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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > BMW E90/E92/E93 3-series General Forums > General E90 Sedan / E91 Wagon / E92 Coupe / E93 Cabrio > dealer wants $6500 to fix oil/fluid leaks



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      05-22-2019, 06:15 PM   #1
trading10
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dealer wants $6500 to fix oil/fluid leaks

I've been a member of this site since 2005, yes 13 years, and am now in a situation where I need some some creative ideas from you guys on how to get repairs done for a lot less than the dealership.

I just had the heater recall done on my '07 335i coupe by the local dealer, and they inspected the oil/fluid leakage. Cost for valve cover gasket, oil filter housing, oil pan gasket, and differential seals is $6500, which of course is a lot more than I'm willing to pay. I'd do some of it myself, but worry about snapping off bolts doing the VC gasket. Dealer suggested repairing items starting from the highest point and work down from there - gravity, and oil leaking down onto other areas that do not require repair.

I have done some bartering with a local mechanic that does work out of his house/garage, but this is a lot of labor compared to the cost of the parts. So, I don't know if I can barter enough to cover that much labor. Another thought was to fly into town the bmw mechanic I bought this car from a few years ago, and pay him something like $800 cash for a weekend worth of work. A third idea is to find a bmw mechanic on this forum that is in/near Portland, Oregon who needs to make money fast.

This is a daily driver I need for work, so I'm in a real jam here. Creative ideas or thoughts?

Last edited by trading10; 05-22-2019 at 06:17 PM.. Reason: member since 2005
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      05-22-2019, 06:29 PM   #2
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I do BMW work on the side and yeah I'd probably charge about $800 labor for all those repairs. Best bet would be find someone local on here who you can maybe trust or try to fly your mechanic out that you bought it from.
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      05-22-2019, 07:25 PM   #3
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VCG & OFHG are easy. Why are you concerned about snapping bolts?
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      05-22-2019, 07:51 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by relative4 View Post
VCG & OFHG are easy. Why are you concerned about snapping bolts?
yeah 335i valve cover has steel bolts and the torque is very low, low chance of breaking them. Oil pan has aluminum bolts but no worries on snapping unless you completely disregard the torque procedure.
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      05-22-2019, 08:11 PM   #5
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Shop your repairs at a an Indy if you don't want to
diy. My guess you would come in at half the price.

The hard one is the oil pan. Lots of stuff to get out of the
way as in drop the sub frame.
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      05-22-2019, 09:19 PM   #6
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Fuck the stealership. I went there for an inspection just to know what I needed to fix and they quoted me 13 grand.
The list included: Oil Pan Gasket, Oil Filter Housing Gasket, Valve Cover Gasket, Transmission Pan Gasket, New turbos due to wastegate rattle, and new headlights because of the adaptive headlight error

I got most of the things done myself except for the oil pan gasket and the new turbos which were fixed at an indy as those were the most time consuming and the price was literally 6 times less than the dealership.
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      05-22-2019, 09:35 PM   #7
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Yeah, if you don't smell burning oil the only thing that needs to be done is the oil filter housing gasket. The rest isn't hurting anything and is just a way for the dealer to line their pockets.

You're not in a jam at all. You simply ran into someone who told you a bunch of things and made them seem like they're urgent. There is no urgency except the aforementioned oil filter housing gasket.
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      05-22-2019, 09:57 PM   #8
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IllSic_Design thanks for feedback on that $800 labor figure I came up with - I figured 10hrs at $80/hr. That's more than I make, so I imagine it would be a good deal for someone with skills.

I do have an indy shop here that isn't exactly low priced, but all the guys are bmw trained mechanics, so there's that. They have done some work recently that set me back $1100, which stung a little. Ok, a lot. I could ask them for tips if I do as much of the work as I can on my own.

Since I got this 335i about 3 yrs ago, it has had a bit of oil accumulation on the shield below the VC closest to the firewall, but the oil drips have increased from a drip here or there each day or so, to several drips daily. You can see the old oil and dirt accumulation on the oil filter housing, and fresh oil on the oil pan. I can't tell if all of this came from a leaky VCG or a cracked VC, or something else like the OFHG, but quite some time ago, I got heavy whiffs of burning oil, and decided it was that spot in the corner of the VC shielding that would drip onto the exhaust. Cardboard on garage floor for now. The tech that did the heater recall today also took video of the underside of the car, pointing out the problem areas. First time any dealer or indy shop has done this for me btw.

