Oil Service Light and Motor Mount Questions

[MilTownSHO]

Brother called today saying his Oil Service Light came on. I have searched and read about how to reset it, but this is the weird part. It has never come on before, those lights (any of the oil related ones) have never even come on until tonight and I know I have changed the oil at least twice since we got it. Now it just has the yellow light illuminated along with the oil service light. Is this a problem with the batteries or normal operation? I plan on reseting it myself by jumping the two connectors listed, but would like to know if it's just a waste of time and there is problem with the board/batteries.

Next thing, I checked the oil just because I hadn't for awhile (god forbid my brother ever check it) anyhow I noticed a smooth, shiny, flat spot on the engine. I know on SHO's this is a common sign of a bad motor mount from the intake rubbing on the padding underneath the hood, is it the same way on BMW's?

The transmission fluid looked horrible too, looked just like semi-dirty engine oil! I do not think I am going to change it though I do not know the last time it was done and I don't want to risk the chance of it starting to slip. Still shifts pretty good now.

Car is a 89 3.25i automatic

Thanks!

 

[Beemur]

The yellow light is your service indicator, it turns on every 20,000 miles (or something like that). yellow is just a warning, soon it will be red. It doesn't mean anything is wrong, just that it is time to perform a maintenance service on the car. A full list is given on page 2-6 and 2-7 of your Bentley Service Manual (a must have for any BMW owner), but it's the usual stuff, replace filters, fluids, spark plugs, check and lubricate everything.

I imagine the oil service light is also milage based, but I don't know

My 87' 325is has the same exact shiny smooth spot on the intake manifold, and there is a corresponding wear mark on the pad inside the hood, I don't know if I've got bad mounts but it sounds like your brother and I have identical marks on our engines.

 

[wood_e]

MillTOWN!!

It's Wood_e off the SHOforum! I think the service interval is 10,000 miles for an oil change light. I have seen the shiny spot on BMWs I have looked at for purchase and thought it was the MMs too, but i never bothered to really give them a good look. I would watch them, as i have seen the same symptoms on many e30 BMWs and I didn't notice much engine movement with each that I found.

Welcome to the forum

 

[jrt67ss350]

My engine has the shiny spot from where the motor rubs the hood insulation pad. I know that my motor mounts are fine. It's just a common thing with E30s. The motor shouldn't move much at all, though; if it is visibly moving around, the mounts might be bad.

 

[MilTownSHO]

MillTOWN!!

It's Wood_e off the SHOforum!
Welcome to the forum

Wow weird finding you here, even weirder you managed to read my post!

And I've been on the forum longer than you, but thanks!


As for the motor mounts, I didn't notice the engine moving much at all, so I won't worry about it! Thanks!