Red Line Oil throwing codes on BMW

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wjhughes420384

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i have a 2009 BMW 750Li. at 7500 miles i switched to red line oil, no problem, at 15000 I replaced the oil, and I got a fault from my oil level sensor, when the dealer put it on the computer it said there was moisture in my oil. dealer assumed it was a bad sensor, replaced it twice. finally he replaced the oil with the castrol synthetic and the fault went away.
I there any reason that there could be moisture in the oil?
 
That sounds hard to believe. What does oil level sensor have to do with moisture? Also, there will be times where having some moisture in the oil will be normal, for example, if you do a lot of short trips. Why would that trip any sensors?

With that said, your BMW probably has a dielectric sensor that monitors oil condition. Maybe this is the sensor somehow is able to detect moisture by measuring the dielectric constant. Maybe it's not moisture but some other characteristic in Redline Oil that causes this sensor to misbehave. But again, this sounds somewhat hard to believe.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
That sounds hard to believe. What does oil level sensor have to do with moisture? Also, there will be times where having some moisture in the oil will be normal, for example, if you do a lot of short trips. Why would that trip any sensors?

With that said, your BMW probably has a dielectric sensor that monitors oil condition. Maybe this is the sensor somehow is able to detect moisture by measuring the dielectric constant. Maybe it's not moisture but some other characteristic in Redline Oil that causes this sensor to misbehave. But again, this sounds somewhat hard to believe.


I would imagine that if moisture was too high, conductivity would increase and perhaps create a high impedance short. Perhaps the moisture-mixing characteristics of esters differ substantially from other oils...
 
This was a huge problem when I was at BMW. It started with the E90 3's, since there was no dipstick it all rested on the oil level/quality/moisture sensor. If poeple wouldnt warm the oil up hot enough, there would be condensation in it, forcing an implausible reading on the level sensor. BMWs solution was to rev the car over 3k at highway speeds for about 10 min, then open the oil filler cap to relieve the moisture. Most times the sensors would fail, causing a low oil reading, and the saavy owners who wanted to be involved would add a quart and re calculate. It would still say low so theyd add another, and recalculate. Still low, one more went in. Finally theyd give up and drive over to us, where they already caused damage by overfilling the motor. One lady added 7 quarts!!!!!! Big big mess. If anything, take the 7 out and get the oil hot and see if you can get the moisture to burn off, open the cap after a sprited run if you need to. I dont think your problems are over for this pesky sensor. Just give us a dipstick!!!
 
Originally Posted By: Audios
This was a huge problem when I was at BMW. It started with the E90 3's, since there was no dipstick it all rested on the oil level/quality/moisture sensor. If poeple wouldnt warm the oil up hot enough, there would be condensation in it, forcing an implausible reading on the level sensor. BMWs solution was to rev the car over 3k at highway speeds for about 10 min, then open the oil filler cap to relieve the moisture. Most times the sensors would fail, causing a low oil reading, and the saavy owners who wanted to be involved would add a quart and re calculate. It would still say low so theyd add another, and recalculate. Still low, one more went in. Finally theyd give up and drive over to us, where they already caused damage by overfilling the motor. One lady added 7 quarts!!!!!! Big big mess. If anything, take the 7 out and get the oil hot and see if you can get the moisture to burn off, open the cap after a sprited run if you need to. I dont think your problems are over for this pesky sensor. Just give us a dipstick!!!



when bmw tested the engine did all these counter common sense design issues come up?
wacky
 
Last edited:
I'm sorry but any car w/o a dipstick,sight glass or atleast a plug to check oil like a model T is a pile of poo. Add in a sensor that throws erroneous readings telling a person to add oil to an already full sump has to be one of the worst ideas/designs ever conceived.

I wish that I could really say what I feel about these cars but I'd get at least a 30 day ban If I did.
eek.gif
 
No dipstick in my 2007 530xi either. I guess BMW thinks we owners might get our Grey Poupon all over the engine if trusted to check the oil under the hood! (Actually for me the problem would be BBQ sauce).
 
