2004 330i Sport using oil

"Jim" wrote
> "Bob Hobden" wrote in message
>>> "Tom K." wrote after
>>> "Bob Hobden" wrote
>>>> My 330i M Sport is using a lot of oil, my local BMW garage says it's
>>>> within
>>>> tolerance but I know it's at least pretty close if not outside but
>>>> can't prove it. BMW's
>>>> tolerance for oil use is one seventh of a litre in every 1000 Km. (620
>>>> miles)
>>>>
>>>> Their suggestion was to ensure the level was always at maximum and it's
>>>> true
>>>> that if I check the oil at least weekly and top up to Max it doesn't
>>>> use so
>>>> much. However let it drop, not do a weekly oil check, go on a long
>>>> journey
>>>> over a few days and it drops quickly.
>>>> I'm wondering if the oil is overheating, but hasn't that engine got an
>>>> oil
>>>> cooler?
>>>> Anyone else suffering the same problem?
>>>>
>>>> Weekly oil checks & topups! Not done those since the Mark 3 Cortina and
>>>> never in any of our BMWs before.
>>>>
>>> Bob, I'm a bit confused by the BMW spec you quoted. 1/7 liter per
>>> 1,000km would be one liter every 7,000km, or about 1 quart per 4,000
>>> miles. Since most auto manufacturers hedge with a one quart per 1,000
>>> mile "normal" consumption figure, this would seem to be relatively low
>>> oil use. Are you sure that's all the oil you are adding?
>>>
>>> Actually, 1 qt/4,000 miles is about the consumption of my BMW boxer
>>> motorcycle, although (after break-in) I've never had to add any oil to
>>> any BMW cars I've owned between the 8,000 mile changes.
>>>
>> According to BMW GB their tolerance is 1/7th of a litre per 1000Km or, as
>> you say, 1 Litre per 7000Km which equates to 1 Litre per 4,350 miles.
>>
>> My 330i has done 39,911 miles since new and having done some checking I
>> can find receipts for 2 litres of oil since the last oil service at
>> 29773, had half a litre to start with and still have about a fifth of a
>> litre left so it's used approx. 2.3 litre of oil in 10138 miles or the
>> equivalent of 1 litre in 4407 miles. So it is just within BMW tolerance
>> (but way outside mine).
>>
> 1 litre per 4000 miles is by no means excessive. Lots and lots of cars
> use more oil than that.
>
> Didn't you say that you top off the oil frequently? As long as the oil
> level lies between the two marks on the dipstip, all is well. Over here,
> it takes one quart of oil to raise the oil level from the low mark to the
> high mark.
>
> And, make certain that you do not check the oil level shortly after the
> car shuts off. There can be quite a bit of oil in the heads, etc., that
> will eventually get down to the oil pan. Bad things happen as a result of
> too much oil anyway.
>
It's very excessive considering other BMW's I've owned that didn't take any
oil between services after the first one. It takes more than my 1986
Landrover 90 and that has a total loss lubrication system, pour it in the
top and it drips out the bottom. :-)
Yes, I have to keep it at Max level or, if it starts to drop, it drinks more
and more, if I didn't keep it topped up it would certainly be outside BMW
tolerance. The oil BMW recommend here is Castrol SLX LL-04, a 0W-30 Longlife
so perhaps it's too thin/light. It's why I'm thinking that it's overheating
and evaporating, recent exhaust gas analysis for the MOT shows no sign of it
burning oil although the inside of the exhaust pipe is black not grey.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden