Low oil pressure, is this a common problem?

I've noticed that my '92 BMW 535 has a problem with low oil pressure
when parked at an incline. I made two runs getting sand today, and to
get the trailer in the right position I had to park the car in the steep
area of the driveway. Both times the oil pressure light was on when I
started the car, and the second time it even came on as I was backing
in. I tried restarting the engine, but same thing. It wasn't until I got
the car up on level ground and restarted the engine the light finally
went out. Mind you, both times I had to drive up onto the street, reving
the engine and with the trailer behind, without oil pressure. Obviously,
that can't be good. Is this a design flaw in the engine, or is there
something wrong with my car? I checked to oil level afterwards and it
was perfect, right below max. I've never had any problems with low oil
pressure before.

As you can see in this picture, it isn't even that steep:

http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/trailer.jpg

Thanks,

Ulf

Ulf wrote:
> I've noticed that my '92 BMW 535 has a problem with low oil pressure
> when parked at an incline. I made two runs getting sand today, and to
> get the trailer in the right position I had to park the car in the steep
> area of the driveway. Both times the oil pressure light was on when I
> started the car, and the second time it even came on as I was backing
> in. I tried restarting the engine, but same thing. It wasn't until I got
> the car up on level ground and restarted the engine the light finally
> went out. Mind you, both times I had to drive up onto the street, reving
> the engine and with the trailer behind, without oil pressure. Obviously,
> that can't be good. Is this a design flaw in the engine, or is there
> something wrong with my car? I checked to oil level afterwards and it
> was perfect, right below max. I've never had any problems with low oil
> pressure before.
>
> As you can see in this picture, it isn't even that steep:
>
> http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/trailer.jpg
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ulf

Don't mean to scare you but I used to have an '86 535i and was told by
several knowledgeable BMW enthusiasts that the engine was virtually
indestructible. Well, when I bought it (with about 200K miles) it had a
bad leak from the cat which I had rewelded... then I found that I had a
tapping noise from the engine... well next time I had a free weekend I
took it to my parents' house (about 150 miles away) and reset the valve
clearances... noise still there... that's when I started to get
worried. On the way back the oil light started flickering when I
stopped for tollbooths etc. D'OH! Next time I started the car it
immediately spun a rod bearing. Not good. I'd maybe put 2K miles on
the car and I had to spend as much as I paid for the car to have a
junkyard motor put in it.

IOW, get it checked out soon...

nate

--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

Make sure you have the right dipstick and tube length, this is typical
symptoms of oil laying in the rear of the oil pan away from the pick up, try
adding maybe 1 and 1/2 qts and see if it still happens, you can always drain
it back out.
"Ulf" > wrote in message
...
> I've noticed that my '92 BMW 535 has a problem with low oil pressure when
> parked at an incline. I made two runs getting sand today, and to get the
> trailer in the right position I had to park the car in the steep area of
> the driveway. Both times the oil pressure light was on when I started the
> car, and the second time it even came on as I was backing in. I tried
> restarting the engine, but same thing. It wasn't until I got the car up on
> level ground and restarted the engine the light finally went out. Mind
> you, both times I had to drive up onto the street, reving the engine and
> with the trailer behind, without oil pressure. Obviously, that can't be
> good. Is this a design flaw in the engine, or is there something wrong
> with my car? I checked to oil level afterwards and it was perfect, right
> below max. I've never had any problems with low oil pressure before.
>
> As you can see in this picture, it isn't even that steep:
>
> http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/trailer.jpg
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ulf
>



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"Ulf" > wrote in message
...
> I've noticed that my '92 BMW 535 has a problem with low oil pressure when
> parked at an incline. I made two runs getting sand today, and to get the
> trailer in the right position I had to park the car in the steep area of
> the driveway. Both times the oil pressure light was on when I started the
> car, and the second time it even came on as I was backing in. I tried
> restarting the engine, but same thing. It wasn't until I got the car up on
> level ground and restarted the engine the light finally went out. Mind
> you, both times I had to drive up onto the street, reving the engine and
> with the trailer behind, without oil pressure. Obviously, that can't be
> good. Is this a design flaw in the engine, or is there something wrong
> with my car? I checked to oil level afterwards and it was perfect, right
> below max. I've never had any problems with low oil pressure before.
>
> As you can see in this picture, it isn't even that steep:
>
> http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/trailer.jpg
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ulf

You pull a trailer with a BMW? Wow, that would make a great story/picture
for Car and Driver.

