[bkleee23]

Hi guys,

Last month, I got an oil change at the BMW dealership. 3 days after, when I started the car, I hear something explode and the engine just stopped. So I went outside to check what went down, I see this puddle of oil on the floor and when I opened the hood, the engine oil housing cap had broke and the oil had splashed through it. Obviously the car didn't turn on, so I told the dealership about this and they towed it to refill the oil and put a new cap on. I wasn't there when they towed my car and they blamed it on my after market, made in china engine oil housing cap. I suspected that the mechanic overtorcqed the cap that made a crack or hand't drain the oil completely so that the oil pressure was so high that made the cap to blow off. Anyways, they said they started the car and told me that the car had a knocking sound. They recommended to change the engine. I told them it was their responsbility, but they didn't budge. So I gave up and went to pick up the car. They told me that they will tow it for me to anywhere within 15 miles so I had them take it to an indy shop. But The car wouldn't start! I hear from the BMW garage people that it never started. It cranks but doesn't start. So I can't help but to wonder if the service manager lied to me about the knocking noise.

Anyways, take a look at the video and hear the sound. What could be wrong? My indy mechanic said he will charge me for 2.5 hours labor just to open the valve cover to diagnoise it but he believes that it's vanos camshaft adjuster intake ($500) and Exhaust ($500). And he confirmed that even after fixing that to start the car, the engine could still be damaged so, I would have to pay another thousands of dollars to replace it.

What's going on here.. I want to get a second opinion, so I am willing to tow it to another shop that I trust more, but they might not specialize in German cars.

Can anyone share any insights on this situation?

Dealership gave me a code as attached below. Could any of the codes from the ISTA can cause it not to start?

Appreciate you all!

[Bims328i]

Welcome to the forum!

Bruh that is wild and partly why I can't bring myself to let anyone touch my car unless it's tires and they fked up the clamping bolts for tie-rod ends last time I got an alignment along with tires. Plus they lied and said my rear brakes were metal on metal when the sensor hadn't gone off. At the time I had some weird grinding noise but complete zimmerman akebono rear kit waiting to be installed. So I declined and was hopeful it WAS the rear brakes. turns out there was decent life left in the pads.

The grinding turned out to be a failing input bearing on my differential. Replaced that a while ago now.

I was going to say off the bat, over torquing. They say this cap assembly should be torqued down to X value but I only ever snug it down. I have the giant fitting socket for the thing but torquing it down to spec is overkill imo.

Don't see any video to speak of on the og post.

You could use a bmw forum wizard like gbalthrop

[Efthreeoh]

Looks like a manufacturing defect of the cap.

[Brandoch]

Made in China after-market cap failed, case solved.

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by Brandoch

Made in China after-market cap failed, case solved.

Perhaps too simple an answer for a more complex problem.
WHY was there such pressure in the cap? Doesn't the oil from filter drain back into Crankcase (which is NOT under pressure? Cap NOT Designed for that type of pressure, or else it was CUT across center. Part of Filter element that is visible looks New & intact. See previous Thread on this issue:
https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/e...#post-13923589

ANYONE know HOW oil Pressure is regulated in the filter? Where is any pressure valve located? Got a reference to "FUB" of oil supply?
George

[Brandoch]

Originally Posted by gbalthrop

Perhaps too simple an answer for a more complex problem.
WHY was there such pressure in the cap? Doesn't the oil from filter drain back into Crankcase (which is NOT under pressure? Cap NOT Designed for that type of pressure, or else it was CUT across center. Part of Filter element that is visible looks New & intact. See previous Thread on this issue:
https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/e...#post-13923589

ANYONE know HOW oil Pressure is regulated in the filter? Where is any pressure valve located? Got a reference to "FUB" of oil supply?
George

Oil pressure goes from: inlet screen, pump, non-return valve, filter, oil pressure switch......
So yes, full oil pressure is pushing on the outer pleats of the filter and the cap.
That's also why bad oil filters get crushed from the outside in.
And that line in the center is probably the manufacturer mold line.

[mainbearing]

The filter cap bypass valve is in the center tube. The valve should open if the pressure exceeded a threshold (possibly around 20-25 psi??). Also, there should not be that much back pressure from the new filter element.

