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      09-30-2011, 01:52 AM   #1
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Just bought my M3 today and its leaking oil.

I drove my brand new M3 home from the dealership today and I see that there is oil on my driveway. Not a lot but enough that it bothers me. The oil sign is now coming on when I turn off my car. What should I do and is this normal? Thanks for your help!
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      09-30-2011, 01:53 AM   #2
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Is it clear? If it is, it could be water dripping from your AC condenser.
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      09-30-2011, 02:18 AM   #3
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it is oil for sure. The oil light is coming on when I turn off my car.
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      09-30-2011, 02:25 AM   #4
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Get it flat bedded back to the dealer.
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      09-30-2011, 02:38 AM   #5
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Serious? Its not a lot of oil. Can I just drive it there? Its about 15 miles away.
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      09-30-2011, 03:20 AM   #6
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Well, if the oil level is still within the "min/max", you certainly can. Obviously just keep a close eye on the level.

Good luck and let us know what the cause turns out to be!
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      09-30-2011, 03:34 AM   #7
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Call the dealer and let them know, they might not want to run the risk of it being driven if it's been doing it for a while and it's low on oil - probably just flatbed it like schnell said. Check the oil, if its not on minimum you should be fine if its not far to drive
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      09-30-2011, 05:46 AM   #8
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check the cap, they can often leak here.
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      09-30-2011, 09:11 AM   #9
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Is it new or used?
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      09-30-2011, 09:40 AM   #10
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Its brand new. Only 50 miles on the beauty. I'll check the cap and the oil level. Thanks a lot for all the help guys.
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      09-30-2011, 10:12 AM   #11
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Hope it's minor!
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      09-30-2011, 05:47 PM   #12
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I got the car put on a flat bed and returned it to the dealership. They just called and said it turns out the lower oil cover was missing and needed a new seal. Does this sound right? They said it was only missing a quarter of the oil but when I checked the oil level from the on board computer system it said it was completely empty. Any suggestions on what I should look for when I pick up the car? Should I demand anything from the dealer. It was a complete hassle for me and plus theres oil all over my drive way.
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      09-30-2011, 05:57 PM   #13
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Wow. I would hope they offer you something to regain your trust. Wow...
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      09-30-2011, 06:03 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmg040 View Post
I got the car put on a flat bed and returned it to the dealership. They just called and said it turns out the lower oil cover was missing and needed a new seal. Does this sound right? They said it was only missing a quarter of the oil but when I checked the oil level from the on board computer system it said it was completely empty. Any suggestions on what I should look for when I pick up the car? Should I demand anything from the dealer. It was a complete hassle for me and plus theres oil all over my drive way.
Something obviously ain't right here. What happened with the dealer prep/inspection? Meaning, how the hell did they not see that part missing? Secondly the onboard computer is notoriously inaccurate with the oil level but there is a HUGE difference between missing 1/4 of the oil and completely empty. I don't know what or who to believe on that one.
Anyway whatever happens after this is on THEIR DIME all your out is time which is a PITA. Your probably fine enjoy the car and congrats. At least get some floormats thrown in for your trouble. If you haven't already. Definitely don't leave empty handed.

Last edited by PhillyNate; 09-30-2011 at 07:39 PM..
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      09-30-2011, 07:20 PM   #15
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BMG40....if the engine oil was completely empty there is the possibility of unknown consequences for that engine as miles are added on, and I would NOT be comfortable with that. Your posts/thread actually hit home for me since I went through your exact situation. This past May my girlfriend bought a new car. She picked out the car and options and I found the best price for it. She got a 2011 Buick Turbo Regal. We picked the car up in the AM on a Saturday and drove it home, stopping to hit a Mall on the way back. Total of 75 miles. Went to go back out again with the car and found a massive oil leak just like you. The undercarriage was soaked with oil from the front all the way to the rear tailpipes with oil all over the driveway. Called the Buick Customer hotline at 6pm and asked them to flatbed the car back to the "selling" dealership, NOT the closest Buick dealership (we bought it in PA and live in NJ about 70 miles away). Monday at 9AM was on the phone with the GM of the dealership and advised them that they now have a Buick Regal for a demo and made clear in no uncertain terms I was not taking the car back. The dealership got authorization from Buick to get us another Regal, we picked it up several days later.

I would be doing the same here..................
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      09-30-2011, 07:49 PM   #16
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Wow......that's insane. I'd ask AT LEAST for the PDI charges back.
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      09-30-2011, 08:09 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmg040 View Post
They just called and said it turns out the lower oil cover was missing and needed a new seal.
Before you panic, a few things. First of all, there's no 'lower oil cover', so it had to be the oil cap. Most likely gasket bunched up and leaked (VERY common). If you had opened the hood, you'd have seen it .
Second of all, cars come with oil from the factory, so it had oil; otherwise you'd have seen and heard the low oil pressure warning. The electronic gauge only shows the last liter of NINE, so even if it shows 'empty', you still have eight liters in there. And the right way to check level is a reset on a flat surface with engine idling with engine fully hot (DO NOT pay attention to reading taken while driving; it's innacurate). Next time your car is in for service, CHECK THE CAP yourself. Good luck.
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      10-01-2011, 08:50 AM   #18
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I picked up the car yesterday and your right it was just the seal on the cap that was the problem and caused about a liter of oil to leak out. They gave me a $100 gift certificate to a nice restaurant and are paying for my drive way to be power washed. I think it was fair and the car is running great. Thanks again for all your help guys I've learned a lot in this experience thanks to all of you. I love the M3, its a feeling no one can have unless you own one .
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      10-01-2011, 09:35 AM   #19
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I would bet check the oil cap , i had to have mine replaced for the exact same issue .. seems to have fix prob , good luck .
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      10-01-2011, 10:34 AM   #20
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      10-01-2011, 01:45 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmg040 View Post
I think it was fair and the car is running great.
That sounds like a fair deal, but can't believe after 4 years of production dealers are still doing those stupid mistakes ; just hope they didn't use a high-pressure washer to clean your engine. Or a too-strong of a chemical that etched the aluminum. Check it and make sure it's squeaky clean and free from solvent damage. And every time you remove the oil cap, coat it with a thin film of oil, just like a cartridge oil filter. Enjoy your new baby .
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      10-03-2011, 01:01 AM   #22
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Everything is cleaned and the way it should of been. I'll make sure to lube the ring, thanks for the advise.
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