keeping oil level right

[Das Chin]

all

what is the accepted level for the CSL?

mine is currently on +0.5 L and I am assuming that is ok? its only a road queen at moment and no track days planned.

I have heard the limits are +0.0 to 1.0

got some 10w60 just in case.

DC

[Jon8710]

mate

get some oil in it !!!!

should be at 0.9 - 1.0 at all times

why ever let it get low ?

[shimmy]

mate

get some oil in it !!!!

should be at 0.9 - 1.0 at all times

why ever let it get low ?


I think BMW say anywhere 0.1-1.0

[glendog74]

I think BMW say anywhere 0.1-1.0

+1

Anything above '0.0' is in excess.

[3wheels3]

I like +0.5/6 after oil change and on first long term reading add enough to make 0.8l.

[Mark CSL]

Max on the dipstick is the best or i run 1.0 that is max on the dipstick :thumbs:

[CraigMillwardCroft]

Max on the dipstick is the best or i run 1.0 that is max on the dipstick :thumbs:
+1 mine is always reading 1.0 or bugger all after a track day :thumbs:

[Das Chin]

ok cheers chaps.

i took it out for a good run and it went up to 0.9.

will keep an eye on the levels as i have 12 litres of 10w60 now.

[Mike R]

For track use Gareth recommends running it at 1.1 to avoid any oil surge issues, so that is what mine runs at. He believes thar running it as low as 0.9 on track is what can cause the pump to pick up and cause oil starvation (which explains this kind of engine failure at 50k miles if used on track like this).

[Mark CSL]

1.1 is the max the gauge can show so its easy to over fill as you cant tell how much is in it
I also dont thing 0.9 to 1.1 is that much oil

I dont know gareth but i would never recomend over filling with oil

[3wheels3]

1.1 is the max the gauge car show so its easy to ver fill as you cant tell how much is in it
I also dont thing 0.9 to 1.1 is that much oil

I dont know gareth but i would never recomend over filling with oil

Agree and as most seem to say dipstick is more accurate than electronic reading 0.8l imo is best so as not to over fill but still be very near max.

[billyboysm3]

Plus be careful when topping up as it can take a 50mile journey for the computer to adjust.

[Mike R]

1.1 is the max the gauge can show so its easy to over fill as you cant tell how much is in it
I also dont thing 0.9 to 1.1 is that much oil

I dont know gareth but i would never recomend over filling with oil

Gareth (AKA Giraffe) is the chief technician at Elms, so they have the facility to measure the oil quantity accurately to ensure that the correct amount is used to achieve this level, which he obviously knows from experience :).

[karbonkid]

Agree and as most seem to say dipstick is more accurate than electronic reading 0.8l imo is best so as not to over fill but still be very near max.

+1
Never liked the thought of entrusting a sensor to give me a reading that could well be faulty, resulting in oil starvation or possibly even over filling as the electronic reading only reads to +1.1L.

I fitted the OEM M3 dipstick last year to allow manual checking and I have to say its quite a reassuring feeling having such an old school technique back for checking something so basic but imperative to get right. Especially if being tracked!

[Pip1968]

KarbonKid, who did that for you, how much and whereabouts? I have just been posting about this on the N24 film thread and 'Looking for a CSL' thread. http://www.cslregister.com/forum/showthread.php?p=155740#post155740

Thank you.

Pip

[karbonkid]

KarbonKid, who did that for you, how much and whereabouts? I have just been posting about this on the N24 film thread and 'Looking for a CSL' thread. http://www.cslregister.com/forum/showthread.php?p=155740#post155740

Thank you.

Pip

Ha, just saw your comment on the other thread after positing this.

I installed this, a real pain getting it absolutely perfect but got there in the end and does exactly what I intended.
Fabricating the guide tube without too aggressive a bend directing it around components is the challenge you'll face. Too harsh a bend in the guild tube and the dipstick with struggle to get in and out resulting in tip to wear and break off, falling into the sump.
I did actually take a tonne of photos during and considered creating a template/ jig to allow the shape to be replicated but never materialised. With patients it can be done.

[Pip1968]

I was afraid you were going to say that. I am not definately not a fabricator not of this sort of thing. Perhaps I will try Hofor Racing :whistle: as they seem to have put something together.

Did you just extend the original or did you fabricate an entirely new one?

Pip

[karbonkid]

Did you just extend the original or did you fabricate an entirely new one?

