[Rocket Ron]

Hi all, I've swapped to another 123d coupe and a feature I loved, because it enabled me to never allow the oil level to go below optimum, is missing when I cycle through the icons with button '1' on the indicator stalk, the vertical one.

I have a theory, I know the chain has been changed, but not by BMW, is it possible the sensor is in there and been disturbed, has anybody else seen this happen, I am hoping there's an answer that doesn't involve fishing the engine out (although I have the impression the garage that changed the chain did it without taking the engine out, when I see the rear case off the engine with the engine still in situ!).

@marco, please if you're watching I'm hoping you may know the answer!

Cheers!

 

[marco_polo]

I’m sure you already know, but BMW massively revised the 123D’s N47 engine in August 2008, are the two cars you’re comparing of different ages?

The early versions required 10w60 oil to cope with the 5,000 Rev limit, iirc. BMW ended up changing and upgrading the bearings, so it could run on the thinner 0w30 LL04.

They fitted different engine covers too, so that cars assembled in late 2008 could easily identify which oil they needed.

 

[Rocket Ron]

I’m sure you already know, but BMW massively revised the 123D’s N47 engine in August 2008, are the two cars you’re comparing of different ages?

The early versions required 10w60 oil to cope with the 5,000 Rev limit, iirc. BMW ended up changing and upgrading the bearings, so it could run on the thinner 0w30 LL04.

They fitted different engine covers too, so that cars assembled in late 2008 could easily identify which oil they needed.

Yes I've always used 10w60 (for the last 50,000+ miles) & up to then the blue 2008 coupe was full bmwsh, so you hope it had the right stuff in from the word go!

That facelift meant I ahd to bin off the idea of swapping in my oil filter cap with dimple magnets glued on, and it had a red dipstick, not a black one, but both manuals mention oil level check via the stalk and using button one on the white 2010 car to reach that, but it doesn't come up when I cycle through using that vertical button, do you know why this could be?

 

[marco_polo]

So it has a dipstick instead of the oil depth sensor?

 

[Rocket Ron]

Hi Marco, so this is the October 2010 car:

And this is the January 2008 Car:

So both have dipsticks, just the older car's one is less obvious. The ability to check oil level is available via the stalk on the older car, but not on the newer car, although both handbooks tell you the same, that you can cycle through on the indicator stalk on button one and check oil level:

But it doesn't seem to work on the newer car!

 

[SteveEx]

Hi Marco, so this is the October 2010 car:

View attachment 20860

And this is the January 2008 Car:

View attachment 20861

So both have dipsticks, just the older car's one is less obvious. The ability to check oil level is available via the stalk on the older car, but not on the newer car, although both handbooks tell you the same, that you can cycle through on the indicator stalk on button one and check oil level:

View attachment 20862


But it doesn't seem to work on the newer car!

The manual for the newer car has an asterisk beside where it says 'checking engine oil electronically'
. This means that it is an optional extra depending on the spec of the individual car.

 

[Rocket Ron]

The manual for the newer car has an asterisk beside where it says 'checking engine oil electronically'
. This means that it is an optional extra depending on the spec of the individual car.

LOL, Thank you Steve! I had better go to specsavers! Crikey Steve you must have Eagle Eyes! I swap between readers and distance glasses, what a fail! I hope when I've got NCSexpertdownloaded and understood I can code that in but I suspect not!

 

[Rocket Ron]