Under the hood, BMW has removed the oil level dipstick and replaced it with an oil pan sensor (the shaded part in the figure). If the oil level inside the oil pan falls below the safe level, the sensor should sound an alarm. Not accountants who determine how long you may drive without changing or checking the oil in your automobile, but engineers who created the engines who computed this number. Another thing to keep in mind is that these electronic level meters do occasionally malfunction.
BMW wants you to think that your car’s engine oil only needs to be changed every 15,000 miles and that the transmission oil never needs to be changed. Does that strike you as reasonable?
Did you know that BMW claims that a quart of oil is consumed by each of their vehicles every 800-900 miles? This equation’s irrational component is the 15,000-mile oil change interval with certain models’ oil pans holding up to 7.5 quarts of oil.
If you used this formula, your oil pan would entirely run dry after 8,000 miles of driving. That is around half of the suggested oil change interval of 15,000 miles. Not to mention that the oil pump will be unable to refuel well before the fifth quart runs out. The end consequence is a defective engine that needs a significant and pricey service. You would require an oil pan with a capacity of roughly 20 quarts to address this issue. There are only 8 quarts in the typical BMW. That is a tragedy waiting to happen!
Keeping with the lifespan fluids described earlier, how long is the “lifetime”? According to manufacturers, “lifetime” is often defined as 8 to 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. Be advised, nevertheless, that you shouldn’t adhere to the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule if you intend to retain your automobile for longer than five years. Autoscope advises having your oil changed every 7,500 miles with synthetic fluids and every 3,500 miles with petroleum-based fluids to prevent costly repairs.
In This Article...
Are there dipsticks in BMWs? (And without one, how do you check the oil?)
Oil dipsticks have long been a standard component of cars. They are simple to use, effective, and provide a quick response to whether your engine needs oil.
However, some BMW owners have been perplexed to discover that their car lacks a physical dipstick, which has led to uncertainty.
Since 2006, there have been no new BMW models with dipsticks. Owners used the traditional dipstick so little that it was replaced with an electronic oil level indicator installed in the oil pan.
Despite this, the physical dipstick has made a comeback alongside the electronic system in contemporary 7 and 8 Series BMWs powered by V8 and V12 engines.
But why did BMW decide to do away with dipsticks, and how can you change it in a BMW without one?
Check the oil level and locate the oil dipstick on a BMW 328i.
BMW chose to do away with the oil dipstick for the 2011 BMW 328i. An electronic sensor can be used to check the oil level in your vehicle. Locate the stalk on the left side of the steering wheel after starting your car.
Until you locate the oil symbol, click your stalk. On the left side of the stalk, press the BC button toward you. After a little while, your oil level will appear on the screen.
How does a BMW 320i check its oil?
- Start the engine after turning the key.
- You can switch between the display options below your gauges using the steering wheel controls.
- To enter, press the BC button.
- You can read your oil level when the clock hands stop spinning.
BMW stopped using dipsticks when?
The 4.4L V8 in the 2018 BMW M850 is the engine in dispute. This engine is a development of the BMW N63 engine, which was initially unveiled in 2008, two years after BMW stopped using oil dipsticks. When a reader wrote in to ask how he should check the oil in his 2006 330i, BMW created such a stir that even the Wall Street Journal ran a story on it. One of the earliest engines that BMW designed with a dip stick was the N52 engine beneath the hood.
I watched the video below, which illustrates how difficult it is to check your oil in a new BMW, while not owning one myself.
The car must apparently be turned on in order to use this improved technology, and doing so requires simple navigation through the cluster’s display. However, it may take the device 5 to 15 minutes to record your oil reading. Unacceptable and, in my opinion, not significantly better than the standard stick.
I’m fine with digital meters being used in addition to conventional dipsticks. But to completely remove the dipstick is just…fiddling.
It will be better for everyone if this report is true and BMW doesn’t surprise us by removing the dipstick from the production model.
For a BMW 320i, how much does an oil change cost?
