My car is bleeding OIL after 15K service @ Classic BMW

gb007 · 05-22-2010, 06:41 PM

So guys, just had my 15,000 mile service at Classic BMW. A week later and my car starts bleeding oil from the bottom of the engine. No lights came on or anything!!! Amazing, the engine was basically just pouring oil out....no drips but a slow POUR. I immediately called a roadside assistance. The top cap is fine and no oil up top or messy in the engine....all literally pouring out of the bottom!!!!! It's back at Classic and I haven't heard anything yet. Very upset about this.

I heard somewhere about this possibly being fairly common on 08 e92 m3s - the cap filler seal at the bottom? I've also heard many errors occurring from the service appointments, tightening etc., which might cause the issue.

Thoughts/Opinions?

I have NO DOUBT it will be fixed...but at what cost to ME in terms of POSSIBLE residual damage to my engine because of this. My car drove flawlessly and perfectly (never a mishap) prior to this 15K service at Classic.

CATCH_M3 · 05-22-2010, 06:43 PM

subscribed.. I have never heard of this before but good luck!

calintexas · 05-22-2010, 08:20 PM

What did your electronic oil level gauge say? If you didn't get a oil needed warning, your engine likely isn't hurt.

If it's not the cap gasket, it could be one of the sump drains is loose.

gb007 · 05-22-2010, 08:41 PM

There was never a single light that came on. Yet I personally saw 3 quarts probably spilled...

calintexas · 05-22-2010, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gb007

There was never a single light that came on. Yet I personally saw 3 quarts probably spilled...

3 quarts is a lot. It would spread all over your garage floor. It would take one of the drain plugs coming out to do that (or some other failure).

Be sure to tell us what the resolution is.

Bigslick2332 · 05-23-2010, 02:01 AM

I bet they hand tightened the drain plug, wiped it clean, then forgot to tighten it with a wrench. If this is the case they probably wont admit it.

Vintage · 05-23-2010, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigslick2332

I bet they hand tightened the drain plug, wiped it clean, then forgot to tighten it with a wrench. If this is the case they probably wont admit it.

agreed - forgot to use a torque wrench with the proper setting; then pressure built up and surprise, a big leak

DevJ · 05-23-2010, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigslick2332

I bet they hand tightened the drain plug by hand, wiped it clean, then forgot to tighten it with a wrench. If this is the case they probably wont admit it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by VintageBMW

agreed - forgot to use a torque wrench with the proper setting; then pressure built up and surprise, a big leak

Sounds like you found your problem Greg!

ranger22 · 05-25-2010, 12:22 PM

Did you ever figure out what those clowns at Classic did to your car?

gb007 · 05-25-2010, 04:45 PM

Classic BMW is treating me like a number and just saying your car is ready...not our fault. The oil drain plug at the bottom of engine completely fell out and poured most of the oil out, but because it didn't happen two hours after the oil change, but rather two weeks they aren't really taking responsibility for this. I informed them I don't drive this car everyday. It had less than 150 miles since the oil change had happened. Prior to this 15K service, the car never a single problem.

I have escalated.

calintexas · 05-25-2010, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gb007

Classic BMW is treating me like a number and just saying your car is ready...not our fault. The oil drain plug at the bottom of engine completely fell out and poured most of the oil out, but because it didn't happen two hours after the oil change, but rather two weeks they aren't really taking responsibility for this. I informed them I don't drive this car everyday. It had less than 150 miles since the oil change had happened. Prior to this 15K service, the car never a single problem.

I have escalated.

They are the ones that did the work. Properly installed drain plugs don't fall out. Even left loose, the drain plug would take a while to back out. Keep after them. If you don't get satisfaction, I suggest you send them a letter (copying BMW NA) detailing the events and requesting an engine inspection and letting them know that if there are issues with the engine down the road, you will be taking appropriate legal action. If you are really concerned, you should pay a lawyer to write the letter.

The good news is that given that much of the oil ended up on your garage floor, your engine is likely fine.

bobbyd1961 · 05-25-2010, 05:19 PM

sounds like a lousy dealer that cant even change oil. bring it somewhere else like i did when mine leaked oil after oil change. i never went back to the original dealer and im so happy now

frenchM3dreamer · 05-25-2010, 05:29 PM

i would get your engine inspected ASAP at a place you can trust...
although, if you didnt hear any strange noises from the engine you're most likely fine... and a thorough inspection would mean some major dismantling of your engine, which is not necessarily good either if not needed...

don't ask me how i know... "in a way" (although i hate to say that), it makes me feel better (damn i REALLY hate to say that) that Mitsubishi' dealers are not the only ones screwing up oil changes AND not taking responsibility... right now it's costing me $ 8k to find that out...

good luck...

gb007 · 05-27-2010, 05:30 PM

2 days of driving and the car seems to be driving very well. No strange noises, etc. Keep in mind, it happened within a very short trip, so fortunately I was able to minimize the situation and not drive the car that much while it was dripping oil.

There were never any lights that went on, oil, check engine, etc. which makes me scratch my head, but nevertheless. So far so good.

Lesson learned? I will never use Classic BMW in the future. A simple oil change mistake is unacceptable for our M machines.

Thank you all for your inputs. The torque wrench when putting the drain valve back on sounds like what probably happened.

Classic is full of young Plano guys. I wouldn't be surprised if the technician was texting on his phone and half ass doing the oil change at the same time, not paying attention all along. Sad but true.

Have a good weekend.

Bigslick2332 · 05-27-2010, 08:53 PM

Mistakes happen, if you read my guess about what happened I almost nailed it. Its how you rectify the mistake that separates the good from the bad.

