How to tell when your engine is effed.

[static667]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8023/7505220556_96c92031af_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/static667/7505220556/)
2012-07-04 13.08.35 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/static667/7505220556/) by static667 (http://www.flickr.com/people/static667/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7262/7505219942_3be9712961_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/static667/7505219942/)
2012-07-04 13.08.18 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/static667/7505219942/) by static667 (http://www.flickr.com/people/static667/), on Flickr

Yeah....that made my 4th a happy day... :/

I believe what caused this problem to get to this level is really my fault. Before I realized that I had such an issue with my oil filter housing gasket, I ran it low on oil for too long. This low running caused some major wear issues with my piston rings and cylinder walls and now I have some bad oil burning issues. Like 1.5+ quarts a week bad. Once I pay my car off I may be looking for a new engine or I'll drive it till it dies.

Anyway, the moral of the story is, CHECK YOUR OIL REGULARLY!!!!!!!!!!

[nike001]

Holy shit man. That's not good at all.

[M0nk3y]

:(

Not a good way to end the day

[Beau B]

That does not look good.. sorry to hear that

[BRGcoopahS]

I have an oil/engine issue as well, or so I believe. That made me realize more that I should check the oil more often now. Luckily I only have to fill a half a quart a month.

[Crestwood1001]

I check mine every other day, religiously

[WOLFN8TR]

Dam! Man that Sucks.


Bayerische-Motoren-Werke

[NorCalZman]

my sympathies. How much would a new ZHP engine cost?

Also, I am new to E46s, but don't we have a warning system to prevent just this incident? It shows a yellow light when it starts to get low. Isn't that supposed to be your buffer time to add oil before it gets too low and the light turns red?

[johnrando]

I would have hoped a warning would have signaled too. Sorry to hear that. Along w/junkyards, check the parting out section of e46f.c, there could be some engines for sale.

[wsmeyer]

Damn, them are some ugly plugs.

Oil gets into the cylinders either from worn piston rings, leaking valve seals, or oil getting into the intake charge itself. The fact that all the plugs look nearly identical kinda rules out the first two. A quick compression test would help rule out rings too. The material used for intake gaskets won't hold up to oil and I suspect oil leaking from your filter housing was puddling up somewhere and eventually got through an intake gasket and into the intake manifold somewhere.

William.

[Ryans323i]

That stinks Kyle. Keep us posted on what you decide to do.

[static667]

my sympathies. How much would a new ZHP engine cost?

Also, I am new to E46s, but don't we have a warning system to prevent just this incident? It shows a yellow light when it starts to get low. Isn't that supposed to be your buffer time to add oil before it gets too low and the light turns red?

They do but, mine had failed. I'm kicking around ideas right now. I can pick up a salvaged M54B30 for around $2500. I'm just going to play it by ear for a bit and see what pans out.

Sent via Tapatalk 2 on my hacked Fascinate.

[NorCalZman]

failed? as in the light didnt come on? That is kinda scary. I think I will be checking my oil more regularly.

[BCS_ZHP]

There's a M62 engine and 6 spd tranny in my area for about $600, are you up for that kind of swap?

[static667]

The sensor had gone bad. The light would come on every time I started the car regardless of my oil level. I needed to replace it but didn't have the time or money to do so. I guess that really came back to bite me.

[Hornung418]

There's a M62 engine and 6 spd tranny in my area for about $600, are you up for that kind of swap?

Oh...that's hot!

Sent from the past from my future self.

[brettbimmer]

Sorry to hear K. All options sound $$$, unfortunately. Good luck with her.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[zhpnsnv]

Damn. Sorry dude.

[danewilson77]

I have a question. How did the car run, prior to plug inspection?

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[Ryans323i]

A little OT, but I checked my oil level before taking her out yesterday. (Only the 2nd or 3rd time since VA meet). I hadn't checked it since the meet, I was quart low. Should a sensor light have come on? Or how low do you have to be?

[danewilson77]

A little OT, but I checked my oil level before taking her out yesterday. (Only the 2nd or 3rd time since VA meet). I hadn't checked it since the meet, I was quart low. Should a sensor light have come on? Or how low do you have to be?

I believe at 1 qt low, it comes on. There is a tolerance I'm sure though. It could be faulty as well.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[llll1l1ll]

It should come on after you turn the car off when a quart low. If it's super low, it'll come on when driving.

[Ryans323i]

I'll keep an active eye on the oil. I don't like to rely on the sensors anyways.

I might not have noticed the light coming on after I turned the car off. Or maybe I just wasn't low enough, I say a quart but I finished 1 quart that was <1/4 full and added some from a 5 qt jug. The exact amount is unknown.

[kayger12]

Seems that each sensor is a little different. The light wouldn't come on in my 325i unless I was a little more than a quart low.

With the ZHP it seems to come on whenever I'm 3 molecules low...

[Ryans323i]

Lol. Thanks Keith.

[cakM3]

Holy Hell!!! :jawdrop This is the first time I looked through this thread....Kyle, I hope things will work out for you brother!

[danewilson77]

I have a question. How did the car run, prior to plug inspection?

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

Bump.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[az3579]

S54 swap.

/thread

[brettbimmer]

And this variance in level sensitivity is but one more argument in favor of a dipstick. **E46 For Life!!**

What's the word Kyle?

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[static667]

The car runs ok. I do have some occasional hesitation under normal acceleration around the 1.5 - 2k RPM range. Other than that, everything else seems normal. Under WOT, she gets on with it without issue, other than some blue smoke from the exhaust, my fuel mileage is good, no stalling or crappy idling. :dunno

[danewilson77]

Drive it till it dies, and go with a 5W/10W-30/40

[das boots]

KInda late on this....My sensor light comes on at 1/2 qt. under the high limit. I always carry a spare qt in the trunk. Like DW says...when funds are low...keep on riding her until she dies. But in the meantime....start looking for other options. Always have a back up plan..or a couple. Planning is the key.

[WOLFN8TR]

Seems that each sensor is a little different.
With the ZHP it seems to come on whenever I'm 3 molecules low...

So true, my yellow light comes on anywhere between 1/4 of a quart and 3 molecules.




Bayerische-Motoren-Werke

[WOLFN8TR]

Your dipstick might be wrong. E46s shipped with all different lengths of dipsticks, it's a mess. My light comes on when I'm ~.5 quarts down on the dipstick, but light on means a quart down- so I add a full quart.

The sensors can go bad- when my sedan's sensor went bad it just stopped reporting low oil.




Bayerische-Motoren-Werke

[nk_zhp]

The sensor measures the height of the fluid averaged out as the fluid splashes from side to side as you drive. Cars that spend more time driving on slopes as oppose to a straight level roads will likely see more variation in fluid height even if the amount of fluid is identical and the average may be lower as a result of that causing inconsistent yellow lights.

[WOLFN8TR]

Dipstick Issues

http://www.e46fanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=765418


Bayerische-Motoren-Werke