[TurboDan737]

Hi All,

First post on here, but have been a lurker for years. I registered because I'm having trouble identifying an oil leak on my X3. There is a small amount of oil on the driveway every day, it is generally yellow in color and smells "oily" (if that makes sense).

My first thought would be brake fluid, but the reservoir is perfectly just below "max." Given the fact that there's no dipstick, I used iDrive to check the engine oil and it came back 100 percent full. No lights are on, the car performs perfectly and if not for having a white concrete driveway, I would never have known anything was leaking. The oil dripping appears near the driver's side to the rear of the front tire.

The only thing I could find under the hood was a small amount of oil on the right side (driver's side) of the engine cowling near a cap. But it was just a drop or two. I also can't figure out from *any* diagram what, exactly, is inside this cap. I tried to loosen by hand and it will not budge. Didn't want to break out tools and force it without knowing what it is, much less if it's even the problem to begin with. I'll leave two pics below. My guess is a filter given torque measurements, but I'll leave it for the masses to advise, lol.

Thanks for any help!

[383vett]

The oil filter hosing gasket has been known to leak on X3s.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by TurboDan737

Hi All,

First post on here, but have been a lurker for years. I registered because I'm having trouble identifying an oil leak on my X3. There is a small amount of oil on the driveway every day, it is generally yellow in color and smells "oily" (if that makes sense).

My first thought would be brake fluid, but the reservoir is perfectly just below "max." Given the fact that there's no dipstick, I used iDrive to check the engine oil and it came back 100 percent full. No lights are on, the car performs perfectly and if not for having a white concrete driveway, I would never have known anything was leaking. The oil dripping appears near the driver's side to the rear of the front tire.

The only thing I could find under the hood was a small amount of oil on the right side (driver's side) of the engine cowling near a cap. But it was just a drop or two. I also can't figure out from *any* diagram what, exactly, is inside this cap. I tried to loosen by hand and it will not budge. Didn't want to break out tools and force it without knowing what it is, much less if it's even the problem to begin with. I'll leave two pics below. My guess is a filter given torque measurements, but I'll leave it for the masses to advise, lol.

Thanks for any help!

Get a couple of paper towels or clean rags, use a degreaser and clean all the way around the oil filter cap from the top of the cap down past where it screws onto its housing. Make sure you clean it well. Then, either check it every couple of days with a clean paper towel to see if oil is leaking or wrap a clean paper towel around it and secure in in place with a rubber band. Check it every couple of days. If your o-ring is leaking, you'll surely see it.

.

[hardparker]

Originally Posted by 383vett

The oil filter hosing gasket has been known to leak on X3s.

On ALL N55s. ETA for leaks is 75K miles on average, it seems.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by hardparker

On ALL N55s. ETA for leaks is 75K miles on average, it seems.

I've got 82k, so far no leaks of any kind. Just a point estimate.

[pungo]

Originally Posted by TurboDan737

The only thing I could find under the hood was a small amount of oil on the right side (driver's side) of the engine cowling near a cap. But it was just a drop or two. I also can't figure out from *any* diagram what, exactly, is inside this cap. I tried to loosen by hand and it will not budge. Didn't want to break out tools and force it without knowing what it is, much less if it's even the problem to begin with. I'll leave two pics below. My guess is a filter given torque measurements, but I'll leave it for the masses to advise, lol.

Thanks for any help! Attached Images

That round cap you are showing is the oil filter cover. The Oil filter is right under it. You need a special oil filter cap socket to remove it properly. If it's wet, the the o-ring on the cap may not have been installed correctly. Take the cap off with the special tool and check the o-ring.

[FranzX3M]

That could just be oil from an oil change. When you remove the filter oil spill everywhere unless you open it partially to break the vacuum and let it drain for a while. First degrease and clean the area very thoroughly and then monitor if it comes back before changing anything.

[DBU]

That is exactly where you will find oil from a failing oil filter housing gasket. Clean it up and check in a couple of days. If it is back, get that fixed. Long term, oil will disintegrate the rubber on the drive belt and believe it or not, the engine can "inhale" it (literally suck it in to internals) and worst case, then your engine is toast.

[doodlebro]

Originally Posted by hardparker

On ALL N55s. ETA for leaks is 75K miles on average, it seems.

I think age is the more important variable. Seems like it happens around 5-6 years old from that measure. Less if the car is driven very little.