05-22-2010, 06:41 PM	#1
gb007 Private First Class 9 Rep 107 Posts Drives: 2008 E92 M3 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dallas, TX iTrader: (0)	My car is bleeding OIL after 15K service @ Classic BMW So guys, just had my 15,000 mile service at Classic BMW. A week later and my car starts bleeding oil from the bottom of the engine. No lights came on or anything!!! Amazing, the engine was basically just pouring oil out....no drips but a slow POUR. I immediately called a roadside assistance. The top cap is fine and no oil up top or messy in the engine....all literally pouring out of the bottom!!!!! It's back at Classic and I haven't heard anything yet. Very upset about this. I heard somewhere about this possibly being fairly common on 08 e92 m3s - the cap filler seal at the bottom? I've also heard many errors occurring from the service appointments, tightening etc., which might cause the issue. Thoughts/Opinions? I have NO DOUBT it will be fixed...but at what cost to ME in terms of POSSIBLE residual damage to my engine because of this. My car drove flawlessly and perfectly (never a mishap) prior to this 15K service at Classic. Last edited by gb007; 05-22-2010 at 06:46 PM..
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05-22-2010, 06:43 PM	#2
CATCH_M3 Lieutenant 67 Rep 471 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW M3 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Toronto iTrader: (1)	subscribed.. I have never heard of this before but good luck!
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05-22-2010, 08:20 PM	#3
calintexas Lieutenant Colonel 151 Rep 1,599 Posts Drives: 2019 X3 M40i Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: North Texas iTrader: (1)	Most Issues Have Been the Fill Cap Gasket What did your electronic oil level gauge say? If you didn't get a oil needed warning, your engine likely isn't hurt. If it's not the cap gasket, it could be one of the sump drains is loose. __________________
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05-22-2010, 08:41 PM	#4
gb007 Private First Class 9 Rep 107 Posts Drives: 2008 E92 M3 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dallas, TX iTrader: (0)	There was never a single light that came on. Yet I personally saw 3 quarts probably spilled...
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05-23-2010, 02:01 AM	#6
Bigslick2332 Private First Class 9 Rep 121 Posts Drives: 2020 M340i Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Dallas, Tx iTrader: (3) Garage List 2020 BMW M340i [0.00]	I bet they hand tightened the drain plug, wiped it clean, then forgot to tighten it with a wrench. If this is the case they probably wont admit it. Last edited by Bigslick2332; 05-23-2010 at 03:46 PM..
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05-25-2010, 12:22 PM	#9
ranger22 Private First Class 6 Rep 163 Posts Drives: E90 M3 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Dallas iTrader: (0)	Did you ever figure out what those clowns at Classic did to your car?
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05-25-2010, 04:45 PM	#10
gb007 Private First Class 9 Rep 107 Posts Drives: 2008 E92 M3 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dallas, TX iTrader: (0)	Classic BMW is treating me like a number and just saying your car is ready...not our fault. The oil drain plug at the bottom of engine completely fell out and poured most of the oil out, but because it didn't happen two hours after the oil change, but rather two weeks they aren't really taking responsibility for this. I informed them I don't drive this car everyday. It had less than 150 miles since the oil change had happened. Prior to this 15K service, the car never a single problem. I have escalated.
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05-25-2010, 05:19 PM	#12
bobbyd1961 Banned 43 Rep 2,406 Posts Drives: 2009 M3 sedan LeMans Blue Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: new jersey iTrader: (0)	sounds like a lousy dealer that cant even change oil. bring it somewhere else like i did when mine leaked oil after oil change. i never went back to the original dealer and im so happy now
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05-25-2010, 05:29 PM	#13
frenchM3dreamer Captain 8 Rep 784 Posts Drives: 08 Mitsu Eclipse Spyder GTP Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Edmonton, AB iTrader: (0)	i would get your engine inspected ASAP at a place you can trust... although, if you didnt hear any strange noises from the engine you're most likely fine... and a thorough inspection would mean some major dismantling of your engine, which is not necessarily good either if not needed... don't ask me how i know... "in a way" (although i hate to say that), it makes me feel better (damn i REALLY hate to say that) that Mitsubishi' dealers are not the only ones screwing up oil changes AND not taking responsibility... right now it's costing me $ 8k to find that out... good luck...
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05-27-2010, 05:30 PM	#14
gb007 Private First Class 9 Rep 107 Posts Drives: 2008 E92 M3 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dallas, TX iTrader: (0)	2 days of driving and the car seems to be driving very well. No strange noises, etc. Keep in mind, it happened within a very short trip, so fortunately I was able to minimize the situation and not drive the car that much while it was dripping oil. There were never any lights that went on, oil, check engine, etc. which makes me scratch my head, but nevertheless. So far so good. Lesson learned? I will never use Classic BMW in the future. A simple oil change mistake is unacceptable for our M machines. Thank you all for your inputs. The torque wrench when putting the drain valve back on sounds like what probably happened. Classic is full of young Plano guys. I wouldn't be surprised if the technician was texting on his phone and half ass doing the oil change at the same time, not paying attention all along. Sad but true. Have a good weekend.
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05-27-2010, 08:53 PM	#15
Bigslick2332 Private First Class 9 Rep 121 Posts Drives: 2020 M340i Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Dallas, Tx iTrader: (3) Garage List 2020 BMW M340i [0.00]	Mistakes happen, if you read my guess about what happened I almost nailed it. Its how you rectify the mistake that separates the good from the bad.
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