E36 328 oil consumption

[sclass]

Hi fellas,

Let me jump right in

Apparently my oil consumption per 1000kms is high so I'm curious as to what others are getting in their 328s. I try to maintain the oil level on max and I've noticed that I need 500ml of Magnatec about every 1000kms to keep it there. Normal, too much? No smoke, no leaks, no nothing. Does the driving style/conditions figure into this at all? 80% of the time I do very short trips (work), no more than 15minutes.

Interested to hear your experiences :thumbs:

 

[WyKiD]

I had an E36 325i and it used no oil, no topups required between services...

 

[sclass]

I had an E36 325i and it used no oil, no topups required between services...

:fencelook:

 

[Raybimmer]

My 328i used a pint in about 7500 kilos , then I replaced the tappet cover gasket due to the oil leaking onto the exhaust manifold , I used Helix Ultra 5W40 Fully Synthetic . My car has about 293000 km on , about 2000 km a month with 1/2 in town short trips and plenty 2 nd gear to 80 km/h ( :rollsmile: ) and rest a 30 km daily highway run to work and back .

Your car cannot need an oil top up and have no leaks or oil consumption .
Get a friend to ride behind you .Go down a long hill under compression and then accelerate hard and let him see if any smoke is noticed -this would be valve stem seals or guides . Is the car clean underneath?

Good Luck .

 

[sclass]

Thanks Ray

Ok so somethings up, and it's not my driving style ...but what?If I do get smoke like you say would that only be valve stem seals and/or guides? What else would need to be checked/changed?

 

[Doomsdaya]

Hi fellas,

Let me jump right in

Apparently my oil consumption per 1000kms is high so I'm curious as to what others are getting in their 328s. I try to maintain the oil level on max and I've noticed that I need 500ml of Magnatec about every 1000kms to keep it there. Normal, too much? No smoke, no leaks, no nothing. Does the driving style/conditions figure into this at all? 80% of the time I do very short trips (work), no more than 15minutes.

Interested to hear your experiences :thumbs:

I also use Castrol Magnatec & top up every 1000km, but then again my entire under carriage is full of oil :fencelook:

 

[Yuvan]

I have a 328 as well, i seldomely drive enthusiastically, no oil top ups required between services. I used castrol GTX before and still no oil top ups, i serviced my car a week ago and used Liqui Moly Top Tech 5W40, will let ya'll know if there is any change with regard to Oil Top ups!

 

[hiltonfa]

My 2.8i Z3 uses no oil between services, using castrol edge 5w/40

 

[moranor@axis]

like i said in the PMs all my cars have always been driven hard and i have never had to top up between oil changes...

 

[zabbo]

My car also uses a pint every 1000km (Castrol Magnatec).

Well it used to and now for some reason before it is due for an oil service, it has not needed any oil for the last 2 months :fencelook:

I do about 2500km per month (mostly highway and at speed) - perhaps it has something to do with the aluminium block??

 

[ambroseg1]

like i said in the PMs all my cars have always been driven hard and i have never had to top up between oil changes...

I honestly think that its bull-crap when dealers say its normal for a car to use oil. Think its just the easy (read: cheap) way to explain oil consumption. Dont know why people fall for it.

 

[Doomsdaya]

Could it be that this Magnatec oil is too thin for an e36 328i :dunno:

Next oil service, I'll use a thicker grade oil...

 

[Bayn46]

My car used a fair amount of oil until I replaced the tappet cover gasket. In summer, oil consumption increases and I need to top up every 2-3 months (maybe) - winter, maybe once. I suspect that the oil filter housing gasket is on its way out and will need to be replaced.

 

[hoosain]

never topped up oil on any of my bmw between services had a couple of e36s

 

[The K-Man]

I did my own overhaul on my E30 325i. After about 15000km the car began to smoke when revved hard. I was convinced that it didn't come from inside because I never run oil for more than 5000km. The car used about 500ml of oil every two weeks and I do about 80km a day to work and back. I then found a broken wire under the black cover in my AFM that looked like solderwire (checked there because all of a sudden the car started to backfire sometimes when driven hard or flat spotted). Then I just soldered it back on and kaboom, even the oil usage dissappeared. Will sound as strange to most of you guys as it still seems to me but that was it. :tease:

 

[Raybimmer]

I use a 5 W 40 and used oil through the tappet cover gasket leak Got a new one at Goldwagen for R275 and all is well .

if it smokes on a downhill the head is the culprit , only seals and guides there that are culprits .

 

[sclass]

Thanks for the responses guys, much appreciated!

Moranor@ Thanks for the heads up (once again!)

Doomsdaya@ Apparently thicker oil isn't a good idea (had considered it at some point). Ask MiniMike about that...

Yuvan@ Thanks bro, interested in your findings :thumbs:

Zabbo@ If you're car's still alive today then it's not likely you have nikasil issues. How's your car otherwise?Have you done the downhill smoke test?

Bayn46@ Could you actually see the oil seepage from the tappet cover gasket?

Ray@ Thanks, will check for smoking on downhill. If it's only the guides and stem seals what are other effects/symptoms besides the high oil consumption?

So I should replace guides and seals. What about the tappet cover gasket?Anything else that can be done while doing this job?

 

[novio]

I put a pint in probably every 2 months on my 328.
But I also do 120km every day. Changed my front tires a week ago which gave me a good chance to have a look under.....and noticed there was a small area that was a little oily.

They are after all, old cars. Oil leaks here and there would be common given the age.

 

[zabbo]

Had the nikasil issues sorted last year and car is running strong. Haven't done the test but I am sure that there is no smoke.:thumbs:

 

[Peejay]

Check all the spark plugs for traces of oil? Could be a leaking inner tappet cover gasket.

Maybe change your oil to edge.