False Oil Check warning is intentional...

Charles Keefer

New member
I read the thread about the oil check light coming on for no apparent reason. This happens on my 2016 C650GT. I've taken it to the dealer three times and they can't fix it, but they came up with a great story.

According to the dealer's mechanic, someone at the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute BMW Certified Technician Program in Orlando, Florida, told him that the hazard light combined with "Check Oil" warning actuating at seemingly random times is not a bug but a feature of the scooter software.

According to the story, BMW got bent because riders were ignoring accurate check oil warnings and riding their bikes until the engines melted. So they decided to have the computer toss in an occasional check oil warning even when oil levels were fine in hopes that riders would actually check their oil levels and thus avoid melting their engines.

What mystifies me is the logic that says riders who don't check their oil when they get a real warning might check their oil when they get a fake warning.

What it means to me is that the oil check warning is broken so ignore it - the exact opposite of the desired intent.

If you find this a bit unlikely, remember, I am only reporting what I was told.

But I did tell you it was a great story.
 

SteveADV

Active member
Hey Charles, Yeah you're right, interesting story. Does the "random" check oil light go off by itself? I know the oil level sensor is very sensitive on the 2013 model.
 

Paul Meudt

New member
This happened on my 2016 C650GT Frozen Bronze Metallic before break in mileage of 650 miles and again after the first dealer oil change. I was getting very concerned with these random check oil light alarms so I myself consistently checked hot oil level after long rides and kept adding correct oil (a little at a time-total maybe 1-1/2 oz) until it was right below the full line (Not over full!). My light has never come back on ever since. I think the sensor in these scooters are very accurate but sensitive to any slight variations that occur. This fixed the light issue for me and hope it does for you .
 

Charles Keefer

New member
The oil check light stays on until I finish my ride but it does not come on the next time I start the bike. It may or may not come on while I'm riding it. I don't notice when it comes on. I notice it is on when I'm stopped for a light.
 

Paul Meudt

New member
Hi Charles,
Your 2016 C650GT is doing exactly what mine was doing (at a light also) but would go on and off whenever it wanted and was very irritating. My dealer said he couldn't get the warning so I did the oil level add like I said. The check oil level warning on mine did go off on it's own every time with or without restarting.
I really think your dealer mechanic should stop telling stories like this and just admit he does not know why because "OIL WARNING" indicators should always be taken seriously until resolved.
 

Paul Meudt

New member
Were you low on oil and on a slight incline? That will set it off.

In my case the dealer prepped the new bike (and it did it occasional) and after the 1st dealer required oil change it also did it again.
Both times the oil level was just below the full mark and all I did was add about 1-1/2 ounces more to eliminate the warning so I would say it was low on oil which caused sensor to trip. Nice to know the sensor indeed works!
 

sphyrnidus

New member
This happens on mine too. As I was visiting the dealer for some other reason I asked about it. The technician said that although the level is within the normal limits, the bike is a bit particular about it. So he added a little oil and that indeed stopped it.
So it's more a sensitivity problem.
 

Ceesie76

Active member
This happened to me yesterday, and also a couple of weeks ago. I was going around 40 mph on a very long left hand turn (freeway overpass) and the light came on. I had recently checked using the display 'oil ok' feature several times so I figured the level should be ok, albeit perhaps a bit in the lower side, and the long fast furn triggered the light. It did not re-appear after I shut the bike off, and went for the next ride. But several weeks ago I had the light also come on, and at that time there did not seem to have been any logical trigger. So will check 'for real' today, which is a real pain unfortunatey.
 

steve l

Member
I had a lot of trouble with erroneous low oil level warnings and had the sensor changed under warranty, which did not cure the issue. It turns out the bike is very sensitive to oil level and has to be maintained within 100ml of maximum to prevent the warning coming on occasionally. No oil pressure warning is fitted to the C650/600. You can overfill the oil tank by 100ml (this was my dealers solution) in reasonable safety as the engine has separate dedicated oil reservoir.

I choose to maintain the level at the maximum and now carry oil in 100ml bottles for top ups. This prevents the alarming Yellow triangle. The engine now only uses 100 to 200ml between services.
 
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Delray

Well-known member
"I had a lot of trouble with erroneous low oil level warnings and had the sensor changed under warranty, which did not cure the issue."

That's good to know, thanks for sharing.

I bought a white 2016 with under 1,000 miles last September and ended up keeping it three weeks before I sold it. I got such a great deal that I made $1,000 on the sale and bought a black 2017 that had a year of warranty left (the 2016 had just come off warranty; too late to buy extended).

The main reason I sold the white one was the infernal yellow pyramid CHECK OIL warning. It came on regularly at random times. I must have checked the oil 20 times in two weeks and it was always perfect. I figured it had to be a sensor problem.

When I got the black 2017, it was fine for a few weeks and then it appeared again, CHECK OIL. Same thing happened -- the oil level was perfect. If I turned the bike off, waited 5 seconds and started it again, the warning light disappeared and didn't return. Same result with the white 2016 MOST of the time; sometimes the warning light came right back on.

That's when I began to think the bike might have a REAL sensitive sensor. Six weeks ago, I changed the oil and filter (MOTUL 7100 10W40 full synthetic with a K&N filter). I was very careful to put in EXACTLY the amount of oil specified.

Haven't seen the warning light since.
 

zx10guy

Member
It seems this is a BMW feature. I have a 2013 BMW 135i. And I suspect I have a bad oil level sensor. The reason I think it's bad is because some times the system reports the oil level at max. Some times it reports it as 1/4 above minimum. Some times half. Some times 3/4. It moves around some times during the time I'm operating the car. Some times it holds steady with the level it reports for a while.

At least with these scoots, there's a way to verify oil level with an actual dip stick. With the engines of the generation of my car across various models, BMW in their infinite wisdom thought it was a good idea to remove the dip stick. These are across the N51, N52, N54, and N55 motors. I suspect there are other engines that BMW chose to do this on. And guess what BMW decided to do with the current gen engines? Put the dip stick back in.
 

Ceesie76

Active member
We bought a BMW Z4 35i last summer and I noticed the oil level was jumping up and down as you describe. So at a cost of around $180 I bought a new sensor from BMW and installed it. It does seem to be more steady now, not as erratic, but still does fluctuate in what it reports - just smaller variations - so I figured my work and money accomplished at least something. But I am never totally at ease.
Just as with the C650 because it is similar, and also, when you go to check the oil level using the dipstick you have to do it just right, waiting for a long period of time before measuring, or you will measure wrong. Plus of course it takes undoing bolts and panels just to get to the damn thing! Oh well, we have to complain about something right?
 

pneuby

Member
Ok, if it's THAT sensitive...how do you make sure your scoot is LEVEL before checking and adding oil? Carpenter's level across the floorboards?
 

DCScooter

New member
My 2016 C650GT was fine until this year’s oil change at the BMW dealership, where the yellow triangle (and when stopped, the Check Oil words) began Oil level is fine, I’ve tried adding a Little, taking some out. It almost always goes away after I check the oil (releasing pressure?) but appears again after the bike cools and then runs again. It’s maddening!
 

pneuby

Member
You know when you cycle through through the options with the 'info' switch? If you're at a standstill, OIL will show up with some hyphens and display O/K if normal. Mine displayed LOW (I think) once, and I added no more than like two tablespoons full when the bike was COLD, on its centerstand. (insomnia task at 2a/m). The iIndicator reset to the O/K display the day when I took it out.
 
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