The Blue Phoenix - E46 325i

[Senor_Taylor]

The passenger side was hot, while the other 3 were not. So yeah, I'll poke around when I get home from class.

[*insertusernamehere*]

If I didn't have class I'd drive over and poke around with ya

[Senor_Taylor]

So I readjusted the parking brake, so that works now.

Took the front passenger caliper pins out and greased them liberally. Car still pulls to the right, so I'll have to take it on a longer drive and feel the rotors and/or get it aligned. The pull comes and goes, which I find pretty odd. Some times it would get worse when I braked, but that didn't happened on the short drive after I greased the pins.

Also, I pulled the airbox to get a better look at where was leaking it really seems like the oil pan is leaking. There is oil on the skid plate behind the subframe and a little oil above and below where the pan meets the block.

There is PS fluid on the line coming from the reservoir, but I think that's just from the vent on the cap running down the line.

Let me add that NOTHING looks like a "quart every <1000 miles" leak to me under there. It must be burning it considering I've put in over 3 quarts since I bought it.

[ViPER1313]

Just drive it

[RawrImAMonster]

CCV/PCV is probably the culprit for why it's eating oil. Along with the leak.

The caliper cylinder itself is probably sticking. The xterra did the same thing. I just put a new caliper on it, but they do make rebuild kits for calipers. I don't have any experience rebuilding them, but someone on here probably does.

[SlimKlim]

I wouldn't sweat the oil pan or the residue on the PS line, you're probably right that it's just the stuff that vents out of the cap, and the oil pan will take a long time to become a significant problem. Mine has been leaking for a couple years now and it makes a nasty stain on the garage floor but it doesn't really leak enough to significantly affect the level, I've added maybe 3/4 quart over the past year to keep it topped up.

I agree with Stephen and Matthew about the CCV but I can't give you any troubleshooting advice, my OBD-I setup is vastly more simple in that regard, all I have to do is keep my ICV cleaned and my vacuum lines un-cracked and I'm pretty much good to go.

[*insertusernamehere*]

Just drive it

Thank you. You're only gonna enjoy it when you stop looking for things wrong with it.

[Senor_Taylor]

Damned if I do, damned if I don't, huh?

I'll look into the crankcase vent thing. I'd rather not keep blowing money on oil.

[rherold9]

Note to self - don't buy BMWs (about 30 mental notes now). I couldn't deal with that. I'd want to punt that car and sell it ASAP. That's just me though.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[SlimKlim]

Wait who's damned?

You're doing the right thing, you spent a little bit of time and you verified you don't have a leak to worry about so you can focus on finding the problem. I think like you do, I'd rather spend the money on a replacement part than indefinitely spend it on oil, especially with how expensive synthetic is.

[Senor_Taylor]

Wait who's damned?

You're doing the right thing, you spent a little bit of time and you verified you don't have a leak to worry about so you can focus on finding the problem. I think like you do, I'd rather spend the money on a replacement part than indefinitely spend it on oil, especially with how expensive synthetic is.

I'm just making a joke about how every other post says "Fix it now!" and other posts say "Don't worry about it and just drive.". I'm not sweating it. I don't have time to do anything that requires more than a couple of hours, and it really seems like the CCV could be the culprit. Too bad I don't have time to do that now, so it'll have to wait. Same with the caliper. It's not dragging terribly if it is, so I'll just keep driving. It's just a bother how quick this thing is burning oil. It went straight past the "Add oil soon" light to the "Add oil now" light yesterday. I smell so many different burning smells whenever I get out after driving, but no one else seems to smell anything. Paranoia.

Also, from what I can see, the rear sub frame is fine, which is no surprise.

[ViPER1313]

Damned if I do, damned if I don't, huh?

I'll look into the crankcase vent thing. I'd rather not keep blowing money on oil.

My serious advice is to switch over from whatever Synthetic you are running and put some Castrol GTX high mileage in it, then see how much oil you are using. You are going to drive yourself crazy and throw good money after bad chasing oil leaks on a 20 year old car, BMW or not, especially when you are operating with a close to 0 budget. 20 quarts of oil a year is $60, just fill it up. My SHO leaked a quart every 750 miles for 50k miles.... it cost me $200 and zero aggravation over 5 years.

[Senor_Taylor]

I'm just afraid to run anything other than the "BMW specific" kinds like Mobil 1 European Blend or whatever. It seems that other people are too.

[*insertusernamehere*]

Castrol gtx is good stuff. Thats actually what vw runs from the factory too. Rotella is also good and the Mobil 1 which you already use. Any of the high quality oils will be fine tbh. Pennzoil sludges so don't buy that.

At least that's what I've learned about oils recently. Oh and I was absolutely trolling you on the car

[ViPER1313]

I'm just afraid to run anything other than the "BMW specific" kinds like Mobil 1 European Blend or whatever. It seems that other people are too.

How many of these cars come up for sale with 200k+ miles? Do you think the sorostitutes that owned them put European Blend M1 in?

[ScottyB]

I'm just afraid to run anything other than the "BMW specific" kinds like Mobil 1 European Blend or whatever.

i wouldn't be. any decent 5 or 0W40 will perform fine.

rotella T6 is filthy cheap for a synthetic if you want to run that (i have, worked great), many people swear by it. as Adam said a high mileage oil may help your leakage problems as the detergent package is designed to make the seals swell to correct for old seals and gaskets. pretty much any high mileage oil, synthetic or not, will do this.

Pennzoil sludges so don't buy that.

:?: no. i'll show you some of my used oil analysis of running Platinum in my cars some time. both my cars run it on and off, the subaru runs extended length changes (7-8k miles). both are spotless under the valve covers.

[*insertusernamehere*]

I'm just afraid to run anything other than the "BMW specific" kinds like Mobil 1 European Blend or whatever.

i wouldn't be. any decent 5 or 0W40 will perform fine.

rotella T6 is filthy cheap for a synthetic if you want to run that (i have, worked great), many people swear by it. as Adam said a high mileage oil may help your leakage problems as the detergent package is designed to make the seals swell to correct for old seals and gaskets. pretty much any high mileage oil, synthetic or not, will do this.

Pennzoil sludges so don't buy that.

:?: no. i'll show you some of my used oil analysis of running Platinum in my cars some time. both my cars run it on and off, the subaru runs extended length changes (7-8k miles). both are spotless under the valve covers.

Ah, very well. These are things I pick up as I go from work, no real proof to back from all the talk that goes on. Seemed to makes sense to me at the time. Good to know!

[Sully]

Don't the caps on e46s say to run a specific brand? Is it mobile one? Or Castrol? I thought it was Castrol for some reason but I could also be making that up entirely.

I ran Rotella t6 in my m3. Not sure if the e46 is more sensitive but I'm sure the bmw guys will show up here sooner or later to inform us. I also run t6 in the s2k. And maeng does as well. Well I think he actually blends his own oil or something like cause maeng gives no fucks.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Senor_Taylor]

Mobil 1 for some E46s and Castrol for others. Depends on the year. I put T6 in it to top it off. Mobil 1 for the full change.

[*insertusernamehere*]

Now I'm gonna spend my entire Saturday reading about oils to see what's really what. Just like when I spent like the next week reading about 4x4 vs awd.