looking for an idea of what I should pay to replace valve cover gasket and oil stand gasket on a 2008 535i. My mechanic says both need replacing.
Its dripping(small drip) on the garage floor (oil stand gasket) and oily all on front of engine (you can see oil pooling around filter oil stand) and you can smell an oil burn when stopped and after parking in garage which I think is coming from the valve cover gasket dripping on exhaust manifold, turbos, catalytic converter,etc????. My independent mechanic quoted a rate, and it was shocking. How many hours does this book at? The gaskets are cheap but the hours????
Let me know what he charges...I need the same thing on my 530
The smell is from the valve cover leak when replacing the oil filter stand gasket replace the upper radiator hose, bleed hose and the front cylinder head hose
Pretty common. Walnut shell blast the intake when you do the oil filter housing and cooler gaskets. I’d figure a day of labor. Car probably needs coils and plugs as well. I did all this earlier this year to my 08 535xi, but did not use a shop. Plus consider what jclausen wrote above. The bleed hose practically disintegrated in places when I replaced it. If your vanos solenoids have never been cleaned, you could at least inspect one. 10 year old car. It needs all this and probably a little suspension work — like front strut rods or sway bar links or wheel bearings or tie rod ends.
thanks for the input. my independent wants $950 for valve cover gasket and $650 for oil stand gasket. says it is a 12 hour job. Yikes. I can't sell this thing fast enough. Due to extended warranties , and sometimes unknown extended warranties (turbos) I've avoided about $7000 in repair costs over the past 7 years I've owned this thing, but its time for this puppy to find another home. 2 years ago a BMW service writer told me e60s have bad engines and to sell ASAP. Should have listened.
Most Euro cars have some problems and often the more expensive the car the more expensive the repairs. Had my 08 535xit for 8 years and 100k miles and will keep it a few more years. Maintained it myself since the extended warranty ran out in 2014
Beware if there is a lot of oil leaking the oil pan gasket could also be leaking , not uncommon also. Do other repairs steam clean the engine recheck. The oil leaks are very common
Mine is leaking but the pan is a big job on an AWD car. I’ll get to it when I have to.
Yepper, fixing leaks at the oil pan is big bucks. That's a $100 part, that is $1800 in shop labor to change.
Jose
1987 M6
Livin the dream!
The OP has a 535i not 535xi so the pan gasket is not as big a deal. Mine has axles running into it.
An RWD is much easier to deal with for sure. I would guess a valve cover gasket at 2 hours of labor, and a "normal" oil pan at 2 or 3. Anyone work in a shop, and know the book numbers? Am I close?
Jose
1987 M6
Livin the dream!
I think your estimates are low. Have done the VC gasket on a 535xi and a bunch of stuff has to be removed (and put back). Have not done the pan gasket, although I have done them on my E36M3 and E90M3 and you have to support the motor and lower to subframe to get the pan off.
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