[DrewsBlueE92]

Hey guys. Long story short. Bought a e92 328xi a few months ago. The guy i had bought it from got the valve cover gasket replaced about 10k miles ago, problem is its leaking from the back passenger corner of the cover again. Now i can go back to the shop he did it at as its under warranty, however, that shop is almost 2 hours away, and it will be a hassle trying to get it there and get myself back to leave it and get it fixed. The leak isnt bothering me, what bothers me is the occasional burning oil smell that comes with it when ut drips onto the exhaust. Is there anyway to maybe fix my issue without having to take it all apart myself or making a 2 hour drive to get it warrantied. Bmws are always known to leak oil here and there, so if this is the only leak its got on this car, as long as i cant smell it, it wont bother me haha.

[firesnatch]

Seems weird that it would be leaking after 10k miles already, unless it was done wrong to start with. I would take a mirror and inspect the gasket all the way around, especially in that corner. They sometimes get twisted or not seated properly when you put them in, in areas where you can't see well. If it is not seated right, you can probably adjust it without doing a complete valve cover job. You would just need to take apart enough to lift the cover a few inches. If the gasket is bad, it is up to you if it is worth the drive to have it fixed under warranty. If you can't DIY a complete replacement, I would make the drive.

[DrewsBlueE92]

Originally Posted by firesnatch

Seems weird that it would be leaking after 10k miles already, unless it was done wrong to start with. I would take a mirror and inspect the gasket all the way around, especially in that corner. They sometimes get twisted or not seated properly when you put them in, in areas where you can't see well. If it is not seated right, you can probably adjust it without doing a complete valve cover job. You would just need to take apart enough to lift the cover a few inches. If the gasket is bad, it is up to you if it is worth the drive to have it fixed under warranty. If you can't DIY a complete replacement, I would make the drive.

Hey thanks for your response. Il definitely take out the cowel and have a good look at the back corner of the valve cover to see if it is twisted or not seated properly as you said. The other thing i didnt mention was i really dont trust most shops. Given that ive worked at a few and personally quit because of how i was treated or how customers were, makes it hard for me to trust shops to take my cars to. If they couldnt get the job right the first, how can i trust that theyl end up doing it right the second!?

[The Nightman]

Originally Posted by DrewsBlueE92

Is there anyway to maybe fix my issue without having to take it all apart myself or making a 2 hour drive to get it warrantied.

Nope. My gasket was leaking oil onto the exhaust manifold once in a while and stank up the cabin. Keeping the HVAC on recirculate can help a lot, but it's probably not a good idea to ignore this for too long.

I'm curious if your valve cover is warped if it's leaking only after 10k miles

[DrewsBlueE92]

Originally Posted by The Nightman

Nope. My gasket was leaking oil onto the exhaust manifold once in a while and stank up the cabin. Keeping the HVAC on recirculate can help a lot, but it's probably not a good idea to ignore this for too long.

I'm curious if your valve cover is warped if it's leaking only after 10k miles

Would pictures help? I really wish the guy replaced rhe valve cover while doing the gasket. Ive done the job befors a few years ago and i said id never do it again because it was such a pain and super tedious.

[The Nightman]

It's a lot easier the second time around, but yes, still a pain. Is your car part of the VANOS bolts recall? Could get the valve cover gasket dealt with as part of the recall.