Take a look at this video and see what the bmw tech is talking about:
kgmorhl.mkvwa21.com/p/iQ0Xtc.html

I've read through about half of the number of posts at this DIY:
DIY E90 N54 Valve Cover Gasket
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=775317

In that thread, people talk about the difficulties and mistakes made along the way to rpl the VCG. Snapping bolts when trying to take them out, and breaking the blow by vent hose, and a few other breakable items, seem to be a problem for some of the guys who followed the DIY. My fear is getting stuck in the middle of that job and having to find someone on the fly for help.

Last edited by trading10; 05-22-2019 at 10:05 PM..
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      05-22-2019, 10:24 PM   #9
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That video shows a lot of good info. You could post here in your local area forum for some help finding a shop or a person who can do the work. I would say the northwest regional forum.
The most impotent repair is also the cheapest.The oil filter housing gaskets. If you have been on this forum for 13 years you should know all about this.
Then do the others when you have the cash and time.
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      05-22-2019, 10:38 PM   #10
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The only one of those that is at all difficult is the pan gasket, as it requires supporting the engine from above, and dropping the suspension. Valve cover is a couple of hours. Oil filter block about the same, or less. Parts, even from the dealer, won't be more than a couple hundred.

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      05-22-2019, 10:51 PM   #11
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Somebody said that if you can't wrench, these things can dig deep into your wallet in the long run.

If you are going to keep your car for long, then is it a good idea to pay someone who have experience or trained, to guide you through the repairs? $80/hr might not be that expensive if this is a training exercise and an insurance in case something goes wrong. All this assumed that you don't mind to get your hands dirty.

My daily is also a 07 335i E92 automatic. It has its 3rd OFHG and 2nd VC/VCG + oil pan gasket. Except the oil pan bcause I don't have tools to hold the engine, I did the repair myself for the other two.

I do not consider myself a mechanic or anywhere near, but doing homework, prepare necessary tools for the job beforehand is a must.

It makes sense to start with the VCG and OFHG.

For the VCG, I would recommend to replace the VC as a new VC comes with screws, VCG and the PCV in place.

For the OFHG, I would replace the belt as well to avoid the belt break into the crank seal. I am sure you read about the horror stories.

This is my $0.02.

Actually I enjoyed in the process that I can do something good to make my car alive again by replacing old/broken parts and save some money.
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      05-22-2019, 10:58 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RayLivingston View Post
The only one of those that is at all difficult is the pan gasket, as it requires supporting the engine from above, and dropping the suspension.
and in 99% of cases it's a complete waste of money.

The only leak that is absolutely critical is the OFH because it can cause catastrophic engine damage. The VCG is an easy DIY.

Unless you're leaving a puddle under your car everywhere you go, you probably didn't even know the OPG was "leaking" until the dealer pointed it out - easy money for them, total waste of time for you.
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      05-22-2019, 11:35 PM   #13
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caliber90 I can relate - I have a '99 M3 that I've owned since 2004, and have learned tons from this forum and others. I've had my hands almost every inch of that car doing repairs, fixes, refurb, etc, and it's a cream puff looker that is a joy to drive. It's very satisfying to do what Jay Leno describes as 'the heart is happiest when the mind and hands work together'. Doing repairs myself is what I do by default, not always because of cost, but to further my knowledge and for the challenge of facing the fear of doing something I've never done before.

With that said, I am still willing to give the VC/G and OFH/G a try. The diff leaking? I have not researched what is involved with that job, so it sounds intimidating.

Yes, that video is great. Since I don't have a lift, seeing what's going on underneath is very helpful.
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      05-23-2019, 08:03 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by trading10 View Post
I've been a member of this site since 2005, yes 13 years, and am now in a situation where I need some some creative ideas from you guys on how to get repairs done for a lot less than the dealership.

I just had the heater recall done on my '07 335i coupe by the local dealer, and they inspected the oil/fluid leakage. Cost for valve cover gasket, oil filter housing, oil pan gasket, and differential seals is $6500, which of course is a lot more than I'm willing to pay. I'd do some of it myself, but worry about snapping off bolts doing the VC gasket. Dealer suggested repairing items starting from the highest point and work down from there - gravity, and oil leaking down onto other areas that do not require repair.

I have done some bartering with a local mechanic that does work out of his house/garage, but this is a lot of labor compared to the cost of the parts. So, I don't know if I can barter enough to cover that much labor. Another thought was to fly into town the bmw mechanic I bought this car from a few years ago, and pay him something like $800 cash for a weekend worth of work. A third idea is to find a bmw mechanic on this forum that is in/near Portland, Oregon who needs to make money fast.

This is a daily driver I need for work, so I'm in a real jam here. Creative ideas or thoughts?
Get this torque wrench and bunch of extensions and converters, swivels etc.

