2011 BMW 323I check oil

Cockpit
12
Instrument cluster
1Speedometer
2Indicator lamps for turn signals
3Indicator and warning lamps13
4Displays for active cruise control
*64
5Tachometer71
6Engine oil temperature
*72
Energy Control
*72
7Display for
>Clock71
>Outside temperature71
>Indicator and warning lamps80
8Display for
>Position of automatic transmission
*57
>Computer73
>Date of next scheduled service, and
remaining distance to be driven76
>Odometer and trip odometer71
>High-beam assistant
*99
>Checking engine oil level
*227
>Settings and information75
>There is a Check Control
message809Fuel gauge72
10Resetting the trip odometer71

Controls overview
72
Coolant temperature
A warning lamp will come on if the coolant,
and therefore the engine, becomes too hot.
In addition, a message will appear on the
Control Display.
Check coolant level, refer to page230.
Energy Control*
Displays the current fuel consumption. This
allows you to see whether your current driving
style is conducive to fuel economy with mini-
mum exhaust emissions.
Engine oil temperature*
When the engine is at normal operating temper-
ature, the engine oil temperature is between
approx. 2107/1006 and approx. 3007/
1506.
If the engine oil temperature is too high, a
message appears on the Control Display.
Fuel gauge
Fuel tank capacity: approx. 16.1 gallons/
61 liters.
You can find information on refueling on
page203.
If the tilt of the vehicle varies for a longer period,
when you are driving in mountainous areas, for
example, the indicator may fluctuate slightly.
Reserve
Once the fuel level has fallen to the reserve
zone, a message briefly appears on the Control
Display and the cruising range for the remaining
amount of fuel is displayed on the computer.
Under a cruising range of approx. 30 miles/
50 km, the message remains in the Control Dis-
play.
Refuel as soon as possible once your
cruising range falls below 30 miles/
50 km; otherwise, engine functions are not
ensured and damage can occur.<

Controls
75Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Settings and information
Operating principle
1Button for:
>Selecting display
>Setting values
2Button for:
>Confirming selected display or set val-
ues
>Calling up computer information733When the lights are on: instrument lighting
brightness101
4Calling up Check Control80
5Checking engine oil level227
6Setting the time79
7Setting the date80
8Viewing service requirement display76
Exiting displays
The outside temperature reading and the time
reappear when you press button2 or if you
make no entries within approx. 15 seconds. If
required, complete the current setting first.

Under the hood
226
Important parts of the engine compartment
1Gasoline engine: expansion tank for cool-
ant, refer to page230
Diesel engine: the expansion tank is located
on the other side of the vehicle
2Washer fluid filler neck for headlamp clean-
ing system and window washer system,
refer to page623Jump-starting connection, refer to
page247
4Filler neck for engine oil, refer to
Adding engine oil
5Dipstick for engine oil, refer to
Checking oil level

Mobility
227Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Engine oil
The engine oil consumption is dependent on
driving style and driving conditions.
Checking the engine oil level with the
dipstick*
1.Park the vehicle on a level surface with the
engine at operating temperature, i.e. after
an uninterrupted drive of at least 6.2 miles/
10 km.
2.Switch off the engine.
3.After approx. 5 minutes, pull out the
dipstick5 and wipe it off with a lint-free
cloth, paper towel or similar material.
4.Carefully push the dipstick all the way back
into the measuring tube and pull it out
again.
The oil level must be between the two
markings on the dipstick.
The oil quantity between the two markings on
the dipstick is equivalent to approx. 1 US quart/
1 liter.
The oil level must not be above the upper
marking of the dipstick. Too much oil will
harm the engine.<
Checking the engine oil level
electronically*
Your car is equipped with an electronic oil-level
monitor.
For a precise measurement and display of the
oil level, it is necessary that the engine be at
operating temperature, i.e. after uninterrupted
driving for at least approx. 6.2 miles/10 km. You
can have the oil level displayed while you are
driving, or while the vehicle is at a standstill on
a level surface and the engine is running.
Display in the instrument cluster
1.Push button 1 in the turn indicator lever up
or down repeatedly until the appropriate
symbol is shown in the display, accompa-
nied by the word "OIL".
2.Press button 2 in the turn indicator lever.
The oil level is checked and the reading
displayed.

