago. > How often does everyone else need to top on and on what model? Cheers. > R. My 1994 325i doesn't use a drop between annual changes of synthetic oil. > My 1994 325i doesn't use a drop between annual changes of synthetic > oil. Another possibility is that the engine does use oil but it gets topped up by fuel as certain % of fuel dillution can take place, especially when the car is driven short distances. So, the level on the dipstick may remain unchanged. Pete > Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My > e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil > light was on. The light is back on now so I reckon I've a problem, but > before that it needed a top up about 6 months ago. > How often does everyone else need to top on and on what model? Cheers. > R. My E30 318i usually doesn't require any topoff between oil changes at about 7500 mi. The car has 177k miles on it. Ron >> Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My >> e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > about 7500 mi. The car has 177k miles on it. > Ron E46 2000 323i. This is my first BMW, got it with 117k miles. Now has 126K, changed oil once since I had it. Have to admit I am from an old school and changed it at 5000 miles. I used the BMW oil, seemed cheaper than the local auto parts store believe it or not. I am considering letting it go to 7500 between changes, again that may be wasteful again I am still old school, I still check under the hood (bonnet) almost every weekend. Rob > E46 2000 323i. > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Rob whoops, sorry need to keep the thread, has not ever needed a top off. Rob > his is my first BMW, got it with 117k miles. Now has 126K, changed oil > once since I had it. Have to admit I am from an old school and changed > it at 5000 miles. I used the BMW oil, seemed cheaper than the local > auto parts store believe it or not. I am considering letting it go to > 7500 between changes, again that may be wasteful again I am still old > school, I still check under the hood (bonnet) almost every weekend. It has a service indicator which computes when a change is needed - so why continue to go by just mileage? The type of use an engine gets determines an oil change interval rather than just distance. Signature*Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites? * Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. >> his is my first BMW, got it with 117k miles. Now has 126K, changed oil >> once since I had it. Have to admit I am from an old school and changed [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > continue to go by just mileage? The type of use an engine gets determines > an oil change interval rather than just distance. This is a new one, does the mileage get adjusted based on driving conditions? Rob >>> his is my first BMW, got it with 117k miles. Now has 126K, changed oil >>> once since I had it. Have to admit I am from an old school and changed [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Rob Since the switch to OEM synthetic oil around 1999, a BMW service indicator will call for service (including an oil change) anywhere from about 13,000 to 18,000 miles, depending on how the car is driven. Tom K. > Since the switch to OEM synthetic oil around 1999, a BMW service indicator > will call for service (including an oil change) anywhere from about 13,000 > to 18,000 miles, depending on how the car is driven. Although on some models the computer only takes into account the amount of fuel consumed. Still, that's a pretty good determinant and will result in different miles betw. intervals. Pete > >> his is my first BMW, got it with 117k miles. Now has 126K, changed > >> oil once since I had it. Have to admit I am from an old school and [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > This is a new one, does the mileage get adjusted based on driving > conditions? Yes. Depending on the age of the car the service indicator computes the service interval in different ways - but basically the result is the same. A car driven gently with highway miles will go further before an oil change is indicated than one which does short trips and/or is driven hard. > Rob Signature*If I throw a stick, will you leave? Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. >Hi. Can I get an idea about how much oil people car's are using. My >e46 320 coupe got topped up about a month ago because the yellow oil >light was on. The light is back on now so I reckon I've a problem, but >before that it needed a top up about 6 months ago. >How often does everyone else need to top on and on what model? Cheers. >R. I got a 03 325i and never had to top off... I drive the car hard and never had a problem with losing oil... the car has now 100,000 miles on it and I just service it every 15,000 miles .... never had a problem... |
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