[TurboWeasel]

Originally Posted by mrbensam

Hopefully don’t end up like you haha, what was gone on your engine?

Don't go down the engine path just yet. Stick a new turbo on it as its the cheapest option - just over a grand from here - https://turbo-diesel.co.uk/product/t...k-new-garrett/

It won't have BMW branding on it, but it's exactly the same unit.

You would spend a lot more than that having a dealer diagnose the issue. Less at an indie but if they're going go to the trouble of stripping parts off for inspection, you may as well save on labour and bung a new snail on whilst its apart.

Whilst they have it, they can remove the injectors, ultra sonically clean them and perform a compression check. You will know for sure then whether the car is worth persevering with, or bolt it back up and trade it in.

[TurboWeasel]

Originally Posted by Stainy

BMW sell to fleet and want to please fleet managers. They aren't interested in cars beyond about 3 years old. Oil manufacturers want to sell to car manufacturers, so do what they're told.

Most ENGINEERS say every 3-4k you should be changing oil.

If you're getting rid after 3 years you'll probably see no difference - someone else will get your worn car.

I'm not - I'm going with the engineers advice

Some Top Engine Designers say 2k miles!

Indeed. You don't need to be an automotive engineer to understand that oil choked with soot is never a good thing in the long run. Thick sooty oil is like high blood pressure. It's hard on the oil pump. Higher pumping losses = less mpg, and thats the only reason they use 0W30 oil. Efficiency to keep Brussels happy. The Austrian engineers who assessed the famous N57 engine fire issue said 5W40 should be used in these engines.

Independent automotive engineers who aren't on BMW's pay roll and who aren't fleet managers, have extensively proven over the years that aged and contaminated oil kills off engines far quicker than any other form of owner neglect/abuse. Its not just the carbon, its also the sulphuric acids from short journeys that never boil off and start degrading the bearings.

Long service intervals sells cars - it's as simple as that. Nobody would buy a car that needed 3K oil changes. That's 7-8 times a year for someone doing twice the average mileage

The engine plastics, weak bearings, turbos etc have been designed to last the warranty period and no more. Everything is built down to a price.

Soot is also abrasive to chain links and can also clog the chain spray oil jets, and we all know BMWs have a reputation for long lasting chains, cough

For the sake of £9 oil filters, £25 oil and a vacuum extractor, interim oil changes do absolutely no harm what so ever. It's considerably less than a night out down the pub.

[flipflop72]

On the topic of doing your own oil/filter changes - where do you lot dispose of yours? Once the new is in, can you just put the old oil back into the now empty container and dispose at your local recycling centre?

[bishbosh]

Originally Posted by flipflop72

On the topic of doing your own oil/filter changes - where do you lot dispose of yours? Once the new is in, can you just put the old oil back into the now empty container and dispose at your local recycling centre?

I use a 20 litre jerry can, which is good for 3 oil changes, then take the lot to the tip.

[TurboWeasel]

Yeah same /\

[mrbensam]

After 2 days at Indy BMW specialist they phoned me up and told me they cant find nothing wrong with it for the second time. What does a man do from here??

They've had the exhaust and DPF off with it running and can't see any oil going through the turbo or anything.

No charge for inspection but also no answers

[Watsey]

Obviously oil can’t just disappear. It’s either being burnt in the combustion chamber, leaking from the block / sump / etc, or leaking from an ancillary component i.e. turbo.

There must be a significant fault somewhere.

What did they say about the condition of the DPF ?

[TurboWeasel]

Indeed. Using 5 litres of oil over 2000 miles would leave some kind of evidence.

I'm with Watsey on the turbo. It's either filling the intercooler via the cold side, or filling the DPF via the hotside.....or both ends at once. Regens will quickly burn off the oil. I think the failed upstream O2 sensor is a clue as to where the oil is going. Diesels don't normally kill off O2 sensors like the high powered petrols do.

If not the snail, it can only be the cylinders, which is why I suggested the injector removal for a clean up and do a compression and leak down test whilst they are out. That would be chargeable though as it's a fair chunk of labour.

Can't be rear or front crank seals either as you'd have absolutely massive oil splats everywhere underneath.

[mrbensam]

Originally Posted by TurboWeasel

Indeed. Using 5 litres of oil over 2000 miles would leave some kind of evidence.

I'm with Watsey on the turbo. It's either filling the intercooler via the cold side, or filling the DPF via the hotside.....or both ends at once. Regens will quickly burn off the oil. I think the failed upstream O2 sensor is a clue as to where the oil is going. Diesels don't normally kill off O2 sensors like the high powered petrols do.

If not the snail, it can only be the cylinders, which is why I suggested the injector removal for a clean up and do a compression and leak down test whilst they are out. That would be chargeable though as it's a fair chunk of labour.

Can't be rear or front crank seals either as you'd have absolutely massive oil splats everywhere underneath.

I’m honestly baffled tbh, specialist has had the car twice and come up with nothing. Thoroughly inspected the turbo side of things and found nothing 🤯

[TurboWeasel]

It's a puzzler for sure if they found no clues! Don't know what to suggest mate, other than taking it somewhere else for a second opinion?

Quite honestly, that is horrendous oil consumption and there really ought to be some sign of where it's going. Did they camera scope the intake and cylinders?

[mrbensam]

Originally Posted by TurboWeasel

It's a puzzler for sure if they found no clues! Don't know what to suggest mate, other than taking it somewhere else for a second opinion?

Quite honestly, that is horrendous oil consumption and there really ought to be some sign of where it's going. Did they camera scope the intake and cylinders?

By the sounds of it they have only checked the turbo side of things. I mentioned PCV and inlet side of things but they just say they’ve never seen or heard of that on these engines.

