# i added 7.5 quarts of oil... (m)



## jeff330i (Feb 2, 2002)

well during my oil change I added 6 quarts total of oil. I then checked the oil level and it was fine. I checked for leaks, let the car idle and drove it around for a bit. Then the oil was WAY low. So i added a half a quart that i had sitting around, and the oil level was still lower than the indicator block on the stick. I got a ride to the dealership, picked up another few quarts, got back, and then drove the car around the block a few times, and then added ANOTHER quart (now at 7.5 quarts). However, the oil level on the stick was right in the middle of the block... I drove around the town a little running errands and then got back to the parking lot and now the oil level is maybe a milimeter above the block... Is there too much oil in the engine?? How come when i read the oil level its so different all the time, do i have to let the car cool back down a little? I don't have an extractor so what can i do if there's too much?

ALSO: my engine makes a fast ticking sound very audible when the hood is up. It made this sound when i was low on oil and it continues to do so after i have too much oil. Is this fast ticking normal? i do not remember it before.

PS: car was on level ground each time oil was checked, and there are no puddles of oil on the ground


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

7.5 sounds about right. That's how much I put in when I changed my oil too.


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

Sounds like way too much to me. I've never put in more than 6.5, and my oil level is ALWAYS at the top line. Remember, when you check the oil when the car has just been run, a bunch of it is still sitting up in the head and other passages, so it'll read lower than if it had sat for a while.


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## jeff330i (Feb 2, 2002)

Kaz said:


> Sounds like way too much to me. I've never put in more than 6.5, and my oil level is ALWAYS at the top line. Remember, when you check the oil when the car has just been run, a bunch of it is still sitting up in the head and other passages, so it'll read lower than if it had sat for a while.


hmm you're right.. i let the car sit for 30 minutes and checked again and now the oil is above the measuring block, above the little notch, and about 1 mm onto the top rectangular part. way above the max indicator.

**any idea how i can get some of it out?? keep in mind i don't have one of those nifty oil extractors... yet..

PS: engine still makes that loud, fast tick when the hood's up. any ideas what it could be? is it normal?


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

Kaz said:


> Sounds like way too much to me. I've never put in more than 6.5, and my oil level is ALWAYS at the top line. Remember, when you check the oil when the car has just been run, a bunch of it is still sitting up in the head and other passages, so it'll read lower than if it had sat for a while.


Come to think of it... my last oil change, I put in 6.... then ran the engine a little to get the oil sucked up into the filter housing and stuff... then let it settle and added 1 more to make 7 even.... :dunno:


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

jeff330i said:


> hmm you're right.. i let the car sit for 30 minutes and checked again and now the oil is above the measuring block, above the little notch, and about 1 mm onto the top rectangular part. way above the max indicator.
> 
> **any idea how i can get some of it out?? keep in mind i don't have one of those nifty oil extractors... yet..
> 
> PS: engine still makes that loud, fast tick when the hood's up. any ideas what it could be? is it normal?


Time to buy an oil extractor then I guess eh?  or get a long narrow tube and a turkey baster and suck out little bits of oil till you have enough out? :dunno:

See if you can localize where it's coming from. Mdk330 is getting some similar noise too but his seems to be coming from one of his fans.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

At least on the E46 M3 there is a definate way to check the oil. Run at idle for at least 15 seconds. Shut down. Then wait eactly 60 seconds, then check oil.

Waiting more or less time will throw the reading off.


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## TeamM3 (Dec 24, 2002)

It's common to run 1 qt over the top mark in these engines for autox/track, a tick over is much ado about nothing

I can assure you it has nothing to do with the ticking


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## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

Using an oil extractor, it takes out 7 quarts(with filter) and I add 7 quarts to bring it back up to level.


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## 01silber (Jun 28, 2002)

as per bmw, run engine till warm then shut down wait 5 minutes then check, oil should be between the two lines


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

Jeff, I would not worry about an extra half quart of oil. Just drive the engine hard for a little while and you'll burn that extra oil!


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## jeff330i (Feb 2, 2002)

i just pulled out one quart and now its all good.

first i went to a pet supplies store and got some aquarium tubing and a long, narrow plastic pipe and connected the platic pipe to the rubber tube. I stuck my creation down the dipstic tube and started to siphon. Yeah, it worked, but at about one drop every 10 seconds...
So then i go to home depot, and pick up a big tube. Its about maybe 3/8 inch diameter outside, about 1/4 inch diameter inside. It was like 3 bucks for 15 feet. I got back to my lot and began my siphon into a discarded oil bottle. Took about 30-45 minutes, but it went pretty smoothly.

Tick is still there, and its coming from the engine, not the fan. The tick speeds up when i tap the gas. any ideas?


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

jeff330i said:


> Tick is still there, and its coming from the engine, not the fan. The tick speeds up when i tap the gas. any ideas?


Come by HACK's shack tomorrow and we'll take a look at it.


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## JonW (Jan 6, 2002)

jeff330i said:


> keep in mind i don't have one of those nifty oil extractors... yet..


I do have one of those extracters. It's great. Changing the oil is really easy and not messy. Worth every penny. :thumbup:


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## drmwvr (Feb 21, 2003)

doeboy said:


> 7.5 sounds about right. That's how much I put in when I changed my oil too.


Same here.


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## JonW (Jan 6, 2002)

If I remember this correctly... Most 325's and 330's have about 7.2 quarts of oil. Except for the 325xi and 330xi which have 7.9. I don't have my manual here, but I think it says in there that the xi's hold a little more oil.


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## Mark_325i (May 1, 2003)

*My 2 cents*

I just did my first oil change over the weekend, and I used the MityVac. I made note of where the oil level was on the dipstick, then sucked out the oil (looked like about 6.5 liters), changed the filter and then added 7 quarts of Mobil 1. Took it for a quick ride and let it sit. When I checked the oil, it was exactly at the same level as before.

So, according to my observation, my 325i takes 7 quarts of oil in a full oil/filter change.

And, boy, is that MityVac easy to use!


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## drmwvr (Feb 21, 2003)

Mark_325i said:


> I just did my first oil change over the weekend, and I used the MityVac. I made note of where the oil level was on the dipstick, then sucked out the oil (looked like about 6.5 liters), changed the filter and then added 7 quarts of Mobil 1. Took it for a quick ride and let it sit. When I checked the oil, it was exactly at the same level as before.
> 
> So, according to my observation, my 325i takes 7 quarts of oil in a full oil/filter change.
> 
> And, boy, is that MityVac easy to use!


We must be on the same wavelength...I did my first MityVac oil change this weekend as well :thumbup: Your right, it is easy to use!


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## wrwicky (Jan 17, 2003)

From the 03 e46 Manual​*Engine oil* and filter change quarts/liters 320i, 325i, 330i:​approx. *6.9*/6.5​325xi, 330xi:​approx. 6.6/6.2​BMW High Performance​Synthetic Oil​My car has always happily accepted 7.0 qts during each change. That places my oil at the bottom of the upper notch of the dipstick (fully serviced as far as I can tell, but who knows since even experienced BMW owners can't agree on what the various marks mean on the new dipstick)​


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## Jspeed (Dec 23, 2001)

A ticking sound that speeds up w/ the engine revving is most likely coming from the valves. Maybe there's something wrong w/ the hydralic valve adjustment.


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