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BMW x5 Oil Problem?

8K views 20 replies 9 participants last post by  Nas402 
#1 ·
I have did an oil change and put 6 to 6.5 litres of synthetic oil 5w 30

Now I have did about 8700 - 9000 KM's and the oil light came on and turned off
I have also checked the oil level and its below the low line

Is this normal or what please help me out on this
The mechanic where i brought it too said " Every 5000km you should put another 1L in it" Is this normal because I tried to return it Im thinking it has a problem with killing oil or something can someone keep on me on track if its NORMAL or NOT?
 
#4 ·
A few things to take in to account when loosing oil in an M54. CCV failure is a common cause of high oil consumption. Not using the correct oil for the motor has also been known to cause an increase in oil consumption. A leaking oil filter housing gasket often will leak into areas where it burns off so it doesn't leave a drip on the ground, check out THIS post for info on where to look to see if it's dripping.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I have a 2004 X5 E53 3.0i and I know that it should take more then 6.5 liters or 6.8 quarts to fill after an oil/filter change.
It should be close to 7 - 8 quarts or 6.6 - 7.5 liters to fill approximately.
If not, you would get the lower oil line just half way below the fill as it needs enough to fill the filter etc. If not, double checked the oil when filling after starting the engine on level ground. Not checking after driven many miles/Km's without checking could initiate such a find.

It's not uncommon after 8700-9000 Km or 5400-5500 miles to lose a quart of oil or so. I check and change mine often and have found what your concerned about once before and even talked to a BMW mechanic about my concern as well. This is what I was told several times, so If I missed something, ECSTuning, please let me know.

It's possible that it could be burning elsewhere, so check for smoke as suggested. If no leaks, could be a simple mistake? Unless described above from ECS tuning.

~Mud
 
#9 · (Edited)
I would check as ECStunning suggested, he made a very good point. Checking to see if your burning any white smoke at any time, checking for oil leaks as suggested in the pic. Your oil light came on and is of concern. Could be a faulty sensor? But without knowing or seeing your problem, we are only able to make suggestions and point you in a possible direction.

Definitely needs looking into.
Just letting you know what I found and was told concerning oil consumption. Everything I checked out was fine, however the illustration pic that ECS linked you to is another valid point of oil consumption.

Grab a flashlight and check the area suggested. How many miles on your vehicle? Did you replace all the gaskets that came with the filter?

~Mud
 
#13 ·
Sounds like you did not start with the right amount of oil. My 2003 x5 3.0i owners manual says 8 quarts of oil. Mine is leaking from the oil filter housing gasket to. My brother changed the OSV pipes and did not help the leak. You are not seeing oil leaking because it has a catch plate. Under the car is a second plastic flip down. Inside is the oil plug, this is where the oil is draining to fromthe oil filter housing leak. I put paper towels to catch the oil for now until I fix the problem. Make sure you add oil if at all low and only run Synthetic oil. I run highmileage Mobil 1, 5W30. I change the oil every 5k miles and add about 1 quart between changes.

I have put 40,000 miles on mine with this issue. Keep the car but make sure you keep the oil level at the top mark of the dip stick.
 
#14 · (Edited)
I did an oil change and put 6 to 6.5 litres of synthetic oil 5w 30

Now I have did about 8700 - 9000 KM's and the oil light came on and turned off
I have also checked the oil level and its below the low line

...
Where are you getting the info that your car requires 6 to 6.5 liters of oil? If its the owners manual...then your model year must be different than mine. My 2006 owners manual says the 3.0 X5 requires 1 to 1.5 liters more than what you put in.

If this is the case...your issue is more than likely you started out with too little oil in the crankcase. The "oil light" is designed to come on when you are approx a quart/liter low...and if you only put in 6-6.5 liters...again, you were already a liter to a liter & half low. I'm surprised that it too 8700-9000 kilometers for the oil light to illuminate. :)

Please refer to your owners manual just in case your model year is different than the info in my model year owners manual:

owners manual says 8 quarts or 7.5 liters of oil for the 3.0 X5

 
#16 · (Edited)
...so your thinking that I started off with too less oil in the crank hose for me to think its a consumption
Yes..I think this may be a strong possibility based on what you've told us. At this point I would top up the oil to where the dipstick indicates that you are at the max line...then drive and periodically check your oil at each fill-up to see if your engine is consuming oil at an alarming rate. :)

 
#17 ·
When do you check the oil level when changing the oil and filter?
If you check it before starting the engine and adjust the level based on that, then you'll end up low. The oil filter holds between 1/2 and 1 quart.
When changing the oil & filter, replace the filter and add the oil to bring it close to the full level on the dipstick. Start the engine and let it run for about 15 seconds (the red oil light should go off within 5 seconds).
Wait about 1 minute to allow oil to drain back into the oil pan.
Check the oil level again and add enough to bring it to the full line.
 
#18 ·
I have owned my 2005 X5 3.0i since new. It uses a quart of oil in about 8000-9000 miles. It always has. So I just do an oil change once it is about a quart low which is around 1 year for me anyway. The M54 engine requires 8 quarts of oil. I use the BMW recommended Castoral. I am about to roll 80k on the odometer. Once out of warranty and away from the dealer, it has been a great, trouble free ride for me. Since the warranty ran out I have replaced the fan clutch (old one was a bit noisy and I am very particular), the battery, and the rear washer motor (I tried to use it once after about 3 years of never using it; but it was frozen. I try to cycle the rear washer every so often now). I had to pull the nav unit out of the dash once and clean the contacts on the display screen ribbon cable because I lost the color blue. That wasn't too bad a job and yielded satisfying results. I am about to replace my 2nd set of tires. The wear on this set is nearly even all the way around. It has been a great car for me.
 
#19 ·
iKosova,
All good info, but before you start replacing parts: your X holds either 7.5 or 8 liters, 3.0 IL 6 vs 4.4 V8. Your intial fill of ~6-6.5 liters was short/light to begin with. And, after ~9,000 KMs, yes nearly every E53 X on the planet will be down some oil, esp starting out a full liter short.

Don't feel bad: I have had 'short fills' done by US dealer(s), too...

When to check oil: after fully warmed up/driven, let sit for a few mins, (the engine will not drain down in a minute), and then check stick.

The "bit of smoke" from oil fill orifice is a bit of concern, but I would get a full oil fill and then note consumption, white tail pipe smoke, leaks, etc., if any.

There are pages of 'what oil to use' on this board and any BMW or car board; you seem to long past warranty, so any quality name brand full synthetic, either 5W-30 or 0W-40 is fine. 'What oil' is not your problem; proper fill is and then you can realistically track any symptoms of extraordinary consumption, but most Xs do burn some. Fwiw, BMW NA when pushed, will say that a quart per 1000 miles is fully within their 'tolerances'.
GL, mD
 
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