Oil leaking issue - any help welcome

[millerb7]

So, I made a post earlier and "thought" my water pump failed: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1923801

I opened up my underbody paneling and notice oil on it. Then started looking harder and realized I had what looks to be a "decent" amount of oil leaking.

Is this anything that could possibly be caused by a water pump failure? Or is this an entirely different animal? I'm attaching some pictures (very large ones so you can zoom in to see the detail - hopefully this forum auto resizes pictures). My buddy said go ahead and do water pump, change oil, and just keep an eye on it. It may have been caused by water pump.

I'm not so sure though. I'm no mechanic and this was going to be just a weekend DIY job for me... but if it's oil/engine related I"ll take it in to get worked on.

Anyways, images below... thoughts?

EDIT: Removed images since apparently this forum doesn't auto-resize.

EDIT#2: Resized images and added back.

http://s11.postimage.org/4fbj8q4hv/photo_1_1.jpg
http://s11.postimage.org/tmmf8z7lv/photo_1.jpg
http://s11.postimage.org/9gixa3byb/photo_2_1.jpg
http://s11.postimage.org/awufs8ev7/photo_2.jpg
http://s11.postimage.org/6c89dav5v/photo_3.jpg
http://s11.postimage.org/bc5pl90sj/photo_4.jpg
http://s11.postimage.org/7h6wwf70j/photo_5.jpg

To me this looks like a little more than just a normal regular tiny leak. I didn't know if after a few weeks time, or the water pump failure could be causing this issue at all.

[fun2drive]

First of all it is not caused by your water pump failure.
I can't tell from the pictures the source of the leak. I would wipe everything off and check frequently to see where it is coming from. Typically on our BMWs the thing that starts looking like a leak is the power steering hose crimp clamps starting to loose tension and allow power steering fluid to leak around them. Also when oil was changed who is to say that oil was not spilled out of the filter housing and that is the source.

Get some brake cleaner and rags, spray it down and wipe it off and check frequently is my advice...

[millerb7]

First of all it is not caused by your water pump failure.
I can't tell from the pictures the source of the leak. I would wipe everything off and check frequently to see where it is coming from. Typically on our BMWs the thing that starts looking like a leak is the power steering hose crimp clamps starting to loose tension and allow power steering fluid to leak around them. Also when oil was changed who is to say that oil was not spilled out of the filter housing and that is the source.

Get some brake cleaner and rags, spray it down and wipe it off and check frequently is my advice...

So I called my engineering buddy... not a mechanic but pretty smart about fixing stuff.

His suggestion is basically yours. He said since the water pump/thermostat basically need changed anyways (117k miles on the car and the pump went out)... Just change the pump, change the thermostat (I already have the parts) and then clean the oil up. Then just keep an eye on it because we couldn't locate where it was leaking from.

IF it is the power steering hose crimp clamps (which I don't think since oil is above that) how hard is that fix process?

I am no mechanic, by any stretch of the mind, but I am a DIY'er... and dedicate my weekends to jobs like this (no kids haha)... and I have the 3 series bentley service manual.

*** EDIT ***

I would like to note that I have NO warning lights on in the car. Of course when the pump went, I got the oil temp light that came on... assuming it's the pump that really went. My coolant level is good though, and fan runs fine.

So I'm "praying" to the lords that it's nothing mechanically major wrong in the engine.

[zodaalmighty]

My oil filter housing gasket just went and my problem looks similar to yours... if u don't fix the oil will cause the coolant hoses to swell causing a coolant leak as well. I took it to bmw and they said it was 870 for the coolant hoses and 900 for the gasket fix... found the parts online for a fraction of that... gasket was 15 dollars and hoses were 45

[millerb7]

Yeah I'll be finishing my pump and thermo today. Then oil oil change. Then complete clean and ill keep an eye on it to see where the leak is coming from.

Those pics above are of the leak after like 5,000 miles. So it's a small leak I hope.


My oil filter housing gasket just went and my problem looks similar to yours... if u don't fix the oil will cause the coolant hoses to swell causing a coolant leak as well. I took it to bmw and they said it was 870 for the coolant hoses and 900 for the gasket fix... found the parts online for a fraction of that... gasket was 15 dollars and hoses were 45

How hard was the fix as a DIY? I'm hoping easier than this water pump / thermostat are proving to be.

[mystreba]

Did you replace your water pump/thermostat? How difficult was the job? Did you find a decent DIY video anywhere?

What about the oil leak? Seems likely to be the oil filter housing gasket. Did you replace that as well?

[Strictly4Boost]

That looks like oil and not power steering fluid.

Agreed with mystreba could be the oil filter housing gasket.

[fun2drive]

You can't tell until you clean and recheck the area. Could be the oil housing gasket but could be the power steering hoses. If it is the hoses it is not a big deal. Just use some quality worn clamps not the ones that have the holes in them but good German ones. Just put them over the crimp clamp and clamp it down. If you look you will see oil or ATF flowing off the hoses. That could be either case mentioned but until you clear the area you are guessing...

[mystreba]

until you clear the area you are guessing...

True that.

[E36graduate]

I noticed some of the same oil during my water pump fix. I need to change out my oil filter housing. I am also always spilling oil down that area when I top off my oil.

[max88]

I have. 2008 323 and I had two oil leaks. One from the housing of the oil filter and then the oil gasket on my fly wheel. Cost. $ 2000 to fix brutal but ya lol