Could the center tube have come off and put back incorrectly any point in time (not necessarily the last oil change). Could the aftermarket cap have failed? Could the self regulating oil pump be creating too much pressure even for the relief valve? I do not know.

It makes me want to use ONLY a genuine filter cap if I ever needed one. Not even a Rein or Uro. And many of us change our own oil for a reason.

Anyway, here is where the bypass valve is and how it operates, explained well in this thread:
https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1809259

[StradaRedlands]

Are caps considered wear items and should they be replaced at a certain mileage?

[mattanderson]

Originally Posted by mainbearing

Could the aftermarket cap have failed?

Yes. Whilst proudly declaring its land of origin.

Sorry for your pain, OP. Thanks for sharing.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

Are caps considered wear items and should they be replaced at a certain mileage?

Mine is original. 34 oil changes, 424,000 miles, 18 years old come May 2024. I've only ever used a BMW-brand oil cap wrench and only used OE filters or MANN HU-816x OEM filters.

[mainbearing]

Oil's effect is different from coolant. But if the plastic itself is going to age like the Mickey Mouse flange and coolant cap and reservoir, then I would.

I am considering replacing it preventatively given OP's problem (regardless of the aftermarket or genuine discussion). Or as least have an extra one on hand. It is easier to replace a cap than an engine.

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

Are caps considered wear items and should they be replaced at a certain mileage?

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by mainbearing

Oil's effect is different from coolant. But if the plastic itself is going to age like the Mickey Mouse flange and coolant cap and reservoir, then I would.

I am considering replacing it preventatively given OP's problem (regardless of aftermarket or genuine). Or as least have an extra one on hand.

I bought an extra years ago just for that reason. I've never used it.

The OP doesn't provide a lot of info. Like how many owners the car has had. It could be a PO used the wrong filter (slightly too long) for an oil change and stressed the cap. It finally fractured. But that break line is so clean and straight...

[mainbearing]

If OP cap's center tube came apart and the pressure relief valve is put back the wrong way, then it is possible that cap had NO pressure relief. But if so the filter pleats would be all crumbled, but we do not have a picture of that (from the side).

[Efthreeoh]

Current price is for the OFH cap is $39 at getbmwparts.

[mainbearing]

Looks like $38.50 plus S&H. Silver Spring BMW. Inflation runs faster than a BMW.

https://www.getbmwparts.com/oem-part...er-11427525334

[Efthreeoh]

Whats with all these new guys blowing up perfectly good N52's?

[NZE90]

He hasn't got the magic answer he wanted here so has now posted the same post on another forum in the hope that one may have a magic fix.

[lordnikon]

Don't use cheap aftermarket crappy parts

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Whats with all these new guys blowing up perfectly good N52's?

This could be the curse of a 1 post count. We always love to see new folks but maybe join our group(s) before you blow up your n52! You know join and post, make friends, and learn before crisis time.. Just sayin’.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by Mike K

This could be the curse of a 1 post count. We always love to see new folks but maybe join our group(s) before you blow up your n52! You know join and post, make friends, and learn before crisis time.. Just sayin’.

My car caught on fire and burnt up on the side of the road, then fell off a cliff into the Atlantic as I pushed it home.
The mechanic says it will cost money to fix, should I take to another one?
Please help me fix it!
Here's a random picture of somewhere on the car:

[crashoverride]

The shop report just shows a crap ton of bulbs being burned out.


The cap failed. Clearly doesn't have anything to do with the amount it was torqued back on. If it was too tight or even too loose the cap wouldn't have failed were it did. The cap isn't made to flex or relieve pressure. The only remaining question related to your oil change would be if the oil filter inside was properly installed. Having the shop monkey around with it. Well the true answer will not be evident.

That being said should it just be a manufacturing defect with the cap. Typically just replacing cap oil and filter and getting the motor oil out of the alternator with a quick engine cleaning should resolve.

Unless other unrelated issues were discovered.

I just don't think we are getting the full story. It appears the cap is a side story.

[crashoverride]

The shop report is close to three months old.....????