Maybe they just can’t be assed going deeper and want to stick to charging people 400 for a service haha

[V330d]

sorry to say, but my car was similar with nothing found on turbos, or any significant leaks from anywhere. Even though mine was still under comprehensive warranty the garage made me accept any liability if they didn't find anything on engine strip down. All I was told was that there was wear on cylinder 5, and warranty covered

[mrbensam]

Originally Posted by V330d

sorry to say, but my car was similar with nothing found on turbos, or any significant leaks from anywhere. Even though mine was still under comprehensive warranty the garage made me accept any liability if they didn't find anything on engine strip down. All I was told was that there was wear on cylinder 5, and warranty covered

Yeah I’m thinking it must be internal engine issues, at this point I’m just gona keep topping up til something breaks haha what else can I do

[V330d]

Originally Posted by mrbensam

Yeah I’m thinking it must be internal engine issues, at this point I’m just gona keep topping up til something breaks haha what else can I do

that's what my plan was if warranty weren't going to cover.
was yours a private purchase? it's highly likely that the problem existed before your purchase. i know my issue first was evident 7 months before it was fixed. Going from it's the rocker cover seal, I said no chance but work away, it then became their problem. then oil use in normal range dance before finally being fixed. I drove their 530d for a good portion of this time.

[V330d]

re-read your post and I see it was a private purchase and oil use was likely the reason it was sold. Trade it in?

[mrbensam]

Originally Posted by V330d

re-read your post and I see it was a private purchase and oil use was likely the reason it was sold. Trade it in?

I would only get around 8k for part ex so I would lose a few grand that way.. only other option would be sell it to someone else privately but I would feel a cunt doing that tbh

[TurboWeasel]

Personally I would take the hit on a trade in move on with your life. No need to worry about being a C U Next Tuesday as dealers just wash it and dump it off at an auction.

I bought my 330d for £19K in November 22 with 38K on it. Can now buy the same bloody thing for £13 - £14K. It's just the hard knocks of car ownership unfortunately.

I think V330d is right. Someone else palmed it off at a trader for the unexplained oil usage.

[mrbensam]

Originally Posted by TurboWeasel

Personally I would take the hit on a trade in move on with your life. No need to worry about being a C U Next Tuesday as dealers just wash it and dump it off at an auction.

I bought my 330d for £19K in November 22 with 38K on it. Can now buy the same bloody thing for £13 - £14K. It's just the hard knocks of car ownership unfortunately.

I think V330d is right. Someone else palmed it off at a trader for the unexplained oil usage.

Well I hit a kerb 2 weeks after buying it so couldn’t sell it in its current state if I wanted to, steering is off to the left even after 4 wheel alignment

Alignment guy said nothing is bent because all the camber, caster and toe are in spec so the wheel hasn’t moved

Got a mat armstrong project on my hands here hahaha

[StuieUK]

Here's my deal:
Picked up 2017 335d (standard) in Oct 2021 (private sale)
Last service was at 53k (i bought at 62k)
I had it mapped to 370 in Jan 22 (at 62k miles, as didnt use it until Jan)

At 66k (June 22), i sent it in for full service + brake fluid)
At 69k, the warning came up saying oil at Minimum and needs 1ltr top up !!!!! (to which i accused the Indy of not putting enough oil in ! )
At 75k, i had an oil change, including the ZF gearbox full service kit. (Jan23)

In same month, i had my map re-applied, as it turned out, BMW Cotswold had wiped the map in Oct 22 when they did the "EGR Cooler" recall.
At the same time, i had the EGR coded out and blanked.

Since the EGR Cooler recall, several times after leaving that dealer (Oct22), i had drivetrain issues with limp mode.
In short, turns out BMW somehow damage/relates to damage around the "pressure converter" for the big turbo,
so at 78k miles in April 23, i had both pressure converters and hose replaced which solved my drivetrain/limp issues...

At 89k in Feb 24, just had full service (all filters)....

Car drives well, car doesnt smoke, car dont let me down, car doesnt leak oil since keeping eye from Sep 22.....
Car sometimes shows 49 - 50.5mpg when cruising on motorway at 70mph with suitcases in boot on route to airport.......

Yet i keep castrol in the garage, and top up 1ltr probably every 2-3k miles (when it shows up on the screen that oil is at min and needs top up)

I've done 2k miles in the last month (few motorway trips), on the i-drive oil check, it shows i am half way between Min & Max.....

My take ? Like women, there not all created equal, both will still ruin you for years, but some will drink you dry without a trace quicker than the other... Same for our oil
My car - https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...postcount=3747 = i look after it, so i can only assume the oil fairy is drinking it!!

[TurboWeasel]

There seems to be a correlation between remapped cars and oil usage

Plus high revs, plus 0W30..... the oil will dissappear.

My completely standard 330d (apart from xHP) spends 95% of it's life in comfort mode obeying the speed limits (boring, I know) and it uses no oil at all. I bet if I was to use Sports mode permanently and rev it out to 5000rpm in every gear, it would start drinking it

You're right about cars and girls. Always been a close comparison there

[Eddamoo]

I have a mapped 330d running on 0w30 and it looses no noticeable of oil between 7k services. It isn't thrashed, but it does get some good long runs.

If there's no signs from the turbo, my next port of call would be the PCV system - more specifically this part:

https://vanos-bmw.com/product/repair...81-11128507607

If that spring or diaphragm malfunctions, it creates excessive suction on the PCV system, meaning the intake manifold is sucking in 'wet' oily crankcase air without the cyclonic separator having done its job.

I had a similar problem with my old m54 engined Z4. It suddenly started consuming huge amounts of oil and it was the PCV.

[SkyJawa]

Originally Posted by TurboWeasel

There seems to be a correlation between remapped cars and oil usage

I owned my remapped 335d for 5 years and I never had to top the oil up