so back from the dealer for service.... 6k miles ago i had the tensioner replaced. I hear a rattle again.... thinking it was the tensioner again, but in fact i was low on oil (which apparently causes a similar rattle to the tensioner issue).

The dealer, which i'm VERY happy with, tells me yea these cars and all bmw's consume oil... every 1 or 2 thousand miles stop in and we will top you off...

Can this really be? Low and Behold... *** i look around the HUGE shop all around me i see 2012-13 Minis AND BMW's getting topped off at the dealer. BRAND SPANKING NEW 750s AND X5s!!!!!

The rep even said " if you ever own a M5 or M6... you will be in here every 2-3 weeks getting oil.... it consumes that much"

well at least they top you off for free but i'm fairly convinced this will be my last purchase of a bmw product...

wtf is this man...

 

Lots of good engines consume a little oil, Hemi chrysler products from the 60's and E type Jags used prodigious amounts.
So, where's the problem? You should check your oil once a week with ANY car. IMHO oh and most manufacturers too.

 

Unless your red lining your MINI all the time then no, you should not be using that much oil if at all. I've had a BMW and I knew of a known leak and was using a quart every 5000 to 6000 miles. Check your daily parking areas for fresh oil spots and your engine for dampness due to oil and if it progresses from there, look for dirt collecting there is where your problem area is or is close to.

 

nope no leaks the dealer checked... I was only down 1 qt after 6k also...

 

Where is the problem? you ask... well the fact that it consumes more oil than my 1995 subaru legacy...

and to say you should check your oil every week is ridiculous on a car with less than 10k miles on it.

I've had a wide array of car brands... Infiniti, honda, subaru, even older bmw... none consumed anywhere near the oil that BRAND new bmw's consume... it's definitely a design issue/flaw. Do you honestly think that a person that drops close to 100k for a 750Li want's to hear that they should be under their hood checking oil weekly? Even if it is a 24k mcs... part of the piece of mind of a new car is NOT worrying about these type of issues.

Furthermore, if it is so normal the salesman/woman should let you know "oh by the way, on this brand new MCS, you should check the oil every week as long as you own the car" you never hear that... cuz they wouldn't sell any if ppl new what a headache these car can/could be.

and guess what.. .it's 2013 engineering has come a LOOONG way... so no i don't expect my car to consume 1qt of oil every 1k miles when NONE of my other cars have in the past.

 

Read the Handbook. I've never had a turbo that didn't use oil to some degree.

Also I'm not inclined to "maintenance by neglect". Your right though I'm older and enjoy tinkering with these things. I guess I'm "old School"

Having said that, this is a quote from the Subaru WRX Forum on complaints of oil consumption.
"I'd be more worried that you let it get almost a QT low then the fact that it burns oil. Most people on here should be checking their oil just about every other tank of gas. Do most of us? No...WRX/STIs can and will burn oil. Our turbos are oil and coolant cooled. The oil method is the oil creates a thin layer of film to keep the fins of the compressor wheel from rubbing the housing. Which is why people that run dirty oil for long periods of time or run low on oil can see the outside edges of the wheel look black. And its impossible for that film of oil not to get sucked through the turbo all the time. Which is where some of the oil consumption comes from. You'll loose a lot if your turbo seals are leaking or blown. I can't see that happening on a newer car and you'd be able to see oil in your exhaust like previously mentioned. So, if your losing small amounts of oil in between oil changes then its just blow bye getting through your turbo. "

Just don't let the car get a QT or lower. Its really bad for these cars.

 

well know that im aware of it and know that the dealer will top me off i don't really have an problem with checking every so often... but then that brings up the valves getting gunked up... just such a pain and a disappointment cuz these cars, when they are running well are fun as hell.. and you can tell that it is a quality car.

 

This is right from the manual.

 

From the Bentley manual

Dealing with Engine Oil Consumption

Modern engines can consume up to 0.63 US quart (0.6 liter) within 1000 miles (1600 km) of driving. Make a habit of checking you engine oil regularly, for example; each time you refill your fuel tank. An engine run low on oil can create additional stress on mechanical components, resulting in engine failure.

 

I've owned real BMWs in the past, and that claim of up to 1qt every 1k miles has been accepted for as long as I can remember.

Interestingly, my 150,000 mile NA Tritec with new cylinder head used almost zero oil in the last 10,000 miles. Before I installed the JCW head at 145k, it used only one full quart between 10k changes. I don't abuse it, but I don't baby it, either. Driving style does seem to make a difference with other cars I've owned.

