[Arabian123]

Hello guys.
Couple of weeks i bought BMW F10 with 2.0d 184ks.
When i bought it, i dont see a little issue. On cold start, first in the morning i got alert, STOP the car, engine oil pressure too low. After 3s the alert is gone. The engine is running well, no shaking, no noise. The car has 212k on clock. I dont have the history so i dont know what is changed what is not.
I had tried this :
- Change oil 5w-30 Castrol and filter
- Change oil case with coolers
- Put on diagnostic, not a one fault, everything is good.
- Before first crank, open the filter put 50ml oil and start the car, same situation
- Changed oil pressure sensor.
After the first start, i can start all day not even one alert is coming, the car is running perfect.

I went to 3 other workshops and they said common problem on this engine is the oil pump.
Any suggestion before change that, because is a expensive part 1k euro.

Thank you in advance.

[ptpending]

oil filter case and oil filter cap have non-return valve to keep oil in engine , not draining all of it to oil sump
another case is chain tensioner disintergrated and parts of it went to sump and clogged oil pump intake
so best thing is either use videoscope via oil drain plug to check this, or simply remove oil sump and inspect pump and oil for chain tensioner residues

[Arabian123]

Hi mate
I just change a oil housing for that reason, for the valve i was suspect that my is not okay
I make a test i fill the housing with oil to have oil on the start, but the same issue.
You suggest maybe the chain tensioners are bad and better is change the kit of chains?
Can i somehow test the oil pump?

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by Arabian123

Hi mate
I just change a oil housing for that reason, for the valve i was suspect that my is not okay
I make a test i fill the housing with oil to have oil on the start, but the same issue.
You suggest maybe the chain tensioners are bad and better is change the kit of chains?
Can i somehow test the oil pump?

For other cars I connected an oil pressure gauge to the block. I used a t-fitting where the oil pressure sensor was. I haven't looked at the BMW engines but I suspect one could do something similar.

This way one measures oil pressure in the main oil galley. I had the factory repair manual which provided guidelines as to what suitable oil pressure readings should be.

If the chain tensioners have failed I would expect to see tensioner debris in the oil filter oil and oil filter folds.

If you find this then a partial teardown to replace chain tensioners and chains and sprockets is called for. And as mentioned by the oil pan/sump plate needs to be removed and the intake screen to the oil pump pickup tube checked/cleaned, which ptpending advised. Oh and of course any debris in the pan/sump plate removed too.

[Arabian123]

Originally Posted by RockCrusher

For other cars I connected an oil pressure gauge to the block. I used a t-fitting where the oil pressure sensor was. I haven't looked at the BMW engines but I suspect one could do something similar.

This way one measures oil pressure in the main oil galley. I had the factory repair manual which provided guidelines as to what suitable oil pressure readings should be.

If the chain tensioners have failed I would expect to see tensioner debris in the oil filter oil and oil filter folds.

If you find this then a partial teardown to replace chain tensioners and chains and sprockets is called for. And as mentioned by the oil pan/sump plate needs to be removed and the intake screen to the oil pump pickup tube checked/cleaned, which ptpending advised. Oh and of course any debris in the pan/sump plate removed too.

I can make DIY for measuring the Oil pressure, i got the previous sensor so i can drill it and make it like connector.
I will share results on cold and warm engine.
If I want to remove the oil pan, the easiest way is to remove the whole engine.. I wanted to avoid that because i don't have the opportunity to do that. But as so I need to remove it to check the chain and the oil pump.

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by Arabian123

I can make DIY for measuring the Oil pressure, i got the previous sensor so i can drill it and make it like connector.
I will share results on cold and warm engine.
If I want to remove the oil pan, the easiest way is to remove the whole engine.. I wanted to avoid that because i don't have the opportunity to do that. But as so I need to remove it to check the chain and the oil pump.

I have never come across any call outs for cold oil pressure.

I have seen call outs for hot oil pressure for some engines, my 996 Turbo for one. This was a constant displacement oil pump.

Oil pressure at n=5000 rpm, T=90°C oil pressure at approx. 6.5 bar (or 94 psi).

At hot idle oil pressure -- via the in dash oil pressure gauge was around 1.5 bar or 22psi. I never saw 6.5 bar even if I took engine to >5K RPMs. I suspect this was not due to the engine making less than spec'd oil pressure but rather a limitation of the pressure gauge.

Of course you need the oil pressure specs for the engine that you are going to be measuring the oil pressure.

Gear oil pumps can wear the end plates which with too much wear become internal oil pressure leaks.

My mechanic buddies advised me that if I was in an engine deep enough to have to check the oil pump best was to just replace it with a new *factory* oil pump. I used Vaseline to coat the oil pump gear teeth to ensure pump prime. But I also was able to spin the oil pump with an electric drill motor with a hex rod in its chuck that spun the oil pump with the engine not even turning over. I spun the pump until the pump primed -- the drill motor manifested sign of a load on it -- and oil appeared at the valve/cam hardware on top of the heads.