BMW x30i m54 engine: High Oil Usage?

rG-tom

rG-tom

rG-tom

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Hey guys,

Just wondering if any of you guys know what might be causing the m54 engine to be using a high amount of oil? There is one common failure on them which is the bmw equiv of the pcv valve but that only seems to be in really cold climates and causes a LOT of smoke.

I didn't check the oil level when i picked the car up, and Ive had the car about 1000 miles, oil light came on about 500 miles after picking it up (the oil level reminder light that bmws have not the "OMG NO OIL PRESSURE" light), so i topped it up with 1l of BMW LL01 approved mobile 0w40 and thought nothing of it as i didnt know the level when i bought it. This brought it to the max line on the dipstick.

Oil light popped on again last night, but i live on a hill so couldnt check the oil, and then again this morning so i checked it on the dipstick. The oil right on the minimum line. So that's 1 litre of expensive oil in 500 miles, I think i'm reaching RX8 oil usage here!

The car has a 6 month warranty with it so hopefully whatever it is will be resolved by this, but wonder if anyone has any ideas? it had an inspection 2 3000 miles ago and there was nothing flagged there, and the car still runs fine :s

Tom.

EDIT and before anyone says it, no im not hammering ive been averaging around 23mpg on my commute etc, and that includes NSL country roads and stop start traffic through towns, about 5-6mpg more than i was getting in the mondeo!
 
Definately not right, as its in warranty I'd be inclined to just take it back in to BMW. Is it definately meant to be 0w40 oil that you use? Sounds quite thin, can't remember what I used in my old 323 (was M52 anyways so doesn't matter).

Only 23mpg doesn't sound good though, i used to average around 28-30mpg in the 323 in London traffic and people always rave on how the 328/330 is more or less the same mpg wise. For info i actually get through about 0.5 litres every 1000 miles in my RX-8!

NS

Edit - I thought it was meant to be 5w40? maybe the 0w40 is too thin and getting burned off? (sorry, dont know how but I know if its too thin it gets through places it shouldn't?? lol)
 
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23mpg in a mix of hilly twisty NSL roads (not being feather footed but not hooning the **** out of it) and mixed in with stop start cold town driving isnt bad at all for the car from speaking to other owners

The exact oil is meant to be 0w30 but the handbook also says 0w40 is fine too, and it meets the BMW LL01 standard, Olly uses it permanantly in his car.

The warranty isnt a bmw one, it's an RAC one so im gonna have to read into how that works!

Tom.
 
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PMKeates said:
Did you check the oil according to the instructions in the hand book?

If not then it's possible you have a faulty oil level sensor.
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drove it for about 15-20 minutes, temp gauge was up to full after about 10 and parked it for 5 minutes on flat ground, then checked.

strangely, oil light didnt come on that time
 
Mine uses 1 litre every 3 to 4k. BMW tolerance is 1 litre every 600 miles but general feeling is that something is wrong if you dont get at least 1500 miles between top ups.
 
[TW]Fox;12029421 said:
Mine uses 1 litre every 3 to 4k. BMW tolerance is 1 litre every 600 miles but general feeling is that something is wrong if you dont get at least 1500 miles between top ups.
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i'm not trying to debate that something is wrong, i want to know what! :p
 
I think failed VANOS seals can increase consumption. Virtually impossible to diagnose unless you run the car on a rolling road.
 
[TW]Fox;12029535 said:
I think failed VANOS seals can increase consumption. Virtually impossible to diagnose unless you run the car on a rolling road.
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great.....that's still nearly a month away too :rolleyes:
 
[TW]Fox;12029421 said:
BMW tolerance is 1 litre every 600 miles
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Wow! Really that much? I know some engines use more than others, but 1 litre for every 600 miles driven sounds high.

Tom, you tried looking for any of the obvious stuff like an oil leak from somewhere?
 
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how can i try it :p

But no there is nothing on the drive, but it is stones with dirt underneath so seeing it is quite hard to see unless it's really big and a dry day
 
Put some plasterboard or wood sheets under engine and check later, it'll show up anything dripping.

Other way is to use dipstick to check rather than the warning system, will let you see if it's a sensor or not. Though as you've said you added 1l and it took it to top of dipstick i'm doubting that, still worth checking the obvious before thinking it's something very bad.
 
[TW]Fox;12029421 said:
Mine uses 1 litre every 3 to 4k. BMW tolerance is 1 litre every 600 miles but general feeling is that something is wrong if you dont get at least 1500 miles between top ups.
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I don't want to jinx it but I had expected fairly high oil usage in my z4 since it has the same engine but so far its hardly budged to my eye in 5k miles. :confused:

1 litre every 600 miles is ridiculous quite frankly.
 
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gobbo said:
Wow! Really that much? I know some engines use more than others, but 1 litre for every 600 miles driven sounds high.
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There are quite a few engines with ridiculous 'allowable' oil consumption. I'd be shocked if any 'normal' car I ever own used that much!

Adam_D200 said:
I don't want to jinx it but I had expected fairly high oil usage in my z4 since it has the same engine but so far its hardly budged to my eye in 5k miles.
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My CTR didn't budge in over 8k miles. I haven't a clue what oil was in it before, but since changing to another brand it seems to use about half a litre every 2k miles.
 
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Crikey, that's a lot of oil, I don't think diesels use that much oil!

I would run it for a little longer then try RAC, they may try everything to get out of it though :(
 
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