Craig Thirkell

Hi Folks,

looking for a little advice. Had a major oil service recently at main deal in Leeds UK (oil change, oil filter change etc). When i returned home I started to get a little oil on the garage floor, just a few splats. I took the car back and explained and they took a look and said that the crank breather was leaking and they swapped it out for free.

Two weeks have passed and I've just noticed more splats of oil on the floor. Before I go back, Ive removed the engine cover for a look around. I have read and looked at the pictures of people replacing their swirl flaps with blanking plates so wanted to rule that out. standing at the front of the engine and looking down the left side all looks clean - the right side however is dirty and oily. Just to the left of the oil filter, under the manifold, all the pipes there are covered in oil and gunk. Question is:

1) is this where the crank case breather is that they replaced (and therefore could this just be residual oil in the well of the car still working it's way down to the ground)? or;

2) is there some thing else in that area to check out?

the picture is not mine - just using it to show where all the oil is - the area on green is clean, the area in read is all gunky.



do you have any advice on how to approach with dealer as until the day they did the oil change it didn't leak.

looking under the car with a torch, there looks to be quite a large round patch of oil stain about a good 40cm diameter on the base engine cover plate.

thanks in advance

Anzafin

The breather locates on the left upper corner in that pic. So it's not that then.

The swirl flaps locate on the right side in the pic, and their gaskets use to drizzle oil to the area that you said is oily. However, I'm pretty sure that large amount of oil is not coming from swirl flap gaskets. Or have your swirl flaps been removed? If they are, it is possible that a blanking plate or whatever is used to plank the holes, is leaking.

Are you sure the oil is not coming from the drain plug?

- Antti -

Craig Thirkell

Thanks for the reply. I have not had the flaps blanked and I dont think they would have been done before by previous owner.

The first time I took the car in with the leak I asked them to check the plug thinking this the obvious thing and they said it was not that but the crank case so may be it's both - I book it in... you know how it is, you just get a little paranoia setting in with leaks!

I thought the swirl flaps where where I have marked in red? are they further right than nearer to the oil filer? the square shaped hole?

Anzafin

The swirl flaps locate in the intake manifold. They are in line for every cylinder.

Here you can see them (in the holes behind the red gaskets):


- Antti -

edit: Possibly a good read here https://5series.net/forums/diy-do-yo...-engine-70452/.

Craig Thirkell

thank you Anzafin

It does look like this is the root of the leak as the middle squares are next to the area where the oil looks to be mostly located. The car is booked into Leeds BMW for them to have a look at it. I can be very specific now on location and at least sound like I have a little knowledge on the matter. I suspect they may be "fobbing me off" in case it's a bigger job they don;t want to do!