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Ran Out Of Oil On The Way Home?

3K views 23 replies 12 participants last post by  scott082 
#1 ·
well i was driving home from school today in my 89 325i when my check light turns on and it said engine oil. it kinda freaked me because i didnt want my engine seazeing up on me. so i pull over and check the oil, i was just about on that lower line on the dip stick. lucky i had 2 quarts in the trunk so i put those in and start the car for a few mins. check...no leak, turn it off and checked again...no leak. my car does leak oil but i mean like 1-3 drops tops. i hoping that its not my car burning oil or some shit, and if it did does that mean that oil gets thur the piston rings or could the oil be burnt any other way?

what you think?
thanks

PS:when the engine is hot and i take the oil cap off i see some steam coming out is that normal?
 
#2 ·
Originally posted by tyro2001@Apr 25 2005, 07:25 PM
well i was driving home from school today in my 89 325i when my check light turns on and it said engine oil. it kinda freaked me because i didnt want my engine seazeing up on me. so i pull over and check the oil, i was just about on that lower line on the dip stick. lucky i had 2 quarts in the trunk so i put those in and start the car for a few mins. check...no leak, turn it off and checked again...no leak. my car does leak oil but i mean like 1-3 drops tops. i hoping that its not my car burning oil or some shit, and if it did does that mean that oil gets thur the piston rings or could the oil be burnt any other way?

what you think?
thanks

PS:when the engine is hot and i take the oil cap off i see some steam coming out is that normal?
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Be critical and check again, under over and side to side. Check for trails for drips and leaks around the block. and i'm sure you'd smell a different type of smell through the exhaust.

And yes it should steam, not ....a high pressure type but somewhat pretty hot so some mist or heat vapors will come out.
 
#6 ·
Originally posted by guywithblack88e30@Apr 25 2005, 11:05 PM
you haven't been redlining it have you? you burn lots of oil when you redline even if its for half a sec.
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well i have been redlining it a few times not to much but i do drive on on higher RPM's, that could be it. i never knew u burn oil at when you red line?? il try to drive like an old woman and see if my oil level changes.
 
#7 ·
Originally posted by tyro2001+Apr 25 2005, 09:43 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tyro2001 @ Apr 25 2005, 09:43 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-guywithblack88e30@Apr 25 2005, 11:05 PM
you haven't been redlining it have you? you burn lots of oil when you redline even if its for half a sec.
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well i have been redlining it a few times not to much but i do drive on on higher RPM's, that could be it. i never knew u burn oil at when you red line?? il try to drive like an old woman and see if my oil level changes.
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Pfft, you didn't answer MY question! :cry Well, if it's not just a leak, I'd suggest getting someone to seriously check it out. I don't know anything about that oil burning because your redlining advice... but it doesn't sound like you've got a habit of doing that anyway... I hate to be the pessimistic one.. but it could be a problem with your engine. I'm guessing there isn't smoke coming from your car when u start it up or sitting at a light, since you haven't mentioned that... WHERE is that leak? :dunno
 
#8 ·
Originally posted by BeachBunny+Apr 25 2005, 10:16 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BeachBunny @ Apr 25 2005, 10:16 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'>
Originally posted by tyro2001@Apr 25 2005, 09:43 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-guywithblack88e30
@Apr 25 2005, 11:05 PM
you haven't been redlining it have you? you burn lots of oil when you redline even if its for half a sec.
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well i have been redlining it a few times not to much but i do drive on on higher RPM's, that could be it. i never knew u burn oil at when you red line?? il try to drive like an old woman and see if my oil level changes.
[snapback]337749[/snapback]​

Pfft, you didn't answer MY question! :cry Well, if it's not just a leak, I'd suggest getting someone to seriously check it out. I don't know anything about that oil burning because your redlining advice... but it doesn't sound like you've got a habit of doing that anyway... I hate to be the pessimistic one.. but it could be a problem with your engine. I'm guessing there isn't smoke coming from your car when u start it up or sitting at a light, since you haven't mentioned that... WHERE is that leak? :dunno
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in general you burn oil in one of two ways:

bad seal of the rings to the cylinder bore do to it being out-of-round or having bad/cracked rings, or your valve guides are worn and allowing excessive oil down the valves.

easiest way to check for which it is is when the car has been sitting overnight, when it starts up is there excessive black smoke? thats generally valve guides.

if it smokes excessive ammounts DECELERATING, thats bad rings.

random info: an engine generally burns 1/1000ths of a drop on every power stroke.

if an engine burns ONE single drop of oil for every power stroke, an engine would burn up appx. 1 quart for every 2 miles driven, on average.

so you understand the need for high tolerances.
 
