How to Reset the Oil Light in a 1998 BMW Z3

1. Open the hood of your BMW. Use the enclosed metal prop to hold the hood up as you work. Locate the diagnostic data port. It looks like a giant black screw cap, and it is located on the right side of the hood near the strut tower.
2. Open the cap, and inspect the interior. There should be 20 small holes and one larger hole. Locate hole 7 and 19. Hole 7 is located at the very bottom of the data port, and hole 19 is located in the middle left, closest to the center. Imagine if the port were a clock, the 7 hole would be at 6 o'clock, and hole 19 would be at 9 o'clock.
3. Straighten out a paperclip. Use jewelry pliers to bend the ends of the paperclip up to look like two small hooks on either end of the wire. Bend the wire into an arched shape, with the hooks on the bottom of the arch.
4. Turn the car on, but only turn the key enough to start the electrical systems in the car and not the engine.
5. Put one end of the paperclip into the 7 hole. Put the other end of the paperclip into the 19 hole. Press the paperclip down for about 4 seconds. Quickly remove the paperclip from the data port. Check the oil light to see if it has turned off. If it hasn't, try the process again.