Oil Pan Leakage

[Elliotgb]

I have a 2004 BMW Z4 that I just had in for an oil change.

As part of the service, they do a courtesy check on major components.

One thing that was flagged; an oil pan leak. Described as: a significant amount of engine oil present on components. The oil pan is dripping and there is seepage at the oil filter stand, vanos oil line and CCV hoses. We would recommend degreasing the engine Bay Area and then identifying exactly which components are leaking and in need of replacement.

Sounds expensive as a first thought but I guess I would have to do he degreasing to see what the repairs might be.

The only other problem area is the engine belt is just beginning to develop small cracks at this time.

Ideas in where the oil leak is coming from? I see no leaks after parking the vehicle.

Ty!

[bmwdirtracer]

How mechanically inclined are you?

Sure, degrease hell out of the entire engine bay....if you know how to do this correctly.

And then, realistically, you need to replace the oil filter housing gasket, the vanos oil pipe, and quite probably, the CCV and the 4 associated hoses.

If you're mechanically inclined, have some decent tools, and can follow instructions carefully, you can do all three on a Saturday. The parts will cost you maybe $200 , from a good BMW specialist supplier. (Do NOT buy from a local part store!)

If you have to pay a shop to do these jobs, you'll likely pay ~$1000+.

Where is "VASS"? It will really help us help you, if we know in what part of the world you're living. (If "VASS" is in Kazakhstan, we may advise you differently than if it's in SoCal, n'est ce pas?)

FYI, your car needs about $2000 to $2500 per year, spent on maintenence and repairs. All years this has been neglected ACCRUE.

Have you changed the entire cooling system yet? Because that's WAY OVERDUE, if not. (Neglecting this can cost you a new engine.)

EDIT: Doing the 3 jobs at the same time is HIGHLY advantageous. If you go to a shop for this, make sure you let them know that you understand that all 3 jobs are right next to each other, and that much of the Removal and Replacement of parts are SHARED, time-wise.
Priced individually, the hours for these 3 jobs probably nears ~7-8 hours. I could likely do all 3 jobs in half that time. But that's the rare exception, where I get paid MORE hours than I have to work. Most of the time, it goes the other way/

If you're prepared to split the difference, (and, um, pay list price for parts), you'll get out of there for less than a thousand bucks.

OR, you buy some tools, find a warm spot, study some DIY's, buy a Bentley Manual, and get started on saving a whole lot of money.

But, well, you need to be that kind of person. If this stuff were easy, everyone would do it

[Elliotgb]

Sorry!
Vass is in North Carolina.
The vehicle is a 3.0i engine with manual transmission. No ground drips that I can see. Oil level is pretty constant. Added about a quart back in the summertime right after the purchase.

Has roughly 112000 miles on it and purchased with 109000.
1 owner.
Just thinking now that the former owner may have had prior knowledge and didn't disclose the issue.

Thanks!

[Elliotgb]

Good info. I knew the car would have expensive repairs at times due to age and mileage. I was told that maintenance was kept up on it by the seller. He had some nice swamp land in FLorida for sale, too!

I do have a mechanic I trust so I am going to go the second opinion route. Not enough skill of my own to service this car.

Ty for the advice!

[Elliotgb]

I really appreciate the sage advice, Chris!

[Duanob328iC]

I'm in the same boat as you, oil leaks on the bottom front of the engine area. Here is my plan: I have all the components for replacing cooling system and belts. I am going to remove what I need to do the job like the clutch fan and all belts, water pump, etc. That will give me a clearer vision of the area to look for leaks. If and when i find it, if it's the vanos oil line or power steering lines, I will replace them then while I have the room to work. It's not rocket science and the previous poster who said $2000-$2500 in repairs, I believe that's having a shop do it. Parts can be found for fairly cheap so you can save big bucks by doing the work yourself. Just my $0.02.

