Hey guys,

Just wanted some advice before I take my car to the dealership.
It seems like i have an oil leak, you can sort of see the oil on the attached picture (on the metal) i washed my engine about 700km ago (2 weeks) and it is already showing oil....im pretty sure this isnt normal? maybe a resualt of a gasket issue? should i keep driving?

 

From your pic I'm guessing your engine is a M54 (525 or 530i), if so that leak is common and is caused by a worn valve cover gasket. It's ok to keep driving until you decide to fix it but you must now be more diligent about checking the oil level.

 

Topping it off is cheaper than fixing it if you are out of warranty
It's a very small leak. It's not even called "leak"

 

Yeah, its a 530i....Good to know its a common problem and it doesnt sound like a very pressing issue

How much is it to fix? pretty pricey? ....i usually top off my oil once every 3 months, so its a small leak, im just worried that it will create a huge problem inside of the engine (but i know NOTHING about cars!)

Thanks for the help!!

 

No prob.

 

Probably a little pricey if you take it to a shop.
Part is cheap, labor can be expensive

How many quarts in 3 month you have to top off?

If you are loosing qt every oil change, I think it's pretty normal.
Just make sure you are not loosing more than say 15% of your oil anytime the engine is working.

 

How many miles on your car when this happened and how do you wash your engine? I've been thinking about doing that too.