#9 ·
Originally posted by BeachBunny+Apr 26 2005, 12:16 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BeachBunny @ Apr 26 2005, 12:16 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'>
Originally posted by tyro2001@Apr 25 2005, 09:43 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-guywithblack88e30
@Apr 25 2005, 11:05 PM
you haven't been redlining it have you? you burn lots of oil when you redline even if its for half a sec.
[snapback]337735[/snapback]​



well i have been redlining it a few times not to much but i do drive on on higher RPM's, that could be it. i never knew u burn oil at when you red line?? il try to drive like an old woman and see if my oil level changes.
[snapback]337749[/snapback]​

Pfft, you didn't answer MY question! :cry Well, if it's not just a leak, I'd suggest getting someone to seriously check it out. I don't know anything about that oil burning because your redlining advice... but it doesn't sound like you've got a habit of doing that anyway... I hate to be the pessimistic one.. but it could be a problem with your engine. I'm guessing there isn't smoke coming from your car when u start it up or sitting at a light, since you haven't mentioned that... WHERE is that leak? :dunno
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well my car does leak VERY Little amout of oil, like 1 or 3 drops and thats it. nothing to make the level go all the way down.
 
#13 ·
I think what he means is that the BMW shouldn't eat oil that much because the clearances are very stringent, and the quality of manufacture is very high. Your engine is made well, and as long as you take care of it, you'll be fine. I myself carry about a quart in my trunk at all times, and usually have the light go on somewhere in between oil changes. (I know, I should check it every time I fill up with gas, but I'm just too lazy, besides the Check Panel tells me when it's ready) I also have a drip (1-3 for a night out in the garage), and want to fix it, but since I'm going to do an engine swap, I don't see the point. You will probably be ok to get to your destination when the check panel lights up, as it is just a warning, but I pull over immediately too. The really important one to watch out for is the Oil Can. That one lights up, and you need to pull over RIGHT NOW.
Good Luck!
 
#14 ·
I second that. The big one is the Oil Pressure on the dash. That lights up, shut it down, quick. And get to work checking it.

When was the last time you checked/did the oil? My car burns oil too, I go through about 1qt every 5000kms. No leaks, just my driving (I drive like a nutcase most of the time, cranking her up to redline on a bi-daily basis) so I go through a bit of oil.

Best thing to do, if you're concerned, is replace oil and filter. Then keep an eye on the level every time you pit for gas (which, by the way, you're supposed to do anyways) and you'll see how much oil you're going through based on how far you go on a tank of gas. If you're losing a lot, you've got a bad leak you havent found yet, or you're blowing blue vapour trails.

If it drops half a qt in 1500 miles of mixed to moderate driving, I wouldn't be concerned. Just keep on top of the level, and of course, put the right kind of oil in there for the season. Don't mix grades.

Simple stuff. Try that first.
 
#15 ·
So do all your guy's e30's really burn oil it sounds like? Weird, neither of my e30's burn any oil. One has 183k miles the other 167 and I've never experienced perceptible oil level drops between changes.

Try switching to Castrol full synthetic(i use 10w30, always). Its what I've always ran in all my BMW's and I've never had oil consumption, nor any mechanical failure related directly to the engine.

You can go alot further between oil changes with synthetic(claims of up to 25k miles between changes), but I change mine every 2.5-3k miles because I'm anal.

Also some people say fram filters suck, but fram and mobile 1 are the only filters I've ever used and they work great for me.
 
#17 ·
I drive my car pretty hard. It only smokes when it does it's little gremlin thing. I don't want to talk about it. :pissed2 But I don't think that my BMW eats more oil than it should. I'm sure if I fixed the leak, it would be a little less, but like I said, I don't want to waste the effort.

I do use Castrol as well, always have. I also use Fram Oil Filters (love that color, and the black grippy stuff on the end). Every once in a while I will use a Mann Filter from Bavauto, but only when I order stuff from them. Never had too many problems, but I do think that my engine needs work. I'm afraid to crack it open for fear of what I might find. :wrench

I thought that you couldn't change from regular to synthetic? Or is it only synthetic to regular that you can't do...? :idea2

Love that Eta (121hp, woot) B)

(I'll never forget the time that I didn't change the oil in my 1979 Suburban for... I don't know how long. (Hey, the speedo+odometer don't work) When I drained it, there was only 2 quarts in it!! :goodness: 5.7L+2 Qts = a truck that just won't quit!!)
Live and Learn
 
#18 ·
hard driving may not be the only cause of oil burnoff. Bad seals will cause oil burnoff as well. Assuming that you are changing your oil & proper intervals (ie: this isn't the first time you checked the oil in 9 months) have someone follow behind you going down the road.

