Quote:
Originally Posted by lancetb
UPDATE:
After 6 weeks oil level had gone down about ¼ way from Max line, so I made another appointment with dealership and took in car today. The service advisor tried to blow it off like the first advisor back in July, but I told him they need to find out what is causing the car to lose oil, because this isn’t normal for a brand new car.
The advisor contradicted himself several times and I felt like he thought he was talking to an idiot. I may not know anything about car engines, but I do know the oil shouldn’t have to be constantly checked in a new car. At any rate, first he said it’s nothing to worry about, then he said M Series used to have this problem and it caused bearings to burn out. I told him that sounds like a big deal and that I’m surprised there wasn’t a class action against BMW. He also said if it’s a quart low that’s perfectly normal, but when I asked if I should bring the car in when the low oil light comes on (i.e., when it’s a quart low), he said I absolutely should get the car in as soon as possible when that happens. Ok, so not a big deal, but get to the dealership ASAP. Then he said I can’t be certain it’s burning oil, because the oil level might have been low from the factory, but I pointed out that the sensor showed it was full after a quart was added and the level had gone down since then. It was like talking to a brick wall and he insisted that just because the sensor was showing the level had gone down, that didn’t mean it had really gone down. He actually said that.
Even though I was told by the dealership to bring car in early for the first service to have the oil changed, he acted like he was doing me a favor and had to get “approval” for the oil change. Anyway, I did leave the car, but just got a text from service department saying they don’t have any 0W12 in stock and can’t change the oil. Unbelievable.
I wasn’t rude, but did make it clear that I want them to find out why a brand new car is burning oil, because I’m not going to take my car down to the dealership every 3 to 6 months to have them top off the oil. Even so, I had to insist they change the oil so the level can be monitored from a point where we know it was full. Typical lousy, American customer service, which you wouldn’t expect from BMW, but I guess even their standards are in the toilet these days. I paid cash for that car and trade in frequently, so you would think they’d want to keep me as a customer, but BMW couldn’t care less about my business.
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The problem with so many of these service departments is that they assume every owner of a luxury car knows nothing about engines/mechanics. They think we all grew up with a silver spoon in our mouths, and could not be bothered to learn about mechanics, or worked on cars. Oil has 2 ways to leave an engine. Either it's leaking, or it's being burned off. A new car should not burn much oil. Maybe about 1/2 cup between oil changes. But more likely it won't be enough to register. A well taken care of 100K Mile car will maybe burn a 1/3 quart between oil changes.
Check your exhaust. Smoke (Even light smoke) means it's being burned off. Most likely a leaky gasket that did not seat properly when the engine was assembled. If it was not a custom order and it sat on a lot as a dealer Spec car, it may have been abused by SR's during test drives and never got broken in properly They want to show off the car's power and 0-60 and don't care if it tears it up in the long run.
Also there might be a leak that only happens when the car is warm and things expand. If you are not getting oil stains on your garage floor, have you checked where you park at work? Or when you pull out from a parking spot after dinner or shopping? These cars have a plastic cover underneath the engine, so the leaked oil might remain in the pan until you accelerate, and then leaks out the back of the pan onto the road. So when you stop it might drip a little left over oil from that cover.
Most likely the service department knows they will probably have to tear the engine apart, or re-engine the car. Since it's under warranty they will not make any money on it, BMW will supply the parts, but not necessarily the labor. it will also take a lot of time and they will have to provide you a loaner the entire time. See if you can get the SM to give you this analysis of his in writing. Regardless you should complain to BMW NA and explain the situation. They will take charge of your case until you are satisfied with the results.
Either way your new car should not burn oil. No, it is not normal, and that means there is a problem that needs fixing.