BMW Z3 Oil Warning Lights Flash After Mechanic Visit

Had a similar issue with my 2005 BMW Z4 last summer. My oil pressure warning came on intermittently, especially during idle. Turned out the oil pump was failing and there was significant sludge buildup in the engine due to missed maintenance intervals. My mechanic had to do a complete oil system flush, replace the oil pump, and install a new oil pressure sensor. It was quite a serious issue that could've led to engine failure if left unchecked. These symptoms definitely shouldn't be ignored. Would strongly recommend finding a specialist who works specifically with BMW. The previous mechanic I went to missed several key diagnostic points, but my current guy spotted the problem right away because he deals with these engines regularly. Don't wait too long on this one, oil pressure warnings aren't something to mess around with, especially on these older BMW engines.

Hey there, thanks for sharing your experience! I actually went through something very similar with my Z3. Got it fixed about 6 months ago with a complete system flush and new oil pump. Really interested, do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for everything? Also, has your car been running smoothly since the repair, or have you noticed any other issues pop up? Just want to make sure I'm not missing anything that might need attention down the road.

Hey again! Glad to help out a fellow BMW enthusiast! After seeing the mechanic, my Z4's oil contamination issue was completely sorted out. The total bill came to 165€ for fixing the maintenance interval problem, definitely worth every penny considering what could've happened if I'd left it longer. My car's been running like a dream since the repair, no more warning lights or oil pressure issues at all. The engine feels much smoother now, and I'm getting better performance overall. Just make sure you keep up with regular oil changes moving forward, I learned that lesson the hard way! One thing I'd suggest is keeping an eye on your oil level between services. These older BMWs can be a bit thirsty when it comes to oil consumption. But other than routine maintenance, I haven't had any related problems pop up since the repair. Let me know if you notice anything else unusual, always happy to share what I've learned from my experience with these cars!

Thanks for the detailed response! Yeah, I finally got my Z3 sorted last week. The repair cost me about 800 bucks, quite a bit more than yours, but they found some additional issues while doing the work. The mechanic I went to was actually really thorough and showed me all the gunk they cleaned out during the flush, pretty scary stuff! I've put about 500 kilometers on it since the repair, and it's running so much better. No more warning lights, and the engine sounds way healthier. You're right about keeping an eye on the oil level, I've already added checking it to my weekend routine. Pretty embarrassed I let it get so bad in the first place, but lesson learned! Thanks again for all your help. It's really reassuring to hear from someone who went through the same thing. Definitely feeling better about the whole situation now, and I'll be much more proactive with maintenance going forward!