Massive oil leak

[morgan302]

Found oil spots on the drive way I thought some truck had been their and left us a present. Went out to buy fuel and when I came back noticed an oil smell. When I looked under the car I could see oil driving through the hole where the oil drain plug is located. When I got the car on the lift and removed that pan there was oil every where! Wiped off as much as possible then had my wife start the car will I watched for leeks. After about 45 seconds oil started coming down from what looked like the trans motor junction. Looks like a rear mail seal leak, but not sure I have a call into my dealer for service. It is now leaking so much oil that I will not drive my 2015 M3 another foot. Has anyone else seen this problem? My attempt at a search (which I am not good at) did not come up with anything. Any help would be appreciated.

[NozzFest]

Originally Posted by morgan302

Found oil spots on the drive way I thought some truck had been their and left us a present. Went out to buy fuel and when I came back noticed an oil smell. When I looked under the car I could see oil driving through the hole where the oil drain plug is located. When I got the car on the lift and removed that pan there was oil every where! Wiped off as much as possible then had my wife start the car will I watched for leeks. After about 45 seconds oil started coming down from what looked like the trans motor junction. Looks like a rear mail seal leak, but not sure I have a call into my dealer for service. It is now leaking so much oil that I will not drive my 2015 M3 another foot. Has anyone else seen this problem? My attempt at a search (which I am not good at) did not come up with anything. Any help would be appreciated.

Hey, my 2015 just started leaking oil too. Forgive me, I'm a car idiot so I can't talk shop like you obviously can but essentially they originally thought it was gaskets on the... oil...place. So they swapped out gaskets, but my car was still leaking oil.

Car is back in the shop and now they think it's the tubes that circulate oil around the engine. Again forgive me, I have no idea what I'm talking about but I'll do my best to describe what the technician told me. He said that there is an additional cooling system for the engine that pumps oil around the engine. Has its own radiator (and apparently there are a LOT of these types of cooling components in our car). But the tubes involved in THAT system are what they think are actually leaking. So they're focusing there now.

Anyway maybe research that cooling system? We both have 2015s so who knows. Maybe it's the same issue. FYI I have 49,000 miles on mine.

Edit: one thing I would add is that the oil in my car didn't seem to go down ever. When I started noticing oil in the driveway I would check the oil level by way of the computer and it never decreased. So either it's a different oil reservoir or mine isn't leaking as badly?

[Ian1973]

Are you above 50k miles or something? Why didn't you tow it to the dealer and get it done under warranty?

[morgan302]

Dealer said it was a crimped gasket and they are replacing that and the under tray behind the steel pan under the motor because the oil attacked and weakned that part! Not sure how motor oil could damage part of the under tray. All covered under warranty my oil light did not come on either and it did not record a very low condition. I know a small amount of oil can look much bigger than it is, but it did seem like a lot!

[Aaaaaaaaa]

So we're driving around with an engine that is "attacked" by the very fluid that lubricates it. Awesome

[Vectors2final]

Please upload the job docs...

[morgan302]

Originally Posted by Vectors2final

Please upload the job docs...

Have not gotten the car back they had to order the part. Did not look it that close when it was on my lift, but it did look like a fiber product. Not sure that is correct because I was looking for the source of the leak not where the oil went after the leak. Should have taken pictures but did not a F Up on my part no documentation of what I saw

[NozzFest]

Originally Posted by Vectors2final

Please upload the job docs...

Where are the job docs?

[gatorfast]

Originally Posted by NozzFest

Where are the job docs?

The paperwork from the dealership describing the issue and fix/parts used.

[morgan302]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

The paperwork from the dealership describing the issue and fix/parts used.

Well seems like they have decided to replace the rear main seal also. Learned that today after they found more oil. May be time to move on my E60 had the Vanos unit go bad twice all covered by warranty that is why I sold it before they failed and I had to pay the rather large repair bill. Seem to remember they were about $7,500 each installed. That could be the reason the clutch action seemed to be changing. Time for a bicycle

[NozzFest]

Originally Posted by morgan302

Well seems like they have decided to replace the rear main seal also. Learned that today after they found more oil. May be time to move on my E60 had the Vanos unit go bad twice all covered by warranty that is why I sold it before they failed and I had to pay the rather large repair bill. Seem to remember they were about $7,500 each installed. That could be the reason the clutch action seemed to be changing. Time for a bicycle

Hahaha. My M4 is going back in the shop next week for the third time, still leaking oil. So far repairs would have cost me about 6500 just for the work on the gaskets and hoses. I'm probably going to have to get a bike as well.

