[TEKN328i]

So I was driving my e90 back from work when I get a low oil signal on my dash. I'm thinking, no way I have low oil I just did an oil change two weeks prior. I check my oil level on the dash and sure enough there's only one quart left in the engine. At this point I'm freaking out and pull my car into a parking lot near by to see what exactly is going on. As I take a look under the hood I notice oil everywhere in the front passenger side like an oil bomb exploded. I take a look under the car and a nice big puddle of oil is gathering but no sign of where the leak is coming from since there's oil all over the inside. I checked the drain plug and it was dry and tight. After I tow it home I began my inspection of the engine bay with the intention of cleaning the engine to find the leak source. I start to drain my coolant and low and behold, there's oil mixed in with it. I start to think it's a blow head gasket but I'm not too sure since there's no coolant inside the engine it all looked fine. Plus it wasn't overheating at all and was running fine prior to the leak. I checked the crankshaft seal and no leak there. And I'm sure it's not the rear crankshaft seal since the spill was towards the front passenger side. I'm at a loss , does anyone have any ideas?

[cjk28]

oil+coolant mix on n52 seems more likely to be oil cooler gasket failure, you checked around there?
that plus valve cover/gasket could explain the volume of oil (n.b. i dont think the dash will tell you that you only have 1 quart left, at least on mine the level indicator is showing min = ~5.5L, max = ~6.5L)

[ctuna]

First of all when you get the oil warning you are down only one quart against
the 7 quarts that should be in there. ?
Second of all do you know exactly how much you put in ?
Third of all do you know how the oil gauge works because if you don't
when adding you can overfill it easily.
The electronic oil indicator and the warning only operate of the top quart.
It doesn't update till you have driven the car enough for the oil comes
up to temperature so don't keep pouring oil in and expect to get a valid reading.

If the accessory belt breaks it can get sucked into the engine through the front main oil seal.
Also a OFG gasket that is really bad may cause this.

broken belt
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho....php?t=1231881
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...3&postcount=23
https://www.oxwerkzperformance.com/
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1477111
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1305990

Head gaskets do not blow on these very often .
But all the other gaskets go bad . VCG and OFG are pretty much something
everybody that owns a BMW will experience.

Pictures would be good.

[TEKN328i]

Originally Posted by cjk28

oil+coolant mix on n52 seems more likely to be oil cooler gasket failure, you checked around there?
that plus valve cover/gasket could explain the volume of oil (n.b. i dont think the dash will tell you that you only have 1 quart left, at least on mine the level indicator is showing min = ~5.5L, max = ~6.5L)

I was thinking that might be it also but then why would the oil spill be on the opposite side since the oil cooler is on the drivers side not passenger side.

[whyzee125]

Dash won't show you if you only have a quart in there. Bottom of the mark means one quart low, top of the mark means full. OFHG will cause oil to get in your coolant and is much more likely.

[TEKN328i]

Originally Posted by ctuna

First of all when you get the oil warning you are down only one quart against
the 7 quarts that should be in there. ?
Second of all do you know exactly how much you put in ?
Third of all do you know how the oil gauge works because if you don't
when adding you can overfill it easily.
The electronic oil indicator and the warning only operate of the top quart.
It doesn't update till you have driven the car enough for the oil comes
up to temperature so don't keep pouring oil in and expect to get a valid reading.

If the accessory belt breaks it can get sucked into the engine through the front main oil seal.
Also a OFG gasket that is really bad may cause this.

broken belt
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho....php?t=1231881
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...3&postcount=23
https://www.oxwerkzperformance.com/
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1477111
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1305990

Head gaskets do not blow on these very often .
But all the other gaskets go bad . VCG and OFG are pretty much something
everybody that owns a BMW will experience.

Pictures would be good.

I definitely know how my oil gauge works and as I stated earlier I was driving when this happened, I wasn't "pouring" nothing in . The level was right where it needed to be when I changed my oil two weeks ago and as I was driving I got the low oil signal. And the belt was changed just last week also because I noticed my other one was getting old. It's still good and secured on the vehicle so I'm pretty sure it didn't get sucked into the engine.

Pictures coming soon.

[TEKN328i]

Originally Posted by whyzee125

Dash won't show you if you only have a quart in there. Bottom of the mark means one quart low, top of the mark means full. OFHG will cause oil to get in your coolant and is much more likely.

Would that cause a spill on the front of the engine on the passenger side? Because that's where most of the oil was dripping from....

[e90yyc]

Originally Posted by TEKN328i

I check my oil level on the dash and sure enough there's only one quart left in the engine. At this point I'm freaking out…

Originally Posted by TEKN328i

I definitely know how my oil gauge works…

But do you?

