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briana View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: oil consumption E39 2001
    Posted: 22-July-2004 at 00:59

This is my first post to the forum

I own 2001 520i using 1 litre of slx Castrol oil per 1500/1800 mls

is this normal !! this is my first BMW to use such amounts of oil.

 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 01:10

Sounds excessive

 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 08:28

BF

Its higher than I would like, but I think its within tolerences for a modern engine.  What mileage have you got on the car?  I've read that some consumption is reasonably to be expected on a new or low mileage car (especially if it is subject to a lot of cold starts and short runs) but that it should settle down as the miles start to build.  I guess its more important to know if it has suddenly started using it or if the usage has been consistent at that level?

As a '01 car, there is no known issue that I've heard of the "nikasil" type that affects earlier e39 6's.  Having said that, in the UK there seems to be no price premium for an m54 engine (2.2 170bhp, 2.5 193bhp, etc.) car over a similar age M52 (2.0 150bhp, 2.5 170bhp, 2.8 193bhp) despite the extra power, fuel efficiency, etc.  I've wondered why.  Maybe some of our UK colleagues have some input on that?  Any whispers of problems?

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 08:29
Originally posted by briana briana wrote:

This is my first post to the forum

I own 2001 520i using 1 litre of slx Castrol oil per 1500/1800 mls

is this normal !! this is my first BMW to use such amounts of oil.

 

 

Whoa, Something definately wrong there.

I've a 2000 520i, serviced 8,000 miles ago, and never topped up, -still full.

Your either leaking it or burning it.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 09:07
moved to a technical forum for more replies!
Current: 2009 E60 520d "Sport" tractor
Previous: 1989 E30 320i SE
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 09:53

i "clicked here "but nothing happened.....jas

[img]http://jasphotos[/img/
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 10:17
@ jasper - see No names no pack drill!!!! about the device
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 11:59

Briana

I am a 330 driver (although I'm sure the following applies to most bmw engines)

I am using about 1 litre every 2000 miles, with 60K on the clock, I have been speaking to scothall hampshire about the oil use and they took the car in for part 1 of an oil consumption test last friday (basically they drain the oil and fill it with a measured amount to fill it exactly) i was then told to do 600 miles (due tomorrow) and take it back for part 2 where they measure how much has been used etc.

The guy at the dealership has said that bmw class 1 litre every 600 miles plus as normal any less and they will look into it. . It does seem quite excessive to me that 1 litre every 600 miles is deemed to be normal but thats life I guess.

Of course I am assuming that there is no leak anywhere on your car or excessive blue smoke etc..

Hope this helps calm your nerves

 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 13:16
Originally posted by Dergside Dergside wrote:

BF

Its higher than I would like, but I think its within tolerences for a modern engine.  What mileage have you got on the car?  I've read that some consumption is reasonably to be expected on a new or low mileage car (especially if it is subject to a lot of cold starts and short runs) but that it should settle down as the miles start to build.  I guess its more important to know if it has suddenly started using it or if the usage has been consistent at that level?

As a '01 car, there is no known issue that I've heard of the "nikasil" type that affects earlier e39 6's.  Having said that, in the UK there seems to be no price premium for an m54 engine (2.2 170bhp, 2.5 193bhp, etc.) car over a similar age M52 (2.0 150bhp, 2.5 170bhp, 2.8 193bhp) despite the extra power, fuel efficiency, etc.  I've wondered why.  Maybe some of our UK colleagues have some input on that?  Any whispers of problems?

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 13:39

thanks for your replys guys

milage on the car 50k no blue smoke no leaks no irregular running etc,

mpg steady as a rock.........................

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 15:10

I'm Intrigued by the reply's your getting briana.

My understanding was engines will use some oil for their run in period, and then settle down, I've had three BM's and none off them ever used a drop of oil.

To satisfy myself I'm not mad, I went out and dipped the car here at work where it's been parked on the level for a good few hour's, still the same level as when when it came out of service, and that was around 8000 miles ago.

So I'm amazed to hear some of you guy's using a litre/ 600 miles and being told its normal!!!!!

If that's the case the oil pump in mine must be shot, and the oil in my lump is not even getting to the cylinder's!! - JOKE

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 16:23
It does seem odd  to me that some engine use effectivly no oil and others are drinking it at a rate of knots. But having said that I dont want to pay an arm and a leg to bmw to investigate a non existant problem and replace parts that dont resolve the oil consumption. If any knows why some do and some dont i would love to hear about it.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 16:41

Originally posted by Carbon330 Carbon330 wrote:

It does seem odd  to me that some engine use effectivly no oil and others are drinking it at a rate of knots. But having said that I dont want to pay an arm and a leg to bmw to investigate a non existant problem and replace parts that dont resolve the oil consumption. If any knows why some do and some dont i would love to hear about it.

