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Oil Level Too High

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Old 12-16-2009, 02:47 PM
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Those damn electronics. :thumbsdown:
Old 12-17-2009, 03:14 AM
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Originally Posted by asem111' post='1074884' date='Dec 16 2009, 06:17 PM
So this afternoon, I got a call from the dealer. He said they replaced the oil level sensor, drained all the oil, and filled it back to what the appropriate level should be, and the car is STILL throwing the fault code!!
They can't figure out why the car would do that, and they called BMW NA to check with them to get additional guidance from them. So, no good news today. Gotta wait till tomorrow.
Good luck it sound like you got a wierd problem there.

Maybe the idrive part needs reprogramming. When they add something to the car, like CD / MP3 player or any other electronic component they usually have to reprogramme the idrive software, so maybe iti s not recognising and therefore not calibrating the new sensor, that's just quess on my part !

Anyway, be interested to hear what they do to the car and how they fix it.
Old 12-17-2009, 08:08 AM
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I drove about 2500 kms with this problem, just to notice it when I was back from my skiing trip last February. Went back to the dealer, and they took care of it. The car is fine ever since - mind you it's a 525xd...
Old 12-17-2009, 06:17 PM
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Dealer called me saying they fixed the issue.
They said the oil level was fine throughout (as shown by the dipstick...'08 550s have dipsticks??), so they changed the sensor, and 'cleared oil disturbed valves in the CBS Data'.
that seemed to clear the warning message.
I picked up the car this evening, and the oil level showed it was at the max where it should be.
10 miles out and a couple of miles from home, the frikken message 'Oil Level too high' shows up again!!! WTF. i could not believe it

I'm going to call them back and take the car in again in the morning.
Old 12-18-2009, 01:55 AM
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Originally Posted by asem111' post='1075612' date='Dec 17 2009, 10:17 PM
Dealer called me saying they fixed the issue.
They said the oil level was fine throughout (as shown by the dipstick...'08 550s have dipsticks??), so they changed the sensor, and 'cleared oil disturbed valves in the CBS Data'.
that seemed to clear the warning message.
I picked up the car this evening, and the oil level showed it was at the max where it should be.
10 miles out and a couple of miles from home, the frikken message 'Oil Level too high' shows up again!!! WTF. i could not believe it

I'm going to call them back and take the car in again in the morning.
Looks like this could be a calibration issue with the sensor. With a new sensor, cleaned compents, cleared fault code removed, it must be calibration.

It is possible the new sensor is faulty, but unlikely. The sensor will be sensing oild level maybe every 1-2 mins or more and using the data via some algorithms to get an average oil level. This will stop the sensor showing too high when you say, park on a kerb with the car at an angle or too low when parked on a hill., where the oil flows to one side of the car and away from the sensor.

In your case the sensor is responding immediately to the too low / too high level, which kind-of means the alorithms are not doing their job (hence the software is not doing its job) of balancing out the readings and taking an average. Particularly as you know from the dip-stick the level is good.

Therefore, I think they should reprogramme your idrive software personally. It might be that the original fault code screwed-up the idrive software. The other thing it could be is a kink in the wire to the sensor, sometimes the insulation breaks and they arc causing a fault, this can also happen in the plastic connector that clips to the sensor. They often become brittle due to engine heat and then crack and arc, thruogh the cracks,

Failing all that I would call BMW customer service in North America, they will take management of your issue up directly with the dealer. With BMW North America breathing down their neck, they'll soon fix it. But....this is really not what you want so close to the holiday season. And sorry to say that my opinion above is just a guess having has similar electrical problems.

Good luck, keep us updated.
Old 02-18-2010, 10:36 PM
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Originally Posted by higher
Looks like this could be a calibration issue with the sensor. With a new sensor, cleaned compents, cleared fault code removed, it must be calibration.

It is possible the new sensor is faulty, but unlikely. The sensor will be sensing oild level maybe every 1-2 mins or more and using the data via some algorithms to get an average oil level. This will stop the sensor showing too high when you say, park on a kerb with the car at an angle or too low when parked on a hill., where the oil flows to one side of the car and away from the sensor.

