My X5 is making oil!

[javaboss]

Hi All,

My 2012 X5 40d arrived with the oil level indicator showing green. It's had no oil added at all but is now 15 months old (with 10k miles of mixed driving) and the oil level has been very slowly rising for months (on the dipstick) until the level indicator went yellow! I've booked into the dealer next week to see where the problem might be. They have suggested they might need to "drain some off" but balked when I said I haven't put any oil in!

Has anyone else seen this issue?  Could it be serious?

Regards,

Javaboss.

[Black X5]

Only thing I can think is diesel finding it's way into the sump somehow.

[X5Sport]

Strangely enough mine went from full to overfull and the only oil added was at a service.  It's the first BMW I've had which uses no oil at all but goes from full to overfilled.  No fuel in the sump.

Richard

[Black X5]

With the ever increasing cost off LL-04 it may be quite lucrative if you could siphon off the surplus for a profit )

On a serious note how long after top up to full, to overfull; and by how much?

[X5Sport]

About 6 weeks and they looked embarrassed when I said they'd done the oil and would not tell me how overfull it was.  I use the dipstick and ignore the iDrive.  How the level is increasing is a puzzle though.  It's not fuel or water contamination, nor is it coming from the gearbox.  I can't believe it's engine expansion/contraction, but I can't think of anything else.

Richard

[IanP]

Are you sure its not Diesel? Arent the injectors hydraulically operated on these engines, i.e. they use the engine oil

[X5Sport]

Piezo electric type.  No engine oil pressure, just fuel and a few electrons.



Richard

[Black X5]

If it is increasing regularly then I can't see it being anything else apart from diesel in the oil. (Unless you are loosing coolant at the same time).

On the other hand if it was a one off then I would put it down as an anomaly- but it still does not explain it. Hmmm....

[javaboss]

Well, I'm shipping it into the dealer on Tuesday so I will let you all know what they say! It will be my first experience of BMW after sales service so should be interesting to compare with the last 12 years of Lexus ownership beforehand

[AW8]

Hmm.............Good Luck with that.

If nothing else I like the coffee

[javaboss]

So, top marks to my local dealer already. The salesman lives a couple of roads away from me so is picking my X5 up tomorrow and bringing it back later. Fingers crossed the service boffins are as good!

[javaboss]

So, they tested the oil and it had no water or fuel in it. I was told the sensors are a bit twitchy and the oil level was slightly above max and that's what tripped the amber warning. They drained some and it's gone back to green. I don't understand how the oil level can go up as it was green for months after I bought the car. I have 5k until its due a service so they said they would check again then. The car is running fine so I'm happy.

I wasn't so happy about the scratch on the front wing and kerbed alloy when it came back though! The car is mint and garaged every night - never parked in car parks during the day. So I know it wasn't damaged before it went. I can't prove it though.

So far the salesman has been great and said he'd pop round and look at the damage. He just said it would be "sorted out". Shame though as I'm now going to have to photograph every square inch of the car before it goes anywhere near the dealer in future. Lexus was never like this.......

[Black X5]

How did they test the oil?

If it is rising on the dipstick and you have physically seen it rising on the dipstick over weeks/ months then there is something untoward!

Yea unfortunately the dealers are not the best at looking after customer cars. On a side, I like many others on here  NEVER take the free wash/ vac option as there is far too much risk if damage.

Sorry to hear about the damage on your car and hope they get it sorted ASAP.