Stop. Engine oil pressure warning in dash

[Murphybarnes]

2006. 3.0d. Just took the car to local shop. A few hundred yards. So it was cold. Got back in turned key and got the above warning and beeping. Switched off and tried ignition again and it disappeared. (Couldn't leave the car there)
Drove home. Checked oil level. It's fine.
If it reappears is this a pull over immediately scenario followed by scary bills?

[Murphybarnes]

I should mention I changed the oil myself a few months ago. 0/30 and BMW oil filter. No leaks as far as I can see.

[henrym3]

First thought would be to check the oil pressure switch connection is good, remove clean and replace, and because of what the fault is I'd be tempted to change the oil pressure switch as well. Can't imagine it would be to expensive £15/20
Ideally you need codes read to maybe point you in the right direction.

[Murphybarnes]

OK.  Where is that located?

[henrym3]

looking at RealOM for a 06 3.0l d its under the oil filter housing.

[henrym3]

Just to put some more thought process to what I said, if your oil light stayed out after restarting then it's unlikely to be oil pump related, ie failure. Obviously not oil leak related if your level was good. if it was related to your oil change it would have shown up long ago. Admittedly pressure switch failure is rare. Code reading is essential. If the light comes on again obviously switch off. You would need to go somewhere local who could check the oil pressure with a gauge. The problem with  something like this is you loose confidence in the vehicle unless you find a definite fault. Good Luck.

[X5Sport]

Oil level and pressure switch failures are not as rare as you might think.  I had both changed on my '05 E53 during warranty - one within a month and again a year later.  Both are easy diy and the sensors are relatively cheap too at around £10 for a non OEM (to £50 for OEM).

Both of mine were intermittent rather than a full fail and BMW just swapped them out.  We do see them on the Forum and as far as I remember none has been a genuine oil level/pressure issue as all have been switch/sensor faults.

[grumpywurzel]

Had this happen maybe twice since owning mine and both times I nearly

[Murphybarnes]

The wife went out for a drive earlier and all OK. Some more information, probably unrelated, as my paranoia/love for this marque continues. I only drive around 25  miles a day but for the last week it's done a few hundred dual carriageway miles. That and the fact, or my imagination, that it does tend to not 'really work' until it's up to temperature. Not rough but a good poke on the right foot from cold does incur some lag.
It is my precious as the wife keeps telling me so I do tend to drive like my granny.
Thanks for the replies and we'll see how it goes from here.

[Smeeagain]

[quote="grumpywurzel"]
Had this happen maybe twice since owning mine and both times I nearly

[X5Sport]

These cars have a 'cold' and 'hot' setting which the ECU and Gearbox controller use depending upon air/oil/coolant temperatures.  As you say it will not 'work right' until fully warmed up.

You may also find that if your daily commute is in the dark so you have lights, heaters, seats etc etc running, then the battery may start to get low and that will generate scary but completely spurious warning messages.

[henrym3]

What was it you said X5Sport. "every day is a learning day" I've learned that oil pressure sensor isn't as rare as I thought, which is good from Murphybarnes point of view. Hopefully that's all it is.

[lezmtaylor]

Perhaps now is the time to fit an engine pre oiler. (basically a small tank charged with oil so  when you switch car off the tank fills with oil, on restart it charges the engine oil circuit and the  timing chain tensioner as well) , so no ''dry engine starts''
Greydog has posted about this, I have one bought and ready to fit as soon as my foot has healed.

Lez

[X5Sport]

[quote="henrym3"]
What was it you said X5Sport. "every day is a learning day" I've learned that oil pressure sensor isn't as rare as I thought, which is good from Murphybarnes point of view. Hopefully that's all it is.
[/quote]

)  I never stop discovering things about these cars.  I got the impression from the Dealer that there was a period when failures were more 'common', in the same way as the starter motors are bad between 2003-2005