[e90yyc]

Originally Posted by TEKN328i

Would that cause a spill on the front of the engine on the passenger side? Because that's where most of the oil was dripping from....

It’s highly unlikely you have a blown head gasket. But it’s even more unlikely that a blown head gasket would present as you describe: like an “oil bomb” going off under your hood.

What would present that way is an improperly installed oil filter o-ring that has allowed oil to escape at relatively high pressure onto the belt. Or, as others have said, an OFHG leak.

I just don’t know what else could be localized to the passenger side, other than front crank seal or oil pan gasket. But the volume of oil you describe sounds like it came out at relatively high pressure… I’m struggling to believe that your OFHG just took a monumental shit and spontaneously failed though.

You drove your car regularly for the two weeks after your oil change?

[TEKN328i]

Originally Posted by e90yyc

It’s highly unlikely you have a blown head gasket. But it’s even more unlikely that a blown head gasket would present as you describe: like an “oil bomb” going off under your hood.

What would present that way is an improperly installed oil filter o-ring that has allowed oil to escape at relatively high pressure onto the belt. Or, as others have said, an OFHG leak.

I just don’t know what else could be localized to the passenger side, other than front crank seal or oil pan gasket. But the volume of oil you describe sounds like it came out at relatively high pressure… I’m struggling to believe that your OFHG just took a monumental shit and spontaneously failed though.

You drove your car regularly for the two weeks after your oil change?

Yeah it was driving fine before this happened, no shuddering, no high temp or overheating and no smoke coming out the tailpipe. I'm going to check the OFHG tomorrow and take a look I just find it hard to believe that's the reason because of the amount of oil it dropped. Like you stated I think it came out in high pressure since it was so much, but the mess was no where near the oil filter housing. Maybe it's a combination of a leak and seal failure.

[whyzee125]

I'm betting you have a cracked valve cover or clogged pcv that caused a leak to come up more suddenly than it would if the gasket was just getting old. Valve cover crack or badly leaking valve cover gasket would pool oil where you're describing. I'm 99% sure your head gasket is fine.

[Clammy]

Recently, I saw oil dripping heavily from the top of the engine onto my headers, and I was worried at first. Until I realized that I had not turned the oil filler cap all the way down when I last added oil, so it was loose and puking oil, especially after some high rev driving.. Might be something worth looking at.

Cheers!

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by whyzee125

I'm betting you have a cracked valve cover or clogged pcv that caused a leak to come up more suddenly than it would if the gasket was just getting old. Valve cover crack or badly leaking valve cover gasket would pool oil where you're describing. I'm 99% sure your head gasket is fine.

Agree with this or maybe from valvetronic football gasket as well.

[Efthreeoh]

OP, when the dash shows the "+1qt" icon, it means the oil level is low by one (1) quart and the e-dipstick is telling you to add 1 quart/liter of oil to get the engine oil level to the correct volume.

It does sound like a CCV (crank case ventilation) system error that might have cracked the plastic valve cover, or you did not properly (i.e. fully) tighten the oil fill cap.

Blown headgaskets do not externally leak oil like that. For that much oil to leak out of the engine and spray all over the engine, it is coming out of a crack or open in the valve cover. Remove the engine cover and take some pic so we can help diagnose your oil leak.

Who actually performed the oil change? You, or a shop?

[Anseljnielsen]

Very similar thing happened to my E90 last week yet it also made an odd chirping sound when decelerating, but it would disappear when I would shut the engine off and fire her back up. Did not make any sense as I did the entire tensioning system and pulleys in October. So I Began taking my engine apart found it to be the valve cover gasket for the top end oil spilling, but that did not explain the oil leaking from the bottom. So I gave up after ordering the valve cover and took my car into a private BMW mechanic who builds custom ones, within half an hour he told me it was the VANOS solenoid malfunctioning causing it to spew oil all underneath the car! So I ordered the part and fixed her up on Tuesday, and she has never ran better since I bought it. No visible oil leaks anymore! So I hope this helps.

[TEKN328i]

Originally Posted by Clammy

Recently, I saw oil dripping heavily from the top of the engine onto my headers, and I was worried at first. Until I realized that I had not turned the oil filler cap all the way down when I last added oil, so it was loose and puking oil, especially after some high rev driving.. Might be something worth looking at.

Cheers!

It definitely wasn't the oil filler cap. I've had that happen before as well after I took it to an indy and he didn't tighten it enough, plus the top area of the engine was clean.

