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just got the message "Check engine oil at next refueling"
Oil level is fine after one year and 8K miles. Is this message on the dash based on the time since the last oil change reset? Gotta be that or I have a bad oil level sensor.
nope - it means it used a bit - and is saying top it up half a litre - main reason it does it the need to drive it harder (once warm) to get the rings to do their job
could check / play with the engine breather - but that only works too hard with bore damage or a lack of exersize
Checking the oil happens via the cluster. OP get in the habit of asking it for oil level with every trip to the gas station. Time it takes to fill with gas is about right.
2007 S600, 2007 Chrysler 300 SRT8, 2000 C5 Corvette, 2017 Mustang GT, 2023 300C, and a 2019 Lincoln
Or check it first thing in the morning using the Check Engine Oil feature on the dash. Make sure the car is level flat. I frequently get erroneous readings if the car is tilted higher on the right.
Or check it first thing in the morning using the Check Engine Oil feature on the dash. Make sure the car is level flat. I frequently get erroneous readings if the car is tilted higher on the right.
It won’t let you check it until the oil is up to temperature.
It won’t let you check it until the oil is up to temperature.
...because whilst so much of the engineering team are corrupt dangerous fools sliding up the ladder to hell - there's one or two old boys that know their stuff
the level needs to be correct for use in the majority of its operating conditions - so you want everything up to temperature (oil and engine components), and all the oil in the correct places (filling oil drillings, galleries, coolers and gaps within bearing clearances)... the worst possible time to check an oil level is in the morning after resting overnight - where some engine's have allowed 2 litres to drain to the wrong location
Checking the engine oil - if you're supposed to use the dashboard display, why doesn't it automatically pop up?
that’s exactly what it does - driven appropriately an engine in good condition doesn't use oil
as the oil ages in these engines I find a small quantity starts to escape past the rings and of the 12k mile 2 years recco interval all 272 V8s owners manual states - and the service reminder runs on (when using the better synthetic Merc 229.51 spec oils) - they can start to nag, give me 1/2 a litre after the 8k mile mark now and then - before that why waste an owners time saying oil fine - oil fine - oil fine - every drive?
in 35k miles and 9 years I've had to add in total 1.5 litres outside std 12k oil changes (and never had the nag come up before 8k miles - usually its after 11k)
that’s exactly what it does - driven appropriately an engine in good condition doesn't use oil
as the oil ages in these engines I find a small quantity starts to escape past the rings and of the 12k mile 2 years recco interval all 272 V8s owners manual states - and the service reminder runs on (when using the better synthetic Merc 229.51 spec oils) - they can start to nag, give me 1/2 a litre after the 8k mile mark now and then - before that why waste an owners time saying oil fine - oil fine - oil fine - every drive?
in 35k miles and 9 years I've had to add in total 1.5 litres outside std 12k oil changes (and never had the nag come up before 8k miles - usually its after 11k)
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The only time I ever received an oil warning was the first time I changed the oil and mistakenly added 10 qts per the OM, instead of 9.5 qts which is the correct amount. I received an excess oil warning, but the oil display did not appear without navigating into it manually (I have the digital dash on my G550). I did not interpret the OP's description of the oil warning to say that the oil level indicator appeared.
And since last changing the oil and resetting the service indicator, the oil level bar-graph display no longer appears -- it simply tells me "not available". This hasn't changed in 1200 miles no matter how many miles I drive to give it a chance. The other oil level indication that can be reached through the "Workshop" menu does continue to work, although it jumps around enough to make it meaningless if you're expecting 1/2 liter accuracy.
Last edited by streborx; Mar 17, 2025 at 12:37 PM.
2007 S600, 2007 Chrysler 300 SRT8, 2000 C5 Corvette, 2017 Mustang GT, 2023 300C, and a 2019 Lincoln
So for the last two months while in Florida, I did my daily early morning oil check at ambient temp of 72 degrees F. It takes about 45 seconds using the dash selections. If the car is level, it gave me a good reading.
In the past when I have checked oil post engine warm up using the dash selections, it frequently gave me a needs oil indication on the dash. I thought maybe the indy shorted me on the fill. But no, it just takes some time for the oil to drain back down to the bottom end of the engine.
I also had some minor problems with the car not being perfectly flat. Just a small tilt gave me a low reading warning. If I moved the car to a different part of the tarmac that was truly level and flat, the engine oil read OK.
The M275 holds 9 liters of oil. Even two liters low still leaves enough oil in the engine in a pinch to operate safely. There is no dip stick. You can purchase one at FCP Euro but I just use the dash selection.
I think there's an option in hidden dealer menus to try and show it
all I do on any car is exercise it correctly and learn when it uses a bit - and only bother to check when likely its going to moan - all my cars and bikes tell me when it thinks I should bother - they then need 1/2 a litre at best - but 9 out of 10 times I'm there before it is
2007 S600, 2007 Chrysler 300 SRT8, 2000 C5 Corvette, 2017 Mustang GT, 2023 300C, and a 2019 Lincoln
On the dash at the bottom of the speedometer large dial are selections: Trip Navi Audio Telephone. If you use the left steering wheel buttons for left and right arrow, the next set of selections are: Service Vehicle Settings. Select Service by using the OK button on the right side of the steering wheel, and use down arrow on the left steering wheel button to select Check Engine Oil. The dash will give you instructions to either wait (ostensibly if the car is not at operating temperature) or it will check the oil and say Engine Oil OK or Add XX.X liters at the next fuel stop. Other choices in Service include ServiceAssist which tells you the next service (A,B, C,D.E) is due in XXX days.
And yes, a simple dip stick like in any American car would have been much better.
2007 S600 V12TT top of the line and too skimpy on the dip stick.
I also received this message yesterday on a 250-mile trip. Every time I turned off the engine and started it, it appeared after a few miles.
I don't know/am not familiar with how to access the oil pressure display check mentioned above, and what was my surprise when, after I opened the hood, I didn't see anywhere a dipstick for manual checking...?! After a quick look on the internet, I saw that the place to check is located at the back of the left side of the engine, and there I found that there is a plug in the pipe and it is pushed in, so it cannot be removed with fingers/hand in any way.
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