94' 540i - Engine Oil Low - warning

My wife came home from work last night and said that the display in her 94' 540i warned that the engine oil was low. I checked the level this morning when the motor was cold, but the level was right between the marks. I added half a quart and started the motor. Sure enough, the display indicated low engine oil, and the warning stayed on after I shut the motor off.

If I read the Bentley manual correctly, there are two switches, a static switch, which senses oil level when the motor is off, and a dynamic switch, which senses the level when the motor is running. Would this situation indicate that both switches have failed? It seems unlikely to me that they would both fail at the same time.

If the connector came loose, I assume the computer would see both switches open. According to Bentley, the normal (correct oil level) condition for the static switch is open, but closed for the dynamic. So I think loose connector might not be the issue.

Any suggestions before I go poking around?

Thanks,
Dan

94 540i
83 320i
74 3.0 CS

The level switch is the most common problem [it's a combined switch in the oil pan], this connector [unlike someothers] was well designed and 'protected' and as you said, unlikely to be the cause.
Love to hear about your 320i & CS...........jeff b.

Thanks, Jeff. This makes perfect sense. I can replace the switch next time I change the oil, then I can also check the oil pump bolts, while I'm in there.

Nothing special with the 320i, it's my daily driver. I keep it stock, with the exception of Boge Sport struts and shocks. It has 310,000 miles on it, and it runs perfect. It uses some oil, and the gear box and final drive are getting a bit loose, but I plan to keep it at least until it hits 500,000. I may replace the drive train, if I can find a doner car, but it's not a big priority.

What I like best about the car is that it is really fun to drive, and not overpowered, so I can push it to it's limits without going excessively fast. It's a very well balanced car with tons of feedback. It may be the forgotten BMW to many, but it's perfect for me; cheap, fun, easy to maintain, reliable, and still looks good for a twenty one year old car.

Th CS coupe is my baby. I had been casually looking for one for years, then purely by chance my wife saw this one sitting in a guys yard with a 'for sale' sign on it.

The owner was interviewing potential buyers, although I didn't know it at the time. He chose me over the other eight or nine buyers because I planned on keeping it and maintaining it, whereas all of the others planned on selling it.

The car was purchased new by this guys dad, and he sold it to a friend in New York, who used it as a daily driver for about twenty years. He did a full restoration shortly before his death. He willed the car back to the son. The son kept it for a couple of years, but he isn't really an auto enthusiast, and just couldn't justify the time and expense of maintaining it, but wanted to make sure the car went to a good home. Lucky Me!

It's fjord blue (my favorite BMW color), manual transmission, blue leather interior, original drivetrain with no modifications, and still has most of the tools in the toolkit. It runs beautiful, drives great, and of course, is one of the most beautiful cars BMW ever built. I have taken it to a couple of track events, just to see how well it does when pushed a bit. It did great. That M30 motor sounds so sweet climbing towards redline.

It catches a lot of attention, and makes a lot of people smile, (especially me) even if they don't know what it is, or appreciate it's heritage.

It needs a little attention, as almost all CS coupes do. It has a couple of small spots of rust, and a couple of missing or damaged trim pieces, but if it was any more perfect, I would be afraid to drive it.

Thanks for asking.

Dan

Hey Dan, thanks for the feedback, nice CS's are becoming rare and the story 'bout the purchase is perfect! I've got a couple of "s" package toolkits I've been assembling and may have some spares left after I reinstall one back into my '80 320is I'm been restoring. Mine's now painted SLK Yellow, has the original front spoiler, though I'm hunting for a 'perfect' one. My daughter and I rebuilt it a year and a half ago to be her car [ she did want it PINK, but calmer heads prevailed ]. Stock engine, Ebach springs, Bilstiens, Adjustable Upper Strut Mounts, Zender 15X7 wheels with 205/50ZR15 Potenza S-03's. She 'totaled' the nose a year ago and we've just "rerestored" it as MY daily driver. I to LOVE driving the car, handles fantastic and turns heads. On the way home today I past a '75 530i [you can tell by the hood] that was also yellow. The driver was waving frantically, but I was caught off guard by his car to. It'd been converted to a Pick-up look and at quick glance appeared to have been nicely done. I'll have to 'run-into' him again.
Stay in touch.................jeff b.