Driving BMW after minimum oil level warning light (yellow) comes on

[Slacker]

Heh, this is the same 4.6 that was driven 8 miles twice a day for a week with no coolant circulating past the level of the cracked thermostat housing, had no choice so I topped it off with water and drove it to and from work, that was almost a year ago, finally got the intake replaced.

 

[pauldun170]

Heh, this is the same 4.6 that was driven 8 miles twice a day for a week with no coolant circulating past the level of the cracked thermostat housing, had no choice so I topped it off with water and drove it to and from work, that was almost a year ago, finally got the intake replaced.

What car?
Have the spark plugs popped out yet?
It's not a party until a Ford 4.6 plugs go "PEW PEW"

 

[phucheneh]

To the three posters above: do you have problems with comprehension? I am a mechanical engineer; I know it's bad to drive with a warning light on. I also know that mechanical systems always have a safety factor designed into the build. My question was if anyone on this forum knows what that safety factor is. Obviously, the three of you have no clue what that is, so please do me a favor and go thread-crap in the Off Topic forum. Thanks.

Lulz.

I've seen plenty of engineers who couldn't drive/maintain/understand a car to save their life. You are not a unique and special flower.

What car?
Have the spark plugs popped out yet?
It's not a party until a Ford 4.6 plugs go "PEW PEW"

The reason they pop out is because someone has ripped the threads out while changing them. The 'proper' procedure is a bit counter-intuitive: get the engine as hot as possible and remove the old plugs with an impact. I wore some of those nifty Kevlar sleeves while doing this (hands partially exposed, but luckily I've burned most of the feeling out of them).

Or shit, am I thinking of the 5.4 plugs? I remember being taught to do this on Ford trucks...the plugs were of a weird design and would break if not changed as described above. Maybe it's the same problem on both engines? Hmm...being a jack-of-all-trades can be taxing on the memory.

Oh, and let me try to one-up the destruction stories: Ford I6, cracked lower radiator hose. Blew off on the way to the parts store. 5-10 miles of the drive home were with the temp gauge solidly pegged past the 'oh shit' mark.

Resulting problems: nothing. Sturdy little motor, that 200. Still a piece of dogshit, though.

 

[Throckmorton]

Just stop at a gas station and get whatever oil is the closest match for what the manual calls for. It's not like you have to get to a dealership and have a mechanic named Hans change your oil.

 

[pauldun170]

The reason they pop out is because someone has ripped the threads out while changing them. The 'proper' procedure is a bit counter-intuitive: get the engine as hot as possible and remove the old plugs with an impact. I wore some of those nifty Kevlar sleeves while doing this (hands partially exposed, but luckily I've burned most of the feeling out of them).

Remove plugs with an impact wrench?
I'd be embarrassed to do that in front to of people. lol

(makes mental note to avoid purchasing any car with a Ford 4.6 or 5.4)

 

[pauldun170]

Just stop at a gas station and get whatever oil is the closest match for what the manual calls for. It's not like you have to get to a dealership and have a mechanic named Hans change your oil.

Some BMW's call for very specific oil.
Some say...it taste like Raspberries on a summers day.

 

[Slacker]

What car?
Have the spark plugs popped out yet?
It's not a party until a Ford 4.6 plugs go "PEW PEW"

It is my 2000 Crown Vic Police, it has kind of become an experiment in neglect, but what can you expect from a slacker.

 

[KayGee]

Thank you LTC8K6! The ignore feature makes it so much easier to find useful information without having to wade through all the dreck. Thanks again!

 

[LTC8K6]

Some BMW's call for very specific oil.
Some say...it taste like Raspberries on a summers day.

If I got that low I'd put a quart of Mobil 1 in and then get the oil changed soon.

 

[satyajitmenon]

Did BMW take away the dipstick AND the oil cap while I was looking at that shiny object over there?

Actually, yes. I think they've started doing that on newer models.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/22/technology-alert-the-dipsticks-demise-is-blamed-on-dilatory-dr/

 

[Railgun]

Some BMW's call for very specific oil.

All they call for is LL-04 oil. Maybe LL-01 depending on what it is. Not some snake oil.

I can't believe the question was asked and the ridiculous posts after.

You can drive around a while...just fill the thing with a quart. Not rocket science.

Yellow lights are ok. Red, not so much.

 

[DrPizza]

Dear mechanical engineers, explain how no damage occurs for x number of miles, but miraculously, under the exact same conditions, suddenly after a certain number of miles, damage begins happening.

If I had to posit a guess, I would say that either increased wear is beginning immediately, but the cumulative amount of wear doesn't affect performance until after a some duration. Else it's still enough oil to prevent increased wear, (i.e., close to the minimum required amount of oil, and you could go hundreds of miles without damage, provided the oil level doesn't decrease further.) I.e., the designers realize that if it starts getting low that it's more likely that the cause is going to cause it to continue to lose oil than the cause was an oil thief stealing a quart. Get oil soon, before it continues to get low. The rate at which it is losing oil is incredibly important to make any determination as to how far you can go.
-trained as an engineer, but not employed as one.

