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      05-07-2019, 09:18 AM   #1
Xplorer1
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Low engine oil warning on sdrive20d (false alarm?)

My X1 sdrive 20d is 2.5 years old and has done just 11000 miles as of now. Last oil change was in November 2018 and I had checked the oil level too which was found to be max then. Yesterday after a short trip when I switched on the car it showed a low oil level warning - engine oil below minimum level, top up with 1 litre of oil immediately. I was startled to see it because my running is low by BMW standards. Anyway I decided to check the oil level but the start measurement tab couldn't be clicked as car was yet to warm-up(don't know how the car measured oil as low then).

Since I had to head to town immediately I took my other car and came back. Then I started the X1 and idled it to operating temperature and measured the oil level- & it showed max level. Everywhere it shows level ok and there are no warnings/faults in idrive whatsoever. Checked again to confirm and it still shows max. Is my sensor going wrong or is it something else? Does 20d have a proper dipstick? I searched among bimmerforums and found some cars do have a dipstick and could also find a similar thing in my car too. Is this the dipstick on X1? I want to be sure before I go ahead and pluck something out from the car.

Another anomaly is, when I checked the service history, last oil change in November 2018 wasn't found in the idrive though I was specifically charged for it. In idrive the last oil change is mentioned in November 2017. Service experience with my dealer(BMW EVM autokraft) in India is getting worser with every visit. Hope the warning was just some random error that popped up but I want to be sure. Can someone guide me on whether the lil knob like thing in the picture is the real dipstick? Is there anything else I should watch out for?
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      05-07-2019, 03:32 PM   #2
Mushy007
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That’s your dipstick, park it on level ground and give it a check. As for the service it maybe they didn’t update the idrive or they didn’t do an oil change either way, if it’s under warranty go back to your dealer, I’ve covered 35000 miles in mine and never required a drop of oil.
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      05-09-2019, 03:03 AM   #3
Xplorer1
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Thanks @ Mushy007. I checked the dipstick and it shows max level. Drove the car and everything seems normal too. So hoping it was some random error from the electronic dipstick and nothing else. Now this raises a question mark on the reliability of the electronic dipstick but fortunately we still have the good old manual one to double check on.
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      05-09-2019, 03:19 AM   #4
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best to check dip stick in the morning before starting the vehicles engine.
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      05-12-2019, 09:41 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Xplorer1 View Post
My X1 sdrive 20d is 2.5 years old and has done just 11000 miles as of now. Last oil change was in November 2018 and I had checked the oil level too which was found to be max then. Yesterday after a short trip when I switched on the car it showed a low oil level warning - engine oil below minimum level, top up with 1 litre of oil immediately. I was startled to see it because my running is low by BMW standards. Anyway I decided to check the oil level but the start measurement tab couldn't be clicked as car was yet to warm-up(don't know how the car measured oil as low then).

Since I had to head to town immediately I took my other car and came back. Then I started the X1 and idled it to operating temperature and measured the oil level- & it showed max level. Everywhere it shows level ok and there are no warnings/faults in idrive whatsoever. Checked again to confirm and it still shows max. Is my sensor going wrong or is it something else? Does 20d have a proper dipstick? I searched among bimmerforums and found some cars do have a dipstick and could also find a similar thing in my car too. Is this the dipstick on X1? I want to be sure before I go ahead and pluck something out from the car.

Another anomaly is, when I checked the service history, last oil change in November 2018 wasn't found in the idrive though I was specifically charged for it. In idrive the last oil change is mentioned in November 2017. Service experience with my dealer(BMW EVM autokraft) in India is getting worser with every visit. Hope the warning was just some random error that popped up but I want to be sure. Can someone guide me on whether the lil knob like thing in the picture is the real dipstick? Is there anything else I should watch out for?
Thank you for sharing what is a worrying situation, especially as many BMW’s engines no longer have manual dipsticks. Let us know what happens. From your information it does appear the warning is a false alarm, possibly due to a faulty sensor but it does raise some serious questions.
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