Oil leak - any ideas before I start pulling it all apart

[Bulk]

I have a small oil leak which is in the front right corner of the engine. Any ideas what it might be before I go ahead and take it off the road by pulling it all apart???

Looking from the right where the airbo normally is


looking from front from where the air intake normally is


And one more

[Bulk]

It looks like its coming from the brake booster vacuum pump......

[Ghost-Flame]

Oil filter housing Gasket. looks just like mine did on monday. I just finihed the repair. not that hard. about 8 hrs if youa re mediocre mech like me.

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

[Ghost-Flame]

Originally Posted by Bulk

It looks like its coming from the brake booster vacuum pump......

that looks like oil to me. I think brake fluid would be cleaner.

[Bulk]

Ghost-Flame Oil filter housing Gasket. looks just like mine did on monday. I just finihed the repair. not that hard. about 8 hrs if youa re mediocre mech like me

Looks too high to be that (mine is a 4.4 with the filter housing underneath) from what I read in the Bentley.....

Originally Posted by Ghost-Flame

that looks like oil to me. I think brake fluid would be cleaner.

From what I read the brake booster pump is driven off the engine which would mean having some parts in the oil wet section...... Is that incorrect?

[Ghost-Flame]

Originally Posted by Bulk

Looks too high to be that (mine is a 4.4 with the filter housing underneath) from what I read in the Bentley.....



From what I read the brake booster pump is driven off the engine which would mean having some parts in the oil wet section...... Is that incorrect?

I'm not familiar with the 4.4. the only way to find out is to fix what you think it is and see if it solves the problem.

there aren't that many places where you could be leaking fluid that creates that black, greasy gunk on the wires. how are your power steering line?

[julezw]

Hi there bulk, fellow Melbournite,

I had what looks like the same leak as yours and it was the vacuum pump. Had it remanufactured for a few hundred. Better to fix leaks like that cause they can pour onto some of the belts causing further grief. My aircon belt snapped. Good luck

Jules

[Bulk]

Ghost the power steering pipes are greasy but it looks old like it's had an over flow at some stage but not leaking per say.

Originally Posted by julezw

Hi there bulk, fellow Melbournite,

I had what looks like the same leak as yours and it was the vacuum pump. Had it remanufactured for a few hundred. Better to fix leaks like that cause they can pour onto some of the belts causing further grief. My aircon belt snapped. Good luck

Jules

Thanks Jules and Gday. Was the pump actually gone or was it just the gasket? If the pump was gone do you remember what in it had actually failed?

[julezw]

Originally Posted by Bulk

Thanks Jules and Gday. Was the pump actually gone or was it just the gasket? If the pump was gone do you remember what in it had actually failed?

Was a while ago. My car was just out of warranty and so I was still going to the dealer out of habit. They didn't explain an awful lot about exactly what was wrong when parts got overhauled without harassing them. So not sure sorry.

From memory its a simple part, so I don't know how much of it can be re manufactured besides gaskets and tightening bolts? Knowing the dealer I might have been charged a heap just to take it out and seal a gasket Hopefully someone will chime in who has taken one of these apart and back again.

RealOEM.com * BMW E53 X5 4.4i VACUUM PUMP WITH TUBES

[julezw]

Bulk, might be worth asking Wigner whether he DIY?

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...-oil-leak.html