[cmg5461]

Hey everyone,

While I was under the car on Saturday, I noticed a fairly large amount of oil covering the bottom of the manual transmission and the aerodynamic fairing underneath it. Does anyone know where this oil came from? It seems like it was coming from something in the transmission, as the oil pan was completely dry. If it was the oil pan gasket, there would be oil dripping from the pan.

I noticed a hole in the bottom of the transmission where I could see the notches in the flywheel. Could my rear main seal be leaking and dripping from there?

I don't have any pictures sorry.

[deeLow]

Cant help but noticed you're from Brick. Me too.

Did you pull the underbody off and take closer look?

Good luck!

[335NJ]

Is it engine oil or trans fluid? Check the trans fluid drain plug.

[KeepRidingDirty]

Usually 2 things from the bottom.

1. Oil Pan Gasket.....
2. Rear main seal

Having an xi I replaced both myself and you're in for one hell of a repair either way. The only other thing it could be is a leaking Oil Filter housing gasket that has made it's way back over time (doubtful but possible)

Pop the underbody off and snap some pics and we'll do our best to help

[cmg5461]

Originally Posted by deeLow

Cant help but noticed you're from Brick. Me too.

Did you pull the underbody off and take closer look?

Good luck!

I grew up in brick, went to Penn State and recently moved to Frederick, MD to work for Volvo in Hagerstown, MD.

Such a shame about the heroin usage in our area right now.

Originally Posted by KeepRidingDirty

Usually 2 things from the bottom.

1. Oil Pan Gasket.....
2. Rear main seal

Having an xi I replaced both myself and you're in for one hell of a repair either way. The only other thing it could be is a leaking Oil Filter housing gasket that has made it's way back over time (doubtful but possible)

Pop the underbody off and snap some pics and we'll do our best to help

Originally Posted by 335NJ

Is it engine oil or trans fluid? Check the trans fluid drain plug.

Yes, I pulled the fairing off when I removed my CDV. I didn't think to check if it was gear oil or engine oil. To be honest, it didn't smell like gear oil and it looked like engine oil, but I can't be sure. I don't think it's MT oil though.

[The Convert]

The method to finding any leak is:

1. follow the leak as forward as it goes
2. follow the leak as high up as it goes
3. fix leak

Air blows an oil filter housing leak allot over the front, sides, and bottom of the engine. The best way to find the source of a leak is what I stated above

[Infidel]

I absolutely hate to hijack this thread, and if I should make my own thread I apologize but I just ran across this issue last night when changing my 06 330xi MT fluid.

The underside of the black plastic aero cover was caked with black junk, and a soaked and deteriorated foam wire covering fell out when I pulled the cover off. The junk on the plastic cover was mostly all dried up.


On the passenger side of the transmission there was a fabric/cloth type material pad covering that was absolutely soaked with what looked like engine oil, but I really am not sure. If anyone could take a look at the picture and video and possibly help me out I would really appreciate it. Sorry in advance for the crappy video, I only have maybe 15in clearance and was struggling.

video

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fdyhahj4as...%20PM.mov?dl=0

Marked photo of area

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ix5fqbowxrmdlu/leak.PNG?dl=0

[KeepRidingDirty]

Originally Posted by Infidel

I absolutely hate to hijack this thread, and if I should make my own thread I apologize but I just ran across this issue last night when changing my 06 330xi MT fluid.

The underside of the black plastic aero cover was caked with black junk, and a soaked and deteriorated foam wire covering fell out when I pulled the cover off. The junk on the plastic cover was mostly all dried up.


On the passenger side of the transmission there was a fabric/cloth type material pad covering that was absolutely soaked with what looked like engine oil, but I really am not sure. If anyone could take a look at the picture and video and possibly help me out I would really appreciate it. Sorry in advance for the crappy video, I only have maybe 15in clearance and was struggling.

video

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fdyhahj4as...%20PM.mov?dl=0

Marked photo of area

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ix5fqbowxrmdlu/leak.PNG?dl=0

Doesn't look like my rear seal leak. Could be valve cover, Oil filter gasket or oil pan. Tough to tell from video. Do you see any leaks from up top? get some pics of around the valve cover and Filter housing gaskets. Those are most common.

