Hi Bimmers, I just bought my wife a 2011 X3 a month ago, but since then we've been back and forth to the dealer due to Oil level sensor malfunction. At first they said that the car battery does'nt have enough charge. It was ok for a week then we went back for the same problem but they cant diagnose it. so the service manager said that the most logical way to do is to replace the sensor....and so they did. A week after... same problem. I just wanna find out if u guys had the same issue with the new X3?
I read on one forum that the malfunction could be from water vapor condensation. it makes sense since it's winter here and we haven't driven the car that much yet.
Easy answer: Replace vehicle--tell them to replace it or get a lemon lawyer. The dealer pays and not you when they lose. And a decent lemon lawyer will not take the case if they don't think they will win.
Otherwise they will drag this out for months if not years. Trust me there is precedent with not only the X3's but many others models where they stall until you give up.
They shouldn't have to fix a brand new car 4 times.
I have the same problem too just few days after I pick up the new X3. Bring to the dealer today. And they do some tests. Changed the level sensor. Re-put new engin oil. Problem looks corrected. Will keep my eyes open in the next coupon of days.
Have less than 600 miles and I have the same problem. Oil sensor malfunction light. Called to make a service appointment and they told me to just check the manual to reset ... driving it again this weekend, and will bring it in next week.
Perhaps another part of the equation is the desire on the part of the mfr to make the car idiot-proof for the owners who don't know what oil is, don't know what a dipstick is and don't care anyway. :dunno: Two words for those people: Mass transit. :tsk:
I think the oil level sensors idea is more for girls.
I was reading the Q5 forum and one guy stated in order to check their oil level, he has to turn off the engine for 2-3 min, pop the hood, start the engine...etc. Wouldn't it be much easier and reliable to just use the dipstick?
Checked the manual - there is no reset - but I also checked the oil level. While it is telling me there is an "oil level sensor malfunction," it is able to sense and report the oil level. It does not indicate that there is any problem with that. I am not experiencing any problem with the car, but I will bring it in to have them reset the malfunction warning.
I might pick up a 35i tomorrow and wondering, those who are having this problem, is your car 28 or 35? Is it common problem for X3s or just for a specific model?
I wouldn't call it common in either model. I asked my pal who is a master tech at a pretty big SoCal dealership about this. He said that they haven't seen this problem at all yet. So it seems like a pretty small amount if people experiencing this.
When the AT problem surfaced my dealer said it was new and no one else had reported that problem and stuck to it ---- right up to the point where I showed them over 100 complaints about it. Every problem I have had that was their answer. They seem to forget the internet exists and that people talk. Not saying it isn't curable. Just saying aaachooooo (bullsh++++).
update: made sure to rev as high as i could yesterday, did not open cap, no change. malfunction still lit up when I turned off the car. But, surprise - today, no light. Drove 100 miles. No light.
Really just drove the car harder ... nothing else.
We purchased a new 2011 X3 less than one month ago (January 2011) and the car has been back to the dealer two times with an "oil sensor malfunction light". The first time they said they replaced the sensor. After driving the car a couple of days the light came back on. Back to the dealer, they kept the car for 8 days the second time stating that they needed a BMW engineer to come and take look at car, after they had the car for eight days they said they took care of problem by blowing it out and removing the oil and then replacing the oil. The car after less than a week has the same problem again. This will be the third and last time I will take the car back for this problem. I am already checking out LEMON LAW attorneys in the area. The car has 1,000 miles on it and I have driven a loaner more than my own car. At this rate I don't think BMW knows how to fix this problem When i went to the dealer and spoke the salesman that sold us the car he stated that ALL the X3's that they have sold have come back with this same problem. I don't know if you have received any different information, but I am not liking what I hear. Good luck to you.
This is really starting to bum me out. I ordered a x6 soon after they came out and 'lived' with the battery discharge problems for two years including being stranded. Finally the factory bought it back and gave me a credit, and I ordered two x3's in January. I am going to be very, very pissed if BMW launched another new model that is flawed.
For those of you who have experienced the same issue 3 or more times, the lemon law should apply (it would in Alabama). I am a lawyer and have handled several of these cases. The above post is correct, any lawyer who is marginally experienced in the field will take the case and not charge you a dime because (most) lemon law statutes mandate that the manufacturer has to pay the consumer's attorney's fees.
If it's of any significance, I've never lost a lemon law case. The manufacturer either bought the car back or did what is called a "collateral swap" in each of my cases. Then again, if I think the lemon law claim of a potential client is "iffy," I would never agree to take the case.
Alabama law requires that a certain formal statutory notice must be given by the consumer to the manufacturer as a condition precedent to recovery. Each of you on this board should see if your state has a similar requirement before contacting an attorney (or better yet, have that attorney do it for you).
Good luck, and by the way, I wouldn't let ANY dealer drag out such a problem for more than two or three weeks because a one year statute of limitations applies in most circumstances.
Are you guys still having this problem? My wife's X3 28i just started this. It has less than 600 miles on it! This is our first BMW and certainly not what we were expecting from the "BMW Ownership Experience".
It's been ok for the last 3 weeks. They replaced the sensor but it came on again once then it's been good since then. and my advice is to drive it hard.
some says that it could be from moisture building up in there due to freezing temperature. But what I did that I think helped was that I drove my x3 hard for 40 mins then while parked I let the engine idle for 5 mins then turned the engine off. then I opened the oil cap for 8-10 mins to let the vapors out. try to turn the engine on again afterward if the malfunction is still there. if still there, try again the next day.
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