Engine Oil Level Went Down

[zjuyyhu]

Recently I noticed my 2012 X5 35i oil level went down a bit from Full. The bar on the screen is still green and way above Minimum. But I am still concerned on what was going on with the engine which is on 108k miles. I did not observe any oil drops on the floor or see any blue smoke from the exhaust pipe. The only change since last oil change was the oil brand. I used pennzoil platinum 0w40, instead of Mobil 1 0w40. Did anyone notice engine may consume more oil if the brand is different? I already put about 7k miles/ 7 months on the current oil and will get a new oil change soon before getting a low oil level warning. Thanks for your reading and sharing if any.

[Attacking Mid]

Perfectly normal and nothing to be concerned about.

AM.

[Dekero]

Perfectly normal for a Turbo car, oil blowby causes loss and I normally add about 1/2 to a full quart over the 5-7k miles between oil changes.

[zjuyyhu]

Originally Posted by Dekero

Perfectly normal for a Turbo car, oil blowby causes loss and I normally add about 1/2 to a full quart over the 5-7k miles between oil changes.

Thanks! I just changed oil brand back to Mobil 1 and see what will happen in next 12 months.

[Chrisnytx]

I recently had a "low oil" warning. When I measured it, the line was at the min and it was yellow. It told me to just ad 1 qt. I added 1 qt and checked and it was filled to the max level and the warning went away.

I am a new owner to this E70 (N55) and have driven 3k miles, I was told the last oil change was conducted ~ 1k miles prior to me purchasing it. I haven't noticed any oil stains.

Is this something I shouldbe worried about?

[SlowX6M]

I add a quart every 1000 miles, and thats ever after my valve seals have been replaced on the 5.0, before it was using up a quart every 200-300 miles. I think I have 75k on the clock now, the valve seals were replaced at around 60k.

Annoying, but the car seems to run and perform just fine, so I'm not too concerned.

[Dekero]

Originally Posted by Chrisnytx

I recently had a "low oil" warning. When I measured it, the line was at the min and it was yellow. It told me to just ad 1 qt. I added 1 qt and checked and it was filled to the max level and the warning went away.

I am a new owner to this E70 (N55) and have driven 3k miles, I was told the last oil change was conducted ~ 1k miles prior to me purchasing it. I haven't noticed any oil stains.

Is this something I shouldbe worried about?

I also have a 2013 X5 35I and am currrently at 220k miles... mind you I have replaced every gasket you can name except the head gasket...

The N55 is known to have substantial leaks at the Oil filter Housing Gasket and the Valve cover gaskets beginning at 75K+ miles... if you havent addressed these on your bmw ...you need to asap... most definetly the OFHG as it will tend to cause oil to leak down the front of the motor, which causes build up on the serpentine belt - weakening it to the point of shredding and is and has been known to get sucked in behind the Front crank seal and destroy the motor. (Add a crank seal guard as well as replace the belt and tensioner and idler pulleys when doing the OFHG for peace of mind)

Beyond those two major leaks... there is always the high probability your Oil pan gasket is seeping as well... this one can be ignored a little longer and just top off the lost oil... OR some have had success by 1/4 turn cranking down on all the pan gasket bolts(Be careful they are aluminum and WILL BREAK) by doing so they gain a few thousand more miles before inevitably having to replace it.


and Finally you are driving a Turbo equipped car that is known to have substantial Blow by of oil at the turbo housing which all things equal even if your motor is solid and sealed(Most BMWs are not and never were) you are still going to have a reduction in oil level between changes.


Best advice, take a second each week to flip over to the level screen and check... if its below minimum at all, add a quart. even BMW themselves recommend adding slightly more than required at refills to keep them from dealing with constant low oil complaints. on the N62/63 V8 motors they even recommend adding 2 quarts when the minimum guage drops below max.

Hope that helps some...

[Chrisnytx]

Wow!

That was very helpful! I really appreciate all of the tips! I will definitely look at all of the places you mentioned!

Thanks for the help and tips!