What causes burning oil, blue smoke or low-oil warnings (n63 twin-turbo v8) on a 2009-2013 BMW 7 Series?

1. Worn valve stem seals 2. Cylinder head cover oil separators and vent hoses 3. Turbo oil seals or leaks

2009–2013 BMW 7 Series: Burning oil, blue smoke or low-oil warnings (N63 twin-turbo V8)

Likely causes, ranked

Worn valve stem sealsShop
Cylinder head cover oil separators and vent hosesShop
Turbo oil seals or leaksShop

Real-owner fix counts will appear here as reports come in.

DIY or shop: See DIY or shop section

Parts to check

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Symptom: Adding oil between services, blue smoke at startup, or a low-oil warning before the service light.

Likely causes

Valve stem seals. BMW's settlement repair is to replace the valve stem seals and head cover oil separators when consumption is too high.
Vent hoses and turbo seals. Cracked crankcase vent hoses and turbo seals can add to the problem.

DIY or shop?

Dealer or BMW specialist.

Useful steps

Ask a BMW center whether the Customer Care Package was done on your VIN.
Ask about the settlement's oil-consumption test.
Keep records of oil added.

Vehicle focus: 2009–2013 BMW 7 Series.

Safety / mechanic note

Low oil can damage the engine. Verify with a mechanic or dealer.

Recalls & service bulletins

Technical service bulletins

N63 settlement SIB BMW instructions for diagnosing excessive N63 oil consumption under the class action settlement: replace valve stem seals and oil separators, and sometimes turbos or the engine. Details
N63 Customer Care Package A one-time no-cost program (not a recall) that inspects and replaces items such as injectors, the vacuum pump, mass air sensors and crankcase vent lines. Details

NHTSA complaints: 20 keyword-matched complaints for BMW 750I 2009–2013 (of 103 unique complaints queried, NHTSA complaints API by model year, queried 2026-10-15).

Always check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Sources

What actually fixed it?

Had this problem? Tell other owners what the real fix was. Reports are counted above; we never show made-up numbers.