[morgan302]

Originally Posted by NozzFest

Hahaha. My M4 is going back in the shop next week for the third time, still leaking oil. So far repairs would have cost me about 6500 just for the work on the gaskets and hoses. I'm probably going to have to get a bike as well.

What hoses and gaskets are they replacing. Why is it not under warranty?

[NozzFest]

Originally Posted by morgan302

What hoses and gaskets are they replacing. Why is it not under warranty?

It is under warranty, but I have 49000 miles on it! I'm not looking forward to any surprise issues I have to fix after 50K.

The first time in the shop they replaced an oil pan gasket and oil filter housing gaskets.

The second time in the shop they replaced the engine oil cooler pipes.

The third time in the shop will be next week.

[morgan302]

Originally Posted by NozzFest

It is under warranty, but I have 49000 miles on it! I'm not looking forward to any surprise issues I have to fix after 50K.

The first time in the shop they replaced an oil pan gasket and oil filter housing gaskets.

The second time in the shop they replaced the engine oil cooler pipes.

The third time in the shop will be next week.

First time was the oil filter gaskets even after I told them I checked and their was no oil present. Second is the rear main, but they still have my car so until I see the RO with part numbers I will not know for sure. Good luck to us both, not sure I am going to keep the car but I have no idea what else to get. Not any news cars out their that I am even remotely interested in.

[NozzFest]

Originally Posted by morgan302

First time was the oil filter gaskets even after I told them I checked and their was no oil present. Second is the rear main, but they still have my car so until I see the RO with part numbers I will not know for sure. Good luck to us both, not sure I am going to keep the car but I have no idea what else to get. Not any news cars out their that I am even remotely interested in.

Thanks man, let's hope they get it! And I feel the same way... I think I'm going to get an extended warranty. It's a lot of money but there's nothing else out there that makes me want to go through the process of actually getting a new car.

[morgan302]

Originally Posted by NozzFest

Thanks man, let's hope they get it! And I feel the same way... I think I'm going to get an extended warranty. It's a lot of money but there's nothing else out there that makes me want to go through the process of actually getting a new car.

If I keep the car the extended warranty will be a must have.

[NozzFest]

So I'm curious how things are going with your car. Mine has had quite a bit of work done on it.

After changing gaskets and hoses and an oil pan, I still had to take it back for a fourth time. This time I got the service manager involved and we started getting serious about it. They ended up pulling my transmission out and found that oil was leaking from the drive axle or something. I can share job docs once I get them. Apparently there was a lot of oil on the panels that are on the underside of the car (they used 10 bottles of cleaner to clean it), and they even did an extended test drive where a foreman drove it home.

Suffice to say this particular job would have cost more than 10K (thank you, warranty!). Here's hoping they fixed the issue!

How about you? Did your car stop leaking oil?

[morgan302]

They put in a new rear main. The oil ate up the underfloor coating 51-75-8-055-961 was told it was a $300 piece was under warranty. All I know it is not leaking now and they got the daytime running lights to cut off, but they just came back on today the battery is disconnected now hope the reset solver that problem

[wdskukm3]

The 51-75-8-055-961 underfloor cover is only $174.00. They probably charged you the high Matrix price. But good thing everything was covered under warranty.

[dkhm3]

Updates? Pics? Yikes

[HPIA4v2]

Dang, this scares me now.

When I see the engine compartment I see many similar feature of S55 to N54/N55 engines, so I prepare myself already that oil-filter housing, oil cooler and valve cover gaskets will eventually leak. Then oil pan gaskets will follow. But rear main seal? dang you need to drop the trans to get to that.

The problem with BMW, not able to solve this spread out oil leak, well emission and fuel efficiency standard by all countries means BMW has to achieve both by raising engine operational temp, no human man-made gaskets will last in harsh environment, heat + oil.

And I own this car, ARGHHHHHHHHHH (should've lease instead)

the latest installment M-engine will be based of B58, BMW says it'll retain heat after shut off for 36 hour so emission will be close to optimal at next start up (like in the morning), yeah great but how about gasket lifetime