[Infidel]

Thanks for your response, I got the car on a lift today but didn't make much progress in finding the source of the leak. One glaring mistake I made in my first post, which I realize now was because I was all twisted under the car is that the leak is on the drivers side of the transmission, not the passenger side. I took a video and a few pictures that maybe could be useful but I didn't see much. Ive been doing a lot of reading and now realize that the area in this video that is saturated with oil is the oil pan? Maybe this is an oil pan gasket leak but I dont know/hope not.

If you get a chance to take a look I'd appreciate it, thanks again for your reply.


Video from under the car

https://www.dropbox.com/s/j708z0fyky...%20PM.mov?dl=0

left side of engine, I recently (>1 year) replaced the VCG and eccentric shaft sensor
https://www.dropbox.com/s/kdwapdp0rn...%20PM.jpg?dl=0

Dropping my phone down in front of the oil filter housing. I forgot to take a pic of the top, but it looks clean, I see no oil on the top or visible back/front of the housing. I did feel some very thick dirt/oil buildup on the immediate bottom, nothing fresh.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3w87pz0yhe...%20PM.mov?dl=0

[KeepRidingDirty]

Originally Posted by Infidel

Thanks for your response, I got the car on a lift today but didn't make much progress in finding the source of the leak. One glaring mistake I made in my first post, which I realize now was because I was all twisted under the car is that the leak is on the drivers side of the transmission, not the passenger side. I took a video and a few pictures that maybe could be useful but I didn't see much. Ive been doing a lot of reading and now realize that the area in this video that is saturated with oil is the oil pan? Maybe this is an oil pan gasket leak but I dont know/hope not.

If you get a chance to take a look I'd appreciate it, thanks again for your reply.


Video from under the car

https://www.dropbox.com/s/j708z0fyky...%20PM.mov?dl=0

left side of engine, I recently (>1 year) replaced the VCG and eccentric shaft sensor
https://www.dropbox.com/s/kdwapdp0rn...%20PM.jpg?dl=0

Dropping my phone down in front of the oil filter housing. I forgot to take a pic of the top, but it looks clean, I see no oil on the top or visible back/front of the housing. I did feel some very thick dirt/oil buildup on the immediate bottom, nothing fresh.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3w87pz0yhe...%20PM.mov?dl=0

Looks like an oil Pan gasket. Take some pics around the oil pan to be sure.

[cmg5461]

The source of my leaking problem has been found.

Yesterday, I installed my charge pipe. The rear diverter valve output was never plugged back into the rear turbo inlet. For 6 months, my rear turbo has been getting unfiltered air and the diverter valve was dumping oil in the intake all over the back of my engine. I am bringing it to the shop on Monday/Tuesday to see what they have to say about it.

I'm lucky I didn't suck up a rock and damage the impeller blades. I'm going to suggest the shop verify the condition of the rear turbo.

[KeepRidingDirty]

Originally Posted by cmg5461

The source of my leaking problem has been found.

Yesterday, I installed my charge pipe. The rear diverter valve output was never plugged back into the rear turbo inlet. For 6 months, my rear turbo has been getting unfiltered air and the diverter valve was dumping oil in the intake all over the back of my engine. I am bringing it to the shop on Monday/Tuesday to see what they have to say about it.

I'm lucky I didn't suck up a rock and damage the impeller blades. I'm going to suggest the shop verify the condition of the rear turbo.

That's awesome. Thats way cheaper than everything else could have ever been. If your car's building boost fine I doubt your turbos have been affected by anything. The rear turbo inlet pops off on some peoples car quite easy, most just continue to drive it without realizing, for quite awhile I might add. I have yet to hear of anyone sucking some debris up, even with their rear turbo inlet dislodged. I would say just drive it. If your turbo compressor has been damaged it's too late anyways.

[cmg5461]

Originally Posted by KeepRidingDirty

That's awesome. Thats way cheaper than everything else could have ever been. If your car's building boost fine I doubt your turbos have been affected by anything. The rear turbo inlet pops off on some peoples car quite easy, most just continue to drive it without realizing, for quite awhile I might add. I have yet to hear of anyone sucking some debris up, even with their rear turbo inlet dislodged. I would say just drive it. If your turbo compressor has been damaged it's too late anyways.

