Dude! what to you mean the oil is a" tarry black"?

You may have a coolant leak- but forget about it and change the oil! Otherwise we will have the Lubrication Police come and drag you away....

well it was transparent brown in the beginning and turned black in time, I guess thats normal from what I've read in other posts, or should I start worrying about that now!???

As for the coolant, I went to the stealer earlier and he told me not to worry as it was normal to lose some during the hot weather season. He just poured a bit more and that was all. He did ask me however if the OBD signal came on to which I replied that it hadn't. Now I am wondering at what point the OBD signal comes on, is it when the floating rod is at min or is it well below that level??? I appreciate any enlightenment on this matter!

Should you worry about that now??? YES!

Change your oil!!! The oil change interval light system is good, but it is not GOD!
As a certified gear-head, I can tell you that if your oil is gooey black, you need to change it.

FWIW,

I get a check coolant warning message each morning if the outisde temperature is below 70F.

hmmm, but oil was added like 6 months ago (more than a liter) so I am a bit confused!!!

LOL, from what I gather every X5 seems to have its own personal quirks!

I politely disagree.

His oil is not gooey or tarry, from his post. His oil is the colour of black tar, which is a very different comment. What is wrong with that colour? The only reason that the oil colour is significant in this post is that it is not light beige, which would indicate that the missing coolant may be in the oil.

Checking the level is a good idea, and an annual change if there are low miles, but apart from that the indicator bars are pretty good. Let's not create problems where there aren't any.

Jeff

That is correct, I meant the color of the oil is tarry black, not its texture!

I also have a coolant leak which I've tracked down to a leak between the top and bottom halves of the expansion tank. It's a very small leak with minimal loss - approx 1/2 gallon of coolant since the beginning of the year. But it's readily apparent - there is coolant residue on the tank originating from the seam. I'm nearly due for an Insp 2, and I'll get the tank replaced then.

JCL and others are absolutely correct... black oil is not a problem. The service interval indicator is the single most important indicator of oil service life.

Happy Now? I know oil, and I know engines... when my oil gets dirty- I change it.
You do what you want.