[RuskiE39]

Almost a qt in 2 days. Removed the engine pans underneath and found where its streaming down TO but not FROM. The VCG looks fresh and the bolts show signs of it having been done (stripped). Based on the lower engine cover the oil drops directly around the opening for the oil drain hole which leads me to not believe thats its from the OFHG, the oil drain, or the oil level sensor. I've been under A LOT of BMW's but the e90 takes the cake, there is just way too much STUFF... turbo stuff.

I can't tell if its the oil pan or rear main seal... I'm about to just take it to an indy and have them pinpoint the cause unless anyone has any other tips or tricks?


(left side of picture is the transmission)

[Shane335]

Looks like rear main seal. I just did mine. You should also check your PCV system

[The_E92_Fan]

clean everything you can see with carb cleaner, run the engine, find the new oil trail. take 10 minutes and try it out

[RuskiE39]

Originally Posted by The_E90_Fan

clean everything you can see with carb cleaner, run the engine, find the new oil trail. take 10 minutes and try it out

Uhh, that's exactly what we did. Wiped down the bottom, ran the motor for 10-15 minutes until it started dripping again from that location.

[The_E92_Fan]

Originally Posted by RuskiE39

Uhh, that's exactly what we did. Wiped down the bottom, ran the motor for 10-15 minutes until it started dripping again from that location.

well, at least we are on the same page.

[N54POWR]

You should try that new molygen oil. It glows green under black light specifically to track down oil leaks. Change the oil, run the engine for a bit and shine a black light until you see where it's leaking from

[BMW ONLY]

Originally Posted by RuskiE39

Almost a qt in 2 days. Removed the engine pans underneath and found where its streaming down TO but not FROM. The VCG looks fresh and the bolts show signs of it having been done (stripped). Based on the lower engine cover the oil drops directly around the opening for the oil drain hole which leads me to not believe thats its from the OFHG, the oil drain, or the oil level sensor. I've been under A LOT of BMW's but the e90 takes the cake, there is just way too much STUFF... turbo stuff.

I can't tell if its the oil pan or rear main seal... I'm about to just take it to an indy and have them pinpoint the cause unless anyone has any other tips or tricks?

[img]https://s17.postimg.org/s8ha1bqhr/28...84872292_n.jpg[/img]
(left side of picture is the transmission)

It's the oil pan. Right bottom end closest to the right rear passenger side is the area I've seen leaks from. Fixed one today as a matter of fact. Jb welded and right stuffed it from the outside.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by BMW ONLY

It's the oil pan. Right bottom end closest to the right rear passenger side is the area I've seen leaks from. Fixed one today as a matter of fact. Jb welded and right stuffed it from the outside.

Fix and ride, baby. Fix and ride.

[RocketSurgeon]

I'm betting rear main seal for this one. My 2007 was leaking from exactly the same spot, and it was a real gusher. Leaking a quart in 2 days is a huge leak, much more than an oil pan gasket. Like many other guys with a failed RMS, mine was blown clean out of the engine, hence the enormous leak.

[RuskiE39]

Originally Posted by BMW ONLY

It's the oil pan. Right bottom end closest to the right rear passenger side is the area I've seen leaks from. Fixed one today as a matter of fact. Jb welded and right stuffed it from the outside.

How did you access the leak area? What should I move out of the way to be able to access it and seal it? I don't want to tackle a huge OPG job on an auction car that i'm going to end up flipping at this point. I recall from being under there that the exhaust pipes were in the way of everything.

[BMW ONLY]

Originally Posted by RuskiE39

How did you access the leak area? What should I move out of the way to be able to access it and seal it? I don't want to tackle a huge OPG job on an auction car that i'm going to end up flipping at this point. I recall from being under there that the exhaust pipes were in the way of everything.

