35D Faulty Oil Level Sensor or Something Else??

[2014BMW320iMSport]

Trying to figure out if my oil level sensor is faulty but at the same time if I also have an oil leak somewhere.

Using the iDrive information, my oil level fluctuates between full, slightly full, and sometime at the minimum which to me indicates the sensor is faulty. On two occasions when it showed it was at the minimum level I added a quart, which then showed immediately that it was now up to the maximum level.

However, each time I added a full quart, after a day or two, I noticed oil on the ground in my driveway. After opening the hood it appears to have come from the oil cap filler neck. The first time I figured it might be the oil cap so I got a new one. But this happened again the second time. It's quite a bit of oil that runs down the passenger side of the engine down to the axle. Does not look like a slow drip. There is oil around the filler neck housing.

However, in each of these first two occasions after a few days there is no more oil leaking on the ground which I presumed meant the oil level sensor went is going bad and I am overfilling it.

It happened again over the weekend but this time it went from slightly above the minimum to well below as the engine icon turned red and I got the message to stop driving and ad a quart. Added one quart again and it went to maximum oil levels which makes no sense. Again oil leaking on the drive way.

I can't image that one quart can cause the oil level to go from red/well below mimimum to max/filled up.

Going to replace the oil level sensor but could there be a leak as well near the top of the engine somewhere that doesn't leak until I fill up oil (meaning if the oil is low the leak stops).

Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question but I am not the most mechanically knowledgable about oil leaks. Could the valve cover gasket also be bad or the PCV valve bad?

[beeeemerboy]

Have you checked the dipstick? If you check the owner's manual, pretty sure it states that the gap between minimum and maximum is no more than a quart.

I'm having the same issues as you, it will read minimum, in the middle, sometimes max. Not really sure. I'm not able to deal with it until it's warm out so I'm just checking the dipstick instead.

[RL18]

Check the dipstick like a normal vehicle. If It says low on the IDrive always check it against the dipstick. This is the way to know if it’s working or not. You can’t be adding oil for no reason because the sensor says so. It’s not there go off of It’s a warning. Overfilling oil can cause foaming, not good, foam doesn’t lubricate.

So check your oil level on the dipstick immediately to be sure. Drive up to temp. Once you park and turn off wait 5mins and then check the oil level on the dipstick. If you’re overfilled you need to siphon it out from the dipstick or drain the oil and refill to the proper level.

[2014BMW320iMSport]

[QUOTE=beeeemerboy;32586801]Have you checked the dipstick?

The 2012 BMW X5 3.5D has no dipstick regretably so now way to check until I drain the oil on an oil change.

[jbash87]

[QUOTE=2014BMW320iMSport;32587394]

Originally Posted by beeeemerboy

Have you checked the dipstick?

The 2012 BMW X5 3.5D has no dipstick regretably so now way to check until I drain the oil on an oil change.

False. It's there. Under the intake tube on the driver's side (LHD).