Pip

No & No :wink: as said an OEM M3 one was installed which comes pre-shaped for a Standard M3 so its half way there in terms of getting it to fit around a CSL Airbox.
Its crucial to have the correct length otherwise it would not read true, so fabricating your own or extending your existing CSL guide tube is pointless.
I brought a used one first to practice on and although it doesn't take a lot to bend the guide tube, it creases easily so you have to bend with care and theres a lot more to it than that which I wont go into.

To give you an idea of size and shape see below.

OEM CSL - Left/ OEM M3 - Right (before alterations).

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/7263/aq9x.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/132/aq9x.jpg/)

[Pip1968]

Shame you did not take any after shots :whistle: . The pictures make it look like reattaching is a simple push fit, is it? If attaching is fairly simple I might be tempted. Is is an engine out job to fit or just airbox on/off (several times presumably :-D ).

Obviously there will be a small (tiny) margin of error depending on how much you have to bend the tube ie it will be fractions shorter with more bends or larger bends. The key must also be to ensure that the same amount of dipstick sticks out proud of the end after as before :smt017.

Pip

[Trawler]

1.1 is the max the gauge can show so its easy to over fill as you cant tell how much is in it
I also dont thing 0.9 to 1.1 is that much oil

I dont know gareth but i would never recomend over filling with oil

I believe Gareth only uses the dip stick to set the level during an oil service. I am sure he does not overfil even when setting to +1.1

[Equinox]

This is very interesting, i know people fit a longer one from a std m3 but never knew what was involved, Seeing it like that now im certain there will be other ways of doing this as long as the length is exactly correct then if there is a way of securing the dipstick in place then it could be done with braided pipe onto part on a dipstick. Just an idea.

[Neil M]

The secret to bending any hollow pipe is to fill the void as any plumber will tell you, they use bending springs for copper pipework.
It's simply a question of what size spring would be required to fit inside the tube, a sink un-blocker springs to mind. :thumbs:no pun intended!

Where's Plumber Vic when we need him? :)

[shane@mbtech]

Agree and as most seem to say dipstick is more accurate than electronic reading 0.8l imo is best so as not to over fill but still be very near max.

Perfect on dipstick I have found is 1.0 on display.

[shimmy]

Surely if you bend the pipe, without altering the dipstick length, the reading will be either reading too high or too low depending on which way it is bent!

[Pip1968]

Surely if you bend the pipe, without altering the dipstick length, the reading will be either reading too high or too low depending on which way it is bent!

Pay attention Shimmy :wink: :

Obviously there will be a small (tiny) margin of error depending on how much you have to bend the tube ie it will be fractions shorter with more bends or larger bends. The key must also be to ensure that the same amount of dipstick sticks out proud of the end after as before :smt017.
Pip

Pip :smokin:

[_Nathan_]

Just do an instantaneous reading on the computer, procedure is in the manual. 0.9-1.0 is perfect IMO, 1.1 too high as said you don't know if it is overfilled. The reading is in litres over minimum ie if it says 0.5 put 0.5 in and it'll read 1.

Doesn't take 50 miles to update, just read the manual and do a check, the heading is quick measurement under the checking engine oil level in the csl supplement. Only thing is oil needs to be at temp.

I don't believe for a single minute that the difference between 0.9L over min and 1.1L over min is the sole reason for engine failures on track.

[shimmy]

Pay attention Shimmy :wink: :



Pip :smokin:

But why tiny?

3mm difference could be 0.5litres up or down!

[GregorJP]

For track use Gareth recommends running it at 1.1 to avoid any oil surge issues, so that is what mine runs at. He believes thar running it as low as 0.9 on track is what can cause the pump to pick up and cause oil starvation (which explains this kind of engine failure at 50k miles if used on track like this).

+1 on this. I ran mine at the Ring + GP circuit for two days and made sure that the oil was always 0.8, but it still suffered oil starvation, even though I had been particularly careful (no more than two hot laps, cool down on GP circuit, etc). Since the engine was fixed, I've been religious about running at 1.1.

[shimmy]

+1 on this. I ran mine at the Ring + GP circuit for two days and made sure that the oil was always 0.8, but it still suffered oil starvation, even though I had been particularly careful (no more than two hot laps, cool down on GP circuit, etc). Since the engine was fixed, I've been religious about running at 1.1.

How on earth do you know when the car suffered oil starvation :smokin:


.

