[MrSweet1991]

Hi All,

Getting a bit lost now so the car has burned oil since I purchased it, the car will burn around 1 litre per 1000 miles. I've sorted all external leaks (swirl flaps and brake vacuum pump) I replaced the valve cover gasket, had a new turbo which is still in warranty and then I added a loo roll filter as its better at filtering the oil out at the expense of regular maintenance to prevent it blocking. The loo roll filter seemed to have did the trick but it's back to its old ways, I removed the filter to have a look just incase it was blocked and created the crankcase pressure to force the oil past the rings but it don't seem to bad.. Its only been on there for 2 months or so. Oil is still getting past the filter as well I believe as there's still oil in the CCV hose to cold side of turbo.

So am I overlooking anything?

[Nadir Point]

Perhaps a leakdown test to see what the compression is down to at this time. Diesels can die a very long, slow death before excessive crankcase pressure has them perspiring oil from every imaginable nook and cranny.

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by Nadir Point

Perhaps a leakdown test to see what the compression is down to at this time. Diesels can die a very long, slow death before excessive crankcase pressure has them perspiring oil from every imaginable nook and cranny.

Agreed, I believe with the amount of time I've had this car and the things I have tried that it would lead to something more internal such as valve stem seals or piston rings but when I did ask about that usually most peoples responses where "probably not, it's an M57 which doesn't really have those issues" which to a degree I suppose i true as these are pretty solid engines, but that's assuming in it's past life it was well looked after which I can't guarantee.

I'll have to look into what I'll need to buy and do leak down test to find out if this is ring related, I tell you what though it runs great and has a load of power so it would be pretty amazing for it to still be able to run like this with worn rings.

[robnitro]

Take a video of it idling warmed up. Unscrew the oil filler cap and see if it stays on top or jumps out. Then take the cap off. Also that filter might be restrictive, try the test with the filter removed and see if there's a difference. Too much pressure will make oil leak out the turbo seals.

Also check your intercooler to see if it's full of oil. It's fine to have some but a huge amount could cause restriction and could have been left over from the old turbo i if it was bad causing issues now.

Final possible issue is the valve cover gasket which has the small intake runners going through it. Under boost it will leak pressure into the crankcase causing consumption through the turbo seals.

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by robnitro

Take a video of it idling warmed up. Unscrew the oil filler cap and see if it stays on top or jumps out. Then take the cap off. Also that filter might be restrictive, try the test with the filter removed and see if there's a difference. Too much pressure will make oil leak out the turbo seals.

Also check your intercooler to see if it's full of oil. It's fine to have some but a huge amount could cause restriction and could have been left over from the old turbo i if it was bad causing issues now.

Final possible issue is the valve cover gasket which has the small intake runners going through it. Under boost it will leak pressure into the crankcase causing consumption through the turbo seals.

Hi mate,

I'll take a video of the oil cap but I do remember putting my hand over it to feel a suction or blow and I'm pretty sure it was okay (not sucking or blowing, sort of neutral)

As for the CCV Filter, I used to lose oil before trying this. I purchased the Loo Roll filter in an attempt to stop the oil consumption and while for the first week or two I didn't see a drop in oil, it seemed to have gone back to normal and have already had around 800ml put in and its going to need another top up soon.

Okay I'll completely remove the intercooler and get some videos or photos

As for the valve cover gasket I replaced it all and took this video

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by robnitro

Take a video of it idling warmed up. Unscrew the oil filler cap and see if it stays on top or jumps out. Then take the cap off. Also that filter might be restrictive, try the test with the filter removed and see if there's a difference. Too much pressure will make oil leak out the turbo seals.

Hi mate, after a long drive took the cap off and it does bounce around

https://youtu.be/cRqglFoMT_E

[Tambohamilton]

I need to have a look at mine, but I hope it's not like that...that looks like a lot of blow by to me, though I hope for your sake it isn't!

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

I need to have a look at mine, but I hope it's not like that...that looks like a lot of blow by to me, though I hope for your sake it isn't!

You're not wrong! My next big milestone was a head removal to clean the valves and change the valve stems and possibly look into replacing or attempting to fix the hydraulic lifters.. But piston rings is about as involved as it gets, I tell you what though this car runs like a champ! I'll be interested to know if yours is the same, I did boot it a few times on my outing so that run had a lot of pressure built up for the oil cap test.

[robnitro]

Try the oil cap test without the loo filter. It's going to be a restriction anyway.

I don't understand what gets blocked by not having the loo filter. The oil goes into the turbo intake and through the intercooler... That's normal. Restricting it will cause more oil leakage because it makes more pressure in the crank case.

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by robnitro

Try the oil cap test without the loo filter. It's going to be a restriction anyway.

I don't understand what gets blocked by not having the loo filter. The oil goes into the turbo intake and through the intercooler... That's normal. Restricting it will cause more oil leakage because it makes more pressure in the crank case.

The problem with removing the crankcase filter is with a remapped car creating more crankcase pressure the normal CCV built into the valve cover might not be able to separate the oil vapour from oil so you now have oil getting passed into the cold side of turbo along with the vapours. Flip side though, if you add the filter to stop oil getting passed you can also increase the crankcase pressure and force the oil then through the rings or turbo.

