So the oil light came on the other day....

B

Benji26

Member
I was a bit concerned by this as according to the service history it was serviced in May 2015 at 44k miles by a 'BMW specialist'. Car has now only completed 47000 miles so I phoned my mechanic and he took a look at it today. I should add that there were no signs of leaks and the car seemed to be driving without issue so I wondered was it something to do with the CCV.
Anyway he showed me the oil filter and it had basically disintegrated as soon as he pulled it out and the oil was black (or what was left in it). Air filter was also very dirty so got that changed. So either the oil wasn't changed 3k ago or there is something seriously wrong with my car! The state of the filter would have me thinking it is the former. It sounded healthier on the drive home and seemed to be smoother as well. Maybe in my head, who knows.

Also had two new boots put on the back- Pilot Sport 3s. I'm not knowledgeable about this kind of thing but the handling feels better and the steering feels less twitchy. Is this likely or again, is it probably in my head?
 
Sounds like the oil and filters were not changed. However, to have such a degraded filter and black oil would indicate that the oil & filter were NEVER changed, or there is a leak into the oil system, perhaps the filter cap was not fully seated or one of the cylinders has lost its seal.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if the filters hadn't been changed though it could have been a fake stamp? But I don't trust garages and DIY all I can, I know the job has been done well (if it hasn't then I only have myself to blame) and usually save about 50%.
If you've had the oil and filter changed then it should be fine but keep an eye on it. Any consumption is usually CCV related. That said DIY oil changes are easy and can be done for about £45 a time. It also worth having them done much sooner than the indicator says, I'm currently working on 7.5k/1 year intervals.
 
My car had a fully stamped service record at main dealers but when I did my own service the air filter was terrible and was dated 2005 so I concluded it had never been changed. I can only say as a DIY mechanic I would never trust service records nor main dealers.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I only bought the car there in December and have it over in Northern Ireland now. The previous service showed that the bushes had been changed as well and my mechanic did say that they seemed pretty fresh and new but I do question the oil change on the invoice. Either way, the guy I use has looked after my Corrado and R32 and doesn't really charge me too much. I would have changed the oil myself but I needed it checked over for the MOT next week and I wanted him to cast an eye over it in general.

I'm with you Steve on the early oil changes. I was doing it every 6k in the R32 and will do the same here with the Z as long as things don't manifest into something serious. I'll keep an eye on the consumption but at least I know it has definitely been done now. Expensive day all round!
 
Nice though service records are to look at I don't hold that much by them. other than if there is one there then the previous owners cared about the car enough to keep the stamps up to date.

When I bought my Mk1 Primera many moons ago before the interweb, a friend said check the Cambelts been done, so I asked the garage to ensure it was done as part of the pre sale service. It was all there stamped up in the service log. Only thing is I later found out the Mk1 Primera never had a cambelt, it had a self tensioning chain. :roll:
 
Benji,
I am in the habit of checking the oil at every fill, benefits of having owned an older Mustang. When you pull the dip stick, put a drop of the oil on your finger. It should be an deep honey color. If it is lighter due to being a synthetic, then the color should stay roughly the same. If you can feel contaminates and it starts looking dark brown, time to change it. Another check is the smell. It should have the aroma of petroleum. Anything other than that is a sign of potential excess engine wear.
 
Makes you wonder if it was in fact synthetic oil that was in the engine.

I'd be getting that car a full service and diagnostics done on it just to make sure everything is ok with it.
 
rjsimmons said:
Benji,
I am in the habit of checking the oil at every fill, benefits of having owned an older Mustang. When you pull the dip stick, put a drop of the oil on your finger. It should be an deep honey color. If it is lighter due to being a synthetic, then the color should stay roughly the same. If you can feel contaminates and it starts looking dark brown, time to change it. Another check is the smell. It should have the aroma of petroleum. Anything other than that is a sign of potential excess engine wear.
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Unfortunately I can't do this due to the removal of the dipstick on the later versions. I'm relying on the trip readout to show me the level.
 
skelters said:
Makes you wonder if it was in fact synthetic oil that was in the engine.

I'd be getting that car a full service and diagnostics done on it just to make sure everything is ok with it.
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Yeah it makes me question it all now unfortunately. Again service invoice says they used 5w30 but who knows. My mechanic plugged it in yesterday and said it all appeared to be OK and had a good look underneath the car and he said it seems tight and in excellent condition. I'm wondering was it was maybe as suggested earlier that there was a faulty seal and that caused it to deteriorate quickly due to the leak. Time will tell but I took it for a good drive last night and it definitely feels better.

I don't know an awful lot about the mechanical side of cars except what I read on the forum so I take my lead from the things I learn from you guys. :)
 
The disintegrated oil filter could be because a cheap non original one has been used, plenty of stories on here and other forums about cartridge oil filters falling apart after minimal mileage
 
MACK said:
The disintegrated oil filter could be because a cheap non original one has been used, plenty of stories on here and other forums about cartridge oil filters falling apart after minimal mileage
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Yeah I've just been reading about this on other threads so I imagine that's probably a likely cause. Here is hoping that's me sorted for another while anyway.
 
I always use either Mann or Bosch oil filter cartridges and no problems, But 15,500 miles between recommended service intervals, it's no wonder that the cheaper ones 'mush up' and fail. Suppose that's one of the reasons most of us change the oil TWICE the recommended interval.
 
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