I don't pretend to know diddly about BMWs so I don't even know if this
applies to the engine in yours, but I happened to read this a while back:

http://terrysaytherauto.com/M60OilPumpBoltProb.htm


Ulf wrote:
> I've noticed that my '92 BMW 535 has a problem with low oil pressure
> when parked at an incline. I made two runs getting sand today, and to
> get the trailer in the right position I had to park the car in the steep
> area of the driveway. Both times the oil pressure light was on when I
> started the car, and the second time it even came on as I was backing
> in. I tried restarting the engine, but same thing. It wasn't until I got
> the car up on level ground and restarted the engine the light finally
> went out. Mind you, both times I had to drive up onto the street, reving
> the engine and with the trailer behind, without oil pressure. Obviously,
> that can't be good. Is this a design flaw in the engine, or is there
> something wrong with my car? I checked to oil level afterwards and it
> was perfect, right below max. I've never had any problems with low oil
> pressure before.
>
> As you can see in this picture, it isn't even that steep:
>
> http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/trailer.jpg
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ulf

No, the x35 uses a straight six engine based on the old 3.0 - the V8
would be a x40. Personally I thought the 3.5 was a hell of an engine...
I think mine was just abused.

nate

Steve wrote:
>
> I don't pretend to know diddly about BMWs so I don't even know if this
> applies to the engine in yours, but I happened to read this a while back:
>
> http://terrysaytherauto.com/M60OilPumpBoltProb.htm
>
>
> Ulf wrote:
>
>> I've noticed that my '92 BMW 535 has a problem with low oil pressure
>> when parked at an incline. I made two runs getting sand today, and to
>> get the trailer in the right position I had to park the car in the
>> steep area of the driveway. Both times the oil pressure light was on
>> when I started the car, and the second time it even came on as I was
>> backing in. I tried restarting the engine, but same thing. It wasn't
>> until I got the car up on level ground and restarted the engine the
>> light finally went out. Mind you, both times I had to drive up onto
>> the street, reving the engine and with the trailer behind, without oil
>> pressure. Obviously, that can't be good. Is this a design flaw in the
>> engine, or is there something wrong with my car? I checked to oil
>> level afterwards and it was perfect, right below max. I've never had
>> any problems with low oil pressure before.
>>
>> As you can see in this picture, it isn't even that steep:
>>
>> http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/trailer.jpg
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Ulf


--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

I'd be making sure the engine was full of oil. If the oil pump is in the
front, and the oil level is low, then the oil pressure will be low too.




"Ulf" > wrote in message
...
> I've noticed that my '92 BMW 535 has a problem with low oil pressure
> when parked at an incline. I made two runs getting sand today, and to
> get the trailer in the right position I had to park the car in the steep
> area of the driveway. Both times the oil pressure light was on when I
> started the car, and the second time it even came on as I was backing
> in. I tried restarting the engine, but same thing. It wasn't until I got
> the car up on level ground and restarted the engine the light finally
> went out. Mind you, both times I had to drive up onto the street, reving
> the engine and with the trailer behind, without oil pressure. Obviously,
> that can't be good. Is this a design flaw in the engine, or is there
> something wrong with my car? I checked to oil level afterwards and it
> was perfect, right below max. I've never had any problems with low oil
> pressure before.
>
> As you can see in this picture, it isn't even that steep:
>
> http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/trailer.jpg
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ulf