[GregorJP]

How on earth do you know when the car suffered oil starvation :smokin:


.

Precisely what I said to the warranty company.

:beer:

[Mark CSL]

I have posted the engine pix of my car and the info we had at the time here
http://www.cslregister.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11239

[Pip1968]

How on earth do you know when the car suffered oil starvation :smokin:
.

You will certainly never know on track unless you do an airbox removal every couple of laps :hahaha:.

Pip

[karbonkid]

Shame you did not take any after shots :whistle: . The pictures make it look like reattaching is a simple push fit, is it? If attaching is fairly simple I might be tempted. Is is an engine out job to fit or just airbox on/off (several times presumably :-D ).

Obviously there will be a small (tiny) margin of error depending on how much you have to bend the tube ie it will be fractions shorter with more bends or larger bends. The key must also be to ensure that the same amount of dipstick sticks out proud of the end after as before :smt017.

Pip

I do have a load of pics if you wanna see them but may bore most.
Just Airbox needs to be removed, stored in a safe place and then guild tube re-bend slightly to avoid contact with components and Airbox. I in fact didn't refit the Airbox till the end as you get a good ideal if it will clear it or not.

Not much dramatic bending is actually required and not all that dissimilar to a OEM M3 one in its standard shape form at the end. Unless you are turning it into a cumberland sausage, the dipstick will be in its required and original position.

[Mark CSL]

This is what it looks like

[Mark CSL]

The dipstick needs to be moved to the side in order for the carbon box to sit. You simply need to move it over the side, grab top and bottom of it and give it a bit of bend just far enough so that it sits behind the strut brace . some black cable ties and wrapped it round the dipstick bracket to keep it into position.

[CraigMillwardCroft]

Nice job :thumbs:

[karbonkid]

The dipstick needs to be moved to the side in order for the carbon box to sit. You simply need to move it over the side, grab top and bottom of it and give it a bit of bend just far enough so that it sits behind the strut brace . some black cable ties and wrapped it round the dipstick bracket to keep it into position.

Cable ties? Come on that's a bit pikey, init mate!?

[Mark CSL]

Cable ties? Come on that's a bit pikey, init mate!?

NOT MY CSL I LIKE TAKING OUT THE AIR BOX AND CLEANING IT AND CHECKING THE OIL.

IT DOES NOT USE OIL SITTING IN MY GARAGE OR BMWS :whistle:

[Bounce]

Cable ties? Come on that's a bit pikey, init mate!?They were light weight cable ties of course.:hahaha:

[shimmy]

If God would have wanted the CSL to have an accessible dipstick ........:-D

[Das Chin]

cheers for advice. oil in and its around 1.05 to 1.1 now.

[Pip1968]

The dipstick needs to be moved to the side in order for the carbon box to sit. You simply need to move it over the side, grab top and bottom of it and give it a bit of bend just far enough so that it sits behind the strut brace . some black cable ties and wrapped it round the dipstick bracket to keep it into position.

Before I start messing around with DiY oil dipsticks (as I am only a dabbler NOT a trained mechanic) can you or KarbonKid tell me how the tube attaches to the engine/sump -push fit/screw/weld/cable tie/clip ?????

Why the f@@k didn't BMW do it? They could have added that and put the BMW badges on as stickers to compensate ala 996 GT3 RS.

Pip

[karbonkid]

Before I start messing around with DiY oil dipsticks (as I am only a dabbler NOT a trained mechanic) can you or KarbonKid tell me how the tube attaches to the engine/sump -push fit/screw/weld/cable tie/clip ?????

Why the f@@k didn't BMW do it? They could have added that and put the BMW badges on as stickers to compensate ala 996 GT3 RS.

Pip

Will sort out some pics in the next week and explain then

[karbonkid]

Will sort out some pics in the next week and explain then

Just re-thought, the PM you sent me Pip which I have just picked up this afternoon probably referred to this topic, right? (as you didn't mention in your PM what pics you were referring to). If so, I'll try and get some up soon.

[Pip1968]

Indeed. Yes, sorry I did think that after I sent the personal message but guessed you would work it out.

I look forward to seeing the pictures.

Pip

[karbonkid]

Indeed. Yes, sorry I did think that after I sent the personal message but guessed you would work it out.

I look forward to seeing the pictures.

Pip

No worries, I've put something together for you lot.
http://www.cslregister.com/forum/showthread.php?p=157079#post157079