[Snake8]

Just did the PCV valve test with the lighter. It is sucking in the flame quite a bit. Fantastic..

I'm going to pull the coils and take a look inside the spark plug chamber to see if there is any oil later this evening.

[E93Dude]

Originally Posted by Snake8

Thanks for the insight. Yes it is indeed the bottom of the charge pipe. The car is about to turn 108k miles. I replaced the spark plugs and coils at 100k and did not notice this build up. I changed the oil at 107k 6 months ago, but did not see any leaks on the charge pipe. I did however notice some oil seepage by the pan, so I suspected there may have been an issue there, and then I really knew when it started hitting the ground.

I am not sure if the car has ever been walnut blasted. I will look into the PCV valve. Saw a "PCV valve of doom" thread circulating around here which sounds scary lol

Could the oil on the charge pipe be a normal symptom of "blow by" that has accumulated over time?

Short answer, yes. All cars suffer from blow by to some extent as piston rings wear down, allowing exhaust gasses to slip by into the crank case. At 108K miles, the fact that your car has more blow-by than brand new is to be expected and not generally of concern. You just have to manage it. This is why you need to make sure your PCV valve is working well. You might also consider getting an oil catch can, which will "intercept" the vaporized oil and moisture before it recirculates into the charge pipe and intake manifold.

W/R/T to your later post about checking for oil in the spark plug chamber, I doubt you will see any. Carbon build up, maybe. But you really need to loosen your plastic intake manifold and peek inside the engine block at the intake valve ports. If there is oily gunk caked on, you need to remove it with a scraper or traditional walnut blasting procedure....the excess is a drag on power, fuel efficiency.

[Snake8]

To follow up on this thread, I did the valve cover "hack" and it worked to correct the PCV pressure, but engine oil was still leaking. I got under there again, cleaned the area completely, put UV dye in the engine oil, and let it run for 15 minutes. I could then see the oil was starting to accumulate between the first two oil pan bolts on the right side of the oil pan toward the rear of the engine.

I recently took the car to a mechanic and he also confirmed that is where it was leaking. This is most likely the original oil pan gasket, which is rubber, and lasted roughly 105k miles.

[E93Dude]

If the leak is the oil pan, the next question is whether or not its worth it to fix it. If its just a slow minimal drip, I'd consider just dealing with it and maybe cleaning the belly shield every time you change the oil. Your car won't die if the oil pan is leaking a bit.

On the other hand, if you are OCD, or its a constant drip-drip-drip, then maybe its time to reacquaint yourself with your wallet because changing the oil pan gasket involves suspending the engine and removing the subframe. Slow clap here for BMW engineering geniuses who made it this hard. You can do the job w/ the car on jacks, but its a pain, and really better suited for a proper car lift. A mechanic might be the easier option here. And while you are down there, you'd want to consider the minimal extra expense of replacing your motor mounts - 100K+ on the car. They are reasonably priced at FCPeuro.com, and you won't have to worry about them for another 100K miles...

[Snake8]

Thank you for your reply. Yes, it is worth it to me to have the gasket replaced. I'm a regular DIY guy, but this is too much for someone without experience and tools. Its become a burden not being able to park in relatives' driveways, let alone staining my own.

I have decided to replace the motor mounts, and front end suspension during this since all of that has to come out anyways. Diff fluid has to be changed in the front, so may as well do the rear too. The car has served me well, so I will treat her well in return

[E93Dude]

Originally Posted by Snake8

Thank you for your reply. Yes, it is worth it to me to have the gasket replaced. I'm a regular DIY guy, but this is too much for someone without experience and tools. Its become a burden not being able to park in relatives' driveways, let alone staining my own.

I have decided to replace the motor mounts, and front end suspension during this since all of that has to come out anyways. Diff fluid has to be changed in the front, so may as well do the rear too. The car has served me well, so I will treat her well in return

I'm at the 100K mark too, and likewise replaced fluids incl. the rear diff, transmission and power steering. Am about to do my front suspension, as well. I totally agree with your mantra that if something makes your happy, take care of it. These are great cars. When they are running right....