Under the hood
228
Possible displays
1Oil level OK
2Oil level is being checked.
This can take about 3 minutes if the car is at
a standstill on a level surface, or about
5 minutes while the car is on the move.
3Oil level down to minimum:
Add engine oil as soon as possible, but no
more than 1 US quart/1 liter, refer also to
Adding engine oil on page229.
4Oil level is too high.
Too much oil will harm the engine.
Have the vehicle checked without
delay.<
5The oil level sensor is defective.
Do not add engine oil. You can continue
your journey. Note the newly calculated dis-
tance remaining to the next oil service, refer
to page76. Have the system checked as
soon as possible.
Display via iDrive
1."Vehicle Info"
2."Vehicle status"
3."Engine oil level"
Possible messages
>"Engine oil level OK"
>"Measurement not possible at this time."
>"Measuring engine oil level...":
This can take about 3 minutes if the car is at
a standstill on a level surface and the engine
is running, and about 5 minutes while the
car is moving.
If engine oil was added, it may take up to
30 minutes to obtain an oil level reading.
>"Engine oil level below minimum. Add 1
quart!"
Add engine oil as soon as possible, but no
more than 1 US quart/1 liter, refer also to
Adding engine oil below.
If the oil level is below the minimum value,
add engine oil immediately to avoid engine
damage.
>"Engine oil level too high! Have this
checked."

Mobility
229Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Too much oil will harm the engine.
Have the vehicle checked without
delay.<
>"Measurement inactive. Have this
checked."
Do not add engine oil. You can continue
your journey. Note the newly calculated dis-
tance remaining to the next oil service, refer
to page76. Have the system checked as
soon as possible.
Adding engine oil
Add a maximum of 1 US quart/1 liter of engine
oil no earlier than when a corresponding mes-
sage appears on the Control Display or, if the
car has a diesel engine, when the oil level has
dropped to just above the lower marking on the
dipstick, refer to page227.
Add oil within the next 125 miles/200 km;
otherwise, the engine could be dam-
aged.<
Keep oils, greases, etc. out of the reach of
children and comply with the relevant
warnings on the containers. Otherwise, health
hazards may result.<
Oil change
Have oil changed only at y our B MW c ente r o r a t
a workshop that works according to BMW
repair procedures with correspondingly trained
personnel.
Oil types
Do not use oil additives as this could
result in engine damage.<
Specified engine oils
Your service center can advise you on which
engine oils have been approved by the manu-
facturer of your vehicle.
The engine oil quality is critical for the life of the
engine.
Approved oils can be identified by the following
specification:
Approved oils belong to the following viscosity
classes: SAE0W-40, SAE0W-30, SAE5W-40
and SAE 5W-30.
Alternative oil types
If approved oils are not available, you can use
quantities of up to 1 US quart/1 liter of another
oil with the following specifications:
API SM or higher
Gasoline engine
Preferred: BMW Longlife-01
BMW Longlife-01 FE
Alternatively: BMW Longlife-98
Diesel engine
Preferred: BMW Longlife-04

Mobility
231Reference
At a glance
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Maintenance
BMW Maintenance System
The BMW Maintenance System supports the
preservation of the traffic and operating safety
of your BMW. The objective is to optimize
efforts with respect to minimal vehicle mainte-
nance costs.
If and when you come to sell your BMW, a com-
prehensive record of servicing will prove a sig-
nificant benefit.
Condition Based Service CBS
Sensors and special algorithms take the differ-
ent driving conditions of your BMW into
account. Condition Based Service uses this to
determine the current and future service
requirements. By letting you define a service
and maintenance regimen that reflects your
own individual requirements, the system builds
the basis for trouble-free driving.
On the Control Display, you can have the
remaining times or distances for selected main-
tenance tasks and any legally prescribed dates
displayed, refer to page76:
>Engine oil
>Brake pads: separately for front and rear
>Brake fluid
>Vehicle check
>Legally mandated inspections depending
on local regulations
>Diesel particulate filter
*
Service data in the remote control
Your vehicle continuously stores service-
requirement information in the remote control
while you are driving. Your BMW Service Advi-
sor can read out this data from the remote con-
trol unit, and propose an optimized mainte-
nance approach. Whenever you take your car in
for servicing you should therefore hand your
BMW Service Advisor the remote control unit
that you last used.
Make sure that the date is always set cor-
rectly, refer to page80; otherwise, the
effectiveness of Condition Based Service CBS
is not assured.<
Service and Warranty Information
Booklet for US models and Warranty
and Service Guide Booklet for
Canadian models
Please consult your Service and Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet for US models and Warranty
and Service Guide Booklet for Canadian models
for additional information on service require-
ments.
BMW recommends that you have service
and repair operations performed at your
BMW center.
Take the time to ensure that these service pro-
cedures are confirmed by entries in your vehi-
cle's Service and Warranty Information Booklet
for US models and Warranty and Service Guide
Booklet for Canadian models. These entries
verify that your vehicle has received the speci-
fied regular maintenance.<