 

So would I Carbon330

I'm all ears

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 18:29

Well heres the next installment in this story, on my way home tonight (having covered 590 miles) my oil light came on. The car is due at Scothall tomorrow for part two of the test so I will see what they have to say about this issue (I'm away this weekend, so the update may have to wait till next week, but if you would like to know, I will make sure I keep you all updated).

Regards Andy

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 19:36

I use no oil between services on my 2001 E39 2.3 (2.5l)

Mike

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-July-2004 at 22:48

Hi, from my experience it does vary quite dramatically, some engines can use no oil, some the max amount as prev stated, most somewhere inbetween. Perfectly acceptable level is .7l/1000km. Worse during first 8-10k miles, settles down after but prob always use some. I think its consumption is affected by how the car is driven during the early period!

Cheers, Dan

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-July-2004 at 00:28
Originally posted by 318is-joe 318is-joe wrote:

I'm Intrigued by the reply's your getting briana.

My understanding was engines will use some oil for their run in period, and then settle down, I've had three BM's and none off them ever used a drop of oil.

To satisfy myself I'm not mad, I went out and dipped the car here at work where it's been parked on the level for a good few hour's, still the same level as when when it came out of service, and that was around 8000 miles ago.

So I'm amazed to hear some of you guy's using a litre/ 600 miles and being told its normal!!!!!

If that's the case the oil pump in mine must be shot, and the oil in my lump is not even getting to the cylinder's!! - JOKE

Joe - over the past 120k miles or so I've never had to add a drop of oil to any of the BMW's I've owned (5 and counting), but with the range of production tolerences, general wear and tear, etc. regular top ups are par for the course in many cases.  Having said that, I know which car I'd prefer to be buying with 150k up, one that hasn't used oil won't have run low just because the owner doesn't dip it regularly.

The cynical side of me wonders if its a coincidence that acceptable levels of oil consumption seems to be rising as service intervals extend.  If the engine is using some, then there's probably very little of the original oil left 12k after the last service.  Get it to use a little more and extend the interval to 15k.

Now: BMW 523i SE '00, 318i SE - e91 '07, 325i Coupe '93.

Prev:
e46 328i SE Touring, 330Ci, 318Ci.
e39 523i SE.
e36 325i Coupe *2, 323i SE, 316iSE.
e30 325iSE 2dr, 320i Conv, 320i 2dr, 316i.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-July-2004 at 08:51

I realise production tolerance's would have an effect, having said that engine spec tolerance's for a BMW "I'd expect", but stand to be corrected, would be a lot tighter than your peugeot, ford, or opel. In all fairness, if you spend the money on a set af wheels as pricey as the BMW marque, you should be able to expect high quality, part of what that quality provides would in my mind, be low to zero oil consumption. I do dip the engine now and again, but the level never moves, so it begins to get boring finding the same result all the time. I dip so i never witness the red oil can blink at me at eighty or ninety, and hear the big end meeting the journals.

I spoke to a engine test tech that worked for ford on their zetec engine assembly and test lines in luton or somewhere near dagenham, their marketable product would be say a 2 litre 16v zetec unit with say a claimed 140bhp, on the test bed anything over 120bhp to 150bhp was deemed acceptable, not going off the point but there is and has to be a tolerance, on many claimed engine spec's, a porsche power plant if claimed to provide 200bhp would be tested to acheive min 195bhp or reworked - found this out on a tour of the Porsche factory in Stutgart.

The production spec's on the ford at manufacture, for ring end gap, crank float, etc were much more than a service manual would have you beleive, as required during consequent service and repair. I'd love to talk to someone who worked the test benches in the Bavarian outfit.

So if you get a lemon engine built on a monday morning, with all it's component's dimensions at the opposite end's of where they should be, it is safe to assume the performance / compression / oil consumption will be adverse to the friday evening built engine with all it's bit's and bob's at a tighter tolerance. The testing should not allow the monday morning engine out the door, the tolerance to which they reject, I feel for a quality product should be higher.

I dunno, If i had a recent car with decent mileage that i'd paid big money for, and had to top up the oil ever time I filled the tank, I'd be more than annoyed, It would take me back to my first car, a crossflow cvh ford, that I used to put a tenner of petrol into and a fiver of oil, every week. Ah the day's before the NCT, blue smoke came out the exhaust, and not from the tyres.

 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-July-2004 at 21:25
Personally i'd question whether any car with reasonable mileage and regular servicing should be using 0.7l per 1000 miles. If it is, it sounds like excessive wear and tear which shouldn't be down to the driver in most cases. Has it been shown in any survey that BMW drivers are more agressive and therefore put more pressure on engine components, gaskets & rings etc ?.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-July-2004 at 22:49
As its an oil related issue, try asking our new oil man, he seems quite knowledgeable, and wont have a vested interest in telling you its normal.
Best Wishes

Nigel

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