I did this on my neighbor's 335. We took down the cover only and used a dentist mirror find out where the oil is. It was everywhere. So just soaked and emptied a can of brake cleaner on it. Didn't remove anything else. You gotta be patient and some areas you won't see or reach. On this car the side corner was wet and the opposite side was dry. Most of the leak was on the passenger side. So clean and I then used isopropyl alcohol 90%. Then use a can of just air and keep it upright as best as possible and clean again.

Get a large syringe and attach a tube about ten inches long. Or longer. Buy lots of jb weld. Mix and stuff in the syringe and get dirty. Put the tube as far in as possible and pump away. I then used a hanger wire wrapped in one sheet of aluminum to push in the jb where I couldn't see anything. You gotta feel it. During the cleaning, visually map the turns and contours of the pan several times. So you basically have a visual map in mind while welding. After you are done give it about 2 hours. Then do the same with a can of the right stuff by permatex. I got probably 80% if the pan for sure. That's still an increase of plugging the seal by 80%.

Keep in mind that the weld is a bitch to take off if the oil pan needs to be opened for any reason. The weld should stop any leaks and the right stuff is an extra cover. When you are all done, wipe away any areas you didn't need to cover. And leave the car alone for 24 hours. Also, the oil sensor was soaked in oil. I cleaned it with mass air flow sensor cleaner and added an extra layer of cover to the wiring. Run a small amount of right stuff anywhere around the sensor you see oil. Do a good survey before you clean anything so you know where things puddle up.

It might work, the whole took about 4 hours. A lot better and simpler than doing it the right way. You may have to remove what's in your way but I decided to go around everything.

[OTO335i]

Originally Posted by RuskiE39

How did you access the leak area? What should I move out of the way to be able to access it and seal it? I don't want to tackle a huge OPG job on an auction car that i'm going to end up flipping at this point. I recall from being under there that the exhaust pipes were in the way of everything.

Do not take any advice from BMW ONLY.. He really doesn't know what he's talking about. You should take the advice from the others as I suspect they are correct about the rear main seal.

[RuskiE39]

I'll give it another look tonight when I get home. I have yet to confirm if the leak is from the RMS or the OPG.

[MysticRob]

Originally Posted by OTO335i

Do not take any advice from BMW ONLY.. He really doesn't know what he's talking about. You should take the advice from the others as I suspect they are correct about the rear main seal.

For all we know OP and BMW ONLY could be the same person.
B.O. is being more "helpful" than normal in this thread...
He's probably on his troll forum now impressing all his troll friends with his abilities.
But yeah, recommend nobody take any advice from B.O.

[Cruiser124]

Rear main seal. I Went through this whole ordeal on a 335xi I had.

If the oil pan gasket was leaking you'd expect to see oil around the perimeter of the pan, passenger side (since engine slopes that way) Not saying the gasket cant leak behind the bell housing, but odds are it isn't.

In my pic you can see that when the RMS leaks it drips down and follows the oil pan, leaking out just as seen in your photo.

FYI I replaced the oil pan gasket first before realizing all of this. Both jobs suck on jack stands, but I managed just fine by myself.

[Pladi]

Originally Posted by OTO335i

Do not take any advice from BMW ONLY.. He really doesn't know what he's talking about. You should take the advice from the others as I suspect they are correct about the rear main seal.

Lets stop these wars please... you guys are now just as unprofessional. Most of us here are hobbyist (not sure if thats a word) and not BMW engineers. So people will chime in and we have to encourage. If they are not correct about something then correct them with FACTS if you wish but lets work together instead of drifting away from the actual issue. Lets stop trolling is what i am saying.

[OTO335i]

Originally Posted by Pladi

Lets stop these wars please... you guys are now just as unprofessional. Most of us here are hobbyist (not sure if thats a word) and not BMW engineers. So people will chime in and we have to encourage. If they are not correct about something then correct them with FACTS if you wish but lets work together instead of drifting away from the actual issue. Lets stop trolling is what i am saying.

