BMW using technology to answer a question nobody asked.

thedguy

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Mike Spinelli said:
What happens when technology answers a question nobody asked? Sometimes billions are made. Other times, needless technical complexity makes for a more complex experience. Such is the case one Car and Driver reader made in the mag's July '07 issue. In a letter to C&D, he directs our attention to the BMW 328i, whose oil dipstick has been replaced with a sensor and on-screen alert icon. But according to the writer, the system has resulted in owners overfilling their crankcases. And according to two dealerships, the only way to check the oil accurately is thus:

I was told the proper way to check the oil is to return the car to your BMW dealership and it will put the vehicle on a rack, drain the oil, measure it, and then reinstall the oil in the car.

The sensor has been known to fail, and tell you to add oil when not needed. It also takes roughly 30 minutes for the ECU to register any changes. *

It's not a new problem, and BMW isn't the only one; Porsche uses a similar system, which includes an oil-level readout on the dash. Still, if car companies want to be software developers, maybe they should start offering pre-production cars to Beta testers.

Leave it to BMW to replace a $1 part that wasn't a problem for a failure prone German electronic that will most likely cost $500 to replace and take weeks to be shipped from Germany.



*I added this line.
 
exactly why i don't wan't to own a beemer, if it wasn't for stupid crap like that i would probably love that company
 
strange, because here they tell you specifically not to change your own oils during the warranty period
 
strange, because here they tell you specifically not to change your own oils during the warranty period

The quote is coming from the dealers, who i would also assume would have problems checking Oil levels when they need to service a car for a non-oil change service. So i guess the only accurate way is to empty the oil from the crank and see if you got what you need. Not a very efferent way, but i guess the only way.
And people do need to top off, most cars i have seen will burn a qt of oil the first 1k or so when new, and some might do a qt every 5k for there life.

My S500 has a system that allows you to check the oil from the MFD and its pretty good. But it also has a standard dip stick that allows you to check you oil the old fashion way when you need too, especially when your adding a qt or so.
 
yup. correct.. same problem i had with my oil sensor when i got my 130i. took it back to BMW dealership a few weeks ago, and they are ordering a new part from germany.
 
This is a good way to keep you coming back to the stealership for over-priced service.
Another example:
There are some makes that don't have a transmission dipstick anymore (with no electronic means of checking). The automakers said too many people are overfilling the transmission so they just took it out altogether... have the service dept. check it.
 
This is a good way to keep you coming back to the stealership for over-priced service.
Another example:
There are some makes that don't have a transmission dipstick anymore (with no electronic means of checking). The automakers said too many people are overfilling the transmission so they just took it out altogether... have the service dept. check it.

A lot of cars these days have that. I never knew a whole lot of people who ever checked theirs anyway. But I can see the complaint.
 
my skoda octavia has a sensor that tells you when your oil level is low, but at the same time there is the dipstick to check it...
german engeneering - you know its like with the day-lighting, at volvo they couldn't figure out how much extra fuel was used when your lights are on all the time, because it is such a low amount, but at the same time, germans will give you lights with lower electricity consumption! :)
 
can't they just spend their time making better looking cars?
 
I have to laugh... And then smile at my Porsche's uniblinker. You could be signalling left, you could be signalling right, who knows?
 
strange, because here they tell you specifically not to change your own oils during the warranty period

That is complete garbage why Australia allows that, because here in the States it is illegal for a car manufacturer to restrict an owner to such terms.
 
What's wrong with a dipstick?
 
That is complete garbage why Australia allows that, because here in the States it is illegal for a car manufacturer to restrict an owner to such terms.

well I can understand the reasoning behind it, they want to make sure they know what's happened to the car mechanically (so they can determine if it's their fault something broke)
 
A $500 part? That thing will cost way more than that!

Wouldn't this be like installing the tire air pressure sensors in a car but making valves that prevent you from checking the pressure with a gauge? If you want to put in a sensor, that's fine, but don't take the dipstick away.

Redundancy is good in machinery.
 
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