thats one of my guesses, 1 litre every 450 miles is aprox 2.2ml per mile, which is absolutely bugger all in a hot engine bay the size wales to be burnt unnoticed
Car using oil still....any ideas? (some legal advice too please)
- Thread starter rG-tom
- Start date
thats one of my guesses, 1 litre every 450 miles is aprox 2.2ml per mile, which is absolutely bugger all in a hot engine bay the size wales to be burnt unnoticed
Soldato
How big is the sump though?
Soldato
Put a bottle of stop-leak in it 
Soldato
depending on engine size, i know a 13litre volvo holds 33 litres! So a litre every 2k is nothing. The min and max on the dipstick is 8 litres
Soldato
I don't really like the stuff but have you tried getting some of that "high mileage" oil? Although some people have reported it to do nothing, others have said it's been absolutely brilliant in stopping oil consumption.
Good suggestion but they will be too thick.
LL04 is the same as LL01 just with lower SAPS limits (for DPF equipped vehicles) Either would be fine.
Caporegime
[TW]Fox;12385187 said:
I'd kind of gathered that bit!
more to the point, why do the later engines use so much?Quite a lot bigger - I grant you! - We are talking much abused trucks here mind, many well over 250k miles, relatively, the 3.0 BMW's consumption seems poor imo.
right, oil light came on again yesterday after 480 miles, so it's definitely not gone away, i get the feeling they perhaps put more oil in!
I left a message with the garage (multiple times in fact) last thursday, and on the owners mobile, and he still hasnt returned the call. Phoned today, and surprise surprise he's NOT in the office atm, this is starting to take the ****, how can i resolve something if i cant even get hold of the guy!?
GRRR.
Tom.
EDIT also people saying try a thicker oil, afaik 0w40 is as thick as this engine can take? (the 40 being how thick it is at temperature)
I left a message with the garage (multiple times in fact) last thursday, and on the owners mobile, and he still hasnt returned the call. Phoned today, and surprise surprise he's NOT in the office atm, this is starting to take the ****, how can i resolve something if i cant even get hold of the guy!?
GRRR.
Tom.
EDIT also people saying try a thicker oil, afaik 0w40 is as thick as this engine can take? (the 40 being how thick it is at temperature)
Soldato
Sytner BMW down here in Newport reccommend putting in a thicker oil when its past 100k.
They have told me that all older / higher mileage BMWs that come in for a service get Castrol Magnatec as standard. Don't know if you might want to try that.
Failing that, I am thinking about using some Amsoil as I know that the piston rings in my 535 are worn, but thats used half a litre in 3000 miles. Shame, because it looks like a really nice car.
They have told me that all older / higher mileage BMWs that come in for a service get Castrol Magnatec as standard. Don't know if you might want to try that.
Failing that, I am thinking about using some Amsoil as I know that the piston rings in my 535 are worn, but thats used half a litre in 3000 miles. Shame, because it looks like a really nice car.
Soldato
Unlucky, might be time to call trading standards to put the pressure on him to do the right thing.
ok finally got through to him, and he's said basically he's fairly sure HE can't find the problem, suggested i try the warranty that I got with the car (RAC) but otherwise it's gonna have to be the money back route, and then he'd need hard cold proof that it IS using oil as he can't see it.
hmm.
hmm.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
That would be very interesting because Magnetec is not an Approved oil and BMW franchised dealers cannot use unapproved oil.
Soldato
I very much doubt it's the oil itself causing the problem, so you really need to have it taken for longer term testing, but as said I certainly wouldn't accept it such a short time after buying it.
I know we say 100k miles is usually fine but who knows what's happened at any point during it's life, there could be an issue with seals/rings or anything. It gets very complicated trying to find causes to problems like this
Apologies if it's been suggested already in the thread but have you tried putting something like a big bit of wood or newspaper under the engine after getting home from a drive, to ensure it's not leaking?
I know we say 100k miles is usually fine but who knows what's happened at any point during it's life, there could be an issue with seals/rings or anything. It gets very complicated trying to find causes to problems like this
Apologies if it's been suggested already in the thread but have you tried putting something like a big bit of wood or newspaper under the engine after getting home from a drive, to ensure it's not leaking?
Sytner always used Mobil1 0w40 in mine before I started taking my own oil in. They've only seen it since the car has done over 100k.
Soldato
[TW]Fox;12425923 said:
Hmm, it is interesting. Sytner have only been in Newport a short while. Before that, it was some other franchise. My local independant puts comma in.
(I will double check this when I see him on Friday as I haven't been there in a while, but thats what he was definately using)I did a bit of homework and you are right. Although the Castrol website says Magnatec is one of the oils you can use, it doesn't have a BMW approval indicated and if you look at for example the MB approval, its for an older spec (229.1) which is equivalent of BMW LL98 whereas LL04 is equivalent to MB 229.5.
How confusing. Saying that mind you, I don't think that older BMWs such as mine had long life drain intervals in mind as the service lights count down to 0 in about 6000 miles, which is when I like to change it anyway.
Just as a matter of interest, would we be better clubbing together and doing a group buy for Edge or maybe Fuchs Titan LL04?
Go to Costco if you can - 4l of Mobil 1 0w40 for £19.99.
Soldato
Before you start Fox I am not being cynical or doom mongering.
Out of interest if BMW allow a litre every 750 miles I take that is from new. Does that figure change to allow for mileage so a warranty claim saying extra consumption was due to mileage and fair wear and tear?
Out of interest if BMW allow a litre every 750 miles I take that is from new. Does that figure change to allow for mileage so a warranty claim saying extra consumption was due to mileage and fair wear and tear?
No, its an arbitary figure. I've already said I think it's there for arse covering reasons