Engine Oil Light on Check Control has lit up

[Raj_p]

How much did you top the oil up by? whats the level showing now? is the light still show check oil?

What engine have you got?

The level switch is on the sump

[Raj_p]

lol....

you need to switch the car off and keys out off ignition (or ignition totaly off) for all the lights to go off, then when you switch the car back on, all the check lights should go out.

If you just turned the car off and left the key at acc, then the light would have stayed on, even though the level was right after top up.

make sense?

[Brianmoooore]

The level senders can stick, and usually respond to a good soak in petrol.
The actual sender is inside an aluminium alloy tube which is almost sealed except for small holes at the top and bottom.
If you have a cold engine with low oil, and then top it up, it can take several minutes for the oil to enter the tube and switch the sender off, so it's not unusual to find that the light still comes on after a top up, and of course, it stays on once triggered, until reset by switching the ignition off.
If the oil level was as high as you say, though, it shouldn't have come on in the first place, although it is triggered considerably above the "min." mark on the dipstick.

[Raj_p]

What brian said.....

[Z3I]

Hope all comes ok on this issue Stefan. Very nice cab btw, it doesn't look like a hound at all that will be a money pit!

[Brianmoooore]

Thanks Brian, I topped the oil up and drove 20 miles from Weybridge to home and it stayed on, I can't remember if I took the key out of the ignition or not but Raj_p and your posts do make sense and I will keep an eye on things.

Can someone just point me the right direction of the sensor, by this I mean a clear photo with a big red arrow pointing it out ;o)))

I was just worried that this is the start of a money pit but I am also glad that I am not the only one on here at 01:08

If sufficient oil to switch off the sensor hadn't found its way inside the pot by the time you started the engine, then the light would stay on all the way home, or until you stopped the engine.

[PeteE30Tourer]

I was just about to put a new thread on here as I have exactly the same problem on my 325 - red engine oil light stays on despite topping up with oil. I ran the car for 5 to let it warm up, went for a drink, then drove it home again, but the light still stayed on.

Do I need to worry? No obvious signs of oil leaking. Engine running fine - not overheating. No oil in water or vice versa.

[tha881]

Mine comes on every once in a while, never when the car is cold only when hot, and has never come on while driving. Its best to always use the genuine oil filters and keep an eye on the level and you shouldnt need to worry. Its very unlikely you lost loads of oil unless you lost your sump drain bolt or something. If the engine oil light on the actual dash comes up then that is cause for concern iirc

[Brianmoooore]

If the warning light in the 'check' panel says you're low on oil, but the dipstick disagrees, then there's nothing to worry about, except the shame of driving a BMW in which everything doesn't perform as it did when it left the factory.
A soak in petrol usually sorts the sensor, as I detailed further up the thread.

[PeteE30Tourer]

Cheers guys. Only got this month left before I SORN it for the winter so want to enjoy it while I can.

[PeteE30Tourer]

Quick update - drove the car to work yesterday (22 miles) with the red engine oil light on, then when I got back in it later to drive home, the red light didn't come on - and it hasn't today either.

Must have got stuck as suggested, but a good run freed it up.