But seriously, yeah, a dielectric sensor with H2O (with microspic metal particles in solution ) would definitely change the impedance/capacitance measurements.
 
What a moronic idea (the doing away with a dipstick).

Regardless, perhaps try continuing to run an approved lubricant and see if the issue remains "resolved".

It very well could have something to do with the ester content of redline and how it handles moisture.
 
there were times when the sensor would go off for short periods of time. When it first started, it would go off after about 30mins. so I thought the oil was heating up and off gasing any moisture. but then after a while it would stay on no matter what. Right now i am running the bmw castrol oil. after 5k miles i will try the red line again and see if the problem comes back.
Glad to hear i am not the only one with this problem. I would love to know if ester based oils absorb water or is there something about the ester based oils that the sensor picks up as water.

on thinking how dumb bmw owners are. with my previous 740il(356k miles) one time the oil pressure sensor went, the computer came on and said I had no oil pressure! When i called the bmw 800 number, the technician asked if i knew how to open the hood!
 
Originally Posted By: edwardh1
Originally Posted By: Audios
This was a huge problem when I was at BMW. It started with the E90 3's, since there was no dipstick it all rested on the oil level/quality/moisture sensor. If poeple wouldnt warm the oil up hot enough, there would be condensation in it, forcing an implausible reading on the level sensor. BMWs solution was to rev the car over 3k at highway speeds for about 10 min, then open the oil filler cap to relieve the moisture. Most times the sensors would fail, causing a low oil reading, and the saavy owners who wanted to be involved would add a quart and re calculate. It would still say low so theyd add another, and recalculate. Still low, one more went in. Finally theyd give up and drive over to us, where they already caused damage by overfilling the motor. One lady added 7 quarts!!!!!! Big big mess. If anything, take the 7 out and get the oil hot and see if you can get the moisture to burn off, open the cap after a sprited run if you need to. I dont think your problems are over for this pesky sensor. Just give us a dipstick!!!



when bmw tested the engine did all these counter common sense design issues come up?
wacky


BMW engineers and drivers consider themselves "smarter" than everyone else in their ordinary cars.
wink.gif


Anyways, i really was going to use Redline oil in a BMW if i ever got one.

Are BMWs from 2006 and earlier (E46 backwards) ok "probably on Redline 0W-40"?
 
Originally Posted By: Cristobal
Chris142, I agree with you. This over-reliance on technology can go too far. A car with no dipstick is something I will never buy.


This times eleventy billion.
smirk.gif


I'm sick of the car companies TELLING the consumer what they want us to want.
 
Originally Posted By: 91344George
Originally Posted By: Cristobal
Chris142, I agree with you. This over-reliance on technology can go too far. A car with no dipstick is something I will never buy.


This times eleventy billion.
smirk.gif


I'm sick of the car companies TELLING the consumer what they want us to want.



x eleventy billion and +1

also "sealed for life" gearboxes that have short lives.
wink.gif
I heard you can still change the fluid in those SFL transes..
 
in the meantime i am stuck with several hundred dollars worth of red line oil. i guess my son will get an early birthday. he has a 98 328is
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
I'm sorry but any car w/o a dipstick,sight glass or atleast a plug to check oil like a model T is a pile of poo. Add in a sensor that throws erroneous readings telling a person to add oil to an already full sump has to be one of the worst ideas/designs ever conceived.

I wish that I could really say what I feel about these cars but I'd get at least a 30 day ban If I did.
eek.gif



Mega ditto
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Originally Posted By: Chris142
I'm sorry but any car w/o a dipstick,sight glass or atleast a plug to check oil like a model T is a pile of poo. Add in a sensor that throws erroneous readings telling a person to add oil to an already full sump has to be one of the worst ideas/designs ever conceived.

I wish that I could really say what I feel about these cars but I'd get at least a 30 day ban If I did.
eek.gif



Mega ditto


x1000
 
It will be interesting to see if it comes back when you switch back to RL, I just find it hard to believe the oil is causing that.

A lot of short trips?
 
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