Low Oil Message After Oil Change

[Spasso]

Hi guys,
I just completed an oil change on my '94 530i and I get a "Low Oil" message after start up.

I've done oil changes on this car before and this has never happened.

I turned the key on when there was no oil in the car to check the mileage and I got the message then. Now it won't go away.

Do I need to perform a "reset" via the big socket up front? I seem to recall somebody saying that to reset after an oil service pin 17 needed to be grounded. True?

I am going on a road trip starting Friday and would really prefer not to have this message in my face.

Thanks in advance.
DJ

[pingu]

Just wondering what the dipstick says - maybe the oil level sensor is giving an incorrect reading?

[winfred]

go for a drive after you refill, the float sticks sometimes

[Spasso]

Just wondering what the dipstick says - maybe the oil level sensor is giving an incorrect reading?

The dipstick says full. Fresh oil.

[Spasso]

Well, The message is gone.
I popped the cap off the service socket and left it off for about a half hour while I went to the autoparts store (in a different car!). When I came back I put it back on and started the car, no message. Don't know if leaving the cap off did anything (I heard it clears the adaptive cache in the transmission) or the float on the sensor decided to "float".

Either way, I'm happy.

I found the reset info here after a brief search. I love it when that works. Great site.
DJ

[joshua43214]

The "float" has a tiny little pin hole that passes oil. it is common for the float to sink and not float until the oil is thin enuogh to pass through the hole. They do this so you wont get a flashing oil low light when hard cornering.

if you change the oil at operating temperature, yu usualy won't have this problem.

[Spasso]

Thanks Josh,
It was hot coming out but cool going in.