[cornish p38]

HELP Im having a few problems with my p38 its has the 2.5 bmw diesel engine i popped the bonnet to find the top of the oil filter covered in oil the top has been changed so cant be a crack in the plastic cap and im starting to pull my hair out does anyone have any ideas?

ill try and get some pics up later to see if that helps!

 

[RRToadHall]

Hmmm. Have you cleaned the engine so you can see where the oil is coming from?

 

[cornish p38]

yes i have poured gallons of water and gunk over the engine one leak is from the dip strick oil seal but the one thats really getting me is around the oil filter it just appears on top of the oil filter but not when its ticking over only when i drive it!

 

[viperover]

If memory serves me right the oil filter housing top is a kinda plastic, its a BMW engine and all BMW plastic parts fail
Im having a run on BMW 540s at the monment changing rad hoses left right and center.

In the cap is a o ring, wonder if thwy was replaced on its last service, tip being a diesel you must follow oil changes
like clock work, very important on diesel motors

 

[tonybig666]

do you do your own servicing? if so do you change all the O rings? if it is pushing oil back up the dipstick you might have a problem with back presser is the breather on the rocker cover to air inlet (under the plastic cover) all right
Tony

 

[cornish p38]

Thanks guys ill do some more checks i changed the plastic cap this week with a brand new one from range rover and all seals were good and intacked ill look into the breathers on it later when i get chance to get under the bonnet!

 

[cornish p38]

Tony is the breather the big plastic circle one that goes into the intercooler pipe over top the engine?

 

[cornish p38]

Ok guys i have spent the afternoon playing and trying to sort this out and have found its as Tony said its blowing oil up past the dip stick so is this an indication my engines gone or is it just a blocked breather and if so can someone point me in the direction of all of the engine breathers so i can get them cleaned out!

 

[keithdixon]

engine breathers are on the top of the rocker covers.

They clog up with oil, there is a strainer (well plastic thing) within one if not both of the breather hoses.

They should be changed during routine service (although are't), they stop pressure building up in the engine (forcing the oil out)

Remove the breather hoses and check to see if they are clear.

Or order some more before you start as if you don't know what they are i guess you haven't changed them recently

Should only be a few pounds

 

[cornish p38]

Thanks for the replys the breathers have not been chaned recently so today i have changed it there is only one and it goes into the cam cover and the other end is into intercooler pipe.
However this has not cured my problem so while the engine was running i took the filler cap off and there was not alot of pressure in the cam cover the oil that came out was flying off the cam itself i could put my hand over the whole and still not alot of pressure so im now wondering is there an internal breather or oil way thats blocked hence the pressure being released via the dip stick?

Any suggestions welcome!

 

[tonybig666]

not got back sooner bin on silly shift. May be a daft question are you having to top the oil up? if it is only when driving may be coming from somewhere else what's what's your power steering level like?
Tony

 

[cornish p38]

Hi tony
no its coming from the dip stick to rule things out i put a latex glove over the dip stick tube and now the engines clean but splashes inside the glove its not alot of oil as drove all the way around the m25 when this first happened and the oil level was only slightly down from max.

wondering if its as simple as the seals on the dipstick itself!

 

[tonybig666]

Hi your dipstick should have 2 O rings might just need renewing
Tony

 

[tonybig666]

took a bit of doing but got the photo to upload
Tony

 

[cornish p38]

I have ordered a new dipstick will be here on thursday so ill update everyone then.

 

[cornish p38]

Well fitted the new dipstick today and all seemed fine untill i went up a long steep hill and again i have oil coming from the dipstick tube!

If i cant find a cure its off to mid cornwall 4x4!

 

[tonybig666]

is it as much or less may be a split in the dip stick tube is there still oil on the oil filter housing?
Tony

 

[cornish p38]

its alot less than it was and its come out over the starter motor area this time. trouble is i noticed the coolent hoses were solid yesterday so now wondering if the head gaskets on the way out!

 

[cornish p38]

Thanks to every one who offered advice with my problems its been found my egr was blocked and to top it off the head gasket has gone!