Perhaps it is awesome, but it has put doubt in my mind to the shop that replaced my turbos. Seems like a rookie mistake. I should have known something was up when I got the car back and heard the blow off sound. I thought it was just new turbos behaving as they should. The diverter outlet was locked, so it seems it wasn't attached to begin with. I reattached it and tried pulling it off. There was absolutely no way that could pop off on it's own, especially being under vacuum. I call this shop error.

[KeepRidingDirty]

Originally Posted by cmg5461

Perhaps it is awesome, but it has put doubt in my mind to the shop that replaced my turbos. Seems like a rookie mistake. I should have known something was up when I got the car back and heard the blow off sound. I thought it was just new turbos behaving as they should. The diverter outlet was locked, so it seems it wasn't attached to begin with. I reattached it and tried pulling it off. There was absolutely no way that could pop off on it's own, especially being under vacuum. I call this shop error.

Alot of things to remove in order to replace turbos, the rear diverter valve not being put back in is no big deal. Some people even pull them off intentionally, they call them the poor man's Blow off valve. If the worse thing they did was forget to plug that in, consider yourself lucky. Heck some people are getting injectors done at the dealership (which is 100x easier than turbos) and the dealer is braking parts while installing and trying to cover it up. Just put that thing back in and be thankful it wasn't the rear seal or oil pan gasket like mine. Lifes too short to be angry about something so small. Drive On!

[cmg5461]

Originally Posted by KeepRidingDirty

Alot of things to remove in order to replace turbos, the rear diverter valve not being put back in is no big deal. Some people even pull them off intentionally, they call them the poor man's Blow off valve. If the worse thing they did was forget to plug that in, consider yourself lucky. Heck some people are getting injectors done at the dealership (which is 100x easier than turbos) and the dealer is braking parts while installing and trying to cover it up. Just put that thing back in and be thankful it wasn't the rear seal or oil pan gasket like mine. Lifes too short to be angry about something so small. Drive On!

Very true. Any advice for cleaning oil out of the engine bay?

[KeepRidingDirty]

Originally Posted by cmg5461

Very true. Any advice for cleaning oil out of the engine bay?

I just used engine degreaser and a hose.

[Infidel]

Very glad to hear you got your problem sorted out.

I looked around my oil pan and I dont see anything leaking, I still just see what looks like its dropping from the engine on the drivers side down through all the wires and everything down to the plastic skid plate. I looked from up top with a light underneath and the covering removed, and it really looks like its coming from the very back right (drivers side) of the engine and dropping down through. This weekend Ill probably remove the cabin air filter housing and that whole assembly so I can get a better look at the back of the engine, I hope its not the VCG, as I just replaced it less than a year ago and was very thorough.

[The Convert]

Originally Posted by Infidel

Very glad to hear you got your problem sorted out.

I looked around my oil pan and I dont see anything leaking, I still just see what looks like its dropping from the engine on the drivers side down through all the wires and everything down to the plastic skid plate. I looked from up top with a light underneath and the covering removed, and it really looks like its coming from the very back right (drivers side) of the engine and dropping down through. This weekend Ill probably remove the cabin air filter housing and that whole assembly so I can get a better look at the back of the engine, I hope its not the VCG, as I just replaced it less than a year ago and was very thorough.

Have you had the intake manifold off for any reason? I have had a slow, very minor leak from not replacing old worn intake manifold gaskets. The oil getting in through the intake tract and through the ports in the heads can get through and drip down the block.

[Billit335]

Any picture illustration where it disconnects from the rear diverted valve output ? I've crawling around the bottom of my 335 checking for leaks, ,maintaince, and down pipe install.

I've noticed an oil leak where the motor and tranny meet, I hope it's not the rear main or oil pan, I have 112,kkk on the clock. And I've replaced my oil filter housing gasket already.

[cmg5461]

Originally Posted by Billit335

Any picture illustration where it disconnects from the rear diverted valve output ? I've crawling around the bottom of my 335 checking for leaks, ,maintaince, and down pipe install.

I've noticed an oil leak where the motor and tranny meet, I hope it's not the rear main or oil pan, I have 112,kkk on the clock. And I've replaced my oil filter housing gasket already.

just follow the rear hose on your charge pipe. You should be able to feel if it's connected or disconnected. If it's disconnected, you'll hear a blow off sound also