[acdHQK713K]

I noticed a strong sweet smell coming from my car. Popped the hood and it completely smelled like I was spilling coolant. I poked around with a flashlight and found the following (Crappy cell phone pics).

Looking between the opening in the intake manifold I saw liquid pooling in places. After time that liquid evaporated on the warm engine. The seal between the head and block looks "wet"
Most of the driver side of the engine looks like it has had coolant or something pooling there.

Other symptoms that may or may not be related:
1) Car has been running a little hotter. 62 degrees outside and I was hitting 250 degrees on the oil temps on the freeway.
2) I may or may not be burning oil. Not 100% certain on this. Only had one episode of that I was able to visibly confirm blue smoke. Never happened again.
3) No oil in the coolant from what I can tell
4) Changed the oil a few days ago and it looked fine.

There is no coolant under the car. Have not had to fill the car with coolant and the level looks okay.

Thoughts? How much would an independent shop charge for this assuming it is indeed a head gasket?

[acdHQK713K]

Thoughts?

[Sniz]

any coolant pressurization? any milky yucky stuff in the oil?

has anyone blown a HG on this engine?

[ExpensiveTaste]

On older engines, you could start the engine with the coolant cap off and look for bubbles but I'm not sure if it would work on the N54. Do a compression test while the engine is warm.

[Rotorocious]

Miles?

Put a paper towel rolled up in the coolant res and lift it out and see if there's any oil film on it.

Could just be the tstat housing gasket

[Will335i]

Last vehicle that I had a blown head gasket on spewed all the coolant out. If there are no puddles under the car I just can't see it being a blown gasket. Maybe there is a leak in a line some where. Did you recently top of the fluid? Maybe it over flowed? Let us know.

[Sniz]

Originally Posted by Will335i

Last vehicle that I had a blown head gasket on spewed all the coolant out. If there are no puddles under the car I just can't see it being a blown gasket. Maybe there is a leak in a line some where. Did you recently top of the fluid? Maybe it over flowed? Let us know.

not always that obvious.

do a test on the coolant.

[rader1]

I thought the N54 didn't have a thermostat?

[EastBayE90]

Whenever you have any doubt about anything cooling system related the first test should always be a coolant pressure test. Apply 14 psi of pressure on to the cooling system with the engine off and see if it holds pressure. If not then you look for where the leak is. It is most likely your oil filter housing that is leaking but to be safe run a coolant pressure test and let us know your results. We can further assist you from there.

[JamesM3M5]

Yes, check the coolant tank for oil film. Looks like that leak is just a leaking oil filter housing gasket, and the coolant smell could be coincidental.

The N54 does have a thermostat. Could be a bad expansion tank cap that doesn't hold pressure. They can fail. Also look for any cracked or leaking plastic coolant system parts.

Last time I checked, book time on a head gasket is 20+ hours. Parts can easily top $800.

[GeorgiaTech335coupe]

Last time I had coolant splurted on my engine bay is when I had a small slit in the radiator relief vent line. It connects from the radiator outlet (driver side) over to the coolant overflow canister. It had a slit right where there there was a clip holding it down (edge of clip wore a hole in the pipe probably from expanding/contracting against the edge). You have to take off the intake elbow which is the piece that connects from the kidney grille to the air box.

[acdHQK713K]

Originally Posted by Sniz

any coolant pressurization? any milky yucky stuff in the oil?

has anyone blown a HG on this engine?

You have to check that with the engine cold, correct? I will have to check tomorrow if so.

Originally Posted by Rotorocious

Miles?

Put a paper towel rolled up in the coolant res and lift it out and see if there's any oil film on it.

Could just be the tstat housing gasket

No film floating on top. But I will try the paper towel.

Originally Posted by JamesM3M5

Yes, check the coolant tank for oil film. Looks like that leak is just a leaking oil filter housing gasket, and the coolant smell could be coincidental.

The N54 does have a thermostat. Could be a bad expansion tank cap that doesn't hold pressure. They can fail. Also look for any cracked or leaking plastic coolant system parts.

Last time I checked, book time on a head gasket is 20+ hours. Parts can easily top $800.

Oil filter housing gasket was replaced about 5k miles ago. Also would probably see oil under the car. Right now there are no fluids under the car whatsoever.

Originally Posted by GeorgiaTech335coupe

Last time I had coolant splurted on my engine bay is when I had a small slit in the radiator relief vent line. It connects from the radiator outlet (driver side) over to the coolant overflow canister. It had a slit right where there there was a clip holding it down (edge of clip wore a hole in the pipe probably from expanding/contracting against the edge). You have to take off the intake elbow which is the piece that connects from the kidney grille to the air box.

Can you show me what you are talking about either in pics or on RealOEM? This sounds plausible.

[acdHQK713K]

Originally Posted by JamesM3M5

Yes, check the coolant tank for oil film. Looks like that leak is just a leaking oil filter housing gasket, and the coolant smell could be coincidental.

The N54 does have a thermostat. Could be a bad expansion tank cap that doesn't hold pressure. They can fail. Also look for any cracked or leaking plastic coolant system parts.

Last time I checked, book time on a head gasket is 20+ hours. Parts can easily top $800.

I just checked, and the expansion tank looks like it has dried coolant on the side of it. Maybe just need a new cap. Can the cap still hold pressure yet leak? I checked the car just not and it is warm and there was plenty of pressure in there still.

No noticeable oil in the coolant when I stuck a paper towel in there.

[taylors335]

perform a leak down test and it will tel you everything you need to know !

[GeorgiaTech335coupe]

Originally Posted by Stangorang

Can you show me what you are talking about either in pics or on RealOEM? This sounds plausible.

Look at the coolant canister. A little lower than the coolant cap you will see a pipe going into the canister. If you follow the pipe in the opposite direction you will see it travels over the kidney grilles and into the radiator outlet. This is the hose. The black plastic piece that diverts the air from the kidney grilles over to the intake is blocking visual inspection of the pipe. Remove it and you can check the pipe. Its only 2 or 3 screws.

[GeorgiaTech335coupe]

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...76&hg=17&fg=05

Part 6

[acdHQK713K]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaTech335coupe

Look at the coolant canister. A little lower than the coolant cap you will see a pipe going into the canister. If you follow the pipe in the opposite direction you will see it travels over the kidney grilles and into the radiator outlet. This is the hose. The black plastic piece that diverts the air from the kidney grilles over to the intake is blocking visual inspection of the pipe. Remove it and you can check the pipe. Its only 2 or 3 screws.

Got it. I have the Injen intake so it was easy to follow it back. No obvious leaks.

[GeorgiaTech335coupe]

Originally Posted by Stangorang

Got it. I have the Injen intake so it was easy to follow it back. No obvious leaks.

Ok. But having the Injen intake won't make it any easier to see. The elbow piece that everyone leaves on from the stock intake system (diverts air from kidney grille to filters) is directly over the pipe and directly over the clip that holds the pipe which caused my tear. You cannot physically inspect the pipe unless this is removed. Check by the clip.

[acdHQK713K]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaTech335coupe

Ok. But having the Injen intake won't make it any easier to see. The elbow piece that everyone leaves on from the stock intake system (diverts air from kidney grille to filters) is directly over the pipe and directly over the clip that holds the pipe which caused my tear. You cannot physically inspect the pipe unless this is removed. Check by the clip.

Injen intake does not use that piece, so it was easy to see the entire pipe.

[Bash]

and yet you havent added any coolant? That is weird, keep an eye on that.