 

[railer]

Thank you LTC8K6! The ignore feature makes it so much easier to find useful information without having to wade through all the dreck. Thanks again!

I will also note that LTC8K6 is the only person to actually answer the original question, for whatever reason.

The OP had a low level light come on. Is that one quart low or two? I don't know, but many, many millions of cars are probably on the road and being driven right now, with the same low oil level conditio (but wiithout low oil level indicators, so the drivers don't even know).
And it's perfectly safe to do so. Top the oil off when you get a chance, and enjoy life.

 

[phucheneh]

Just stop at a gas station and get whatever oil is the closest match for what the manual calls for. It's not like you have to get to a dealership and have a mechanic named Hans change your oil.

A lot of BMW's don't have dipsticks. Need to check oil? ZAKE HER TO ZE DEALER. SCHNELL!

Perhaps you can read it in the dash? I dunno, I'm doubtful.

Remove plugs with an impact wrench?
I'd be embarrassed to do that in front to of people. lol

(makes mental note to avoid purchasing any car with a Ford 4.6 or 5.4)

A strong impact, at that. I used my 1/2" (pneumatic) IR. You don't want to hammer on them with your electric Makita impact or something. Just need one swift whack of the hammer(s) inside the wrench to get the threads turning.

 

[disappoint]

Some BMW's call for very specific oil.
Some say...it taste like Raspberries on a summers day.

Some say when he eats raspberries on a summers day he 'produces' the finest synthetic engine oil money can buy.

All we know is...

He's called the Stig.

 

[BUTCH1]

OP there are probably way to many variables to determine the EXACT amount of miles you can drive without meltdown, if it were me I would make a B-line to ANYPLACE that sold motor oil hell 7-11 carries some, enough to get your sump back to a safe place so you can drive home safely.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

I will also note that LTC8K6 is the only person to actually answer the original question, for whatever reason.

The OP had a low level light come on. Is that one quart low or two? I don't know, but many, many millions of cars are probably on the road and being driven right now, with the same low oil level conditio (but wiithout low oil level indicators, so the drivers don't even know).
And it's perfectly safe to do so. Top the oil off when you get a chance, and enjoy life.

This is a discussion forum, not an "ask a question get a direct answer" website.

This place is eerily similar to a real garage run by a bunch of old men. You come in asking stupid ass questions and bragging about being an engineer and you're likely to get embarrassed


Millions of cars are on the road a qt or two low, and millions of cars only last 100-150k miles versus 300k+. The bottom line is that it's idiotic to try and run a low oil light to see how far you can go before there's damage - particularly on a car with a fairly complicated engine built to tight tolerances.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

A lot of BMW's don't have dipsticks. Need to check oil? ZAKE HER TO ZE DEALER. SCHNELL!

Perhaps you can read it in the dash? I dunno, I'm doubtful.



A strong impact, at that. I used my 1/2" (pneumatic) IR. You don't want to hammer on them with your electric Makita impact or something. Just need one swift whack of the hammer(s) inside the wrench to get the threads turning.

Any BMW without a dipstick will read the oil level off of the dash.

 

[JCH13]

This place is eerily similar to a real garage run by a bunch of old men. You come in asking stupid ass questions and bragging about being an engineer and you're likely to get embarrassed

Quoted for truth.

 

[LTC8K6]

Any BMW without a dipstick will read the oil level off of the dash.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=34018796&postcount=10

 

[SpatiallyAware]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=34018796&postcount=10

Yup... but the poster I quoted made some comment about how he's doubtful you can even check the oil level on your own at all.. That you must take it to the dealer for anything like that.

 

[evident]

having an extra quart of oil in the trunk doesn't take up too much space you know.

 

[Apex]

Some BMW's call for very specific oil.
Some say...it taste like Raspberries on a summers day.

They do, but even the ones with very specific requirements say you can top it off with one quart of whatever's closest to the recommended oil.

 

[sdifox]

I carry a quart of oil in the trunk. I don't drive a Beamer though.

 

[SkullWalker]

A lot of BMW's don't have dipsticks. Need to check oil? ZAKE HER TO ZE DEALER. SCHNELL!

Perhaps you can read it in the dash? I dunno, I'm doubtful.

A lot of modern cars (including Beamers) do not even have a temperature gauge or any other mean how to read out the engine temperature, only an "Oh, oh something went bad" checklight, but unfortunately when this lights comes on, you're probably in some traffic jam or somewhere where in 95% of cases you cannot do anything to avert major engine damage.

Why companies do this? Because they think their customers do not want a dipstick or gauge that in 99% is stuck in the middle and doesn't even move (not counting the warm-up phase when it comes from zero to ... the ideal temperature) or maybe they even want these cars to brake - we live in a world where consumption fuels or economies.

The day I will start driving a car without a temperature gauge or a dipstick is the day I had bought an EV.