[bumere90]

damn I had the torque specs laying around somewhere
i'll post it once I find them

[mhenry7]

Originally Posted by hypebeast

My turn for a broken head bolt. I am the second owner of a 06 325i, bought it when it was practically new, and now have 62K miles but almost two years out of warranty. I took my car in to Stevens Creek for some routine maintenance and they found a broken engine head bolt and the valve cover gasket and oil filter housing are leaking. They quoted me $5200 for the repair, which blew my mind. I called BMWNA and asked about a goodwill repair, but the best they could offer was $1000 off the repair. Needless to say, I will be bringing this to an independent shop.

If your oil filter housing is leaking, your valve cover gasket may not be. The oil filter housing leak ends up leaking right down on the valve cover gasket so it looks like it's leaking. When I had my oil filter housing gasket replaced and bolt replaced, I could tell the valve cover gasket wasn't really leaking after cleaning it up real good and keeping an eye on it.

[johnbuz]

After reading this thread, I realized that my head bolt next to the oil filter cap has been broken off for the past year, since I bought the car, at 40k miles. Now at 47k, and no leaks. Is this a time bomb? Can any 06' owner claim that their bolt has not broken off? Is anyone like me, where the bolt is broken but no leaks?

[hypebeast]

Originally Posted by mhenry7

If your oil filter housing is leaking, your valve cover gasket may not be. The oil filter housing leak ends up leaking right down on the valve cover gasket so it looks like it's leaking. When I had my oil filter housing gasket replaced and bolt replaced, I could tell the valve cover gasket wasn't really leaking after cleaning it up real good and keeping an eye on it.

Thanks for the heads up. I did not speak to the SA when I picked up my car so I only went by what the paperwork said. I'll take it to a friend's shop for another inspection.

[queensfield]

After reading through the heat bolt breakage issue, I am still confused as to its location. Could someone please confirm its location- is it the red square in the enclosed picture (taken from oil filter housing gasket DIY by allmotorh22). Thank you

[mhenry7]

Originally Posted by queensfield

After reading through the heat bolt breakage issue, I am still confused as to its location. Could someone please confirm its location- is it the red square in the enclosed picture (taken from oil filter housing gasket DIY by allmotorh22). Thank you

You are looking at it from a different angle than the picture at the beginning of this thread, but yes, that is the bolt.

[queensfield]

Thank you. Keeping an eye on it.

[n7629314]

I have a 2007 328i and recently noticed I have a broken head bolt. It's not leaking any oil around the area. I'm wondering if I can simply drill that one bolt out and replace it? If this one is broken is it possible other ones are also broken?

Thanks

[RupertPupkin]

Originally Posted by n7629314

I have a 2007 328i and recently noticed I have a broken head bolt. It's not leaking any oil around the area. I'm wondering if I can simply drill that one bolt out and replace it? If this one is broken is it possible other ones are also broken?

Thanks

Your photo doesn't show the common broken bolt? Which one do you think is broken? IF you are referring to the threaded empty hole there that is normal and doesn't have a bolt in it.

[n7629314]

Originally Posted by jimmydever

Your photo doesn't show the common broken bolt? Which one do you think is broken? IF you are referring to the threaded empty hole there that is normal and doesn't have a bolt in it.

Hi, thanks for the reply! Yes I am referring to the open threaded hole with no bolt in it. Is that not where the head bolt would be? Do you have a photo of the broken head bolt? I looked through this thread and found a photo of a broken valve cover bolt.

Thanks

[RupertPupkin]

Originally Posted by n7629314

Hi, thanks for the reply! Yes I am referring to the open threaded hole with no bolt in it. Is that not where the head bolt would be? Do you have a photo of the broken head bolt? I looked through this thread and found a photo of a broken valve cover bolt.

Thanks

Check out post 71 above. The one in the red circle typically breaks. Its directly under the front most intake runner. If you don't see the head of it and see oil seeping then it sheared off. If its there then it is probably fine. Hope that helps.

[n7629314]

That does help thank you

After looking at my engine again I'm fairly certain that the larger hole I was originally looking at is actually used to stick a bolt to through a chain into the block to lift out the engine.

[WaterNoIce]

I had the same bolt sheered off, no leak. Like an idiot, I put off fixing it and promptly forgot about it. At 120k it started to leak like a sieve. Now I'm looking at potentially replacing the head gasket (~$3000), rather than replacing just the bolt and crossing my fingers that the seal will hold.
So
If you see that bolt broken, and no leak - yes, it is probably a time bomb so suck it up and fix it.

[Quasimodem]

Originally Posted by WaterNoIce

I had the same bolt sheered off, no leak. Like an idiot, I put off fixing it and promptly forgot about it. At 120k it started to leak like a sieve. Now I'm looking at potentially replacing the head gasket (~$3000), rather than replacing just the bolt and crossing my fingers that the seal will hold.
So
If you see that bolt broken, and no leak - yes, it is probably a time bomb so suck it up and fix it.

Yeah, I would def fix it, not much work. Then keep an eye on the new bolt since it may break too unless they changed the material the bolt is made out of. Maybe also ease off a bit on the torque on the new bolt -- might help is survive, might not.