An oil change for a BMW 320i xDrive typically costs between $195 and $228. Between $55 and $69 is the expected cost of labor, while between $140 and $159 is the estimated cost of parts.
Do I have a dipstick for my car?
Make sure you check your engine oil by following these easy steps:
- Make sure your car is levelly parked, and that the engine is cool.
- Find the dipstick by opening your car’s bonnet. Check your user manual if you’re not sure where it is. Since certain contemporary vehicles are equipped with electronic oil monitors, your automobile might not have a dipstick.
- Once you’ve located the dipstick, remove it and use a cloth or rag to completely clean up the oil. The dipstick itself should have two markings that indicate the minimum and maximum oil levels.
- Put the dipstick back into its tube after cleaning it, pushing it all the way in. After letting it sit, take it out once more.
- You don’t need to add oil if the level is midway between the minimum and maximum values on the dipstick. It might be a good idea to add some oil if it’s not halfway. Add oil if it falls below the minimal level.
- If you do need to top up, double-check that the oil you have is the right kind for your car and look for the oil cap on your engine, which is typically identified by an image of an oil can.
- Remove the cap and add a small amount of oil at a time, monitoring the level with the dipstick to prevent over-adding, which can also result in damage.
- Before shutting the bonnet, replace the cap and the dipstick and clean up any oil messes.
Why is there no dipstick in my car?
The most recent customer’s 2009 Audi Q5 quattro 3.2 liter was brought in. Since the automobile lacks an engine oil dipstick for manual level checking, she claimed the low engine oil alert encouraged her to replenish oil yet the light stayed on.
More frequently, we observe that automakers do not include fluid dipsticks in engines and transmissions. The underlying assumption was that they were doing it to save money or the environment, but neither of those reasons holds water. According to market research, individuals are less likely to check their engine oil and would prefer to rely on technology to do it for them.
A level sensor is used to determine the engine oil level in vehicles without dipsticks (on the bottom of the engine oil pan). Engine oil is frequently measured via conductive sensors. A low-voltage, current-limited power source is applied across various electrodes by conductive level sensors. Normal engine oils are only a little bit conductive. Therefore, the sensor can determine how much engine oil is there if it is placed between the electrodes. The sensor is at the base of the oil pan and senses when the oil level is too low.
The imperfection of technology is the issue. The sensors are exposed to cold and hot oil, sludge, unclean oil, metal in the oil from engine wear, and vibrations from the engine. The readout is not always accurate, computers can malfunction, and sensors can malfunction.
Do all automobiles have dipsticks?
Check the owner’s handbook first, then adhere to the advice of the manufacturer. Some more recent vehicles lack a standard dipstick for manual oil inspection in favor of an electronic oil monitor.
If you decide to check the oil manually, ensure sure the vehicle is level and, in the case of most cars, that the engine is cool to avoid getting burned on a hot engine component. (For some vehicles, the automaker advises checking the oil once the engine has warmed up.) Find the dipstick by opening the hood of the automobile while it is not running. Remove the dipstick from the engine and clean the end of it of any oil. The dipstick should then be fully inserted back into its tube.
Once more removing it, check both sides of the dipstick to see whether there is oil on the tip this time. Whether it be two pinholes, the letters L and H (low and high), the acronyms MIN and MAX, or simply a crosshatched region, every dipstick has a manner of showing the right oil level. The level is acceptable if the top of the oil “streak” is located between the two markers or inside the crosshatched region.
However, you must add oil in the manner specified below if the oil level is below the minimal level.
Examine the oil’s color as well. It should be brown or black in color. However, if it seems light and milky, coolant may be leaking into the engine. Additionally, pay particular attention for any metal fragments, as these could indicate internal engine damage. Get the vehicle to a mechanic for a more thorough examination if you notice one of these issues. The automobile should be towed if you think there is a coolant leak.
If everything is in order, re-clean the dipstick and re-insert it into the tube, making sure it is completely seated. You’re done when you close the hood.