Oil leaks into my coolant

Mezart · 09-13-2017, 04:55 PM

Hello, Ive never posted on here before but have searched all my questions and concerns with my 2008 335i (sedan, auto) and I have found many different thoughts and opinions on what this is or could be. I'd like to state I brought it to 3 different shops because I was so certain there was an issue with the coolant and the engine bay was hotter than it should be. The first shop that noticed the issue was an unreputable place, (also its not where I usually have it serviced). And 2 European "specialists" said there was no issue. I was confident that there was, and my suspicion was oil in it. Finally a reputable/reliable mechanic also was confident there was oil in my coolant😂 He says I'm going to need to replace the oil housing gasket. And the work and parts will be about $700-$800. My concern is that i need to replace the head gasket. Because I would hate to pay nearly $1,000, and blow a head gasket. So is the oil housing gasket actually the issue? I just feel like if 2 specialists on BMW don't notice the issue I tell them about, how can I trust any of them??? Please help!!

DSilk · 09-13-2017, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mezart

Hello, Ive never posted on here before but have searched all my questions and concerns with my 2008 335i (sedan, auto) and I have found many different thoughts and opinions on what this is or could be. I'd like to state I brought it to 3 different shops because I was so certain there was an issue with the coolant and the engine bay was hotter than it should be. The first shop that noticed the issue was an unreputable place, (also its not where I usually have it serviced). And 2 European "specialists" said there was no issue. I was confident that there was, and my suspicion was oil in it. Finally a reputable/reliable mechanic also was confident there was oil in my coolant�� He says I'm going to need to replace the oil housing gasket. And the work and parts will be about $700-$800. My concern is that i need to replace the head gasket. Because I would hate to pay nearly $1,000, and blow a head gasket. So is the oil housing gasket actually the issue? I just feel like if 2 specialists on BMW don't notice the issue I tell them about, how can I trust any of them??? Please help!!

That is the cheapest possibilty. My first thought would be a head gasket. The other possibilities are a crack in the block or a warped head. The gasket (one or the other, or both) is the most likely culprit.

OzCoE92 · 09-13-2017, 05:32 PM

Wrong forum, but I used to own a 335i so I may be able to provide some insight. You have the N54 motor which I what I had as well, and you are probably in need of the OFHG (oil filter housing gasket), and a Valve Cover gasket, which requires replacement of the valve cover itself, because they are one unit. You may also be in need of the head gasket as well, which will be a lot of work and $$. I would start with the OFHG and check for leaks once that is done. The N54 is a great motor, but all of the other accessories attached to it tend to fail hard between 80-100k miles. Good luck!

BOOF-M3 · 09-13-2017, 06:22 PM

Hey OP welcome to the club. See the next post below, I believe you will have your answer.

Solo_M_Tech · 09-13-2017, 07:19 PM

It's the oil filter housing gasket. 100%. It's incredibly hard to blow a head gasket on an N54. The car will shut off completely if it gets close to that hot.

Also the N54 valve cover does not contain coolant in any capacity. Therefore that suggestion is irrelevant.

You might as well change the oil cooler gasket while you're at it. It's attached to the housing on the front and is prone to leak onto the belt, causing it to shred and send chunks of belt through the front main seal and into the oil pan. At which it's picked up by the oil pump, starving the engine of oil, and causing catastrophic failure.

As an Indy BMW tech, The 335i is my bread and butter and pay the bills. I've done 100 or so of these and your exact symptoms are the tale tell signs the gasket is toast. You need to do a full coolant flush and oil change after repair.

BOOF-M3 · 09-13-2017, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adenau

It's the oil filter housing gasket. 100%. It's incredibly hard to blow a head gasket on an N54. The car will shut off completely if it gets close to that hot.

Also the N54 valve cover does not contain coolant in any capacity. Therefore that suggestion is irrelevant.

You might as well change the oil cooler gasket while you're at it. It's attached to the housing on the front and is prone to leak onto the belt, causing it to shred and send chunks of belt through the front main seal and into the oil pan. At which it's picked up by the oil pump, starving the engine of oil, and causing catastrophic failure.

As an Indy BMW tech, The 335i is my bread and butter and pay the bills. I've done 100 or so of these and your exact symptoms are the tale tell signs the gasket is toast. You need to do a full coolant flush and oil change after repair.

There's your answer OP. Not the head gaskets but definitely not valve covers. Winner.

Mezart · 09-14-2017, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adenau

It's the oil filter housing gasket. 100%. It's incredibly hard to blow a head gasket on an N54. The car will shut off completely if it gets close to that hot.

Also the N54 valve cover does not contain coolant in any capacity. Therefore that suggestion is irrelevant.

You might as well change the oil cooler gasket while you're at it. It's attached to the housing on the front and is prone to leak onto the belt, causing it to shred and send chunks of belt through the front main seal and into the oil pan. At which it's picked up by the oil pump, starving the engine of oil, and causing catastrophic failure.

As an Indy BMW tech, The 335i is my bread and butter and pay the bills. I've done 100 or so of these and your exact symptoms are the tale tell signs the gasket is toast. You need to do a full coolant flush and oil change after repair.

