With only a 400 rpm spread, it sounds to me like he's not talking about the movement, he's talking about the lower and upper limits of the bars.

I don't know of any change in the newer cars -- it wouldn't make too much sense -- I'm thinking the OP's car is operating normally. There are always a few white bars visible as a warning that you're approaching red line...

 

I wouldn't know unless the original poster clear it up.

But with my car on a warm day like now, when I start up it have 5 white bars but after a while 3 is left so it seems like there's no movement but it actually does have movement.

Maybe the poster could try the trick to test to see if everything in the dash is functioning correctly by having the key without starting the car in position 2, then press the trip button until some German comes up. Now I am not sure where exactly the menu is but I once accidently find out that such thing existed on our car when I try to reset the service interval.

Maybe some expert could chip in.

 

The number of white bars, and the range that it covers does change, and the 4,600-5,000rpm band is what is indicated when the engine has reached normal temperature. On an early-morning cold start, I have seen the bars on my car extend to run from about 3,900rpm all the way to the red line, and then they go away. Granted, they seem to go away in batches or chunks, rather than gradually. I have also noticed that they go away pretty quickly - one minute they are there and the next they are gone. This may have something to do with the fact that the diesel engines are turbocharged, and turbos get pretty hot pretty darn quick.

The range covered on starting does vary, especially as the days are getting warmer now. It is not unusual for me to come back to my car at 6pm, after it has been parked all day (8-9 hours), start it, and find that the bars cover only the 4,600-5,000rpm band. Earlier in the year, this would not happen. See what it looks like on a particularly cool morning - it should cover a wider rpm range. If that shows no difference, I'd be tempted to get a dealer to look at the thing.

MacSid

 

MacSid, the original poster is talking about LCI. All pre-LCI have this function, but looks like LCI does not.

 

You got me there! My knowledge of the LCI's is pretty thin.

 

Firstly, my apologies for leaving room for confusion. My tach shows 8 white bars evenly spaced in an arc between 4600 (maybe 4575) rpm and the red line at 5000 rpm and this does not vary with engine temperature. (Perhaps I should enter a caveat about what might happen on a wintry morning - there haven't been any since I took delivery at the end of April.) Furthermore, there is no mention of a variable band in my Owner's Handbook.

In light of other posts so far, it does seem there may no longer be any indicator that the engine has reached its unrestricted operating temperature, at least on some LCI diesels. Could this have resulted from a software bug, rather than an unannounced cost reduction?

 

On my diesel, the marks don't appear until the engine is started. Do yours disappear when the engine is off?

As for people saying that a warm day affects their readings... IIRC I always have about 16 gradations reducing to four.

I would be very surprised even a 35C day would cause the gradations to reduce to the "4-bar" "running temperature" of the coolant.

 

There are no white bars in my 520d LCI whatsoever. I was under the impression that this is yet another example of goodies that the 520d has been deprived of in comparison with its 6 and 8 cilinder siblings (like stop-and-go cruise control, optimal gear advice etc.).

 

No, the marks are always there, regardless of the "ignition" state.

 

Just when you think you have a perfect car. I can verify that on my LCI when started up this am. Outside temp 65F that I had the base 4 bars and not the white hash marks up to 4500rpm like my 545i.

Either it only shows up when its really cold or its not functioning. I think mal-function as irrespective on engine temp, it should not be revved past 4,500rpm for the first minute to get the oil fully circulated.