In your case the sensor is responding immediately to the too low / too high level, which kind-of means the alorithms are not doing their job (hence the software is not doing its job) of balancing out the readings and taking an average. Particularly as you know from the dip-stick the level is good.

Therefore, I think they should reprogramme your idrive software personally. It might be that the original fault code screwed-up the idrive software. The other thing it could be is a kink in the wire to the sensor, sometimes the insulation breaks and they arc causing a fault, this can also happen in the plastic connector that clips to the sensor. They often become brittle due to engine heat and then crack and arc, thruogh the cracks,

Failing all that I would call BMW customer service in North America, they will take management of your issue up directly with the dealer. With BMW North America breathing down their neck, they'll soon fix it. But....this is really not what you want so close to the holiday season. And sorry to say that my opinion above is just a guess having has similar electrical problems.

Good luck, keep us updated.

I just realized today that my oil level is too high...just got a CPO BMW 550[ 2008 (got it 1 month ago)

i will call dealer tomorrow
Old 02-20-2010, 05:42 AM
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Originally Posted by asem111
Hi there, I have a 2008 550i with about 28k miles. I just had an oil change done at the dealer 2 weeks ago.
The Oil Level Too High message shows in the Oil Level window (through the IDrive menu).
Is this something I should be concerned with i.e are there any drawbacks of having too much oil? Its not going to mess anything up in the engine area, leak out of somewhere, or affect performance or anythign, right?

Please let me know your thoguhts and if this warrants me going to the dealer to have them remove a bit to bring the level down.

Thanks.
does someone knows if we get the warning message of the oil level too high if we have the dipstick (545i).
And also what is too high? Mine is at the top of that red balloon past the max mark.
(I just didn't wanna start another tread since it's all related)
Old 02-21-2010, 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by nick1970
does someone knows if we get the warning message of the oil level too high if we have the dipstick (545i).
And also what is too high? Mine is at the top of that red balloon past the max mark.
(I just didn't wanna start another tread since it's all related)
in the idrive menu... it shows the level of oil

It was recalibration issue on my car
Old 02-21-2010, 08:29 PM
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Originally Posted by rolly888
in the idrive menu... it shows the level of oil

It was recalibration issue on my car
545i don't have the level in idrive. Mine doesn't anyways.
Old 03-09-2010, 10:35 AM
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So here's a (late) update.
I took my car in to the dealer the for the second time for the same warning message, on Dec 22nd.
It stayed there till Jan 23rd (or around that time)...yes, over 30 days!!

Here's what it went through during that time
1. Multiple oil changes to confirm oil was at the correct level - oil was always at the correct level.
2. Changed oil level sensor - made no difference.
3. Changed some of the wiring leading up to the sensor - made no difference.
4. Received multiple custom software updates from engineers at BMW NA. After each update, car had to be driven 60 miles. Therefore the complete process of one software update took 3 days minimum before they could tell whether the software changes made any difference- Nope..no difference.
5. Finally, BMW NA authorized changing out the DME (aka ECU). That made the difference. It was a $2000 part change, and they waited for BMW to authorize this change. This was on day 31.

I had a few words with the dealer, and BMW NA all alone, who basically said that they have to authorize any and every thing that that dealer does, in cases like this when they don't really know what the cause, and fix, is. At the end of January, BMW NA customer Rep did say that the Service Manager at the dealership will be sending me a token $ check to make up for the time my car was with them. They said they give this cash to the dealerships for situations like this.
Till this date, no check received. I emailed the service manager who said he was looking into it, about 2 weeks ago. Nothing yet.

I love my car, but I hate the way the stealers and BMW NA handled my situation. They waited till almost 30 days to authorize a $2k part, just cause of the cost of the part. My personal feeling is that if the car has not been fixed in 7 days or more, do whatever it takes to satisfy the customer. They did not in this case.


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