Thank you!!😀 I'll be sure to update you guys just in case it is something else

Superhanabi · 03-07-2024, 07:34 AM

Hello, I am looking to purchase a 335i but it has some issues. It is losing lots of coolant very quickly. It lost a gal by just being running idle a handful of time within a week or so. There is no sign of coolant leaking on the floor. it starts easily but i can hear the engine ticking. Currently there are 4 check engine codes - P304, P128, P304 "P", P306 "P".

The owner has a go-to shop. They are at a lost what to do next. Looking at some of the some of the service records I can tell that the shop is not familiar with Bimmer and that they are more to replace anything they can find wrong or suspect. Because of that, they have replaced many things in the N54 - like OFHG, valve gasket, water pump, thermostat. I know they did not replace the head gasket but I heard it was not the common culprit. I am debating if I want to get into this hot mess.

Any feedback is appreciated. If you have a connection of BMW mechanics out in this area i would appreciate it if you can share the info with me.

Thank you in advance.

09-13-2017, 04:55 PM	#1
Mezart Registered 2 Rep 4 Posts Drives: 2008 335i Join Date: May 2017 Location: Largo iTrader: (0)	Oil leaks into my coolant Hello, Ive never posted on here before but have searched all my questions and concerns with my 2008 335i (sedan, auto) and I have found many different thoughts and opinions on what this is or could be. I'd like to state I brought it to 3 different shops because I was so certain there was an issue with the coolant and the engine bay was hotter than it should be. The first shop that noticed the issue was an unreputable place, (also its not where I usually have it serviced). And 2 European "specialists" said there was no issue. I was confident that there was, and my suspicion was oil in it. Finally a reputable/reliable mechanic also was confident there was oil in my coolant😂 He says I'm going to need to replace the oil housing gasket. And the work and parts will be about $700-$800. My concern is that i need to replace the head gasket. Because I would hate to pay nearly $1,000, and blow a head gasket. So is the oil housing gasket actually the issue? I just feel like if 2 specialists on BMW don't notice the issue I tell them about, how can I trust any of them??? Please help!!
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09-13-2017, 05:32 PM	#3
OzCoE92 Lieutenant 96 Rep 448 Posts Drives: 2012 BMW M3 Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Wisconsin iTrader: (3)	Wrong forum, but I used to own a 335i so I may be able to provide some insight. You have the N54 motor which I what I had as well, and you are probably in need of the OFHG (oil filter housing gasket), and a Valve Cover gasket, which requires replacement of the valve cover itself, because they are one unit. You may also be in need of the head gasket as well, which will be a lot of work and $$. I would start with the OFHG and check for leaks once that is done. The N54 is a great motor, but all of the other accessories attached to it tend to fail hard between 80-100k miles. Good luck!
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09-13-2017, 06:22 PM	#4
BOOF-M3 Brigadier General 4452 Rep 4,014 Posts Drives: 2011 M3 Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: South Pasadena Florida iTrader: (1)	Hey OP welcome to the club. See the next post below, I believe you will have your answer.
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09-13-2017, 07:19 PM	#5
Solo_M_Tech Brigadier General 1688 Rep 3,140 Posts Drives: 2014 M5 6MT Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Massachusetts iTrader: (7) Garage List 2014 BMW M5 [0.00]	It's the oil filter housing gasket. 100%. It's incredibly hard to blow a head gasket on an N54. The car will shut off completely if it gets close to that hot. Also the N54 valve cover does not contain coolant in any capacity. Therefore that suggestion is irrelevant. You might as well change the oil cooler gasket while you're at it. It's attached to the housing on the front and is prone to leak onto the belt, causing it to shred and send chunks of belt through the front main seal and into the oil pan. At which it's picked up by the oil pump, starving the engine of oil, and causing catastrophic failure. As an Indy BMW tech, The 335i is my bread and butter and pay the bills. I've done 100 or so of these and your exact symptoms are the tale tell signs the gasket is toast. You need to do a full coolant flush and oil change after repair. __________________ 2014 M5 6MT Last edited by Solo_M_Tech; 09-13-2017 at 07:31 PM..
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03-07-2024, 07:34 AM	#8
Superhanabi Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW 335i Join Date: Mar 2024 Location: Buffalo NY iTrader: (0)	2008 BMW 335i Convertible Auto (89,000 miles) Hello, I am looking to purchase a 335i but it has some issues. It is losing lots of coolant very quickly. It lost a gal by just being running idle a handful of time within a week or so. There is no sign of coolant leaking on the floor. it starts easily but i can hear the engine ticking. Currently there are 4 check engine codes - P304, P128, P304 "P", P306 "P". The owner has a go-to shop. They are at a lost what to do next. Looking at some of the some of the service records I can tell that the shop is not familiar with Bimmer and that they are more to replace anything they can find wrong or suspect. Because of that, they have replaced many things in the N54 - like OFHG, valve gasket, water pump, thermostat. I know they did not replace the head gasket but I heard it was not the common culprit. I am debating if I want to get into this hot mess. Any feedback is appreciated. If you have a connection of BMW mechanics out in this area i would appreciate it if you can share the info with me. Thank you in advance.
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