Oil Light Is On Briefly After Starting

S

StudioWizard

Member
 Los Angeles, CA, USA
Hey all

The oil light pops on for about 20 seconds and then goes off when I start the car. I know that's supposed to indicate a faulty oil pressure sensor switch. Today, I changed out the switch (w/OEM), but that didn't solve the problem. The oil was changed recently which also didn't fix it.

My mechanic says it's just a bad BMW design and something we'll just have to keep an eye on for now. The car is running well and no engine codes are popping up.

Any thoughts/suggestions?
 
Extract from 2003 2.5i Owners Handbook shows the following
Engine oil level
The yellow engine oil indicator lamp
lights up while driving:
The oil level is at the absolute minimum;
refill as soon as possible. Do not
drive more than approx. 30 miles / 50 km
until you do.

The yellow engine oil indicator lamp
lights up after the engine is
switched off: add engine oil at the
earliest opportunity, when you stop to
refuel.

Engine oil sensor
The yellow engine oil indicator lamp
lights up within 20 seconds after
the engine is started:
The oil level sensor is defective. Please
have it checked by a BMW center.

The complete Handbook is downloadable as a pdf document here
https://zroadster.org/threads/owners-handbook-2003-2-5i.61749/#post-807473
 
colb said:
Extract from 2003 2.5i Owners Handbook shows the following...
-snip-
Engine oil sensor
The yellow engine oil indicator lamp
lights up within 20 seconds after
the engine is started:
The oil level sensor is defective. Please
have it checked by a BMW center.

The complete Handbook is downloadable as a pdf document here
https://zroadster.org/threads/owners-handbook-2003-2-5i.61749/#post-807473
Click to expand...

Thanks for link.

Yes, I'm familiar with all of these possibilities. It was doing it before the oil change and after the oil change. I replaced the sensor switch after the oil change with a new BMW switch, so it's obviously not the switch.
 
j3nks79 said:
What colour is it? Red or Amber?
Click to expand...

It's amber (or yellow as we call it here - haha). I know the problem is switch-related, but it's not the actual switch. I was just wondering if anyone else has encountered/found the problem/solution of a faulty switch indicator being caused by something other than the switch itself.
 
You seem to be confusing the oil “level”sensor with the oil “pressure” switch.
If you have replace the pressure switch then that’s why it’s still doing it.
You need to replace the level sensor
 
The oil level sensor is located in the oil pan/sump :thumbsup:
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=BT32-EUR-05-2003-E85-BMW-Z4_25i&diagId=11_218712617508003.jpeg
 
Yeah, I'm not changing that one out! haha It's on the bottom of the car and can be done, if necessary, on the next oil change by my well-qualified mechanic.

Thanks, guys! Lesson learned.
 
I understand and thank you for that caution. My mechanic is clearly aware of this issue and we're monitoring the car closely as we get it into peak performance form. I'll be seeing him next week.

FYI: all oil leaks have been fixed and fluids replaced very recently. I'm committed to getting this car into top shape. :-)
 
M54 engine. I have an orange oil light that sometimes comes on with a loud beep when I stop the engine. Checked the oil with the dipstick and it's fine. Is this also a dodgy oil level sensor then?
 
Don't want to hijack the thread, but MikeyH's comment prompts me to ask a question: Do the M54 engine Z4's have both dipstick and oil sensor ? I owned an E46 (2005 325xi) which did, and I've been curious how many years of production had the "belt and suspenders" of both.
 
I suppose it was easier to modify the M54 production to just add a different level sender than change the casting moulds to block off the dipstick hole. The N engines could then be designed without it in the first place.
 
The N52 block has nearly the same hole as my E46 M54 block (don't know whether they are millimeter-to-millimeter), but it's exclusively for the PCV (CCV). The M54 on my E46 had the dipstick and PCV sharing that hole with a coaxial dipstick/vent tube. I figured BMW trialed the oil sensor on the M54, and when the sensor was reliable enough, they ditched the dipstick.
 
It's unfortunate then that at least 2 of us seem to have faulty ones. Luckily we still have a dipstick :wink: :thumbsup: :D
 
Z4Mariner said:
I figured BMW trialed the oil sensor on the M54, and when the sensor was reliable enough, they ditched the dipstick
Click to expand...

Wait, for us M54 owners, the oil level sensor just indicates if the Oil is low, right? Doesn't give us a precise reading that we can see? Just double checking
 
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