Engine oil leak

[e30m3ochoa]

Well I recently a 325i and I found out that it's leaking engine oil. Im not sure where the leak is but I think it's coming from an area close to the distributor but on the side of the spark plugs. I'll add a picture if it helps to diagnose the leak or is there a way that I can find it?

[Jon325i]

First, if you have access to a powerwasher, clean things up a bit and then watch for the source after doing some normal driving. Based on where you spotted it, the leak could be your valve cover gasket or where your oil filter is located (possibly the flanges to the lines feeding the oil cooler?).

Jon

[e30m3ochoa]

Oh I see, well I don't have access to a pressure washer. Well let me take a picture of where I see the leak because I've cleaned it before and a couple days later I check and it's back. Can't I buy a dye to see where it would be coming out of?

[efficient]

Yea a dye and a uv light. They sell a kit at autozone for like 20 bucks

[e30m3ochoa]

So I might have found the leak. It looks like its where the oil filter is connected. Would that be the oil pump? Does anyone know what part I am referring to?

[Herr Faust Schinken]

no the oil pump on m20s is in the oil pan , my car leaks a bit from there too i believe its just that the oil filter is sometimes just not put on perfectly so it leaks sometimes it has to do with the o ring on the filter

[e30m3ochoa]

Oh ok, but the leak is not on the filter but on the metal part that is connected to the engine block that the filter is connected at. It leaks from the bottom and possibly where it is connected on the block. Does that make sense.

[Herr Faust Schinken]

yeah kinda i think there is ether an oring or some kind of gasket that may go there, have to check tomorrow for you , also do you know if the lines from the oil cooler are leaking , because those have a higher likelihood of leaking than the seal to the block

[blk90e30]

There is a o-ring that gets sandwiched inbetween the oil filter housing and the block same leak on my car. Could also be the oil cooler lines if you have them also leaked on my car both pretty easy to fix.

[e30m3ochoa]

Oh I see, would it be possible of sending me a pic of the leak? I'm not really sure where the oil cooler lines are because I recently got this car and it's my first one.

[jlevie]

The oil filter adapter has an o-ring to seal it to block and an o-ring and crush washer for the bolt that holds the adapter on. The oil cooler lines have o-rings to seal them to the adapter. And there is a thermostat in the adapter that has an o-ring. Any of those could be leaking.

[DooDanE30]

it may just be your old oil pan gasket.