According to this if the light goes on for 10 seconds after startup then turns off and the oil level is fine, the oil level sensor is bad:
Low oil (warning) until oil/engine gets to the operating temp. | E46 Fanatics Forum
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If unsure about the current dipstick’s accuracy, on the next oil & filter change pour in exactly what the manual says is the engine oil capacity, then after the engine has been operated enough to move the oil into its normal position take a look at the dipstick. The oil level should be very close to the “full” line.
If that’s ok, and the warning light still misbehaves, either the sensor is inaccurate (compare with a known good gauge) , or there’s something wrong with the engine. If so, whatever is faulty is probably not be a show-stopper at this point, but should be carefully monitored. Changing the oil and filter more frequently never hurts, could help, w/this sort of problem. Best of luck.
color me confused…
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Well you can’t always go by what the manual says either, or can you. Our olds manual said 7 quarts, but the dipstick said it was down a quart. So I asked the dealer which to believe? They said the dipstick. So for 200,000 miles I alway put in 8 quarts instead of 7. Never seemed to have any over filling problems but I still don’t know which was correct.
I’ve been lucky I guess, the owner’s manual and dipstick have always closely agreed on all of my current and prior vehicles. Whatever small differences I observed I put down to the oil filter.
If the pan is off, also check the filter on the oil pickup arm.
I wonder how many diy’ers have ever removed their car’s oil pan? I never have. You’d think this would be something car-hobby diy’ers would enjoy doing, if only just to see how it is all put together. Too much oil & dirt to deal with I guess. Plus the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mantra.
Remove the oil pan from your truck, George.
Then come back and tell us how enjoyable it was.
Tester
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I may not be the best to ask. Every spring, part of routine spring cleaning, I snake out all my plumbing’s drain and vent pipes. I just finished, and found that job pretty enjoyable. I even have a hankering to buy a plumber’s endosocope for seeing exactly what’s inside those damn pipes! … lol …
What the hell does that have to do with removing an oil pan?
tester
For crying out loud George , stay on topic !!
I do believe that George is just eccentric enough to enjoy removing the oil pan on that old 4x4 V8 Ford truck on jack stands…
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I had to remove the oil pan on both oh my rivieras. The one while doing a timing chain, and the other to replace the gasket. Not a particularly bad job provided there is nothing in the way. I lucked out.
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Have I been checking my cars’ oil level wrong all my life? We’re not to check it first thing in the morning after the engine has been asleep all night?
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That question should be answered in your owners manual . Some vehicles do have certain ways of doing things .
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Based on all the information you provided, your oil level sensor is bad. You can replace it if you think the cost is justified. In my opinion, it wont be.
A little reminder to check your oil level now and then is not really a bad thing. As long as the level remains fairly constant, you are OK.
2008 650i, you check the oil at normal operating temp. engine running. Which to me makes absolutely no sense, I like to make sure there is sufficient oil before I start the car. No dipstick, its done through the information display.
Varies with manufacturer. My owners manual (car) states to check oil after driving with fluids fully warmed up, the turn off the car, wait 15 minutes for oil to drain back, then check level. I have done it both ways, cold in the morning and warm, get exactly the same reading. Therefore, I check when cold.
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Yep, oil does not expand when hot like ATF does, that is why ATF needs to be checked warm and most of the time with the engine running… Cold oil flows slower and can sit in the heads and stuff when checked after a cold start up, so takes a little longer to flow back to the oil pan, hot oil flows back to the pan much faster…
For the life of me though, I don’t understand why a BMW (or whoever) spent all the time and research ($$$$) to figure out how to correctly tell if the oil level is correct with a warm and running engine and exactly where to put the sensor to measure it at and then the programing to figure it all out just to tell you the same thing a damn dipstick with tell you for a couple $$ for the last however many years… lol
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And not offer any way to even install a dipstick. Especially on a car that originally sold for $80k+
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