The Quick Answer above is the generic definition. What follows is the model-specific detail for the BMW models that log P0195.
DTC/P0195·BMW
P0195 on BMW: Causes, Symptoms and Fix Cost
Quick Answer
Moderate SeveritySafe to drive (short-term)BMW
P0195 on a BMW means the engine control unit found an electrical fault in the engine oil temperature sensor circuit, so it can no longer trust what that sensor reports. It is a wiring and sensor fault, not a report that your oil is overheating. The usual causes are a worn-out sensor or a connector filled with oil, water or road salt. The car normally drives as before, but the oil temperature display, the oil service calculation and, on some diesels, the warm-up and injection maps all lose a value they use. Repair costs 45 to 150 euros where the sensor screws in from the outside. Where it sits inside the sump, as it does on BMW, VW Group and Mercedes engines, it is 135 to 420 euros, plus the oil and filter change that has to go with the job, so budget up to about 580 euros.
Typical repair cost, all makes€45 - €420
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BMW 3 Series
2005-2024On most modern BMW petrol and diesel engines there is no separate screw-in oil temperature sender. Oil temperature comes from the combined oil condition sensor bolted into the sump, which BMW calls the OZS and which measures oil level, oil temperature and oil quality in one unit before reporting all three to the DME. It does not send a simple resistance signal, it sends a digital signal that BMW has carried both as a pulse-width output and over the single-wire BSD data line depending on the generation, so the usual two-wire thermistor resistance test does not apply here. Two things matter in practice. The sensor sits at the lowest point of the engine, so its connector collects water and winter road salt, and oil leaking down from a tired valve cover or oil filter housing gasket can fill the same plug and bridge the pins. Replacing the sensor means draining the oil, so plan an oil and filter change into the job. P0195 and P0196 appearing together on a BMW usually means the whole sensor signal has dropped out rather than two separate faults, so treat it as one problem.
BMW 5 Series
2005-2024The 5 Series uses the same sump-mounted oil condition sensor as the rest of the modern BMW range, so oil temperature, oil level and oil quality all come from one unit bolted into the bottom of the engine and reported digitally to the DME. The six-cylinder diesels use the same design and the same name for it as the petrols, and because one unit carries three readings, losing it costs you the oil level and oil quality values as well, not just the temperature. Do not expect the code to explain a hard cold start on its own: glow plug heating on these engines is governed by coolant temperature, not oil temperature. Match the part to the build date rather than to the model name, because the oldest cars covered here can still have a plain thermal oil level sender with no oil quality channel. Because the sensor sits at the lowest point of the engine, its connector takes the worst of the road spray and winter salt, and oil creeping down from a leaking valve cover or oil filter housing gasket above can bridge the pins, so inspect and dry the plug before buying a sensor. Replacement means lifting the car and draining the oil, so have an oil and filter change done at the same time. P0195 and P0196 together on this platform is normally one dropped sensor signal, not two faults.
What causes P0195 on a BMW?
Beyond the generic causes listed on the main P0195 page, these are the patterns noted for BMW models:
BMW 3 SeriesFailed sump-mounted oil condition sensor, which is what carries the oil temperature signal on modern BMW engines
BMW 3 SeriesOil or water in the sensor connector, from a leaking gasket above or road salt below
BMW 5 SeriesFailed sump-mounted oil condition sensor, the single unit that supplies oil temperature on this platform
BMW 5 SeriesOil or salt water bridging the sensor connector under the engine, often fed by a leaking gasket above it
How to diagnose P0195 on a BMW with OBD2
Follow these steps to pinpoint the root cause of P0195:
- Read every stored code first and note whether P0195 arrived alone or alongside P0196, P0197 or P0198. Then read the freeze frame: a fault recorded on a cold start points at wiring, one recorded only when the engine was hot points at the sensor
- Warm the engine fully and watch the live oil temperature value on a scan tool. A healthy engine settles somewhere around 90 to 110 C. A value pinned at the lowest or highest number the tool can display, or one that jumps around, is the fault you are chasing
- Leave the car overnight, then compare oil temperature against coolant temperature and intake air temperature at key-on. On a cold engine all three should read within a few degrees of each other, so a large gap means the oil sensor is reporting nonsense
- Find the sensor, which sits in the oil filter housing, the block or the underside of the sump depending on the engine, unplug it and look inside the connector for oil, water, green corrosion or spread pins. Clean and reseat it before condemning any parts
- Test the circuit the way your sensor actually works, because most of the engines that set this code do not use a plain two-wire sensor. On a genuine two-wire thermistor, switch the ignition on and check for roughly 5 volts on one pin and a solid ground on the other, then unplug it and measure its resistance against the manufacturer figure for that temperature. On a BMW with the sump-mounted oil condition sensor there are three pins and nothing an ohmmeter can tell you: confirm the plug has battery voltage and a good ground, look at the single data wire with an oscilloscope, and check whether the alternator, the intelligent battery sensor, the glow module or the electric coolant pump have logged faults too, because they all share that BSD data line and one wiring fault can take several of them down together. On a VW Group G266 the three pins are battery voltage, ground and a pulse-width signal that runs to the instrument cluster, so check power and ground with a meter but read the actual value through the cluster with VCDS rather than probing for it. On Mercedes the sump sensor is pulse coded as well, so live data is the only meaningful test. Whichever type you have, wiggle the harness while watching the live value to catch an intermittent break
- If sensor supply, ground and wiring all check out, fit an OEM or known-brand sensor, clear the code and drive one full warm-up cycle to confirm the reading tracks coolant temperature sensibly and the code stays away
How much does P0195 cost to fix on a BMW? (EUR)
Estimated repair costs for P0195 in EUR, compiled across makes. Expect BMW parts and labour towards the upper end of each range.
Prices estimated as of March 2026. Costs vary by region, vehicle, and shop.
Codes related to P0195
These codes are often seen alongside P0195 or point to related issues, on any make:
Looking for the full P0195 reference (all makes, full diagnosis flow, complete repair cost matrix)?
See the main P0195 guideSkanyx · BMW
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