M50 oil consumption

My '92 525 touring is currently using about a litre of oil per 2000 miles of motorway driving, does this sound reasonable? 176k miles, manual, no sign of oil leaks at all.

Reply to
fishjam
Loading thread data ...

BMW will say that's normal. They only become concerned if its more than 1 litre/1000 miles. Check around the front timing cover and the valve cover for leaks. My M3 didn't leak any oil on the ground, but went through a quart every 1200-1500 miles. It had a leak on the timing cover that was very hard to see. If you are concerned about burning oil, have a leakdown test done. It will show if you are getting oil past the rings.

Kyle.

98 740iL 01 525i
Reply to
Kyle and Lori Greene

wrote

As Kyle mentions, that's not out of line. Our '91 525i M50 uses about the same at 150K - two dealers and two independents say it's ok. Most likely cause, if no smoke and no carbon buildup in tailpipe, is valve guides. Live with it - oil is cheap compared to any kind of work on the head. If you are still worried, have a compression and leak-down test done to eliminate valve seats and rings.

FloydR

Reply to
Floyd Rogers

My gut instinct is that a liter (just under a quart) in 2000 miles is more than you want. Have you tried using heavier oil, 20w50 seems to be the oil that is called for in a moderate climate.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.