Welcome to Tech Talk, where our resident BMW tech Nick Owen answers all your pressing BMW technical questions, frustrations, and issues. Have a question for Nick? Email him at techtalk@roundel.org. Let’s get into it.
Question on E82
I bought a 135i coupe in June, and really enjoy driving it. I do not want snow tires so I keep it in the garage in the winter, starting it up every so often. Central Virginia does not get much snow, but this year we got snow and ice. When I tried to get in the car after the ice melted, no luck. The battery is dead (I do not know how old it is). I did not realize I had a hidden key to unlock the doors, but there is no keyhole for the trunk. I have a battery charger, but I still can’t unlock the trunk. I don’t need to start the car, I just need to get in the trunk. I have fold down seats, but the release is in the trunk (Really? What was BMW thinking?) I tried removing a rear speaker, but I do not think I can get my arm in the small hole, even if I moved the insulation.
Do you have any suggestions for getting into the trunk? Should I call a Locksmith, or try punching a hole in the rear panel behind the seats?
Then another related question. I typically put Diehard batteries into my vehicles. But on a Google search, they mention having to register the battery, so the car recognizes it. Should I just get a battery from the BMW dealer instead? (I would rather pay more at BMW and know the battery will work, than to botch registering a battery I got elsewhere.
Pat
If you have a battery charger, then you can unlock the trunk with the remote key. You just need to get a good charge on the battery first. If you have jumper cables, this could expedite getting the 135 powered up. Secondly, make sure the valet switch in the glove box or center console didn’t get switched on. This will lock you out of the trunk also.
Getting into the trunk isn’t fun; you will need some long tools to try and get around the small holes in the rear seat to reach the release handle.
Yes, you will need to get the new battery registered after replacement. No, you don’t have to go to the dealership for this. And no, you don’t need to get the new battery registered right away. You could replace the battery yourself then have a local shop register it for you if you wish. Brand will not matter if you meet the same specifications of the battery currently in the car.
Alarm for 1998 323is
I have a BMW option for remote door locks and an alarm system that was installed by a BMW dealer. It has a box behind the glove box that deals with remote door locks, which then also arms the alarm system. When we went to the Vintage, that Saturday morning one of the guys I was traveling with said that my car alarm went off in the middle of the night. I used the remote to unlock and then lock the car again. We went to The Vintage, had a fantastic time. Back to the VRBO late afternoon, cleaning up before dinner and the alarm goes off again. Nothing around the car, the alarm just goes off.
Fast forward and I gave the 323is to my mechanic for oil change, etc. and asked if he could check on the alarm. We did a lot of work including isolating the alarm by disconnecting the hood sensor. Later, we found that when running a race car on the dyno, the alarm went off every time we made a pull on the dyno, vibration was the culprit. My understanding is that there is a way to adjust the sensitivity of the alarm? Is this true? If so, how does one do that?
Ken
Old alarm systems can be difficult to diagnose when it comes to what sets them off. Off the top of my head, I don’t think there is a sensitivity adjustment. I think it might be possible with older style diagnostic software to scan the alarm module and see the trigger counter for what component sets off the alarm. Aside from that, every latch of the car has a micro switch for interior lighting and window drop for the doors. If one of these switches is going bad, it could trigger the alarm. This includes the trunk, hood, both doors and possibly the radio as well. (I recall Z3s having an alarm switch behind the radio to prevent theft with the top down) Vibrations can influence this. Sometimes if the alarm module itself is failing, it can set off the alarm.
Significant Oil Loss in New Car
I’m hoping you might be able to help me or point me in the right direction. I have a 2025 BMW X5 xDrive 40i. Below is a timeline of the following events.
In late December, 2025 the car had an oil service performed. After which I drove it less than 600 miles and then parked it at an airport for three weeks. When I returned home, I didn’t drive the car again until a week later.
On that occasion two warnings were displayed: “Oil below minimum. Add oil immediately” and “Add two liters as soon as possible …” I added two quarts of oil and the warnings still displayed. I had the car towed to the local BMW dealer: New Country BMW in Hartford, Connecticut. Neither they nor I ever saw any oil leaks on the floor, car, or exhaust. The dealer drained the oil and only 4.5 liters came out even though it holds 6.75 liters.
