Check control messages - STOP!ENGINE OILPRESS and CHECK ENGINE OIL LEV

[740ilDuke]

Hello fellow enthusiasts. I've read this thread and I think this is my issue. Mine does the exact same thing mentioned earlier.

No messages when cold. After 5-6 miles and it's warmed up. !STOP!ENGINE OIL PRESSURE! message appears. As soon I accelerate it goes away. If i gently hit the throttle I can watch it blink and eventually cut off around 1200rpms. The oil is not low and has just been changed. No over heating. Running at 104 KTMP.

In addition, I dropped the oil pan to check the pickup tube and it was clear, the pan didn't have any gunk in it. So I replaced the pan, and filled it back up with 5w-30.

Thanks to this board, I ordered the sensors. I may have one too many as one diagram stated there were two. One on the oil canister and another on the engine. I'm going to replace the one on the canister, and see what happens.

I must admit, it gives me some anxiety so see that message pop up on the heads up, and hear the gong. I'd like to install an analog gauge and code the oil pressure dummy light off.

Has anyone here actually lost their motor to this?

2001 X5
177k

[JCL]

Originally Posted by 740ilDuke

Has anyone here actually lost their motor to this?

Very unlikely. Safety sensors like this are designed to be failsafe, ie if the signal is lost or the switch fails, the light comes on even if the oil isn't really low. It won't fail by not indicating a low oil problem, it will fail by providing false positives. Certainly a nuisance, but not dangerous.

[740ilDuke]

Great to know! Thanks. Today I swapped the sensor and it seems to be ok so far. Test drove about 30 miles to get the oil HOT and start/stop to 'stress' the system and the light did not cut on. Paid $7 for the sensor, the other one was original and looked like hellfire.

[VintageRacer477]

Originally Posted by X5H

Started X this morning and the following messages were displayed

STOP!ENGINE OILPRESS and CHECK ENGINE OIL LEV

I immediately switch the engine off in case there wasnt enough oil. I checked oil level and all seemed fine. I then re-started engine and no messages displayed.

Could this have just been a temp error. I did an oil change about 3 days ago too

Thanks in advance

I changed oil & filter at 5,000 miles with no problems.

My dealer changed the oil & filter at 11,000 miles. 3 days later as I'm on a long bridge with nowhere to pull over, the low oil warning came on. Fortunately I was towing my Alfa Romeo club car in the race car trailer & when I was able to pulled off I added a quart from the extra oil in the trailer.

Last Sunday at 16,000 miles I changed the oil myself. After the previous experience, I took the X5d for a ride to warm it up, checked the oil level with the computerized system (remember - no real dipstick) and it showed it was fine.

On Monday we used the truck for quite a few miles & I checked it again. Same - oil level was fine.

On Tuesday (Day 3) after about 5 miles of driving the low oil warning again reared its ugly head. When I got home I added another quart.

We just returned from the Hilton Head Concours (1,000 miles of travel) and oil level shows OK. HOWEVER, a BMW guy I met there told me he has heard of this happening to other X5s. My dealer's SA says he has had it happen to X5Ms.

I just called BMW NA Customer Service and they tell me there is no mention of this in BMW's PuMA system.

Have you others experiencing this reported it to BMW, or have you left it up to your dealer to do so?

Cheers!

[JCL]

Originally Posted by VintageRacer477

I changed oil & filter at 5,000 miles with no problems.

<snip>

Your vehicle is an E70, not an E53. Would probably be better to post this in the E70 forum.

Also, I understood that the 35d had a dipstick, it was just the gasoline engines that lost dipsticks. Maybe they have taken it out now on the 2011 models, I am not sure.

[VintageRacer477]

JCL,

I'm aware of that. I ended up on the E53 forum as a result of doing a search for the problem. Looks like you guys have the same problem as those of us with E70s do.

I wonder why if this problem has persisted for so long why BMW hasn't solved it.

And no, 2011 X5d's do not have dipsticks. I wish they did.

[JCL]

We can certainly talk about it here, but then others with E70s looking for the information may not find it.

It appears you are getting the low oil level warning, not the low oil pressure warning that is mentioned elsewhere in this thread. If so, that isn't quite as scary as a possible loss of oil pressure. It can just be from the engine having consumed oil, or the initial fill after a change not being as much as required.

You may have a problem with the sensor, or with the software interpreting the signal from the sensor. If there is such a problem, it can be diagnosed at the dealer, I believe. There have been nuisance signals (false positives for low oil) before. This can be due to condensation in the sump as well as any sensor issues. Maybe this is more prevalent soon after draining the sump, if water collects in the sensor. I would suspect that oil additives could also affect the conductivity of the oil and confuse the program that calculates the level. One thing to keep in mind when measuring at different times is how much buffering there is in the signal and logic driving the display.

See the document below for details on the sensor. It has been used for several years, and hasn't in general been much of a problem. I have had several vehicles with this sensor, and have never had a problem myself.

Jeff

PS: Turner Mk 1? Cool.

[VintageRacer477]

Next step is back to dealer when I have time. Meanwhile, no leaks visible & weekly checks of oil level.

[ArtMan]

Originally Posted by 740ilDuke

Great to know! Thanks. Today I swapped the sensor and it seems to be ok so far. Test drove about 30 miles to get the oil HOT and start/stop to 'stress' the system and the light did not cut on. Paid $7 for the sensor, the other one was original and looked like hellfire.

Hey just curious where did you buy it for $7?

I found this one eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

[740ilDuke]

Originally Posted by ArtMan

Hey just curious where did you buy it for $7?

I found this one eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

I had to buy the other one on the oil filter canister, but it came off eBay.