[CBee]

I hope someone can give some advice to this "damsel in distress"

I have a 2014 BMW M235i RWD. I bought it May 2022. It currently has 116000km and I only drive it in the summer.

I absolutely LOVE the car, but I am really torn on my options to keep it or sell it.
I found a few drops of oil on the garage floor last year (not much - maybe 5drops), so I went under the car and clean as much as I could in the hopes to see where it came from, but was unable to really see. I drove the car maybe 2000km and found a few drops again. I cleaned it again.. drove about 200km. It looked to me that it may come from the oil pan gasket, but I wasn't completely sure, so I took it to my local shop. They thoroughly cleaned it and I drove for 200km again..

Their findings were its the Cylinder head gasket (CHG)!! .. and at the Oil Filter housing. It seems like the CHG isn't the normal "oil leak issue" with the N55's.. Now I wonder.. Is it the CHG?

If it is.. I don't know if I should replace it (apparently +- CAD $8000) or should I upgrade to a newer model with less km's. I'm just afraid if I do replace the CHG for that amount, I will feel obligated to keep the car.

Is there anyone who had the same issue and in the end it wasn't the CHG? Maybe Valve cover gasket..?
I'm hoping for some good news here..

Attached is the 2 photos they sent with the report.

[Breakfirstfinishlast]

Im having a hard time deciphering the second photo, but it is highly unlikely that your car is leaking oil from the cylinder head gasket. It's far more likely that its coming from one of the normal BMW leak areas. OFHG, Oil cooler, oil pan, valve cover etc.
I would take it to another shop and get a second opinion, either that or ask for clarification as to what they meant.

[overcoil]

So let’s suppose it was head gasket.
Would it be smart to check coolant reservoir for it to wait till it looked like chocolate-milk before getting head-gasket work done ?

[jb-slow]

99.9% chance it's the usual ofhg and valve cover.

0.1% chance it's the headgasket

[CBee]

Originally Posted by overcoil

So letÂ’s suppose it was head gasket.
Would it be smart to check coolant reservoir for it to wait till it looked like chocolate-milk before getting head-gasket work done ?

So I checked. No oil in coolant reservoir and no creamy oil cap.
That’s good news at least.

[CBee]

Originally Posted by Breakfirstfinishlast

Im having a hard time deciphering the second photo, but it is highly unlikely that your car is leaking oil from the cylinder head gasket. It's far more likely that its coming from one of the normal BMW leak areas. OFHG, Oil cooler, oil pan, valve cover etc.
I would take it to another shop and get a second opinion, either that or ask for clarification as to what they meant.

Myself also. Thats why Im asking advice. I do see a little “oil puddle” between the oil filter and the valve cover.. Im wondering if its not accumulating and then run down the back of the engine which makes it look like its leaking at the head gasket.. 🤔

Its really a costly mistake to make if its not the Head gasket, so Im wondering if I shouldn’t take it back to the shop and let them replace the OFHG and Valve Cover gasket and see what happens..

I have tried to make contact with other INDY shops for a second opinion, but haven’t received any response from them at this stage.

[Breakfirstfinishlast]

Originally Posted by CBee

So I checked. No oil in coolant reservoir and no creamy oil cap.
That’s good news at least.

Just to clarify, there are a few different types of head gasket failures. So you wouldn't be able to rule out a head gasket failure just by checking for coolant in the oil. And coolant in the oil/ oil in the coolant is also a sign of a bad oil filter housing gasket (one possible symptom, doesn't happen in every single case). So it's basically a useless check to do.


The only way to properly check is to do a leak down test on the cylinders and also do a cooling system pressure test. But, as I said before, its unlikely that your cylinder head is bad unless you seriously overheated the car or did something really crazy to destroy the gasket seal.

[jb-slow]

If you can see oil by the filter then it's the ofhg, almost without question.

Just do the usual failure points, if it really does need a headgasket (it doesnt) just sell the thing instead.