Howitzer

Hi guys! Got myself a little trouble here. 108k miles on the ticker, car runs fine, HOWEVER, I have myself an oil leak. I had this for a while but it was quite minor so I assumed it must have been just residual drip from oil changes but I was wrong. In the first image you will see that just to the left of the dipstick under the engine a bit is a small pool of oil on a part. Not sure what part that is or what exactly might be leaking. Maybe one of you might know or have experienced this. The car has an M54 I6 engine, 2004. The bottom pan of the car has oil all over it. Its not a huge amount if you see it with your own eye and I am regularly checking oil levels every 2 days and don't have to refill it at all so far.

Any help would be appreciated so when I take it to the dealer I will be educated on the problem and solution.

Razzy530

difficult to tell exactly. I used to have an E39, so I am familiar with the engine and the general area. Still, I cant pinpoint the exact location from here. My guess would be a lower gasket, which would be a PITA. (pain in the ass) Take it to an Independent.....

Howitzer

I "think" I found exactly what this is. http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=657887 and http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1400085

Seems exact spot the oil is coming from is from the Oil filter housing gasket.

This guy had the same problem (seems common on the M54 engine) and this is the image of his engine from the side of the oil filter housing. Exact same spot I see oil pooling around from on my car. These tend to get brittle with age and also crack in frigid temps (which it now is).

luigi524td

Probably best to start by cleaning the lower portion of your engine compartment with a power washer to help determine exactly where the oil leak originates.

Valve cover leaks are pretty common - and the oil can run down to lots of different places. However, those are easy to have fixed by a BMW experienced INDY ... or it could be something simple like a spill from a previous oil service.

Howitzer

AND EVEN A VIDEO ON HOW TO DO IT! =P

Howitzer

Well, since no one knew how to help me here, I'm damn happy and glad that I found the problem myself. So, this post now will hopefully serve some poor sap like me that had this issue. I brought it back from the dealership today and my diagnosis was spot-on correct. The leak was in fact the oil housing cover gasket. The vanos pressure hose had to be replaced as well. Parts and labor ran me nearly $600 including tax for this repair.

If you have a 2004-2006 Inline 6 engine, this will happen eventually. It will happen faster and more-sudden if you live in cold weather climate.

pcy

Is this also called 'Full Flow Filter body leak'?

That seal was replaced on my 530i by the previous owner.