This 2017 JCW Clubman is still new to me, and I've just completed my first oil change.
I added 5 quarts of oil and then wanted to check the level. Of course, there's no dipstick so I looked up a video - and that guy in the video showed that when you pull up the service menu (vehicle check I think it is), there's one menu option for "oil level" (which when I select it just says "oil level OK" - although I haven't completed the measurement step yet so... uh...), and the next menu option for "oil level measurement". When that is selected, the option for "Start measurement" is greyed out, not available. The guy in the video mentioned that it would become un-greyed and available to select once the engine warmed up.

However, at the point in time where I recorded this video, the car had been idling for at least 15 minutes.

In the meantime, since i was sitting in the car so long - I remembered that the car told me my tire pressure was low. So I fired up the air compressor, topped off the tires, and went back to this menu and successfully reset the TPMS.

Still greyed out when I go back to the Oil Level Measurement level menu.

So with the car still idling, I remember that there were old service notifications dating back way before I took ownership of this car. And I could view them on this menu too.
Watched a few YouTube videos with the car still idling to find out the reset procedure...

Still greyed out when I go back to the Oil Level Measurement level menu.

...so then, since the car was already on and just idling, and I hadn't touched the brake, I went to the speedometer and pressed and held the button. Absolutely nothing happened. If I pressed the button and released it immediately, I saw the trip odometer mileage reset, so I know the button works (you can see on the screen, it's now 000).

At that point I took this video. Under three minutes:
If anyone can figure out how to get my oil level measured, and now also - service reset - please let me know. Just as importantly, I need to know what's wrong with my car that I can't perform these resets myself, since [you can tell from my other threads] I'm absolutely a DIY guy.

 

I have an update -
I went back out into the garage after dinner to try again.
This time, I tried the service reset by turning the car on, but not while it was running. I was able to use the speedometer button to reset the three:

• Oil change.
• Service check.
• Brake fluid. (Curious about this one - will have to look up what "brake fluid" service might exist)

However... the oil level.
I started the car, came inside and set a timer for 5 minutes. I let it run another couple minutes, then went back outside. It was idling for a good 7 or 8 minutes at least.
I still couldn't do the "Start Measurement" for the fluid level.
That said, I notice that I now have a check engine light on in the tachometer side of the speedometer - that wasn't there earlier today or before I changed the oil.
...well obviously, since it's not in the video and I took that just before I made this post before dinner.
I'll have to scan that to see what is going on, but since this problem existed before the CEL, I don't think that's the problem with not being able to check oil level, right?

Regardless - this is the first oil change I've done, first time I've tried this "Start Measurement" thing, but in my opinion - oil level is essential. It should be "checkable" above and beyond anything else. A dipstick doesn't prevent you from reading it if there's a CEL. I just did an oil change - I need a way to check the oil level. Period..

So the question remains - why would I be unable to do the "Start measurement"?

Right now I'm just on a "trust that adding 5 quarts was good enough, because try as I may, I can't tell what the level is" - that's horrible! I need the solution.

 

I did find this comment in one thread on here:
"...you have to drive the car for about 30 miles before you can get to the point where the option to "startmeasurement" will appear."
in
F55/F56 Cold Engine Means Low Oil? - North American Motoring

This can't be right, as the #1 most important time to check oil level is when you do an oil change. You literally just drained all the oil and need to know the level that you refilled it to. It can't be possible that you need to drive (much less 30 miles - I can't even remember the last time I drove 30 miles. My commute is maybe a total of 30 miles in both directions, and I only do that 1-2 times per week.
Is that comment I found a correct one?

If not, what else might be the reason this is greyed out? I've just done my first oil change and am just about freaking out that for the first time in my life I can't confirm that I put the right amount of oil int eh engine.

 

This is from my 2017 Owners Manual

Electronic oil measurement
Status display
The concept
The engine oil level is monitored electronically
while driving and shown on the Control Display.
If the engine oil level reaches the minimum
level, a check control message is displayed.
Functional requirements
A current measured value is available after approx.
30 minutes of driving. During a shorter
trip, the status of the last, sufficiently long trip is
displayed.
With frequent short-distance trips, perform a
detailed measurement.
Displaying the engine oil level
Via the onboard monitor: Using (rotating) the IDrive controller **** in the center console
1. "Vehicle info"
2. "Vehicle status"
3. "Engine oil level"
Engine oil level display messages
Different messages appear on the display depending
on the engine oil level. Pay attention
to these messages.
If the engine oil level is too low within the next
125 miles/200 km, add engine oil, refer to
page 213.
A red indicator light indicates that the
engine oil pressure is too low.
MOBILITY Engine oil
212 Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 915 044 - X/16
NOTE
An engine oil level that is too low causes
engine damage. There is a risk of property
damage. Immediately add engine oil.◀
Take care not to add too much engine oil.
NOTE
Too much engine oil can damage the engine
or the catalytic converter. There is a risk of
property damage. Do not add too much engine
oil. When too much engine oil is added, have oil
level corrected by a dealer’s service center or
another qualified service center or repair
shop.◀
Detailed measurement
The concept
In the detailed measurement the engine oil
level is checked when the vehicle is stationary,
and displayed via a scale.
If the engine oil level reaches the minimum
level, a check control message is displayed.
During the measurement, the idle speed is increased
somewhat.
Functional requirements
▷ Vehicle is parked in a horizontal position.
▷ Manual transmission: shift lever in neutral
position, clutch and accelerator pedals not
depressed.
▷ Steptronic transmission: selector lever in selector
lever position N or P and accelerator
pedal not depressed.
▷ Engine is running and is at operating temperature.
Performing a detailed measurement
Via the onboard monitor:
1. "Vehicle info"
2. "Vehicle status"
3. "Measure engine oil level"
4. "Start measurement"
The engine oil level is checked and displayed
via a scale.
Time: approx. 1 minute.