You're kidding right? I am definitely no BMW engineer but I know what is the correct way to fix something. You don't just come here and tell someone to do it a certain way that will result in failure and poor workmanship on a BMW. Imagine the guys neighbour taking that car to an Indy shop or delaer to have it serviced, the first thing they'll say is why the hell is there JB weld all around your oil pan?? and then they'll tell him that they have to fix it the proper way which will result in more labour due to the hack job buddy did. If you look at previous threads from him we have all given him the right FACTS and he seems to troll us and tell us we're guiding him in the wrong direction on top of telling us to GTFO... Not very professional when you're asking for guidance and tell people off as they're trying to guide you.

I hate trollers and this guy won't stop so the best thing to do is troll him back ti'll he stops the nonsense or until the mods delete his account so we can all be back to a normal forum.

[MysticRob]

Originally Posted by Pladi

Lets stop these wars please... you guys are now just as unprofessional. Most of us here are hobbyist (not sure if thats a word) and not BMW engineers. So people will chime in and we have to encourage. If they are not correct about something then correct them with FACTS if you wish but lets work together instead of drifting away from the actual issue. Lets stop trolling is what i am saying.

Feel free to look up B.O.'s previous threads and posts and "encourage" him all you want. The rest of us know a troll when we see one and will continue to call out his bad advice and lies, as we're in position to do nothing else to save people from his posts. I've flagged a number of his posts already, but unfortunately he continues to have an active account.

EDIT: Sweet, just saw he's been banned. Thanks, Mods!

[RuskiE39]

It sounds like my best bet is to wash the area thoroughly with brake cleaner and then start the engine and see if the leak is coming down from above the RMS to rule that out. Would that work? It sounds like the RMS would leak inside the bell housing and come out the little hole which it is not.

[Cruiser124]

Originally Posted by RuskiE39

It sounds like my best bet is to wash the area thoroughly with brake cleaner and then start the engine and see if the leak is coming down from above the RMS to rule that out. Would that work? It sounds like the RMS would leak inside the bell housing and come out the little hole which it is not.

Clean it and inspect. Although it won't tell you much because it's behind the bell housing and you can't differentiate RMS vs oil pan until things are apart.

The RMS will leak out at the rear corner of the oil pan, passenger side where the pan meets the block. It won't necessarily leak out of the bell housing because the engine is sloped so gravity pulls it to the corner. (Making it look like the oil pan)

Check out my video, this was RMS leak. Losing a quart 50-100miles. Based on the amount you're losing plan on RMS. One my oil was warm and thinned It was pouring out :/

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Pladi

Lets stop these wars please... you guys are now just as unprofessional. Most of us here are hobbyist (not sure if thats a word) and not BMW engineers. So people will chime in and we have to encourage. If they are not correct about something then correct them with FACTS if you wish but lets work together instead of drifting away from the actual issue. Lets stop trolling is what i am saying.

Nah. You are being far too tolerant. BMW ONLY was maniacal about posting BS information. He is either maniacal or a complete idiot. Anyone who has any experience repairing cars would never use JB Weld in a repair procedure to seal an oil pan gasket leak, NO ONE. I and others who have vastly more experience in repairing automobiles have provided correct, factual, experienced-based counter positions to BMW ONLY's unsubstantiated and stupid offers of suggested repair procedures. He pretends to laugh it off because he is an ass. He got banned apparently because he was an ass.

In specific to his claim of repairing his neighbor's OPG, anyone who has actually done the correct OPG repair (go look at my contributions to the OPG DIY), knows it is impossible to seal the pan gasket from the outside. I decided not to engage in BMW ONLY's maniacal rants on his mystical JB Weld repair because I decided not to feed him (as you so rightly suggest).

[RuskiE39]

Just a small update, I added dye into the engine and it doesnt look like any oil is coming from the RMS area... I ended up finding a pool of oil from the VCG on the intake manifold side.