50i oil consumption

[EZDozzit]

Actually, talk to your service advisor and ask him to hook you up with extra quarts of oil. That's what I did so I don't have to take it into BMW to have it topped off. I just add the oil myself.

[Car_Girl]

I know this is an old thread but I did a search in this forum before posting a similar question.

I picked up a 2013 X5 5.0i last week and since I'm a prior BMW owner and was in a rush to get back to work, I left without having the salesman walk me through all the features and functions. When I got home, I was familiarizing myself with the menus and wandered into the Vehicle Info screen where I found a warning message that the oil level was too high. The next day, I visited the dealer service department. This is what I was told.

The display warning was perfectly normal for the break-in period. There's nothing wrong with the vehicle.

There's a TSB out on the vehicle that says if the low oil warning comes on and the display says to add 1 Qt of oil, then add 2 Qts, not one. I was told just to come to the dealer at any time and they'll top it off. I was also told that for M Cars, it's not unusual to consume oil at a rate of 1 Qt for every 400 miles. Isn't that unbelievable? That's just over one tank of fuel before the next Qt has to be added. Like any of us have time to stop at the dealer every time or every other time we fuel up? GIVE ME A BREAK!

I was also told (and this is more curious than believable without further explanation from a real engine-knowledgeable person) that the consumption has to do with the engine design where the headers protrude out of the top of the engine instead of the bottom. Being an engineer, this explanation wasn't good enough. I just nodded my head and said ok but in the back of my mind, I was running through technical justification to try to explain to myself why oil consumption would be ok. (Little did these gentlemen know that I've torn apart engines and transmissions and spent 10 years working on powertrain electronic controls but for the life of me, I couldn't understand why they thought it was OK to tell me that the header design causes high oil consumption. I'd honestly love to know why this would be true so if anyone knows, perhaps we could all learn the technical reason behind this claim? I certainly don't claim to know all but this just doesn't seem logical. Had he mentioned something about dual turbos and air/oil separators and how some of the oil consumption isn't actually consumed, but caught as part of the way the AOS operates, well, I could believe that explanation but if the oil isn't getting caught in the AOS, then it's either burned or leaking out of the engine. If it's getting burned, then high emissions would result and that's not OK per CARB here in the US. If it's leaking, then the EPA might have an issue with it, although it's probably not worthy of any recourse in their minds.)

Anyway, for those interested, I found a Service Bulletin: SIB-11-08-12, NHTSA ID #10046859B which states, "Due to damaged seal ring, during assembly, engine oil is leaking from engine oil pump volume control valve gasket seal ring. models e70, e71, f01, f02, f04, f07, f10, f12, f13. no model years listed. *pe". (I don't know what the *pe means but I found this Service Bulletin on more than one site and they all say the same thing.)

I'm assuming that the problem only exists with models that were built prior to the issuance of the Service Bulletin because I'd like to think that the OEM already implemented a fix before they issued the Service Bulletin (on or around the same time) so a newer car like the one I just bought, should have been built without the problem. Time will tell I suppose.

What I do know is that after driving for a week (approximately 200 miles), the warning message I saw at the beginning of my ownership has already disappeared. I don't know how 'high' the oil level was when the warning level came on, but now I'll be watching for the 'oil level too low' warning message and will jot down the mileage. If indeed the dealer will be adding 2 Qts of oil, I hope it's not for a couple thousand miles at least.

I'm concerned that this oil consumption issue might become a constant monitoring nightmare and that going on a trip means that we have to include several quarts of oil so we can avoid having to stop at a dealer on the way. It seems BMW ought to give us oil for free because of this known consumption issue.

I'll post more as my vehicle reaches its first top-off.

[ard]

Originally Posted by Car_Girl

I was also told that for M Cars, it's not unusual to consume oil at a rate of 1 Qt for every 400 miles. Isn't that unbelievable?

Yes, it is.

As I recall the 'action limit' for a dealer to tear apart a motor is 1 liter per 1000km. About a quart every 600 miles.

I couldn't understand why they thought it was OK to tell me that the header design causes ...

A few reasons come to mind:

1. You're a girl
2. They are used to talking to people that dont know, and are emboldened to fabricate
3. They are generally ignorant and only hear BMWs corporate spin, which they accept as gospel...

Pick any mix...

I'm concerned that this oil consumption issue might become a constant monitoring nightmare and that going on a trip means that we have to include several quarts of oil so we can avoid having to stop at a dealer on the way. It seems BMW ought to give us oil for free because of this known consumption issue.

I'll post more as my vehicle reaches its first top-off.

Just buy a case of oil in plop it in the garage.... I hate having to go to the dealership.

[J.Belknap]

The ring gap is a little loose. No big deal. Top it off and carry on.

[Car_Girl]

@ard - I wish there was a Facebook 'Like' button for your post! Loved your response - thanks!



@J.Belknap - I think I'll go fill my turn signal fluid while I'm at it.


As a side note, I haven't noticed any foul exhaust odors. No blue smoke on idle, accel or decel. No drips under the car except for water from running the AC in our recent 90 degree weather but that's about it. So far, so good!

[ard]

Originally Posted by Car_Girl

@ard - I wish there was a Facebook 'Like' button for your post! Loved your response - thanks!

Little known fact- each post here has a 'scale' icon in the upper right of the post...click it.

Actually I dont think it does anything, nothing is tallied, nothing is really done with it, but you can say 'cool post' and maybe the poster sees it one day.

[J.Belknap]

Originally Posted by Car_Girl

@J.Belknap - I think I'll go fill my turn signal fluid while I'm at it.

Whatever makes you feel better.

[Car_Girl]

Lol!