2006 330XI/E90 Oil Leak - Checked the obvious

Hi,
I was hoping to get some guidance on tracking down an oil leak on my son's 2006 330XI. I put a fair amount of effort into chasing it down before I posted but I'm hitting a dead end. The oil is pooling on the drivers side right around the power steering rack banjo connections. There's a decent amount leaking and it's definitely motor oil and not power steering fluid. I determined this by look/smell and also with dye and a UV light. Here's the common areas I checked and in some cases previously addressed:

1 - Oil filter housing gasket - I originally thought this may be the issue as it was seeping a bit of oil. I replaced it a few weeks ago and although it is no longer leaking, it didn't fix my larger problem. I also checked the housing cap and O-ring.

2 - VANOS solenoids - No leaks around them.

3 - CAM Positions Sensors - Both were replaced recently and no leaks around them.

4 - Valve cover gasket - Replaced 2 years ago and I looked with a boroscope
and with the UV light and don't see any leaks.

5 - Oil fill cap - No leaks

6 - Oil pan gasket - Looked with the boroscope around the oil pan and with the UV light and don't see any leaks. I also checked the sensor.

7 - Check/Non-Return Valves - Replaced these several months ago as the O-rings went bad and were dripping oil. I checked and no issues there.

8 - Timing chain tensioner crush ring - Previously replaced, no current issues.

9 - Front crankshaft seal - Checked with the boroscope and with the UV dye. I'm not 100% sure it's not leaking but I checked as best as I could with the pulley still on.

Anything obvious I should check for that I didn't list? Commonsense would tell me that the leak is on the drivers side lower engine since that is where the oil is pooling and doesn't appear to be coming from the top of the engine. Unfortunately the subframe is blocking full access, so it's tough to dig much further in that area I know the leaks on these engines can be deceiving since it is tilted.

I appreciate any guidance!
Thanks,
Ron

EX0PIL0T

Brandoch wrote

EX0PIL0T

Don’t know you dawg go learn how to be useful you overgrown teachers pet

EX0PIL0T wrote

Don’t know you dawg go learn how to be useful you overgrown teachers pet

Good morning so far? You seem happy and Joyfull.

Brandoch wrote

Good morning so far? You seem happy and Joyfull.

Yeah it was until I had some annoying ass bitch with nothing better to do in my mentions again 😂 please find a hobby. Try the car in your garage if you’re struggling to come up with something

EX0PIL0T wrote

Yeah it was until I had some annoying ass bitch with nothing better to do in my mentions again 😂 please find a hobby. Try the car in your garage if you’re struggling to come up with something

OMG you are so cute when you are angry!!

Brandoch wrote

OMG you are so cute when you are angry!!

A grown ass man trying to instigate across multiple posts (unrelated to each other) across multiple days does nothing but make me laugh. I sure hope you take the time to think about your car instead of making more and more assumptions like you do with people. Actually, scratch that. I can’t wait to buy it at auction when it’s a rotted out shitbox. Either way, if I was mad, all I’d have to do is remember you’re Canadian and your PM is routinely fucking the shit out of you and laughing about it. Enjoy your cost of housing and living, and say hi to some unskilled immigrants for me on your way to whatever you do with yourself all day! You can keep replying to me if you’d like, but you’ll have to get a proper nanny to entertain you if you’d like any more attention.

EX0PIL0T wrote

A grown ass man trying to instigate across multiple posts (unrelated to each other) across multiple days does nothing but make me laugh. I sure hope you take the time to think about your car instead of making more and more assumptions like you do with people. Actually, scratch that. I can’t wait to buy it at auction when it’s a rotted out shitbox. Either way, if I was mad, all I’d have to do is remember you’re Canadian and your PM is routinely fucking the shit out of you and laughing about it. Enjoy your cost of housing and living, and say hi to some unskilled immigrants for me on your way to whatever you do with yourself all day! You can keep replying to me if you’d like, but you’ll have to get a proper nanny to entertain you if you’d like any more attention.

Always political lol
They are related posts, another person posting on the M3 forum about a normal 3 series car.
I just wanted to get your permission to say something about it, maybe direct them to the appropriate forum.
Whom is attacking who?

I’d degrease/clean up the entire engine and subframe area and start again. You mentioned UVs and dyes but if it’s as large as you describe it should be easy to spot once everything is cleaned up. Flashlight and mirror, get in there and take a look around, from below, above and anywhere you can stick a hand or mirror. Boroscopes are useful but in my experience nothing beats direct visuals.

Any pics you can share - this is an M3 forum so our engines are quite different, not all of us know where to look so visuals could help.

Ajolives wrote

I’d degrease/clean up the entire engine and subframe area and start again. You mentioned UVs and dyes but if it’s as large as you describe it should be easy to spot once everything is cleaned up. Flashlight and mirror, get in there and take a look around, from below, above and anywhere you can stick a hand or mirror. Boroscopes are useful but in my experience nothing beats direct visuals.

Any pics you can share - this is an M3 forum so our engines are quite different, not all of us know where to look so visuals could help.

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to take another stab at it tomorrow. I did get a pic but it only shows oil on top of the banjo bolts of the power steering rack, so not so useful. I'll get this moved to the E90 forum, that was a mistake.
Thanks!