Also, removing the filter puts me back to my original problem of burning oil as its never had a filter until I added one a few months ago

[Tambohamilton]

Well if it's currently burning oil with the filter, there's no harm taking it out temporarily to compare the oil cap test, surely? That way you'll know if the restriction of the filter is causing the blow-by to be redirected out through the oil cap (when loosened), and potentially forcing oil through the turbo etc.

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

Well if it's currently burning oil with the filter, there's no harm taking it out temporarily to compare the oil cap test, surely? That way you'll know if the restriction of the filter is causing the blow-by to be redirected out through the oil cap (when loosened), and potentially forcing oil through the turbo etc.

Sorry I probably never explained correctly, it's burned oil since I purchased the car back in 2017, around 1 litre per 1000 miles and I have done various things to try and solve the issue. Originally it had a crack in the sump which I got repaired literally a week after having purchased the car, oil leak from brake vacuum pump and swirl flaps both fixed but oil loss continued at the same rate pretty much. Turbo Oil seal failed which I thought would have explained and solved everything, but even after the turbo replacement exact same consumption. Valve cover gasket replaced same consumption and the last thing I've done is add this filter, so removing it may indeed reduce crankcase pressure but what ever was causing hat oil loss wasn't because of the crankcase breather I'd be just reverting back to how it was.

I will however remove the filter to see if the pressure from the oil cap changes as increasing the crankcase pressure certainly won't be helping anything.

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

Well if it's currently burning oil with the filter, there's no harm taking it out temporarily to compare the oil cap test, surely? That way you'll know if the restriction of the filter is causing the blow-by to be redirected out through the oil cap (when loosened), and potentially forcing oil through the turbo etc.

Sorry I misread your reply as I was reading while walking but yeah it's definitely worth checking the pressure without the filter

[MrSweet1991]

Loo Roll removed, hopefully I don't get a runaway 330D lmao

[robnitro]

Loo filter won't prevent runaway... If it's that much oil flowing through, the filter will pass through the excess that it can't capture.


Not many people remapped have these issues with ccv. Of course there is more blow by at high loads but how often are you going full throttle?

It seems like your oil loss is at lower pressure because the filter will make more issues at the higher load higher flow conditions. In that case, I've seen a few threads of crap uk tunes where the egr wasn't properly deleted in software, still using the throttle valve at idle/low loads which can mess up the way the engine runs. Check your throttle valve at idle, it should stay fully open!

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by robnitro

Loo filter won't prevent runaway... If it's that much oil flowing through, the filter will pass through the excess that it can't capture.


Not many people remapped have these issues with ccv. Of course there is more blow by at high loads but how often are you going full throttle?

It seems like your oil loss is at lower pressure because the filter will make more issues at the higher load higher flow conditions. In that case, I've seen a few threads of crap uk tunes where the egr wasn't properly deleted in software, still using the throttle valve at idle/low loads which can mess up the way the engine runs. Check your throttle valve at idle, it should stay fully open!

Hi mate,

pulled the boost pipe off the throttle body and videod the inside and when I start the car it remains fully open, when I stop the car the anti shudder valve closes for a second then re-opens so it appears to be operating correctly?

I've removed the loo roll filter and when I took it for a little drive and checked the oil cap there was less pressure, but it's not a fair comparison as the last time I checked the cap with the loo roll filter I took it for a really long drive and done some WOT pulls so I'll have to do the same later or tomorrow and check the oil cap. If the pressure is less though I'll still consume the oil because it was only a month or two back that I installed the filter, since 2017 there was no filter and it was still consuming oil.

[MrSweet1991]

Checked the oil cap today and it definitely has less pressure under the cap now. Gave it a good run and lots of smoke which looked like white from rear view mirror, I checked and I'm slowly losing coolant so it may now be oil and coolant.

Before CCV Filter Remived

After CCV Filter Removed

[Nadir Point]

Doing the oil cap test cold upon startup, then again later hot might give a clue. Crankcase pressure will vary more in that comparison, the older it gets.

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by Nadir Point

Doing the oil cap test cold upon startup, then again later hot might give a clue. Crankcase pressure will vary more in that comparison, the older it gets.

Upon startup, so leave the cap unscrewed then start the car you mean?

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by MrSweet1991

Checked the oil cap today and it definitely has less pressure under the cap now. Gave it a good run and lots of smoke which looked like white from rear view mirror, I checked and I'm slowly losing coolant so it may now be oil and coolant.

Before CCV Filter Remived

After CCV Filter Removed

So, maybe the head gasket then? That would be a bummer, but figures with the fact that it's been remapped... Hopefully someone else will know a bit more than me.

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

So, maybe the head gasket then? That would be a bummer, but figures with the fact that it's been remapped... Hopefully someone else will know a bit more than me.

I doubt it's headgasket, I don't have any of the usual signs. My blowers get really hot, coolant temps are great (get to temp and maintain) oil cap shows no signs at all and the car really does run pretty well if I'm honest. After Removing the filter it seems to have a bit more poke as well.

[Tambohamilton]

Maybe the egr cooler is broken then, so you're getting water injection for free currently, haha.

If its using water though, and it's not mixing with the oil or dropping it on the ground, the options are head gasket or egr cooler, I think.

If it's using oil but not dropping it or mixing with water, options are turbo, valve stem seals, CCV, or rings/bores.... I think.

Given your symptoms, my money is on turbo for the oil, and egr cooler for the water. But don't bank on either of those!