F16 50i engine oil is at minimum level without warning

[ponytuning]

I am familiar with all stories of how the n63 engines are burning oil, my wife has an f15 50i and never got the dreaded warning on the idrive display and neither have I. Last time I measured the level in mine was a couple months ago and was between min and max.
Today I run another measurement just to see how much it had dropped since the last check and i get the dreaded message to add 2qt of oil.
Now, I'm really concerned that the car was low on oil for days, weeks or even more because it never gave me the warning on its own.
Moreover, now I'm leery to do my own oil changes if the engine was wearing badly during this entire time.

Any suggestions?


Luckily always carry 2qts in the trunk so I'm good for today but this is really worrisome.

[Qsilver7]

If the oil level was an inch below minimum...I'd be worried (moreso pissed about why wasn't there a warning that oil level was low...and be checking into why)...by not being warned when the oil level reached its minimum. Being at minimum oil level is not as "dreadful" state as it seems to have put you in...at minimum...you've caught the oil level before anything destructive can occur. And being leery to do my own oil change etc...I wouldn't be at that level of consternation.

Take a deep breath...add the oil (or change it if its time etc). And now you know to keep a "regular" eye on you Bimmer's oil consumption. Also take note as to if you get the little yellow triangular check control warning on your instrument cluster. I've never gotten a low oil warning...but thankfully my f06 doesn't appear to have a thirst for oil and I've never had to add any between oil changes.

But just in case...if the warning you get when oil reaches the minimum is one of the short warnings...try to be alert to the little triangular check control warning that may appear for a few seconds, then disappear. And maybe its when the oil level get too low where it can cause damage is when you get a textual warning that remains visible (again, I'm speculating because I've never gotten a low oil warning...{knock on wood})

[ponytuning]

I'll check, unfortunately i've been having tpms issues all this time and had the yellow triangle lit all the time...

[turboawd]

So you didn't see the message because you assumed it was the tpms error?
You'd have to be really really low on oil, like down to a couple quarts before you really have issues. I wouldn't worry about harm done.

[ponytuning]

That is correct, i was expecting to get the message to pop up on the idrive the same way it does for a battery discharge issue, fluid washer etc, not just the amber triangle which can come up for all sorts of reasons like tpms issue in my case.
Good to know I'm in the clear. I'll keep an eye on it every couple of days from now on.

[Qsilver7]

...and just for good measure...anytime you see that little triangle...always check to see why it's illuminated because it could be multiple warnings.

[ponytuning]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

...and just for good measure...anytime you see that little triangle...always check to see why it's illuminated because it could be multiple warnings.

Good point, i also have to code out the tpms warning until spring when i swap tires again.

[ponytuning]

Update: I measured the oil level after driving back home and it's back to max after adding the 2qts, so at least it's not a bad sensor.

[Fastestcolor]

Does the X5M burn oil too. Burning oil on the 50i is completely ridiculous. We looked at a preowned 50i and I couldn’t bring myself to buy a car that requires constant oil being added. It’s a luxury car not an airplane or 2stroke outboard

[sj22]

Happens to me after a long drive sometimes, engine oil check is minimum and there is no warning. In usual short city drives, the car tells me when its low pretty regularly (on schedule).

[spielnicht]

I've had this happen to me twice now where my 550i isn't warning me any longer of low oil. Up until last year, it was behaving as usual - snorting the oil like cocaine and eventually would pop up the dreaded message and ask me to add 2qts. The warning would stay on in the iDrive until I filled it up.

Now, for the past year it would just go to min and not warn me once. I even checked for codes with ISTA and didn't see anything there.

So similar to the OP's case, the oil is getting measured, but no fault is recorded or warning is displayed. Has anyone found a fix for this? I can't imagine it being the sensor in the lower oil pan going bad or else how would it measure the oil in the first place.

Any input is appreciated.

[bhkj9999]

has anybody checked this law settlement with your local dealer?

looks like if our car failed the oil consumption test, we'll get a new engine, if not, we can get some oil for free at least.

[JMAN1111]

The bmw oil is crap. Run liqui moly folks. I'm running them in all my v8s… 4 of them and zero issues with consumption but when I used the bmw oil that stuff is straight garbage 😂

[JMAN1111]

Originally Posted by bhkj9999

has anybody checked this law settlement with your local dealer?

looks like if our car failed the oil consumption test, we'll get a new engine, if not, we can get some oil for free at least.

Originally Posted by bhkj9999

has anybody checked this law settlement with your local dealer?

looks like if our car failed the oil consumption test, we'll get a new engine, if not, we can get some oil for free at least.

Not yet but I'm going to try might as well

Update I tried and they told me there's nothing yet

[bhkj9999]

I received a letter from "United States District Court for the District of New Jersey", the content of the letter basically like this pdf file Settlement PDF File.

By looking at the structure of the URL, it is uploaded on Sep 2021, maybe dealers are willing to do something for us now?

I went to my local dealer back in early November while my warranty wasn't expired at that time, they found an active leak and replace two pipes and top up the oil for me, and stated that "oil consumption is actually a leak".

After another 1000 miles drive, I am gonna see if it is fixed or not and how much oil I have.

We'll see.

Originally Posted by JMAN1111

Not yet but I'm going to try might as well ��