They will have no problem seeing the bluish smoke smoke comming out your tailpipe from oil burn.

If you burned through 2 qts before your regularrly scheduled change without seeing more then a couple of drops under your car, you've got a serious problem on your hands :(
 
#19 ·
Not being able to change between oils is a myth. As long as they are properly drained, switching between oils is not going to damage your engine. Mixing oils is bad. Thats about it though. Check out Castrol's website, I'm pretty sure they talk about it on there, I know I researched extensively before I chose an oil for my vehicles.
 
#20 ·
my 323i doesnt burn or leak any oil as far as i can tell. it does have a full BMW service history from day one, and is serviced it every 5000kms, which is probably testament to the fact that regular maintenence - not necessarily done my BMW - will prolong the life of the motor. a number of people i have spoken with have said that synthetic oils are not good for engines as old as ours. does anyone have an opinion on this one?

:cheers
 
#21 ·
Originally posted by scott082@Apr 28 2005, 03:56 AM
my 323i doesnt burn or leak any oil as far as i can tell. it does have a full BMW service history from day one, and is serviced it every 5000kms, which is probably testament to the fact that regular maintenence - not necessarily done my BMW - will prolong the life of the motor. a number of people i have spoken with have said that synthetic oils are not good for engines as old as ours. does anyone have an opinion on this one?

:cheers
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Well, I have put over 300k total miles on my e28 and 2 e30s only using synthetic oils and have never had a single problem. I use castrol syntec 10w30 and run in arizona where temps rise to 120+ in the summer.

Never a hiccup.

Amsoil, maker of some of the best oils on the planet, has this to say: http://www.smartsynthetics.com/articles/te...lubrication.htm
 
#22 ·
Originally posted by nukeduster@Apr 27 2005, 01:36 PM
So do all your guy's e30's really burn oil it sounds like? Weird, neither of my e30's burn any oil. One has 183k miles the other 167 and I've never experienced perceptible oil level drops between changes.

Try switching to Castrol full synthetic(i use 10w30, always). Its what I've always ran in all my BMW's and I've never had oil consumption, nor any mechanical failure related directly to the engine.

You can go alot further between oil changes with synthetic(claims of up to 25k miles between changes), but I change mine every 2.5-3k miles because I'm anal.

Also some people say fram filters suck, but fram and mobile 1 are the only filters I've ever used and they work great for me.
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the 25000 miles should never be listend to. i ran sythentic in my Nissan Maxima always and changed it at a tops of 5000 miles and the oil would just be dirty and black.... its been proven that ALL oil starts to break down around 2000 miles
 
#23 ·
Originally posted by longpole938+Apr 30 2005, 10:06 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(longpole938 @ Apr 30 2005, 10:06 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-nukeduster@Apr 27 2005, 01:36 PM
So do all your guy's e30's really burn oil it sounds like? Weird, neither of my e30's burn any oil. One has 183k miles the other 167 and I've never experienced perceptible oil level drops between changes.

Try switching to Castrol full synthetic(i use 10w30, always). Its what I've always ran in all my BMW's and I've never had oil consumption, nor any mechanical failure related directly to the engine.

You can go alot further between oil changes with synthetic(claims of up to 25k miles between changes), but I change mine every 2.5-3k miles because I'm anal.

Also some people say fram filters suck, but fram and mobile 1 are the only filters I've ever used and they work great for me.
[snapback]338376[/snapback]​
the 25000 miles should never be listend to. i ran sythentic in my Nissan Maxima always and changed it at a tops of 5000 miles and the oil would just be dirty and black.... its been proven that ALL oil starts to break down around 2000 miles
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oil additives break down, synthetic oil itself, does not.

also the main reason for changing oil is because combustion produces H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) which oil is designed to neutralize. the longer you go without a change the less it is able to do that job because the acid breaks down the oils additives.
 
#24 ·
Well, I have put over 300k total miles on my e28 and 2 e30s only using synthetic oils and have never had a single problem. I use castrol syntec 10w30 and run in arizona where temps rise to 120+ in the summer.

Never a hiccup.

Amsoil, maker of some of the best oils on the planet, has this to say: http://www.smartsynthetics.com/articles/te...lubrication.htm
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i read the info on that site. the main thing i was concerned with was the sludge (apparently caused by breakdown of the oil). these guys say that synthetic is less susceptible than organic oil to formation of sludge, gum or varnishes. the people that i spoke to were e36 owners with less than 50k kilometres on the clock, using Mobil1 synthetic. they contacted mobil (in australia) and were basically told "yes we are aware of it and we are working on it". maybe the sludge problem was related to mobil1 synthetic, rather than all synthetics?
 
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