 

Thanks - and yeah, this is especially mind-boggling:
Yeah... No sh**, MINI. This is exactly why you want to check your level as you do an oil change.
I added 5 quarts - safely "not too much" but potentially "too little".
So yeah - I want to check, to see if I need to add another quarter quart, half quart...

Now is when I need to know - oil change time - not 30 miles later.

Yes, THIS quote, BMW/MINI, THIS quote. From your own documentation. THIS is why you need to check your oil level when doing an oil change.
​​​​​​​

 

Also -
I scanned the car for the CEL codes:
P0171 "System Too Lean" - fuel system code.

I don't think it's caused by my oil change. I'm a little puzzled why it would appear when all I did was idle the car for... ever, waiting for that "start measurement" feature to enable.

 

I think I know about the CEL code:
I've seen where a vacuum leak can cause a code related to this.

I had initially been thinking that I'd only have the engine idling for a minute, and then I'd be able to see the level, so I hadn't even removed the funnel from the valve cover. Then the engine ran and ran - it was several minutes before I remembered that I hadn't closed that up. I suspect that giant opening caused a giant vacuum leak, and so this code wasn't really "running lean". This particular code can be caused by a vacuum leak - and I definitely caused a vacuum leak.

Not to mention, a nice oily mist on my plastic engine cover since it was more than just a "start it and let it run a few seconds and shut it down and check the level" like a normal car. Doh.

At any rate - I reset the code with my scan tool and I drove to work and back, it hasn't come back, so I suspect that's all it was. Self-inflicted vacuum leak.

I was going to check it when i pulled in the driveway but my wife had me stop to pick up takeout, and I totally forgot.
I'll do that in just a bit, but it still seems crazy to have an artificial "drive 30 miles and then the car will allow you to see the oil level".

 

I've commuted to work two days this week, I'm sure more than 30 miles total. I've done some additional running around on top of that. I did forget to check when I got home, but before leaving work yesterday I had remote started my car and then let it idle an additional few minutes before leaving the work parking lot, but still couldn't get the option to "measure level" to become available.

Bear in mind it is wintertime, we have snow, it's below freezing. Is it possible it is something other than "the engine is still cold"?

 

I don’t know if the system is dependent on oil temp, but it is dependent on drive distance. Drive the car until the grey button is highlighted, then pull over, park on level ground, and start the check. If you shut the engine off you have to start over. Keep in mind excessive idling is not prolonging the life of your engine.

 

The time to confirm you have put the right amount of oil in the engine is when you are filling the engine. You measure the amount of oil you put in the engine. At the dealer the tech does this via a dispensing gun that reads volume of oil in tenths of a liter.

On your driveway you count the empty oil bottles. Twice.

After the engine is filled with oil the oil level is checked not to verify the level is correct -- this is *already* known -- but to verify the electronic oil level system displays the expected oil level (OK/Max).

The times I have changed the oil in engines -- but no MINI engines -- with an electronic oil level display I was able to check the oil level immediately after an oil change but I changed the oil with the engine hot up to temperature hot.

That the manual oil level choice is greyed out suggests a malfunction of the electronic oil level system.

 

This is my 2020 JCW Clubman in my garage. After a cold start combination of 13 stop and go minutes and 3.7 miles the light highlighted and allowed me to check the oil level.


Cold start in my garage. 57 degrees, 43 degrees outside temp.

After driving stop and go for 13 minutes and 3.7 miles the light highlighted.

3.7 miles traveled

 

So after an uncomfortable number of days (and also having remembered after one random commute to the office having nothing to do with an oil change), I think this was my fourth attempt to "measure level", and this time I found the option was available:


I was glad to see that with having added just 5 quarts, it was at the "maximum" level.

However, that may also be partially explained because I wasn't able to change the oil filter this time - the 32mm socket I had was too deep. I have since purchased a shallow one that can fit behind the metal that blocks it, but that'll have to wait for next oil change. So I'll be doing an early oil change in the spring and THEN we'll see if 5 quarts is still the right amount...
...but I have a feeling this whole "drive around uncertain of the actual oil level" is going to be a thing next time, too.

 

Drive with that screen open and when the box highlights, pull over and check the oil. As I mentioned above 3.7 miles in my car.

 

It's an interesting suggestion.
I don't know if the unfortunate timing of my oil change with the winter temperatures played a factor, of if it was because I let the car idle for 5 minutes.... 10 minutes... 20 minutes rather than driving it was the issue.

Eventually I did have to give up and just drive the car to work, and my commute is just shy of 20 miles. I didn't immediately get to check after the first two commutes, but I optimistically thought there something that reset - "OK - has driven enough to check", that next time I got the engine warmed up, it would be available. Nope.

I'll have to see in the spring when I can re-try now that I have my new low-profile 32mm I'll be changing it sooner than "3000 miles". I'll see if I actually drive it around with the screen up, if it does what you say.

I can't imagine an oil change place, what they must think...It really just seems like something BMW didn't think through. So odd, all inconvenience and risk with no plausible benefit.