Another oil leak thread...

[Bmwfvr]

Hello.

My 2007 BMW x5 4.8i 105k miles has been to the shop twice within the last month or so due to various oil leaks. Car was leaking bad. First visit was to replace the oil cooler thermostat gasket. This one was leaking heavily.

$860 later I am back on the road. A few days later, I spotted oil on my garage floor. took a look and voila the leak is back with the same symptoms. oil collects at the bottom of the front diff. leak was as heavy as before the repair.

Took the car back to the BMW indy shop that did the oil cooler therm gasket. after inspecting the car, I was told and shown that it's my left valve cover and upper timing cover gaskets but the leak isn't too bad and I could put it off.

A week later, I started smelling burnt oil through the dash vents. later that week, I happened to have the hood up with engine running, I noticed smoke coming out of left side of the engine. This confirmed the valve cover gasket. Took the car in again and had that taken care of.

$1500 later, I am back on the road. Fast forward one week, take a guess .. leak is back. oil collects at the bottom of the front diff running down from a higher point.

leak seems to be concentrated to the front left of the engine so the plastic shield and the front end of the skid plate have oil on them.

I am hoping the experts here can give me an advice on what else could leak from there?

I did check around the valve cover, it's pretty dry, the upper timing cover seems dry too.

one other thing I noticed when I inspected the engine from under the car. I see drips of oil collecting at the bottom of one of the oil cooler lines, it's where the line curves ( u shape) to enter the thermostat housing.

should i take the x5 back to the shop and say it was't done right?

Thanks in advance for any tips.