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Check you coolant and make sure you don't have oil in there. If you do, you have a blown head gasket (I don't believe this is a problem area for the V-8s). Have car overheated?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwalsh22

I went out, checked the dip stick (it was completely dry), added half a quart, waited, checked the dip stick (still dry). Then I added the rest of the quart and waited some more. I checked the dip stick and it was just below the minimum line. I added another 1/2 quart and waited and checked the dip stick. I plan on changing the oil this weekend, so I wasn't too worried about getting it completely full, just in the middle. As of right now, there doesn't seem to be an oil leak, or consumption problem. No signs of oil leaks where I parked it last night, and no sign of excessive oil consumption in the exhaust. I do, however, get a wierd sound as the car is warming up. I know these engines aren't supposed to sound beautiful as they are warming up, but this sound makes the worst music you ever heard sound like Mozart. It's a puffing sound, starts quiet and gets louder and stays until it gets completely warmed up. The exhaust even pulses with the sound. Any guesses you guys?

No leaks and no oil consumption?Where has all the oil gone?
You say there are no signs of oil on the ground where you park but have you checked on the plastic protectionsThe oil could be accumulating there!Just pop down the plastic where your oil drain plug is.

Have you checked for signs of oil in your coolant?
The puffing sounds could be your coolant boiling up or an exhaust leak or even something major like a blown head gasket!

Can you determine where these "noises" are coming from?Are they coming from the engine head?
What X5 engine do you have?

No oil anywhere - none on the ground, no collecting in the plastic door below the drain plug, and I'll check the coolant. If I did have a blown head gasket, wouldn't I be able to tell? I've never had that happen to me on a car before, but it seems like I would notice, doesn't it?

If you had a leaking headgasket, you'd be leaving a trail of white smoke.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwalsh22

You are right,you would notice it!Its just so weird that you are loosing all that oil in so few miles!I have two very experienced mechanics here working for me(one was ex-Bmw) and from what you are telling us,even they dont
know what else could be affecting your oil consumption!
Do let us know how the oil consumption behaves after your oil change this weekend.Good luck.

A compression test and leakdown test would confirm a healthy or failing headgasket and also the health of your piston rings.

JWalsh:
based on your post of Nov. 21, I'd be concerned too, if my stick was dry here in early Feb.: Down a qtish or even a qt and half, depending upon how many miles I drove, but oil light on and dry stick? Something is amiss or none of us has heard the whole story.
GL

"11-21-2005, 11:29 PM
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: X5world
Posts: 145

I just changed my oil and normally I only add 7 litres, but I ended up adding 7.5 litres to get the level smack dab in the middle of the dipstick. I'll have to see if it seems to be low again any time soon. What oil are you using? I usually add oil every once and a while between changes, but not that much so soon."

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinuneuro

A compression test and/or leakdown test would confirm a healthy or failing headgasket.

Its very difficult sometimes to try and guess what is wrong with a car when a non-mechanically minded customer calls us and says he/she has a certain problem with their car!We can be on the phone for how long but then when the car comes in ,the problem is normally quickly traced!

From what jwalsh22 is telling us about his high oil consumption,it is very weird!I Am very interested to find out what the problem is!The same goes for our member with the "jumping timing chain"!!!!!!!!

I get a enormous satisfaction in resolving quickly a mechanical/electronic problem.One always thinks the worst but sometimes the problem is so simple and non-mechanically related!

I'm going to bet the problem is owner error. I bet he didn't check the oil for 3000+ miles, during which time it dropped 1.5-2 quarts. Remember he only filled it to the middle of the stick, and this may have been without starting the motor first to fill the newly replaced oil filter. Then it wasn't checked at all and a half quart was added two weeks ago, again without checking. Then when his light came on, he went, hmm, something is wrong here, I better look at the stick again.

Cary, I agree with you. I was trying to nudge JW in my prev. post. I suspect it was never full and 2 1/2 months later...it happens.
BR,md