Huge oil leak from drivers side front. Picture. Fixed.

[fixture5150]

Here is the leak, 4 seconds after starting it up.

[fixture5150]

Got to my leak problem. It was the alternator bracket gasket. As you can see it was cracked, thus the huge amount of oil flowing out. I didnt want to take on this repair, so I took it to my BMW mechanic. Took him 2 days. Charged me $1000. He knows he and my dad well, since we take all our BMWs to him.



Hope this might help others.

[andrewwynn]

It's a big job. I helped a guy with the same issue on '04. We had to move the car less than a block and it took over a quart of oil. It left a continuous stripe of oil on the ground

[c-bass]

Oh why, oh why can't BMW use gaskets that last?

I've been around all kinds of cars in rough shape and NONE of them leaked oil like these BMWs

[timmyc]

Thanks for posting pictures and the fix. Too many dead end posts out there. Greatly appreciated!

[Overboost]

Originally Posted by fixture5150

Got to my leak problem. It was the alternator bracket gasket. As you can see it was cracked, thus the huge amount of oil flowing out. I didnt want to take on this repair, so I took it to my BMW mechanic. Took him 2 days. Charged me $1000. He knows he and my dad well, since we take all our BMWs to him.



Hope this might help others.

$1K labor for a $2 gasket. That's about as bad as the M54 $1500 charge for a $35 oil pan gasket.

[andrewwynn]

then effort to be more “green “BMW users rubber that disintegrates any place where UV doesn't reach. At least that's what I heard.

Better question in the case of this alternator bracket. Is why is it there at all? There is no path though there bracket to anywhere. It's a cap as fast as I recall


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[crystalworks]

Originally Posted by andrewwynn

Better question in the case of this alternator bracket. Is why is it there at all? There is no path though there bracket to anywhere. It's a cap as fast as I recall

That was my question. And I now know why they used to put a new gasket and RTV the bajeezus out of it when they did one at the shop. Never wanted to see the same truck come back for that failure after dropping that kind of coin.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by c-bass

Oh why, oh why can't BMW use gaskets that last?

I've been around all kinds of cars in rough shape and NONE of them leaked oil like these BMWs

You haven't own a Lotus.

[timmyc]

Originally Posted by andrewwynn

then effort to be more “green “BMW users rubber that disintegrates any place where UV doesn't reach. At least that's what I heard.

Better question in the case of this alternator bracket. Is why is it there at all? There is no path though there bracket to anywhere. It's a cap as fast as I recall


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Exactly what I thought. Gasket on the alternator bracket? WTF, Chuck?


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