BikeMaster Digital Torque Wrench - 1/4in. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BANZ90W..._rNP5CbVTZSNPR

You won't snap one bolt.

This could all be done in a long 3-4 day weekend, if you take your time and do it right.
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      05-23-2019, 08:13 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 320IN54 View Post
Fuck the stealership. I went there for an inspection just to know what I needed to fix and they quoted me 13 grand.
The list included: Oil Pan Gasket, Oil Filter Housing Gasket, Valve Cover Gasket, Transmission Pan Gasket, New turbos due to wastegate rattle, and new headlights because of the adaptive headlight error

I got most of the things done myself except for the oil pan gasket and the new turbos which were fixed at an indy as those were the most time consuming and the price was literally 6 times less than the dealership.
It really feels like there should be legal protections in place to guard against this price gouging.
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      05-23-2019, 08:27 AM   #16
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DIY or pony up the cash man....I would go find a good Indy but that's still going to cost for so much work.
As previously mentioned unless you smell burning oil or performance is compromised.....You can fix at leisure.
But stay away from stealer....you can be assured to over-pay sans bonheur.
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      05-23-2019, 08:43 AM   #17
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I haven't read all the responses in detail, but you are getting lots of good feedback. Most (many) are DIYers, and would recommend going the DIY route, myself included. I've done all the work you are in need of and would suggest first starting with the OFHG / OCG, because if they are leaking enough they could be contaminating your belt, which can lead to much larger, more serious issues.

Do your research on all these diys, none are overly difficult and they are well covered in the DIY section and on the Youtoobs. Oil pan gasket is the most common involved, requiring the most tooling / equipment.

I would budget 3 to 5 hours for OFHG/OCG job, the same for valve cover, and would recommend you consider paying someone to do the oil pan gasket. Take your time, clean up the mess from the oil leaks as you go, and think about it in simple terms; it's just nuts, bolts and clips, so just take it one at a time.
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      05-23-2019, 11:03 AM   #18
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the N54 has plastic VC and steel bolts. Only the early N52 has Mg VC and Al bolts.

Do the OFHG first to gain some confidence and then tackle the VC. You can do it. As mentioned before, the OPG can wait.
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      05-23-2019, 11:06 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by El Cheapo Loco View Post
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the N54 has plastic VC and steel bolts. Only the early N52 has Mg VC and Al bolts.

Do the OFHG first to gain some confidence and then tackle the VC. You can do it. As mentioned before, the OPG can wait.
Correct.

And yeah OFHG first and then VCG. Others can be put off unless leaking TONS.
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      05-23-2019, 11:41 AM   #20
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I too have and 07 335i with 168K miles on it and had lots of leaks to the point it was dumping oil on the rear turbo I was afraid of a fire. I just replaced the complete valve cover (the entire things since some people said they had cracked one when they pulled it apart) as well as the OFHG (3 time), and did the walnut blast since I had the entire top of the engine apart. I did not replace the oil pan gasket or the real seal, they were not leaking that bad. I also did the spark plugs and replace the coils while I was at it.

All the parts cost me about $500. I order parts from Rockauto, ECS Tunning and Amazon. Depending on the part each place had better pricing. Rockauto had the best cost on the complete value cover and gasket.

I did my rear seal when I had to replace the clutch, this is entire weekend job in itself if you do not have lift or tranny lift. The rear seal can be a bit tricky to get out and replace with a new one.

I would start with the top side since most of the leaking seems to come from the OFHG and VCG. I order all the parts and it took a week to get them and started Friday night and was done by Sunday, took and extra day since I broke the overflow nipple off the top radiator hose, Amazon had one and they ship it next day at no extra cost, had it by 9AM Sunday.

I bring up the hose breaking since there are lots of plastic parts on the engine and having a 12 yr old car those parts are brittle at this point and things break if you are not careful when you pull things apart and put it back together. I have replace a number of plastic parts under the hood over the years due to them breaking. Going to the dealer does not mean they will not break stuff. My dealer over the years has broken a number of things under the hood doing warranty and recall work, I will not let them do any other work otherwise.

I may decide to do the oil pan gasket but I need to invest in one of these, since you have to drop the subframe to get to the pan or your pulling the entire engine out.

https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-l...37e65c41852243

Last edited by Maestro; 05-28-2019 at 01:07 PM..
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      05-23-2019, 12:21 PM   #21
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Be sure and get a set of E sockets , easily obtained at an auto parts store or Amazon, before starting on the oil filter housing. Last guy I helped with this was trying to use Vise grips... yikes. Hang on to them, they're going to come in handy ;-)
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      05-23-2019, 12:38 PM   #22
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