What's this? Oil leak?
 

I've been chasing a possible oil leak, but with this X, a few things have been phantoms. For example:

1. The recent misfiring: bad fuel. Refueled at a different station, codes and misfire gone.

2. Vaccum leak: Crankcase cap somehow had come lose, wtf.

3. Power steering fluid leak: Loose cap, seeped out.

4. Previous oil leak: Just oil left in the stiffening plate when the dealer changed the VCG and didn't clean up the oil that had leake. @$$hole.

This time, I'd wondered if the dripping oil was once again just oil in the stiffening plate from the time the boys at Mr. Lube cracked my plug. My cousin re-tapped it and put new plug in, and there were no signs of leaking from there the last time I checked.

However, with my recent back injury, I can't go crawling under the car, so I decided to take the airbox out and use my flashlight to try to suss out where this possible leak might be coming from.

It's left only a few tiny spots the last several days, and the plate seems to have only a residue left, from what I can see from above. However, there was something with a little wet oil on it, but being still new to BMW, I have no idea what this thing is under the intake diaphragm going to throttle body. There was no oil under the OFH, and the areas that'd be dirty if the VCG were bad are clean.

Here's the pic:

http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/...ps34946a40.jpg

To check the OFHG to see if its leaking you'll need to take your airbox out and have a peek to the right of the housing:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/attachm...1&d=1237474842

If the circled area is dry your OFHG isn't leaking

I would try to degrease everything first to see exactly where it is leaking from. The OFHG is possible, I had a leak in my e46 in the "honey comb" area right below the intake. Ended up being the OFHG

I'll take another look. Thanks guys!