Engine oil at minimum level warning

[frisky]

Got an 'Engine oil at minimum level' warning all of a sudden today... Only got 6000 miles on it and not due for a service any time soon... From my quick research so far it seems to be normal and I just bought some 0W 40 - but before I do anything wanted to confirm if this warrants taking it in...?

[apexlocator]

Its normal, and you shouldnt have to buy any oil. Dealer should have you in/out in 5 minutes.

[frisky]

Originally Posted by apexlocator

Its normal, and you shouldnt have to buy any oil. Dealer should have you in/out in 5 minutes.

Great thanks!

f.

[tec333]

I thought recommended was 5w30 or is my memory just failing me😩

[BMWM5NYC]

Originally Posted by tec333

I thought recommended was 5w30 or is my memory just failing me😩

It is.

[frisky]

Originally Posted by BMWM5NYC

It is.

Nope. Not according to the User's Manual anyway. It says 0W 40 on page 202. Would it be because my car is a Comp. Pack?

f.

[Phatcat]

Originally Posted by frisky

Nope. Not according to the User's Manual anyway. It says 0W 40 on page 202. Would it be because my car is a Comp. Pack?

f.

I think they use 5W-30 in the US for all M5s, ask your dealer what do they fill F10 M5 with (I bet is 5W-30)?

Also you only got the light at 6000 miles which is pretty good, there are some serious oil suckers in this forum, their owners have to top it off every 500-1000 miles.

FYI mine is all 5W-30, for the two Ms in Taiwan and M6 in Cali.

[tec333]

Originally Posted by Phatcat

I think they use 5W-30 in the US for all M5s, ask your dealer what do they fill F10 M5 with?

Also you only got the light at 6000 miles which is pretty good, there are some serious oil suckers in this forum, their owners have to top it off every 500-1000 miles.

Yup! once I had to top off at 700 miles. Lately its been good - going about 1600 without top off for me...

[BMWM5NYC]

Originally Posted by frisky

Nope. Not according to the User's Manual anyway. It says 0W 40 on page 202. Would it be because my car is a Comp. Pack?

f.

My Manual says 5W-30 . If you Google "What is the oil for the F10 M5 you will see 5W-30.

[E90Fleet]

BMW has been changing M engines to the new 0W-40 oil

BMW USA changed their M5 user manual to call for it in 2015

5W-30 is still an approved oil aswell but the 0W-40 is reccomended.
I dont believe the 0W-40 is available in all markets.

[frisky]

Thanks everyone! I went with what my manual said and topped it off with 0W 40 oil. :P

f.

[DingolfingLove]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

BMW has been changing M engines to the new 0W-40 oil

BMW USA changed their M5 user manual to call for it in 2015

5W-30 is still an approved oil aswell but the 0W-40 is reccomended.
I dont believe the 0W-40 is available in all markets.

The above is exactly what I was told by my local BMW parts - BUT they would not provide oil FOC !

As an aside, I bought this handy Velcro sided bag for a spare bottle of oil that velcros nicely onto the side of the boot tyre repair container

[Skeeter_f10]

I was told dealers don't top off M's.

[Phatcat]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

BMW has been changing M engines to the new 0W-40 oil

BMW USA changed their M5 user manual to call for it in 2015

5W-30 is still an approved oil aswell but the 0W-40 is reccomended.
I dont believe the 0W-40 is available in all markets.

0W-40 has been approved since 2012, but the US dealers are using 5W-30 as far as I know. That's why I told the OP he should ask what his dealer have been using and just use that.

I don't think it's a big deal mixing 5W-30 and 0W-40, but like I said, if his dealer have been using 5W-30 on the M5/6s, it would be better he top it off with 5W-30.

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by Phatcat

0W-40 has been approved since 2012, but the US dealers are using 5W-30 as far as I know. That's why I told the OP he should ask what his dealer have been using and just use that.

I don't think it's a big deal mixing 5W-30 and 0W-40, but like I said, if his dealer have been using 5W-30 on the M5/6s, it would be better he top it off with 5W-30.

Correct, certain 0W-40 oil have been approved for some time, but BMW now states in technical literature the BMW/Shell 0W-40 is the recommended oil for the M engines. They have now also changed the owners manuals to call for it.

