bottom oil leak (gasket?) m54 motor 3.0

[ake53]

hello everyone...

I noticed a pool of oil in my garage. I verified its not the oil bolt. As i tightened it myself and checked. Its also not leaking out of the the valve head either... or the oil filter compartment.

Under-body I have the metal shield. I believe its the oil pan gasket as i have seen a lot of oil building up around the pan.

So i'm leaning towards replacing the gasket. Does anyone know of any common places oil would leak from the bottom of engine?

Has anyone done this job before? Write up? video?
I have the 3 series m54 motor Bentley book which i will look up...

Also my CCV is a pain. clogged up. I opened the the hose out of vanos and it was filled with gunk. Can that have something to do with it? Any help with the CCV will be appreciated..

Looks like i Will devote my one Saturday weekend to having the X in pieces on repair. Everyone tells me nice car at first....and than they go why dont you just sell it? your always working on it... In reality I have all possible mechanics tools in my trunk. OBD2 laptop with gt1, etk, SSS, inpa, Everything possible.... And spare fluid, trans, break, antifreeze, oil. Yeah im prepared knowing it might brake somewhere. But i would hate to switch to a civic. its trouble free but not for me....
please help if you can.

[Ricky Bobby]

I would clean up around the gasket by the oil pan with some degreaser or something, then check it in the morning to be positive its the oil pan, I don't have any knowledge on replacing it though.


CCV replacement if you look up BavAuto videos on youtube they do a great 3 part video with the M54 on an E46, process is very similar and we have more room to work on our engine bay than E46 guys!


Check it out and hope it helps you Alex,

[upallnight]

Could be the oil seal between the oil filter housing and the engine block. $5.00 seal but about 4 hours of work to replace it. If the seal has never been replace it due to be replaced. Seal get hard and oil starts leaking out. If the seal is really hard only way to get it off is to heat it with a heat gun or the girlfriend/wife hair dryer.

There's a Youtube video on replacing the seal.

[X5SND]

From another thread....

Originally Posted by CharlieHustleX5

Here's the general outline of necessary steps to change the oil pan on the 3.0 liter e53. Its mainly a lot of disassembly but as long as you just take it step by step, and you're mechanically inclined to a degree, its do-able. For first timers, make sure you have a back up car in the event you cant finish over a weekend's worth of time.

1. Drain the engine oil.
2. Remove / disconnect the following:
· Bulkhead heater
· Fuel injector Cover
· Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor and boot
3. Attach an engine lift and hoist to engine.
4. Remove top left and right nuts on engine mounts
5. Raise the engine about 0.15 inch (5mm).
6. Remove and disconnect the following:
· Front splash guard
· Reinforcement plate
· Left and right swivel bearings
· Output shafts
· Propeller shaft at front
· Alternator drive belt from belt pulley for vane pump
· Power steering pump and move aside with the lines still connected
· Return hose from oil separator
· Dipstick tube
· Steering spindle from steering gear tie rods
7. Temporarily reinstall the left and right swivel bearings and connect with a bolt to the spring strut.
8. Support the entire front axle assembly.

NOTE: The steering gear will remain bolted to the front axle support. Return hose must not be over-stretched when front axle is lowered.

1. Detach front axle support from engine carrier and lower about 3-4 inches (90-100mm).
2. Remove the front axle differential.
3. Release the screws on the oil pan.
4. Move the pan backward when removing.

But Like RB said, clean everything off and confirm where the oil is coming from before tearing everything down.

[ake53]

But Like RB said, clean everything off and confirm where the oil is coming from before tearing everything down.[/QUOTE]

Thank you...
Awesome. Wow thats alot of things to do...
I want to check first the bolts on the pan. Perhaps some are loose. I will use a torque wrench. Do you know the amount to torque to?

[Cisc0]

When I had a leak on mine from the bottom it was my oil filter housing gasket. A PITA to do.

[ake53]

Originally Posted by Cisc0

When I had a leak on mine from the bottom it was my oil filter housing gasket. A PITA to do.

Any more information on this? Diagram?
So far i took off the plastic cover that attached to intake. to get a better view and did not see any oil on the filter housing. Why didn't BMW use a normal metal filter that adjusts to the engine block on the side or on the bottom.. Oh the joy of German complication in engineering. I complained to them about door carrier. They didn't reply. But I see that the new BMW's have a different design of carriers.

[Cisc0]

Originally Posted by alex77ae

Any more information on this? Diagram?
So far i took off the plastic cover that attached to intake. to get a better view and did not see any oil on the filter housing. Why didn't BMW use a normal metal filter that adjusts to the engine block on the side or on the bottom.. Oh the joy of German complication in engineering. I complained to them about door carrier. They didn't reply. But I see that the new BMW's have a different design of carriers.

It's hard to see it from the top. Here are a few threads on it:

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...r-housing.html

This is from e46fanatics and works for our M54 engine also:
Oil Filter Housing Gasket DIY - E46Fanatics

[Ricky Bobby]

I'd be happier with replacing the oil filter housing gasket than the oil pan itself.

Anyone with a bentley manual know the torque spec of the oil pan bolts for Alex? I can't imagine they would be any more than a few ft lb, they are tiny bolts.


The oil filter housing isnt too bad of a job, just messy, you have to disonnect the PS hoses and bring the whole assembly out like the thread above, and switch the gasket off the car, much easier.

[ake53]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

I'd be happier with replacing the oil filter housing gasket than the oil pan itself.

Anyone with a bentley manual know the torque spec of the oil pan bolts for Alex? I can't imagine they would be any more than a few ft lb, they are tiny bolts.


The oil filter housing isnt too bad of a job, just messy, you have to disonnect the PS hoses and bring the whole assembly out like the thread above, and switch the gasket off the car, much easier.

Yeah to much work for the pan. I will look into it tonight. Gotta love those sleepless nights working in the garage. I have the bentley for 3 series. same motor. maybe same specs? if anyone ever needs bentley 3 series let me know. its a pdf.