 

i have an 03/2012 build cms all4 with ~10,000 miles

i have found that if i fill the oil level to "full", the car burns 1/2 quart in 200-400 miles

if i do not top off the oil at that point, it consumes no more oil until i change the oil/filter

my OBC oil change interval is 8000 miles, i think that is too long, so i do an intermediate change myself at 4000 miles

both my changes and dealer changes, i only replace with 4 quarts of oil which puts the level just about at the 1/2 level

i have consumed no oil in the last 8000 miles

my dad liked my cms all4 so much, he bought an ex demo/loaner 09/2011 built 2012 cms all4 2 weeks after i got mine

his acts the same as mine, keep the oil level at 1/2 and consume no oil

btw, talking to a mechanic (not an SA) at the dealer, he told me mini recommends NOT TOPING OFF the oil, only adding a full quart when the level on the dipstick is 1 quart low

when i told him about my non-consumption if the level is at 1/2 he smiled and said ... that's why mini recommend not topping off

scott

 

My R50, has a visible oil leak if you look at the underside of my engine. But the level on my dip stick never drops.

 

Is it "normal" kind of sorta. It is within the manufacturer's specs if it consume that much oil. So yes it is normal but, it isn't right.

 

My 2010 non-turbo MINI consumed 1/2 quart when new and nothing since. I've driven 4 BMWs from 50 to 110k miles each. None were turbo and none used oil.

 

Interesting. This will be my first car with a turbo coming from NA's. Different engines have different characteristics and idiosyncrasies for each as I'm learning or relearning. Same goes for different car models. Nature of the beast so to speak.

 

Maybe thats why they said to change the oil once a year or 12k miles before cause if the car is using oil and your topping it off. Your kinda giving it a oil change within the year or 12k miles. They arent communicating that to the consumer causing problems and instead of communicating better with consumers. They change the oil requirements to every 8k miles. I dont know if that makes sense but just thinking outside the box. Cause there is no absolute way the oil would last 8k miles in my car. It'd prolly run dry before then. I usually change it at 5k miles... like I did on my 07 Subary Legacy GT and even that car was on the verge of running low at that mileage.

 

Direct injection engines do gunk the valves a bit but not because of oil consumption. There's been some good discussions on this and once a year a 15 minute treatment with "Seafoam" will make them clean as new.

Happy motoring.

 

Not only is it similar, it IS your tensioner rattling. The tensioner gets its tension from oil pressure. So, I understand your wanting to argue with your dealer regarding how much oil you're using, but you really need to keep an eye on it, or you're going to lose another tensioner or worse yet your timing chain.

For what it's worth, my 45k mile Mini uses no oil between changes at 5k miles. I've also had 2 WRXs (2002 and a 2006) and neither used oil between changes.

 

Well wadda ya know!

 

I drive spiritedly and my 45,00 mile 2008 MCS will use nearly a quart going to North Palm Beach Fl and another coming back, from and to NorthWestern Philly burbs. I have just taken delivery of a 2013 and shall watch the level carefully on this months trip, as I will be breaking in still. <500mi so far.

 

http://www.motoringfile.com/2009/05/...d-start-issue/

 

Well said.

 

The majority of BMW owners don't service their cars. Nor do they enjoy tinkering with them. Unless they are a motorhead, which is brand agnostic.

Besides, you drop a $100k on a BMW chances are you bought one of the models that doesn't even have a dipstick. You have to rely on the onboard computer to tell you that you are low on oil.

I check mine every other fillup. And I carry a spare quart of oil - always.

Did I have to do the same for my Honda? Nope. But my Honda wasnt a direct induction turbo'd motor that can squat and go.

 

Just to add an anecdote, our BMW with an N55 engine consumed about half a quart in 7500 miles (the "halfway" interval at which I will do an oil change) for the first 15K. I would be truly alarmed by 1qt per 1K miles, regardless of what a dealer tells me.

 

Neither my 2010 MINI nor the wifey's 2011 BMW (328i) have ever consumed any oil between oil changes. The BMW has no dipstick but it does keep track of the oil level. It will warn you if the oil is low or you can toggle the stalk and it will show you the oil level. The BMW replaced a Volvo but it never used oil either. My previous toy car was a Miata that I had for 17 yrs and drove HARD without using any oil.