We discussed that perhaps at the recent oil service, oil was not added to the level required. But I never saw a warning if that had happened. At the dealer’s direction I’m driving the car and will bring it back after 500-1000 miles. They’ll check again. I check the oil level each time I drive it, and it is always at maximum.
What is unknown is what caused the oil shortage and where did it go? I’m concerned that the loss of oil may have already caused some engine damage.
Have you ever heard of this type of problem? Any thoughts on what should be done next? I appreciate any advice you can provide.
- December 19, 2025, -15,786 Miles
Oil Service Performed – New Oil Filter & 6.75 Liters LL-22FE++ Oil - January 16 – February 7, 2026
Car parked at Airport Garage for three weeks. Very cold temperatures almost whole time. Front grill and hood were covered in snow. - February 15, 2026 – 16,453 Miles
“Oil below minimum. Add oil immediately.” Warning. Added 2 Quarts Mobil 1 – 5W 30
Warning reappeared. - February 16, 2026 – 16,454 Miles
Car towed to New Country BMW
Drained 4.5 liters. No visible signs of leak. Added 6.75 Liters of oil - March 10, 2026 – 16,894
Oil level normal
Tom Fitzgibbons
Sounds like the dealership is on it and monitoring the situation. With that said, there’s only a few logical answers to your situation.
- Someone made a mistake at the first oil change on 12/19/25 and only added five quarts or less.
- The engine is consuming the oil. Possibly through bad rings or a crankcase valve in the valve cover. However, there would be a symptom like smoking from the exhaust.
- Malfunctioning oil level sensor or oil pump (the B58 had a run of bad pumps). That doesn’t explain the 4.5 liters drained on 2/16/26
My gut says the first answer is usually the right one.
I don’t think you have to worry about any engine damage both in the long term and short term. Oil pressure is kind of the more important part here and unless the oil pressure warning came on, there is a good chance that no engine damage occurred with two quarts low. If the dealership is the one that performed the oil change and accidentally made the mistake, then you did the right thing by towing it back to them when the oil level warning came on.
When checking the oil level, make sure it’s when the engine is warmed up, you’re at idle and on flat ground. If you’ve already gone 400+ miles with no issue, I think you’re going to be okay. As for why it didn’t warn you about low oil level in the beginning; If the criteria for measuring engine oil level were not met, it’s not going to measure and therefore not alert you to a below minimum level scenario.
I’d be curious to know what the dealership says the next time you come in for an oil level check. I assume they’ve started an oil consumption test.
I wanted to ask a follow-up question and let you know what New Country BMW offered.
First, the follow-up. Before I added the quarts of oil, the service technician probably only added two liters of oil. Do you still think that the engine is okay being five liters low for 600 miles of driving?
I met again with the New Country BMW service manager and technician. They don’t want to admit that they didn’t add the full amount of oil on 12/19/25. However, since there is no oil or burn residue anywhere there is little else to point to. Their offer is to provide an additional year and/or 10,000 miles on the warranty. Bringing it to five years and 50,000 miles. Also, they’ve offered to reinspect between oil services.
My thought is that this is the best I’ll get. I’m sure if I appealed to BMW NA, they would refer me back to New Country BMW since that dealer underfilled the oil.
What do you think?
I’m not surprised by their response, but I have to say the warranty extension is generous. Does it stipulate that it’s only for the engine? Because if they gave you an additional 10,000 miles of coverage, applicable to the whole vehicle, then they’re trying to keep your business.
As a shop owner, I can understand your point of view and if I was sitting across from you, I would want to make sure you’re content. If your engine failed due to low oil, then I would replace it. However, if there is no symptom then it’s tough to throw a $20,000 engine at customer satisfaction even though a mistake was made on the last service. By them extending the warranty it’s a way of saying “We got you in case something does pop up.” Appealing to BMW NA is necessary if you are unsatisfied with how the dealership is handling your issue. Most of the time, BMW NA is going to mediate between the dealership and the customer until a resolution is agreed.
Here is my recommendation: Drive the car and have them check it at your desired mileage. Get an oil sample kit from Blackstone Labs and have the dealership get you a sample of oil from the engine. Let Blackstone know the prior oil level situation and that no other symptoms have yet appeared. They should be able to advise you on whether or not there is a concern developing with your engine.