[TEKN328i]

Originally Posted by whyzee125

I'm betting you have a cracked valve cover or clogged pcv that caused a leak to come up more suddenly than it would if the gasket was just getting old. Valve cover crack or badly leaking valve cover gasket would pool oil where you're describing. I'm 99% sure your head gasket is fine.

I checked around the valve cover but I'll check again just to make sure, a cracked valve cover wouldn't explain the oil in my coolant tho. But maybe I had two fails in one day. It's possible. Clogged pcv huh? That might be worth a look.

[TEKN328i]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

OP, when the dash shows the "+1qt" icon, it means the oil level is low by one (1) quart and the e-dipstick is telling you to add 1 quart/liter of oil to get the engine oil level to the correct volume.

It does sound like a CCV (crank case ventilation) system error that might have cracked the plastic valve cover, or you did not properly (i.e. fully) tighten the oil fill cap.

Blown headgaskets do not externally leak oil like that. For that much oil to leak out of the engine and spray all over the engine, it is coming out of a crack or open in the valve cover. Remove the engine cover and take some pic so we can help diagnose your oil leak.

Who actually performed the oil change? You, or a shop?

I performed the oil change like I always have before. I'm more sure now that it's probably not a head gasket problem but I still haven't had time to work on her since I've been too busy at work. I will soon and I'll update.

[whyzee125]

Also worth mentioning, it's possible your OFHG isn't currently leaking but did at one point. It takes 3-4 flushes to get all the contaminated coolant out in my experience. I'm betting PCV caused two leaks though. Good luck!

[e91Owner]

Coolant and oil? Sure sounds like an OFHG failure as the primary culprit. Once it gets in the coolant, it tends to leak out of the reservoir from what I've seen. Since it's less dense than the coolant, I could see how it would give the appearance of only leaking oil.

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by TEKN328i

... I get a low oil signal on my dash. [THAT happens when you are ONE QUART LOW, NOT when you only have One Quart remaining in sump.] I'm thinking, [that's always GOOD! ]... At this point I'm freaking out [that's NOT good ] and pull my car into a parking lot near by to see what exactly is going on. As I take a look under the hood I notice oil everywhere in the front passenger side like an oil bomb exploded. ["Sounds Like" more than just a small leak.]... does anyone have any ideas?

Since YOU have the car, and can examine it; and since the "Leak" is an "oil bomb", and NOT just a drip here or there, you OUGHT to be able to SEE where the leak originates. Based simply on your description above, I would do the following:
0) Visualize oil cooler lines from engine to cooler, as well as OFHG at all sides; take photos of what can be seen from above; Good photos will often show things you didn't see visually due to lighting, tight spaces, line of sight, etc.
01) Place cardboard or a metal drip pan such as that linked below to catch oil running off rear of splash shield;
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...%26+Drain+Pans
02) Check Coolant Level in Reservoir, or if you already have drained or removed SOME coolant, was Reservoir completely FULL when you checked after "Oil Bomb"? Is there oil at Reservoir Overflow Drain Outlet?
1) Raise front of vehicle by driving onto ramps, jacking, or HOWEVER you normally do it to drain sump;
2) Drain sump into clean drain pan (so you can use 2-week old oil again); BUT check closely for oil in Coolant;
3) MEASURE volume oil to determine how much was lost;
4) Drain Front Splash Shield and remove (making as little mess as possible ;-)
5) Try to identify SOURCE of leak from oil drain trails on components; using bright LED light at night often shows "Wet streaks" NOT visible otherwise; if NOT, then proceed:
6) Use paper towels or rags to wipe off as much oil as possible from engine to better identify source after "Pressurizing Oil Gallery" in (7); If climate allows, add water to fill coolant reservoir to proper level;
7) Insert Drain Plug. Pour 6 qt. oil into engine; start engine & idle 10 seconds; oil pressure will be achieved; turn engine OFF; look for "oil bomb".

NOT sure how a single fault/failure could cause (1) Oil in Coolant, AND (2) External Oil Leak. However, if you already have oil in coolant, I would try to identify the external oil leak FIRST. Internal failure of OFHG is most likely cause of oil in coolant. It does NOT have to leak externally, but you COULD have Both.

Of course OFH is NOT on Right side of engine, but if there is a LOT of oil in the splash shield, it may leak from splash shield somewhere OTHER than directly below Leak SOURCE.
George

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by TEKN328i

I performed the oil change like I always have before. I'm more sure now that it's probably not a head gasket problem but I still haven't had time to work on her since I've been too busy at work. I will soon and I'll update.

You say the oil leak is evident on the right side of the engine (i.e. passenger side - exhaust side), which is the only reason I've not suggested it could be a misplaced large O-ring on the OFH cap, but may just check it anyway to be sure.