Dealers are supposed to be switching over to it and it is the factory fill now.

Transition times are always a little confusing, but since both are approved a topup of one or the other wont matter.
But as yo said, its best to use what your dealer put in last time if you know 100% what it was.

[Phatcat]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

Correct, certain 0W-40 oil have been approved for some time, but BMW now states in technical literature the BMW/Shell 0W-40 is the recommended oil for the M engines. They have now also changed the owners manuals to call for it.

Dealers are supposed to be switching over to it and it is the factory fill now.

Transition times are always a little confusing, but since both are approved a topup of one or the other wont matter.
But as yo said, its best to use what your dealer put in last time if you know 100% what it was.

Guess I wasn't clear, the owners manual has been calling for 0W-30 or 0W-40 since the very beginning (you can search the forum for a 2013 owners manual, in which it clearly stated to use 0W-30 or 0W-40 but 5W-30 or 5W-30 can be used alternatively), so it's not just recently that BWM calls for 0W-40.

So my point was for whatever reason, dealers in the US (and in Taiwan) have been using the alternative 5W-30 instead of 0W-40/30. My M6 in California was serviced in Jan. of this year in Beverly Hills BMW, 5W-30 was used. My M5 and X5M in Taiwan both serviced 2 months ago, 5W-30 was used.

Maybe you have the latest technical bulletin that tells all those dealers to change from 5W-30 to 0W-40 I don't know, but right now 5W-30 is still what they are putting in my cars.

But since we are on this topic, next time I change oil I will ask my dealer to use 0W-30 or 40.

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by Phatcat

Guess I wasn't clear, the owners manual has been calling for 0W-30 or 0W-40 since the very beginning (you can search the forum for a 2013 owners manual, in which it clearly stated to use 0W-30 or 0W-40 but 5W-30 or 5W-30 can be used alternatively), so it's not just recently that BWM calls for 0W-40.

So my point was for whatever reason, dealers in the US (and in Taiwan) have been using the alternative 5W-30 instead of 0W-40/30. My M6 in California was serviced in Jan. of this year in Beverly Hills BMW, 5W-30 was used. My M5 and X5M in Taiwan both serviced 2 months ago, 5W-30 was used.

Maybe you have the latest technical bulletin that tells all those dealers to change from 5W-30 to 0W-40 I don't know, but right now 5W-30 is still what they are putting in my cars.

But since we are on this topic, next time I change oil I will ask my dealer to use 0W-30 or 40.

I am not disagreeing that dealers put in 5W-30.
Just saying the technical documents now tell them to use 0W-40 as it is recommended over the 5W-30 version.
The 0W-40 oil is not available in all countries yet though ( but is now in the USA)


For interest:
The 2013 US M5 Owners Manual does not even mention 0W-40
The 2015 and 2016 M3 Owners manual call for 0W-40 or 0W-30 as an alternate (no mention of 5W-30)



Transition times will see all types used.
But BMW are pushing for 0W-40 in the M engines
There must be a reason for this.

[Phatcat]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

I am not disagreeing that dealers put in 5W-30.
Just saying the technical documents now tell them to use 0W-40 as it is recommended over the 5W-30 version.
The 0W-40 oil is not available in all countries yet though ( but is now in the USA)


For interest:
The 2013 US M5 Owners Manual does not even mention 0W-40
The 2015 and 2016 M3 Owners manual call for 0W-40 or 0W-30 as an alternate (no mention of 5W-30)



Transition times will see all types used.
But BMW are pushing for 0W-40 in the M engines
There must be a reason for this.

I don't know what 2013 US M5 owners manual you found, but the one I read (a sticky in M5 sub forum) clearly stated to use 0W-30 or 0W-40, alternatively 5W-30 can be used.

There is also a sticky with BMW document (dated in 2012) in which 0W-40 is placed ahead for the S63T engine.

Now you can say 5W-30 is being used in the US because 0W-40 was not available previously, I'm fine with that.

But 0W-40 has always been called over 5W-30, it's not something BMW just came up with recently.

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by Phatcat

I don't know what 2013 US M5 owners manual you found, but the one I read (a sticky in M5 sub forum) clearly stated to use 0W-30 or 0W-40, alternatively 5W-30 can be used.

.

Sorry, 2014 USA manual from BMW USA