Quote:
Originally Posted by mweisdorfer
Check your PCV breather hose on top of the backside of the engine. When the valve in this hose stops working, it will spit oil all over the back side of the engine, and the oil will leak all over the bottom part of the engine.
You should replace this hose every 50k to be safe. Rob Beck makes the ultimate PVC valve.
Just clean up the oil mess with brake cleaner, replace the hose and see if the oil leak comes back.
If so, take a mirror attached to a telescopic handle, preferably with a led light attached to the mirror (craftsman makes a nice one), and check the backside of the valve cover near the firewall.
Mileage of your car can be a predictor as well.
Oil pan gaskets usually don't go till well after 100k.
If it's not the valve cover gasket leaking on the firewall side where you can't see the leak, I'd then point to the Rear Main Seal before I'd say it's an oil pan gasket. Rear Main Seals go around 90 to 100k.
The valve cover and OFHG tend to go at about the 90k mark too.
Rear Main Seals probably can't be done or shouldn't be by 75% of most people. It's a very difficult job, and I have yet to find a DIY for an e90, on the net, for this job. You really need a lift but it's not totally necessary. A transmission floor jack will do the trick; it's just harder this way is all.
If it is a rear main seal, plan on spending $1200.00 to get it fixed. If you get it done and that doesn't solve your problem, then it's an oil pan gasket. I wouldn't say you wasted $1200.00 if that is the situation. The rear main seal will go at some point no matter what.
Also, rear main seals can look like valve cover leaks and vice versa.
The OFHG is very obvious when it goes; you can't miss it.
Hope this helps
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So I just checked out his video of where this valve is located. Will I see a mess of oil on the top engine block too, or does it only leak downward towards the bottom?
Thanks for your response!