jsimon7777

Below are some pictures of a fluid leak under the engine of my 2007 550i. I took off the panel underneath to investigate my leaky washer bottle and found more than I bargained for.

Here is the active steering thingy. It's soaked on the bottom and sides with what I assume is brake fluid. Notice the gridded piece of metal behind it.


Here is a close up of that metal part, which I assume is the oil pan. It has a coat of oil and almost dripping parts here and there.


Here are two lines also covered with oil. I didn't follow them so I'm not sure what they are.


So this all makes me think that, at the least, my active steering is leaking. Would that shoot oil up onto the bottom of the engine? Is there an engine leak? What do you think? There were drips on the panel that covers everything from below, but nothing actually dripped through to the garage floor. It's definitely a slow leak. Below are a few other shots I took of the area.

I'm out of the bumper to bumper warranty but still in the CPO warranty. Is active steering covered?

Thanks!

jm545i

Any particular fluid levels low?

I'm no expert, but that doesn't look like the active steering module. It looks to me like the dynamic handling/active roll bar actuator.

The short-hand rule on CPO is that standard equipment is covered, options and accessories are not, wear items are not. What that seems to pretty much turn into is pretty decent powertrain coverage. Maybe it buys you some goodwill coverage on an expensive repair, but that's pretty much a crapshoot.

toyota2bmw

I had the exact same leak. It's you alternator bracket seal/gasket. Have a closer look around the alternator. You will see a bunch more spots where oil is present. You are lucky to still have CPO. Otherwise, this would have costed you anywhere from $1200-1600 in labor at the dealer. The gasket? Well, it's a $4. I had to do this one my 545i in my garage, what a pain in the A$$!

jsimon7777

Jm,

You're right, active roll. It does have an effect on steering, though. It's the part that twists the front roll bars. Active roll was standard with the 550i sport. Does that count as an option? We'll see. I had errors in the active roll about a year ago. Took it in and they just added steering fluid. Since then, the car has been in more often for maintenance so they probably just topped it off every time. I bet I can argue for that. I think it was still under bumper to bumper at that point.

Toy,

Thanks for the answer. I'll make an appointment and take it in. Glad I went under.

Stephen Max

Oil leaks from the alternator bracket seal, the driver's side valve cover, timing cover gasket and valve solenoid o-rings will all result in oil accumulating where you are seeing it.

turboawd

check and tighten the two hoses going into the sway bar coupling. i've seen them work loose a bit.

also, did you check your vacuum pump for leaks? and there is also an oil sensor below that, which can leak.

jsimon7777

I've got an appointment tomorrow morning at the dealer.

The oil has needed topping up now and then, maybe a quart every 5000 miles. That didn't seem excessive so I didn't look for leaks.

jsimon7777

I think the dealer said alternator bracket. They had to change another gasket to get to the gasket at fault. The active roll is fine, just dripped all over. Thank goodness for CPO. In the meantime, I'm driving a Cooper S loaner.

Service rep says a quart every 750 miles is still within spec. Hah!

jsimon7777

Not alternator bracket. Timing chain cover. My bad.

Been driving a Mini Cooper S for several days. My knees hurt from twisting as I get in and out. Sad, I know. It rides fine as long as there are no bumps, then WHACK! Ouch! I think they forgot to put springs on it. Only once have I been in a worse riding car, a 2005 Mini JCW. The lack of ride comfort also gives it some agility, though not as much a I expected. The exhaust drones on the freeway, which is odd because the car is otherwise quiet. The annoying accent lights that stay on at night. I can't figure out how to dim them or turn them off. The window controls are far apart so when I put them both down or up, I have to make the hang loose hand. The narrow ContiSportContact2 tires have pitifully low limits. The automatic slams the gears in place most shifts. The backseats are almost but not quite useless. My 5yo son complains about sitting behind me. If you can't have a 5yo in the back, the car should just have two seats. The left seat bolster digs into the bottom of my thigh. I miss comfort access, automatic seats, seat heaters, the steering wheel heater, and a voluminous trunk. The car and steering wander over any bump or rut in the road - massive bump steer. I just don't trust it in the twisties, and it definitely wants to understeer like a dog.

On the positive side, it's cute as all hell, especially in Ice Blue. The engine knows what it's doing, always having plenty of power. The steering is definitely BMW-solid, with plenty of brake feel. The accelerator responds briskly.

I want my 550i back!

I am looking forward to a test drive of the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ. If the backseat is more useful than the Mini's, it could be our fourth vehicle.

WhiteMagic

My active sway bar has a small amount of fluid, a lot less than in your pic. I'm keeping an eye on it. BTW, did you get to drive the FR-S/BRZ yet? If so, what did you think?