[shadowpuck]

I'm in the same boat as you, oil leaks on the bottom front of the engine area. Here is my plan: I have all the components for replacing cooling system and belts. I am going to remove what I need to do the job like the clutch fan and all belts, water pump, etc. That will give me a clearer vision of the area to look for leaks. If and when i find it, if it's the vanos oil line or power steering lines, I will replace them then while I have the room to work. It's not rocket science and the previous poster who said $2000-$2500 in repairs, I believe that's having a shop do it. Parts can be found for fairly cheap so you can save big bucks by doing the work yourself. Just my $0.02.

i think what you are referring to is Chris' (bmwdirtracer) note about annual maintenance costs for a car. i've found that number to be completely true and spot on. sure, parts aren't that expensive (although you often get what you pay for), but you still need to commit your time (which is worth something) and you have to want to do the work. car repair isn't for everyone....

anyway - off topic so I apologize. Having done more than a few oil pan gasket jobs (if that's what is needed), I wouldn't hesitate to consider having a shop do it and related repairs as it can be a bit of a hassle...

[bmwdirtracer]

Oh, well, crap. You're near Pinehurst, between Greensboro, Raleigh and Charlotte? Okay, I'll ask a couple of buddies. You should join BMW CCA; here are a dozen BMW specialists in your area. Do I know North Carolina? Not so much; I moved here from Maui, Terlingua, Maui again, Orlando, Daytona, London, NYC, Fairfield County CT, TN, LA, SF, Sydney, Nairobi, some more.

Let me email my fellow instructor who's from Pinehurst....he'll know the local guy.

[bmwdirtracer]

2 options:

Dino Segovis (whom I knew from Maui) has now got his own shop, renting part of a building from "Vintage and Modern" in Aberdeen.

Further away is Tom Kerr in Greensboro.

My fellow instructor would only use one of these two, not either of the shops in Pinehurst.

[jclausen]

You have the m54 engine the most common engine leaks are valve cover gasket, can produce the burning smell. Oil filter stand gasket which when it leaks, leaks down on the oil pan and then the oil pan gasket. So if the oil filter stand gasket was leaking pretty good you would fix the oil filter gasket first the clean the residue off the oil pan to see if it is leaking.

[Elliotgb]

Great responses and I appreciate the assistance!
My home is near Aberdeen, NC and when I am
there, which is rare, I do take it to an
independent foreign car specialist.
He is excellent, just can't recall the name right now.

i spend 99.9% of my time at the GF's place in Cary
so I looked up local shops here and found
Import Motor Werks, recommended by
bimmershops.com.

[Elliotgb]

As part of my recent oil change on 2004 BMW Z4, a courtesy check was
performed. A number of services were deemed necessary by the shop.
Of course, I was told that the previous owner had kept meticulous
care of the vehicle.

Anyhow the following were recommended along with prices:

1. Brake Fluid Flush: visually dirty
Price:$120
2. Engine degrease: to find oil pan leak
Price: $120
3. Transmission Drain and fill: Red line fluid to be used
Price: $185.20
4. Differential Service: drain and fill based on age and miles
Price: $125.05

The total price after discount, parts and labor would be
$547+

Since I am ignorant in the ways of BMW's and repair costs
and having limited knowledge of this shop, does this all sound
reasonable and fair in terms of cost and needs?

Thanks!

[shadowpuck]

do you have any service records on the vehicle?

on a '04 - i could see all those needing to be done, easily. i can tell you when i buy a used car, i always do a basic fluid service (which this is) unless i have definitive proof it was just done.

brake fluid is a 2-3 year replacement item, diff/tranny is typically 50-60k intervals.

was this one of the shops chris (bmwdirtracer) mentioned in your other thread?

join the BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA) and ask for Mike Miller's maintenance schedule if you plan on keeping this car.
BMWs love maintenance, and doing it on time is pretty important!

[Elliotgb]

Good advice!
I appreciate it greatly.
i did check with a shop the prior owner used
and they said all was in order (of course).
I was not furnished any service records by the former
owner.

i think the shop I used is out of the geographic area
that Chris mentioned.

I'm guessing that the total price listed for all of this is not absurd or outrageous?

[shadowpuck]

is this an automatic or manual, and what's the mileage?

[Elliotgb]

This is a manual, 6 speed with sport mode.
3.0i engine.
112000 miles......bought with 109000.
2004 Z4.

[MauiM3Mania]

Same topic/OP threads merged.

[bmwdirtracer]

Thanks for the merge, Mr. Moderator; two threads on the same subject gets very confusing.

Elliot, the prices are about normal.

[Elliotgb]

Taking my car into Import Motor Werks in Cary, NC.
They did the diagnosis and I haven't seen
any negative reviews on their website.