[BigSteel]

Hi all ,

Unsur if this is the right place to post it but the other day while driving I seen small amount of white smoke coming from the hood , after a little investigation and cleaning with brake cleaner I vaguely found the area the oil seems to be coming from and dripping to exhaust manifold.

If it can be seen in picture it is below that heatshield ( I am guessing the name of that part) and exhaust manifold and it seems to be mainly on either bottom part unseen in the picture of that heatshield or running down the engine around the same height .

Has anyone encountered anything of the sorts ? Any other areas around there I could check to pinpoint the issue ? All help is appreciated

[overcoil]

this is my valve cover leak left hand drive car video from right side of car (for a right hand drive model version steering column side)

If your seeing white smoke check the accessory radiator hose of small diameter that goes from coolant overflow tank across top of radiator leading edge. check rubber connectors for leaks.

[XutvJet]

Looks like your valve cover gasket is leaking. White smoke and oil residue in that area are highly suspect. If your M235 is over 6 years old, it's inevitable at some point after that. Same with the oil filter housing gasket.

[MAMSport]

Sorry, a bit of a 'smart-a$$' reply here, but has BMW become the modern day equivalent of British sports cars when it comes to oil leaks (and, maybe electrical issues)? These gasket issues have been prevalent on N52s, N54s (?), and now N55s.

BMW, is anyone paying attention? Or, is this acceptable on luxury and near-luxury vehicles?

[BigSteel]

It might be unpopular opinion but the way I see it rubber is rubber it will need to be replaced especially this close to heat sources , the only thing that I would say is ridiculous is cracking chragepipes and plastic fittings on coolant hoses that crumble overtime .

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by MAMSport

Sorry, a bit of a 'smart-a$$' reply here, but has BMW become the modern day equivalent of British sports cars when it comes to oil leaks (and, maybe electrical issues)? These gasket issues have been prevalent on N52s, N54s (?), and now N55s.

BMW, is anyone paying attention? Or, is this acceptable on luxury and near-luxury vehicles?

Every car will develop oil leaks over time and lots of cars develop valve cover and oil filter housing/cooler gasket leaks. M235s on the road now have been in service for 7 to 10 years. Stuff wears out and leaks.

I get the sense that people expect cars to stay perfect and leak free forever. My friend's NA, NB, and NC Miatas all leak like sieves. I've replaced valve cover gaskets on my Subarus, Hondas, and Nissans. My 2011 Cayman had a terrible air oil separator leak which is a common issue. The biggest issue a see with German cars is complexity of removing certain parts. These cars can be more difficult to work on

[BigSteel]

VCG leak just fits the bill right so I will bite the bullet and get it done soon within a week or so . As I am there any other maintenance/prone to fail parts that should be done ? I was thinking of doing my spark plugs at the same time as it's time (65k miles ATM)

[MAMSport]

Just wonder if there is too much heat under the hood now. Plus, with the plastic covers, the heat seems more trapped.

My feeling is that changing oil filter housing gasket, valve cover gasket, and oil pan gasket happen with too much frequency and is across multiple engine 'families'. In my case (128i w/ N52), yes, 9 years old but only 70k miles for the first two gaskets. And, to have the oil filter housing gasket eventually leak and have the possibility of causing catastrophic engine failure if the serpentine belt drawn into the crank front seal is extreme. Sure, those who follow the forums know about this, but the 'average' driver has no idea until it is too late, and then they will swear off of buying another BMW after the experience of needing a replacement engine.