[325newbie]

It is an unfortunate Tuesday that I find myself reading this thread. I am sitting at the dealer and just got the news that I have the same broken head bolt. To make matters worse - there is oil leaking from the head gasket. Dealer quoted $2700ish to replace the head gasket and broken head bolt.

Is there any chance of only fixing the bolt now that there is oil leaking or am I already long past that option?

[CEZ81]

I was ready to purchase an 06 330i 6MT from a local dealer.
I took it to a very reputable BMW independent shop for a PPI and they noted the leaking oil and the broken head bolt.

I took it back to the dealer (not a BMW dealer) and informed them of the issue and that I wasn't sure what I would want to do. They sent me a message tonight saying that they would have it fixed by tomorrow and asked what I wanted to do. I am not sure.


After this bolt is repaired (same one noted throughout this thread) is there any long term worries? I assume that they bolt being replaced has the same likelihood of breaking again down the road.
Should this be something I should shy away from?

They are asking 19k out the door (tax tag doc fees). It has 64k miles, sports package. It does not have leather, nav, heated seats. It's a fairly clean car. Interior is just about perfect, exterior has some chips.. more than Id like to see but not excessive.

[Chriztofor]

Originally Posted by CEZ81

I was ready to purchase an 06 330i 6MT from a local dealer.
I took it to a very reputable BMW independent shop for a PPI and they noted the leaking oil and the broken head bolt.

I took it back to the dealer (not a BMW dealer) and informed them of the issue and that I wasn't sure what I would want to do. They sent me a message tonight saying that they would have it fixed by tomorrow and asked what I wanted to do. I am not sure.


After this bolt is repaired (same one noted throughout this thread) is there any long term worries? I assume that they bolt being replaced has the same likelihood of breaking again down the road.
Should this be something I should shy away from?

They are asking 19k out the door (tax tag doc fees). It has 64k miles, sports package. It does not have leather, nav, heated seats. It's a fairly clean car. Interior is just about perfect, exterior has some chips.. more than Id like to see but not excessive.

Not sure about the price, but make sure they warranty the repair for 2 years and unlimited mileage.

[4DRSpeed]

Occurs daily at the shop. 06 325s mostly though we did have 330 today with the one you can see broken. 9 times out of 10 underneath the valve cover they are broken as well or extremely stretched.

We don't torque them to what BMW states to torque them too. Definitely get it taken care of ASAP.

[Ruben330ilosangeles]

Here is my story.I went tothe dealer two weeks ago and paid $475 for an engine flush and oil change. I get back home and my driveway is covered in oil. I take it back and they say my head bolt is broken and its going to be like 1600$. Could they have been responsible for breaking it when they flushed the engine?

[Chriztofor]

Originally Posted by Ruben330ilosangeles

Here is my story.I went tothe dealer two weeks ago and paid $475 for an engine flush and oil change. I get back home and my driveway is covered in oil. I take it back and they say my head bolt is broken and its going to be like 1600$. Could they have been responsible for breaking it when they flushed the engine?

Since when do dealers flush engines?! What did they use to flush it with?Anyway, that wouldn't cause the bolt to break.

[Alliedacid]

to start;
everyone great photos and info, thank you!!

Well last week my 06 325i (97k) over heated... water pump intermittently failing... so this Saturday I:

- replace the water pump
- thermostat,
- did a full coolant flush (5 gallons of distilled water through the system)
- tossed in some new plugs (cleaned the coils)
- battery
- changed out the rear diff fluid.

(extended warranty clock ran out )

In the process, I too found the random bolt in question to be snapped.

(FYI/e: Also i did have my AL Valve Cover Bolts done by dealer under my extended warranty; around 86k I think)


so in reading all the posts i came up short on some item of info:
1. how long is the bolt? ANSWER 70mm


2. is it short enough can it be removed without taking off the intake manifold; please consider the new bolt will be longer (it will still have it's head ANSWER: NO- need to remove the intake manifold.


3. Regardless what is the torque? ANSWER: Snug it down then take it another 1/4 to 1/2 turn.

4. Personalized; my snapped bolt is broken just below the bolt hole machined flange, it wiggles back and forth with a screw driver, so there is no torque on the threads.

The plan was to use a dremmel tool and notch the screw and back it out with a flat head (please DON"T comment on dremels and bs about chips getting in the engine; I know what I am doing; a rag with grease and a well place shop vac are the best chip collectors.

The issues;
it is Sunday, I do not have a new bolt and Stealer-ship is closed... so my question is:

those that have the broken bolt head which is not leaking, have you noticed if the bolt moves under driving vibrations?? if so further in or out ??

Thank you in advance!




FYI my Bmw service manager is a not well educated on his product! claimed he had no idea about it, sent a picture, had no clue as to what it was or what it did for engine... also his tech had changed the oil 4 days earlier, post the over heating (had a coupon) and did not notice a broken bolt right next to the oil filter housing!

[Chriztofor]

^ Since there is no torque on the head of the bolt you can probably take it out by usng a little screwdriver and applying pressure counter-clockwise. Not sure how long it is, but I would wait until tomorrow and get the exact bolt.