Engine oil top up emergency!

[Lannister902]

I'm in a bit of a pickle, I'm around a 100 miles from home, and just got a error message on my car asking for a 1 Litre top up. (f22 m235i)

As the previous owner carried out the last service, I've no idea what what was put in...
I'll have to find a local car spares to buy a 1 Litre top up, but no idea what type of oil to put in?

Any help would be appreciated

[d_a_n1979]

Lannister902 said:

I'm in a bit of a pickle, I'm around a 100 miles from home, and just got a error message on my car asking for a 1 Litre top up. (f22 m235i)

As the previous owner carried out the last service, I've no idea what what was put in...
I'll have to find a local car spares to buy a 1 Litre top up, but no idea what type of oil to put in?

Any help would be appreciated

Use ANY 5W30 that meets BMW LL04 specs and then you'll be fine...

Might be worth doing a full oil & filter change afterwards, so you know it's done properly & the right oil is used

[bmwmike]

Agree with Dan

Fwiw I had that happen once and the message iirc said add 1L as soon as practical, so I took that to mean carry on, which I did, from Bristol to Reading and then picked up a litre of 5-30 in a garage, and it was fine. These things never seem to popup when convenient do they!

[sunnyb13]

5w30 or 0w30.

[Court_S]

Also agree with Dan; any 5W 30 that is LL-04 should be fine.

I’d start with 500ml first because the electronic dipstick can be a sod for inaccurate readings.

[Dazdot]

LL04 is the correct oil, but the book on mine states that as an emergency, you could top up with a litre of ACEA C2 or ACEA C3.

[Pica-Pica]

You will have an owner’s handbook within the menu system on your screen.

[Sofa]

Yeah just dump a litre of whatever LL-04 and grade oil the Owner's Manual suggests into it and you'll be fine.

I had it on mine when I was visiting a mate 80 miles or so away so I just stopped at Halfords on the way out of town and bought the most cost-effective oil that met the necessary requirements and was a decent brand. Certainly can't imagine you'll have any issues mixing oil types, and if you're that worried about what the previous owner was having put in it then I'd recommend a full oil service regardless.

Edited by Sofa on Friday 21st July 19:53

[Mr Tidy]

My BMW Indy tells me that BMW now use Shell Helix Ultra fully synthetic, so you only need to find a Shell garage.

My 2005 3 Series gets through oil at such a rate I keep a litre in the boot now, which may not be a bad plan.

[sanguinary]

Mr Tidy said:

My BMW Indy tells me that BMW now use Shell Helix Ultra fully synthetic, so you only need to find a Shell garage.

That’s what they might sell over the counter, but not necessarily what’s in the tanks or drums in the service centre. As other posters have written, anything that hits LL04 will do the job.

If unsure what’s in there already, again as posted, book an oil change when you can for piece of mind.

[Lannister902]

Sorry for the late reply, it's been a long day.

I was in Cardiff buying a few bits from a fellow m235i owner, luckily he had a litre of oil, can't remember the grade, but he's a bmw enthusiast, and knows his stuff. Life saver!

[d_a_n1979]

Lannister902 said:

Sorry for the late reply, it's been a long day.

I was in Cardiff buying a few bits from a fellow m235i owner, luckily he had a litre of oil, can't remember the grade, but he's a bmw enthusiast, and knows his stuff. Life saver!

I'd still do a full oil & filter change for peace of mind...