[Ethanater]

I did an oil change at 3000 miles and the oil filter has metal shavings in it, the oil has been sent to blackstone for an analysis. Is this amount of metal normal? It only has 63k miles on it.

[Tambohamilton]

Is it definitely metal? Hard to see in the pics really.

No amount of visible metal in oil is normal.

[Ethanater]

Tambohamilton Now I don’t think it’s metal I’m curious at what it is, it’s dark gray and crumbles with a screwdriver.

[SlowE92]

Originally Posted by Ethanater

Tambohamilton Now I don’t think it’s metal I’m curious at what it is, it’s dark gray and crumbles with a screwdriver.

Maybe some coolant?

[Ethanater]

MakoB96 I should get the oil analysis results next week hopefully

[Efthreeoh]

Any gasket repair work done recently? Looks like dried RTV to me.

[mainbearing]

Bearing material maybe? Oil analysis should be able to tell. Send them some flakes too.

[Ethanater]

Efthreeoh nope I have never used any rtv

[CLEAN13BOOSTED]

Doesn't appear to be metallic, use a magnet, if its metal the magnet will pick it up.

[e91Owner]

Most of the engine is not magnetic.

[CLEAN13BOOSTED]

Respectfully, what hardened engine components that would cause this owner concern are not magnetic? Most not metallic debris in a cartridge oil filer are most actually components of old cartridge filters that have deteriorated. The hardened steel components, engine bearings, cylinder liners, crank/camshafts, valves, valve guides, etc made of metal. If the owner has no drivability concerns, oil consumption, engine noise, no need to worry!!!

[e91Owner]

You keep saying metal. Most metals are not magnetic. Just like the entire block, cylinder liners, etc. There are plenty of steel components inside the engine, but being magnetic or not will not eliminate whether it is metal or not.

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by CLEAN13BOOSTED

Doesn't appear to be metallic, use a magnet, if its metal the magnet will pick it up.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Ethanater

Efthreeoh nope I have never used any rtv

Okay, it will help the discussion if you provide the ownership history and maintenance history of engine.

You joined in May 2023 and have 5 posts all in this thread. The N52 was last used in the E90 in 2013. Your car at 63,000 miles indicates it has seen around 6,000 miles annual mileage. So what is the oil change history?

[Ethanater]

Efthreeoh i got the car when it had 60k miles and i changed it at 63k I believe the car had decent oil change history

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Ethanater

Efthreeoh i got the car when it had 60k miles and i changed it at 63k I believe the car had decent oil change history

So, you don't know if it had VCG, OFHG, or OPG replacements. If it did, the tech or DIY'er who did the work could have over used RTV for anyone of those repairs. That's what I'm trying to get at. The foreign material may just be RTV and is nothing to be concerned about.

[Ethanater]

Efthreeoh I actually have replaced the VCG and the OFHG myself and I didn’t use any rtv, I did this at about 60k miles

[CLEAN13BOOSTED]

Any results from Blackstone yet?

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Ethanater

Efthreeoh I actually have replaced the VCG and the OFHG myself and I didn’t use any rtv, I did this at about 60k miles

We're starting to pull teeth...

So you bought it used and have no maintenance history. It was leaking at the VCG and OFHG. Knowing some of the POS owners who buy used BMWs on the cheap and do not repair them properly (not meaning you), my guess is a previous owner probably put frickin Stop Leak in the engine (like it's a 1973 Chevy Nova) to cure the leaking gaskets. The Stop Leak showed up in the oil filter, because the oil filter... leaks...

[Hoody007]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

We're starting to pull teeth...

So you bought it used and have no maintenance history. It was leaking at the VCG and OFHG. Knowing some of the POS owners who buy used BMWs on the cheap and do not repair them properly (not meaning you), my guess is a previous owner probably put frickin Stop Leak in the engine (like it's a 1973 Nova) to cure the leaking gaskets. The Stop Leak showed up in the oil filter, because the oil filter... leaks...

Certainly looks like stop leak (the idiot who owned my car previously used it to cover up a leaking radiator - looks like the same stuff I flushed out of my expansion tank).

I’d use some Liqui-Moly engine flush in it, do an oil change, and then change it again after the engine has warmed up.

The N52 is practically unkillable though, I’m sure it will be just fine.

[Ethanater]

Hoody007 alright thank you guys for all the help