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      11-21-2015, 12:10 PM   #1
BigRussia
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Low oil light need to top off (information overload)

Ok before you guys scold me yes I searched and searched and after 30 mins of reading and information overload I decided to just make this post.
My low oil light came on last night and I need to top it off, my last oil change was at the dealer and I have a couple questions:

-What oil does the BMW dealer use? (Castrol 5w30 I gathered?)

-What oil can I get off the shelf at the local auto parts store to top it off? (too many answers online and not sure what can be mixed with the dealer oil)

-And how much oil do I add when I get the low oil warning? (oil bar is at bottom marker in OBD, I'm assuming a quart?)

Thanks and sorry for the redundant question but it was really frustrating finding any solid answers in the millions of threads on the multiple bmw forums online .
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      11-21-2015, 04:53 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigRussia View Post
Ok before you guys scold me yes I searched and searched and after 30 mins of reading and information overload I decided to just make this post.
My low oil light came on last night and I need to top it off, my last oil change was at the dealer and I have a couple questions:

-What oil does the BMW dealer use? (Castrol 5w30 I gathered?)

-What oil can I get off the shelf at the local auto parts store to top it off? (too many answers online and not sure what can be mixed with the dealer oil)

-And how much oil do I add when I get the low oil warning? (oil bar is at bottom marker in OBD, I'm assuming a quart?)

Thanks and sorry for the redundant question but it was really frustrating finding any solid answers in the millions of threads on the multiple bmw forums online .
You can top off with any LL-01 approved grade (5w-30, 0w-30, 5w-40, 0w-40). BMW oil used to be made by Castrol, but now it is made by Shell, but for topping off that should not be an issue.

I would recommend buying some Castrol 0W-30, which is LL-01 approved and available at Advance Auto, Autozone, etc. The low level light comes on I believe when you are a quart low.

If you check out Autozone, sometimes they have Castrol 0W-30 on close out this time of year ($3-4/quart), so you could get 1-2 quarts pretty cheap. You actually have to go to the store and have the oil scanned to get the deal, since it is not advertised and sometimes, not even marked on the shelf till checkout.

You can add 1/2 quart, then check the level, to see how much you gained. If the bar moves half the way to full, then you can top off with the remaining portion of the quart to reach full.

Sorry, for the long post.
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      11-22-2015, 01:26 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Iron Man View Post
You can top off with any LL-01 approved grade (5w-30, 0w-30, 5w-40, 0w-40). BMW oil used to be made by Castrol, but now it is made by Shell, but for topping off that should not be an issue.

I would recommend buying some Castrol 0W-30, which is LL-01 approved and available at Advance Auto, Autozone, etc. The low level light comes on I believe when you are a quart low.

If you check out Autozone, sometimes they have Castrol 0W-30 on close out this time of year ($3-4/quart), so you could get 1-2 quarts pretty cheap. You actually have to go to the store and have the oil scanned to get the deal, since it is not advertised and sometimes, not even marked on the shelf till checkout.

You can add 1/2 quart, then check the level, to see how much you gained. If the bar moves half the way to full, then you can top off with the remaining portion of the quart to reach full.

Sorry, for the long post.
Awesome thanks and no need to apologize for good info! Right after I made my post I read around some more and saw the Castrol 0W-30 you mention or the Mobil 1 0W-40 were both recommended since they're LL-01 Group IV oils. I went and bought a quart of the Castol 0W-30 (made in Belgium) and now glad to see that it was a correct choice On a side note I may do my upcoming oil change with the Mobil 0W-40.

When I checked my oil level again a '+1q' popped up under the bar so looks like you were right about adding one quart too.

Thanks again!
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      11-22-2015, 06:44 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigRussia View Post
Awesome thanks and no need to apologize for good info! Right after I made my post I read around some more and saw the Castrol 0W-30 you mention or the Mobil 1 0W-40 were both recommended since they're LL-01 Group IV oils. I went and bought a quart of the Castol 0W-30 (made in Belgium) and now glad to see that it was a correct choice On a side note I may do my upcoming oil change with the Mobil 0W-40.

When I checked my oil level again a '+1q' popped up under the bar so looks like you were right about adding one quart too.

Thanks again!
You're welcome. Glad I could help. Mobil 1 0W-40 is good oil. Use it with confidence.
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