Do I not have an oil level warning light????

R

RJS-Z4

Senior member
 SE London/Kent
Hi,

Pretty sure my oil level sensor needs replacing, if it has one that is?

If not I guess it's just the oil pressure switch? It's a 2003 3.0 roadster btw.

I did search but couldn't see anything definitive :oops:

Thanks all.
 
Ah, excuse my general idiocy...

I assumed that the oil level sensor was purely for the yellow/red light on the dash? Or is this the oil pressure switch that controls this?

I too have a dipstick, but I thought the level sensor may be just for the little light :P

My light doesn't work on the dash you see, at all?
 
Mine is dipstick only, no oil monitoring system. They're very clear in the users manual to keep an eye on it. The oil consumption is known to be high on the 3.4ltr engine.
 
NO oil monitoring? WTH?

Even my old 3 series had this. I was hoping it'd just be a sensor, not that it didn't exist!

Can anyone confirm?

3.0 se (as far as I can tell it's an Se?)
 
I'm not saying the A word. I get a load of crap for it. It's one of the few downsides. I just check the oil when I fuel it up.
 
That's proper mental. So I could entirely empty the car and the first I'd know is it cutting out?

I'm going to change the title of this to check there's nothing worth changing to check.

When the sun shines on the dash I can see an oil light, is it just not plugged into anything at all?
 
You probably have one, I don't. I'm sure another 3.0 owner will come along and confirm. Check the manual for your car. There might even be a check to ensure all the warning lights are working.
 
I'll check the manual tomorrow, but even if the light is working, doesn't mean the sensor is. (if I can find what sensors :oops:)
 
Confused

Why do you think your sensor isn't working?

Is your oil dip stick below minimum, and no oil light is showing on the dash?


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Exactly that ranski.

It's run below once and there was no lights, at all.

I deliberately let it get to minimum a second time (v regular checking), no light, not even the yellow one.
 
I would get on realoem.com as get the part number - but yes, there should be a 'oil level sensor'


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Yep, Mine warns me when I near less than a quarter between the dipstick mark with a yellow light after shutting off. It will stay on during driving when it's nearing the lower mark. It just works. (M54 3.0i)
 
I was under the impression that all our cars have the oil pressure light between the speedo and rev counter. And that if you have a dip stick your car will not have the electro level sender. And most cars can run well below the dipstick before you would loose oil pressure while running on level ground. If you have a level sender. Shouldn't there be an additional button by the trip mileage reset?
 
Thanks, so maybe I do have the light, but the sensors broken...

Now I have to find out which one I need.

i.e whether I actually have an oil level sensor, or whether I just need an oil pressure switch (I know some cars operate off of the switch).

I have a dipstick, so I guess it's not a proper level sensor, and maybe just the £5 pressure switch that needs replacing...

Thing is, in my old 3 series, I had a dipstick, but still had a two stage warning light, yellow and red.

Red being when it's really empty, yellow for "yeah, fill up soon".
 
No,
intermittent yellow when switching off = refill please, getting low.
Continuous yellow during driving = moron, you really need to give me some oil now.
Red = low oil pressure, you are killing me :-)
 
The 3.0 defo has oil level warning, and 3 stages as shown above.

BUT, if the sensor is out it could not tell you the truth.

So if yellow ever comes on I would check the level manually.
 
Just to cover all the bases, does the oil light come on briefly when you turn on the ignition? Starts yellow, turns red, then goes out. If not, the problem is the little light in the cluster, otherwise, it could be the level sensor, or the system is just not as sensitive as you think it should be. Or maybe a bad connection somewhere.

It is a level sensor btw,, but different than the N52 type, it's not just a pressure switch, so it costs a lot more than 5 quid.
 
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