oil leak

[mikegee]

I have the x5 3.0i. I have an oil leak. I mainly see oil residue near the rear of the engine and rear passenger side. I can sometimes smell burning oil in the air conditioning.

Where do you think the oil is coming from?

[E53Envyy]

Burning oil smell will be the valve cover gasket. Not too hard to replace and plenty of diy videos out there.

I’d first check the valve cover before looking further down the engine

Cheers, E53Envyy


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[mikegee]

Ok, I will change the valve cover gasket.

I also see oil on top of the valve cover nuts and bolt. Does it mean the valve cover is cracked or a normal gasket leak?

[TheFixer]

Originally Posted by mikegee

Ok, I will change the valve cover gasket.

I also see oil on top of the valve cover nuts and bolt. Does it mean the valve cover is cracked or a normal gasket leak?

Get an m56 valve cover and gasket. You'll never have a leak or have a valve cover crack ever again.

https://www.e46fanatics.com/threads/...#post-18999398

[bcredliner]

Originally Posted by mikegee

Ok, I will change the valve cover gasket.

I also see oil on top of the valve cover nuts and bolt. Does it mean the valve cover is cracked or a normal gasket leak?

Sources of oil leaks can be deceiving. I suggest cleaning the the engine as much as possible and then run the engine. After 30 minutes or more use a flashlight with a small beam and trace the oil leak from the bottom point toward the top of the engine to verify the source. The valve cover gasket might be the problem but troubleshooting may save you from buying parts you don't need.

[mikegee]

Thanks, I’ll try to trace the oil leak. It just the top rear of the engine is difficult to see anything. The engine starts to “go into” the passenger compartment. I also don’t have the luxury of getting below the car.

[bcredliner]

Since you can't get underneath, suggest you clean the valve covers and as much toward the bottom of the engine and follow the same procedure to see if you can verify the valve cover is the culprit. Valve cover leaks are very common source of oil leaks but I hate to buy parts and find the cause was something else.

[mikegee]

I’ve watched some videos on replacing the valve cover gasket.

Some people put couple dabs of sealant on both ends of the gasket. There are people who put sealant all over the gasket and spark plug gasket.

Which way is the “right” way.

My x5 has slightly higher mileage at 170,000 miles.

[TheFixer]

Originally Posted by mikegee

I’ve watched some videos on replacing the valve cover gasket.

Some people put couple dabs of sealant on both ends of the gasket. There are people who put sealant all over the gasket and spark plug gasket.

Which way is the “right” way.

My x5 has slightly higher mileage at 170,000 miles.

Just the half moons and where the vanos meets the head. You'll see the distinct line where they meet at the front on either side.

[bcredliner]

I do the dabs and use a torque wrench to tighten the bolts so I don't exceed torque specs, tightening the bolts going side to side from center out in two stages to reach specs.