BMW 3 Hybrid Warning Lights, Oil Issue or Worse?

Hey there! I have some experience working on hybrids. Had a similar issue with my 2010 BMW 5 Hybrid last year. The warning lights you're describing sound very familiar, happened to me too! I took it to my regular workshop and it turned out I had gone way past the maintenance interval. The oil was really dirty and needed changing badly. Total bill came to 165 Euro for the service. Since then, no more warning lights, and the car runs perfectly. If you want, I can share more specific details about the repair process. What's your current mileage, and when was your last service? Also, are you noticing any unusual engine sounds or vibrations? I've also owned a BMW 7 series before, so I'm quite familiar with how these cars behave when they need attention. Let me know those details and I'll try to help further!

Thanks for your response! My current mileage is 88965 KM and had my last service about 7 months ago. Actually, I haven't noticed any weird sounds, but there's a slight vibration when idle. The warning lights just popped up yesterday during my regular commute. The oil change interval suggestion makes sense, I'll definitely check my service records more carefully. Did you notice any improvement in performance after your oil change? Also, was it just a regular oil change, or did they need to do any additional cleaning of the system?

Hey again! Yes, I definitely noticed a big difference after the oil change on my BMW 5 Hybrid! The vibration you're mentioning sounds exactly like what I experienced, especially at idle. Since your mileage is pretty close to what mine was when I had the issue (I was around 90,000 KM), this really does sound similar. In my case, they actually had to do a bit more than just a regular oil change. The workshop did a complete flush of the system because the old oil had started to get quite gunky. They used a special cleaning agent before putting in the new oil, which helped clear out any residual contamination. The whole process took about 3-4 hours. After the service, the improvement was really noticeable. The vibration completely disappeared, and the engine felt much smoother. Plus, I noticed better fuel economy, probably because the engine wasn't working as hard. Since you had your last service 7 months ago, it might be worth getting it checked sooner rather than later. These hybrids can be a bit more sensitive to oil quality than regular engines. I'd recommend not waiting too long, those warning lights are definitely trying to tell you something! Let me know how it goes if you get it checked out. Always interested to hear if others have similar experiences with these cars!

Thanks so much for all the detailed information! That's really helpful to know about the system flush, I definitely wouldn't have thought about that. I've just called my workshop and booked it in for tomorrow morning. You're right about not waiting, better safe than sorry with these warning lights! It's actually quite reassuring to hear that your issue was solved with proper maintenance. I was worried it might be something more serious (and expensive!). The fuel economy point is interesting too, now that you mention it, I have noticed it's been using a bit more fuel lately. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. I'll definitely update you once I get it back from the workshop. Fingers crossed it's just the oil issue like yours was! Thanks again for all your help!