[prepster]

Hi everyone, Im still a noob when it comes to bmw engines, so I was hoping if some one can confirm of my situation which I think is a valve cover leak. I recently started observing smoke and burnt oil smell coming from my engine, so today i removed the engine plastic cover and found oil in-between the lobes of the valve cover. There was a good amount too, but then again my car has been smelling like burnt oil for sometime. Any help would greatly be appreciated. thanks

[123Britt]

Most likely a valve cover leak. If you pull the coils -- you will most likely find that they have oil soaked tips.
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My car looked like this and I replaced it myself. Used OEM Gasket and HondaBOND sealant in the leak prone areas. I would suggest having it replaced by an indy along with : Oil filter housing gaskets if you haven't already done so. Look in coolant reservoir and see it oil is in coolant (mine was).
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Plastic VCover is prone to crack and is a pain to remove. It will get worse so you will need to get this done - soon.

[prepster]

Originally Posted by 123Britt

Most likely a valve cover leak. If you pull the coils -- you will most likely find that they have oil soaked tips.
.
.
My car looked like this and I replaced it myself. Used OEM Gasket and HondaBOND sealant in the leak prone areas. I would suggest having it replaced by an indy along with : Oil filter housing gaskets if you haven't already done so. Look in coolant reservoir and see it oil is in coolant (mine was).
.
Plastic VCover is prone to crack and is a pain to remove. It will get worse so you will need to get this done - soon.

I was thinking of doing the repair myself seeing how theres so many DIY's on this forum, I have replaced other VC on other cars. Is there something about this one that i should be aware of? besides it being a PIA, I feel 900 is a lot to pay for a gasket that isn't that hard to get to. How is your VC now, did the hondaBOND work well? Im considering using some type of sealant too where the major leakage area is, which looks to be in the inner middle of the gasket…btw, did your coils cause any problems since the tips were soaked in oil? Im at 105K miles and was ordering spark plugs to install, but I'm considering buying new coils if getting the tip of the coil pack would cause problems.

[Meeni]

Yes.

[123Britt]

Valve cover is hard to remove in that you have to use plastic tools to separate it from the block without scratching the alum surfaces.
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Plus - the gasket hardens like glass and as it breaks on removal -- any small piece must be removed -- or you will pay .. I spent nearly 6 hrs removing the gasket alone. Surface cleaning the block can also be difficult.
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Yes it all seams easy --- but the gasket can still leak if it is not all carefully put back together ~ torque to exact specs / pattern.
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I even broke a small fastener that holds down some of the ignition wires and had to extract the fastener.
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If you have never done this work on an E90 -- expect to have challenges but it can be done. It took me 12 hrs --- but I was very meticulous in seating the new gasket .

The Hondabond was recommended by BMW Service Techs and I even purchased it from BMW.

[dylim]

Hey, I'm half way through, and i'm stuck at removing the vacuum hose
at the rear (with the squeeze tabs), as well as another hose
that connects the valve cover to the air intake (after the MAF sensor).
There are several plastic tabs, and I tried prying one, but seems like it
was going to break off, so I stopped.

Any tips??

First image shows the hose on the valve cover (with the round plastic).

Second image shows the other end of the hose (to the air intake).

Third image shows the tabs around the round plastic.

Originally Posted by 123Britt

Valve cover is hard to remove in that you have to use plastic tools to separate it from the block without scratching the alum surfaces.
.
.
Plus - the gasket hardens like glass and as it breaks on removal -- any small piece must be removed -- or you will pay .. I spent nearly 6 hrs removing the gasket alone. Surface cleaning the block can also be difficult.
.
.
Yes it all seams easy --- but the gasket can still leak if it is not all carefully put back together ~ torque to exact specs / pattern.
.
I even broke a small fastener that holds down some of the ignition wires and had to extract the fastener.
.
If you have never done this work on an E90 -- expect to have challenges but it can be done. It took me 12 hrs --- but I was very meticulous in seating the new gasket .

The Hondabond was recommended by BMW Service Techs and I even purchased it from BMW.

[123Britt]

I am trying to recognize -- then realized that you have N52 -- I am familure
with N54 -- sorry

[dylim]

That's ok... I have an N51 (2008 328xi) to be precise... it's also a SULEV, is that different?

[TheTallJS]

EricTheCarGuy says don't use the paste sealant because it'll solidify and be difficult to remove in the future.