How screwed am I?

[libra15]

I accidentally put 1/2 quart of engine oil into the automatic transmission fluid tank of my '03 E46. (Yes, I realize I'm an idiot.) What do I do now?

N/M - problem solved for now.

[Rudolph320i]

what automatic transmission fluid tank? is it the one near the intake that says ATF only on it?

[stephenkirsch]

How'd you solve it?

[bmwdirtracer]

There is no automatic transmission fluid tank.

There is, however, a power steering reservoir, which uses ATF. If it took half a quart, you've got a massive leak, and you've likely overfilled it, too. Fix the leak, which will likely dump most of the engine oil anyway. Then fill with ATF, run engine, work steering left to right, and remove bottom hose at pump to re-drain system. Repeat a couple of times, then reclamp that hose and fill with ATF.

[libra15]

what automatic transmission fluid tank? is it the one near the intake that says ATF only on it?

It says "ATF oil only." I don't know what an intake is (or what automatic transmission oil is), but whatever it was I put the oil into was located near the front of the car and near the dipstick (which is why I thought that was where oil would go).

I scooped it out, and then stuffed a towel in there to soak up all the oil. I could fit most of my hand in it, so I took paper towels and continued to soak up oil until the paper towels came out clean.

Drove it around 15 miles. No problems. Did make a few groan/squeak sounds at very low speeds only. Highway driving was fine.

[E39DaveE53]

Not being rude, but if you don't know what an intake is or automatic transmission fluid (ATF) or how to check/fill your power steering reservoir, then what are you doing under the hood of a BMW?

[Manolito]

So you got all of the oil out that you could soak up before starting the car, right? Then you refilled that ATF reservoir back up with ATF to where it read full on its little dipstick on the cap, right?

You are probably fine now, but BMWDirtRacer is right. It would be better to flush the system to be sure that you got the last of the motor oil out of your power steering system. The car is ten years old. Time to replace that old power steering fluid anyway.

BMWDirtRacer was also correct that if you could fit a half a quart of anything in there, you must have a power steering leak because it was low on fluid. Power steering hose leaks on BMWs are very, very, common. Probably want to take care of the leak at the same time you replace the fluid.

[libra15]

Not being rude, but if you don't know what an intake is or automatic transmission fluid (ATF) or how to check/fill your power steering reservoir, then what are you doing under the hood of a BMW?

Lol. The yellow oil lamp had been coming on for the last few weeks. I read online that it probably needed topping off of a quart or so of oil between oil changes. I thought, how hard could it be? Famous last words. (This did indeed turn out to be the case, as I eventually learned when I eventually located the oil tank.)

- - - Updated - - -

So you got all of the oil out that you could soak up before starting the car, right? Then you refilled that ATF reservoir back up with ATF to where it read full on its little dipstick on the cap, right?

You are probably fine now, but BMWDirtRacer is right. It would be better to flush the system to be sure that you got the last of the motor oil out of your power steering system. The car is ten years old. Time to replace that old power steering fluid anyway.


BMWDirtRacer was also correct that if you could fit a half a quart of anything in there, you must have a power steering leak because it was low on fluid. Power steering hose leaks on BMWs are very, very, common. Probably want to take care of the leak at the same time you replace the fluid.

I didn't put anything back into the ATF reservoir. I sopped up everything. If I didn't know what ATF meant - I didn't even see it - I saw the words "Oil Only," and thought, perfect! So it should be no surprise that I wouldn't have a clue as to what other kind of oil would go in there.

It was less than 1/2 a quart, really. It just seemed like a whole lot at the time.

[bmwdirtracer]

I repeat: that's the power steering reservoir. It needs to be full to the line on the dipstick (cap) with ATF. The squeaks and groans are because your power steering is low on fluid.

Engine oil is added at the valvecover hole.

Transmission fluid is added from underneath the car, with a pump.

It really sounds to me like you should let a BMW mechanic or experienced BMW owner show you around under the hood of your car, before you really screw something up.

[325bob]

Chris, is that "valvecover hole"on the top of the aforementioned "oil tank"?

[Critter7r]

I accidentally put 1/2 quart of engine oil into the automatic transmission fluid tank of my '03 E46. (Yes, I realize I'm an idiot.) What do I do now?

It says "ATF oil only." I don't know what an intake is (or what automatic transmission oil is), but whatever it was I put the oil into was located near the front of the car and near the dipstick (which is why I thought that was where oil would go).

I scooped it out, and then stuffed a towel in there to soak up all the oil. I could fit most of my hand in it, so I took paper towels and continued to soak up oil until the paper towels came out clean.

Drove it around 15 miles. No problems. Did make a few groan/squeak sounds at very low speeds only. Highway driving was fine.

Lol. The yellow oil lamp had been coming on for the last few weeks. I read online that it probably needed topping off of a quart or so of oil between oil changes. I thought, how hard could it be? Famous last words. (This did indeed turn out to be the case, as I eventually learned when I eventually located the oil tank.)

I didn't put anything back into the ATF reservoir. I sopped up everything. If I didn't know what ATF meant - I didn't even see it - I saw the words "Oil Only," and thought, perfect! So it should be no surprise that I wouldn't have a clue as to what other kind of oil would go in there.

It was less than 1/2 a quart, really. It just seemed like a whole lot at the time.

Here's what you do. Go to AutoZone or some other parts store and tell someone there that you need a quart of ATF. Dexron, Mercon ... it doesn't really matter, but I think Dexron is recommended. Then fill the automatice transmission fluid tank up to about one inch below the top (leave some empty space in it).

Ok, no here's the important part. You need to break off the handle that opens your hood so that you're never again tempted to open it and work on your car.

Ok, so that was a little mean, (i'm only half-kidding though). But you can't let a warning light keep coming on for a FEW WEEKS before adressing it. It's not coming on to let you know that something is going to go wrong in a month. It's wrong right now!

[bmwdirtracer]

Okay, critter: I admit to heavily altering my last sentence, just because it was way too mean. But now that you've made me re-read the entirety of the OP's automotive inanity, I really have to agree.
Libra: Step away from the car. Give someone else the keys, and buy a bicycle.
Bob: No, but I read it's somewhere in the trunk...