In article >, Ulf wrote:
>I've noticed that my '92 BMW 535 has a problem with low oil pressure
>when parked at an incline. I made two runs getting sand today, and to
>get the trailer in the right position I had to park the car in the steep
>area of the driveway. Both times the oil pressure light was on when I
>started the car, and the second time it even came on as I was backing
>in. I tried restarting the engine, but same thing. It wasn't until I got
>the car up on level ground and restarted the engine the light finally
>went out. Mind you, both times I had to drive up onto the street, reving
>the engine and with the trailer behind, without oil pressure. Obviously,
>that can't be good. Is this a design flaw in the engine, or is there
>something wrong with my car? I checked to oil level afterwards and it
>was perfect, right below max. I've never had any problems with low oil
>pressure before.
>
>As you can see in this picture, it isn't even that steep:
>
>http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/trailer.jpg

Don't take this as an insult, but are you sure it's the oil pressure (red)
and not the oil level lamp (yellow)? In my '91 525i it turns on (well, the
CC pings) after hard driving if there's just under half or about a third
of oil between the marks. If the sensor is at the front it might the
reason.

--
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"Jan Kalin" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, Ulf wrote:
>>I've noticed that my '92 BMW 535 has a problem with low oil pressure
>>when parked at an incline. I made two runs getting sand today, and to
>>get the trailer in the right position I had to park the car in the steep
>>area of the driveway. Both times the oil pressure light was on when I
>>started the car, and the second time it even came on as I was backing
>>in. I tried restarting the engine, but same thing. It wasn't until I got
>>the car up on level ground and restarted the engine the light finally
>>went out. Mind you, both times I had to drive up onto the street, reving
>>the engine and with the trailer behind, without oil pressure. Obviously,
>>that can't be good. Is this a design flaw in the engine, or is there
>>something wrong with my car? I checked to oil level afterwards and it
>>was perfect, right below max. I've never had any problems with low oil
>>pressure before.
>>
>>As you can see in this picture, it isn't even that steep:
>>
>>http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/trailer.jpg
>
> Don't take this as an insult, but are you sure it's the oil pressure (red)
> and not the oil level lamp (yellow)? In my '91 525i it turns on (well, the
> CC pings) after hard driving if there's just under half or about a third
> of oil between the marks. If the sensor is at the front it might the
> reason.
>
On a former 735i, if the oil level was low (but above the lower mark) and
the car was worked hard (e.g. up a big hill) then the oil level warning
would sometimes if one suddenly eased off (leaving a lot of oil in the head
& galleries). Never did it before starting except the time the garage
didn't tighten up the filter properly and some ran out.

Jan Kalin wrote:
> In article >, Ulf wrote:
>
>>I've noticed that my '92 BMW 535 has a problem with low oil pressure
>>when parked at an incline. I made two runs getting sand today, and to
>>get the trailer in the right position I had to park the car in the steep
>>area of the driveway. Both times the oil pressure light was on when I
>>started the car, and the second time it even came on as I was backing
>>in. I tried restarting the engine, but same thing. It wasn't until I got
>>the car up on level ground and restarted the engine the light finally
>>went out. Mind you, both times I had to drive up onto the street, reving
>>the engine and with the trailer behind, without oil pressure. Obviously,
>>that can't be good. Is this a design flaw in the engine, or is there
>>something wrong with my car? I checked to oil level afterwards and it
>>was perfect, right below max. I've never had any problems with low oil
>>pressure before.
>>
>>As you can see in this picture, it isn't even that steep:
>>
>>http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/trailer.jpg
>
>
> Don't take this as an insult, but are you sure it's the oil pressure (red)
> and not the oil level lamp (yellow)? In my '91 525i it turns on (well, the
> CC pings) after hard driving if there's just under half or about a third
> of oil between the marks. If the sensor is at the front it might the
> reason.

I know the difference. It was the red low oil pressure light that was
on, and after a few seconds the check control panel started flashing
warning messages as well.

>
Ulf