Valve cover bolts?

upstatebimmer · 01-14-2015, 01:20 PM

In the last couple weeks i have been having some problems. I started my car to warm it up, went inside and when i came back out a few minutes later i could smell a faint whiff of oil. it was only a little bit so i figured no biggie. After that, i started getting a random misfire at times. i was driving to work one day and it started misfiring hard, idling rough and ran like shit. i got to work and shut the car off and when i can back out the engine light was off and misfire was gone. Turned out to be cylinder 3 so i went and replaced cylinder 3 (doing plugs asap but waiting on a plug socket) so i decided to leave my engine cover off since i have intentions of doing plugs. Last night i was leaving the gym and could smell the oil again, popped the hood to check it out (it was dark so i couldn't really tell at the time) but i saw a small amount of oil residue leaking from the valve cover and could see some smoke coming off. Today i took a closer look and saw that there was also a considerable amount coming from the oil filter housing. I purchased both gaskets and am waiting on them to arrive. My question is, i know that valve cover bolts shouldn't be reused so where can i get them?

Also, i think my driver side front rim may be slightly bent. I can't feel it really but I've been hearing a weird oscillating noise coming from it. Figured maybe it was a warped rotor but i changed them both and its still there. Any input on that would be great.

torkles · 01-14-2015, 01:43 PM

If the wheel were bent or the rotor was warped you would feel that through the steering wheel. It's probably something like a cupped tire, or a sidewall bubble, or a wheel bearing going out.

X_Drive · 01-14-2015, 03:09 PM

If your valve cover is plastic and black you're good to go with reusing all the existing bolts.

If you have the silver/grey magnesium cover then you will have to go to the dealer and purchase a set of new aluminum bolts.

As for the oscillation, it may be a wheel bearing. Try re-creating the noise, somewhere safe, and loading up the side with the noise by making a subtle lane change. If the noise is from the left, turn to the right. If the noise is on the right turn to the left. If the noise goes away, then most likely it's a wheel bearing.
If its still there, then it could be your rim/rotors. Also check if you have any tire rubbing on your strut. If you do, then a swivel bearing(aka knuckle) can be bent. Lots of choices here, however the advice here is free.

HTH

AdamN52 · 01-14-2015, 03:30 PM

Agree with above^^

If you have the black plastic valve cover then the bolts are steel rather than aluminum and can be reused. Blue marks on the bolts would indicate aluminum, meaning they are one-time-use. Either way you can get the new bolts from the dealer.. they were pretty cheap when I called to ask. I can't recall how much, but it was completely reasonable.

I noticed that the bolts are not all the same length, so make sure you note which hole they came from. I traced the cover onto cardboard and poked the bolts into it as I removed them.

As for your oscillating sound... I would guess wheel bearing, but really you'd have to rotate it by hand and see how it feels. Bad wheel bearings will 'growl' and get more pronounced when you brake or turn to that side (load it with weight).

xxxjecxxx · 01-22-2015, 06:39 AM

Do yourself a favor and purchase breather house to have on hand. If you don't need it, return it.

If you break it during installation, like i did, you will find that the dealers are usually out of stock. This is because the techs also break it all the time.

Good luck!

01-14-2015, 01:20 PM	#1
upstatebimmer Private 2 Rep 70 Posts Drives: 09 328xi Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: albany ny iTrader: (0)	Valve cover bolts? In the last couple weeks i have been having some problems. I started my car to warm it up, went inside and when i came back out a few minutes later i could smell a faint whiff of oil. it was only a little bit so i figured no biggie. After that, i started getting a random misfire at times. i was driving to work one day and it started misfiring hard, idling rough and ran like shit. i got to work and shut the car off and when i can back out the engine light was off and misfire was gone. Turned out to be cylinder 3 so i went and replaced cylinder 3 (doing plugs asap but waiting on a plug socket) so i decided to leave my engine cover off since i have intentions of doing plugs. Last night i was leaving the gym and could smell the oil again, popped the hood to check it out (it was dark so i couldn't really tell at the time) but i saw a small amount of oil residue leaking from the valve cover and could see some smoke coming off. Today i took a closer look and saw that there was also a considerable amount coming from the oil filter housing. I purchased both gaskets and am waiting on them to arrive. My question is, i know that valve cover bolts shouldn't be reused so where can i get them? Also, i think my driver side front rim may be slightly bent. I can't feel it really but I've been hearing a weird oscillating noise coming from it. Figured maybe it was a warped rotor but i changed them both and its still there. Any input on that would be great.
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01-14-2015, 01:43 PM	#2
torkles First Lieutenant 198 Rep 351 Posts Drives: 2013 335i MSport 6mt Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Northern Virginia iTrader: (0)	If the wheel were bent or the rotor was warped you would feel that through the steering wheel. It's probably something like a cupped tire, or a sidewall bubble, or a wheel bearing going out. __________________ 2013 335i M-Sport 6MT, MPE, VRSF CP and IC, BM3 Stage 1 2006 330i 6MT, Sport Package - sold
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01-14-2015, 03:09 PM	#3
X_Drive Second Lieutenant 8 Rep 263 Posts Drives: E46, E91, F21 Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Northwest iTrader: (0) Garage List 2017 M140i LCI [0.00] 2005 E46 325xi [0.00] 2011 E91 328i xDriv ... [0.00]	If your valve cover is plastic and black you're good to go with reusing all the existing bolts. If you have the silver/grey magnesium cover then you will have to go to the dealer and purchase a set of new aluminum bolts. As for the oscillation, it may be a wheel bearing. Try re-creating the noise, somewhere safe, and loading up the side with the noise by making a subtle lane change. If the noise is from the left, turn to the right. If the noise is on the right turn to the left. If the noise goes away, then most likely it's a wheel bearing. If its still there, then it could be your rim/rotors. Also check if you have any tire rubbing on your strut. If you do, then a swivel bearing(aka knuckle) can be bent. Lots of choices here, however the advice here is free. HTH
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01-14-2015, 03:30 PM	#4
AdamN52 First Lieutenant 16 Rep 301 Posts Drives: 2007 328xi (E90) Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Toronto iTrader: (0)	Agree with above^^ If you have the black plastic valve cover then the bolts are steel rather than aluminum and can be reused. Blue marks on the bolts would indicate aluminum, meaning they are one-time-use. Either way you can get the new bolts from the dealer.. they were pretty cheap when I called to ask. I can't recall how much, but it was completely reasonable. I noticed that the bolts are not all the same length, so make sure you note which hole they came from. I traced the cover onto cardboard and poked the bolts into it as I removed them. As for your oscillating sound... I would guess wheel bearing, but really you'd have to rotate it by hand and see how it feels. Bad wheel bearings will 'growl' and get more pronounced when you brake or turn to that side (load it with weight).
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01-22-2015, 06:39 AM	#5
xxxjecxxx Banned 247 Rep 966 Posts Drives: F30 335i M sport Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Orlando, FL iTrader: (1) Garage List 2013 BMW 335i [0.00] 2006 BMW 325i [0.00]	Do yourself a favor and purchase breather house to have on hand. If you don't need it, return it. If you break it during installation, like i did, you will find that the dealers are usually out of stock. This is because the techs also break it all the time. Good luck!
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