1997 BMW 328i oil questions

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I have 1997, BMW 328i auto with 147,000. I have used 15W-40 dino (Rotella T) since 25,000 miles with no consumption. Oil change interval at 3,000 - 3,500.

I've just noticed a slight oil consumption, 1/2 qt per 3000 miles plus a minor leak at rear of motor, just above the round cross member/bar (maybe a 1.5 inch circle on the garage floor over night).

I've read many posts on this board and still have a couple of specific questions.

My questions.

With a 9 year old engine, with 147,000 miles is there anything I should do to improve the odds of getting maximum mileage (250,000)and performance out of the car as "she" ages.

Should I keep dino and 3000 mile interval?
Go syn?
Change weight?

I plan on keeping her for a very long time.

Our driving conditions are:
Winter: 25 - 30 F
Summer: 95F
Driven daily 20 miles highway with some city
Weekend 100 mile trips all highway
Garaged at night: 65F
Very little warm up time. Start and back out garage and go.


Any technical insight you can offer will be appreciated.

Lar
 
Put a piece of plywood under the engine of the car in the garage and staple old newspaper to it. Change out the old paper with fresh ones when you change the oil.
I would use a thinner W weight oil in the winter ie 5W-30 or Rotella's 5W-40 or 0W-40 syn/ semi-syn.
 
40 weight is good for that engine.
I would have that leak fixed first. Then do Auto-RX cleaning and maybe a switch to synthetic (Rotella 5W-40).
 
Larry, I am owned by an older '79 BMW, also. You have done things RIGHT! I'd keep doing what your doing with the 15w40 Shell Rotella. A fine oil for BMW's.

The leaks will come with time and sometimes correct themselves when left alone. A baking sheet with newspaper, kitty litter if your cat won't get mad and get-even, dirt or nothing at all. That way you can see the actual drips before you wipe them up.

You could also repair the leak when it gets to bug you. May be an easy fix or require an engine tear down. If your keeping the car, wait until a major repair is needed, but with your excellent care, the rest of the car will be gone before the engine!
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German Car you know.
 
From what I've read around here, I have a sense that dino is less prown to present leakage on an already taxed seal, but then again it could be due to seal deposits that have been put in place from the oil itself, aside from some of the natural seal swelling enabled from basic refined components. Perhaps some of the deposits have been dislodged, resulting in uneven mating surfaces, otherwise hardened seals, shrinkage and cracking, etc.
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If synth was used from the beginning, deposits may not have developed or to such a degree, so it's rumored
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. That's of little use to you and myself, as my 11 year old volvo seems to have a similar problem.

Try as I will, a high mileage oil with seal conditioners (Valvoline, Havoline, Castrol, etc.). Others also have mentioned the use of AutoRX which is said to both clean and treat.

FWIW - I also second the idea about using a lighter weight oil during the cooler season(s) to help with initial flow, aide with cool oil fuel economy and to help prevent over pressurization. The latter leaving me to wonder just how much this induced signs of seal failure in my case.

Also, why such short OCIs - 5K maybe?

Good luck.
 
Keep doing what you are doing, it has worked well so far for you. If it were me I would do the leak stop program with AutoRx. At 9 years old the seal may simply need some help, no gaurantees though. the rear seal may simply need replaced.
 
Curious,

Regarding the 3,000 mile interval, "old school", use to work at service station as a kid and that was our recommended interval to the client base, mostly doctors and lawyers wives! Kept it.

I recently bought a 1996 SATURN SL2 DOHC, 100,000. Switched to Amsoil oil and filter. I have a hard time keeping it in there greater than 5,000.............just eats at me.

Thoughts?

Lar
 
The only thing you might change is to go to a 5w-40 synthetic to help the vanos during cold startup. Given you don't operated in super low temperatures and the car gets started in the morning in a 65f garage, I wouldn't be to worried.

If it were me, just keep changing at 5000 mile intervals with 15w-40 and don't worry about it. 40 weight oils are ideal for that motor and it will run far longer than 250k with the maintence you are giving it.
 
Yeah, funny, I was just mentioning to someone how according to the chart in my '82 BMW 320i owner's manual, it said to go w/ 15W50! I ran 10W40 Valvoline in it instead (this was 15 years ago).

I think you'll be fine. The first thing I'd do is try to FIND the leak. It may be nothing. I had been panicking thinking my Saab had a timing chain cover seal leak but when it got down to it, it was the $15 oil pressure sender. I suffered with that leak since November!
 
Larry,
I have same car as you ( 1996 328i )but with less mileage; only 105,000 with no noticeable oil consumption.
Firstly, I agree with Brian, find the source of the leak; it may be simple to fix.
I live in a colder winter climate than you so I'm using Mobil 1 0W30 at present; I may thicken it up in the spring to a 40wt by adding some VSOT. In the past I've used M1 0W40 year round changing the oil once a year.
Since you're planning on keeping the car for " a very long time" I frankly don't know why you're not using synthetic oil, changing it out once a year or when the engine oil monitor says to which ever comes first. Ever 3000 miles particularily a HDEO is simply a waste of time and money.
I'd recommend a lighter oil such as M1 0W40 or another 0W40 brand; definately nothing heavier than a 5W40. You could even try GC 0W30 which is a heavy 30wt oil and very shear stable.

Peter
 
Cary,

What's the purpose of VANOS? I've asked on bimmerwerkz but no one has answered me with a "simple" explanation. Have you found a good BMW forum?

Caterham,

Lets talk oil filters. Are you running the OEM cartridge with your syn or aftermarket to get the time between changes?

All,

Next weather permitting day (no rain and greater than 50 F) I'll degrease the engine. I'll pick up a cam cover gasket set next Wednesday when I'm near the dealer and get it installed. Once I remove the plastic under the hood, I'll have a better view of engine. I'm betting rear seal, just looks like the general area. Will let you know.

Lar
 
Larry Horne asks >
> What's the purpose of VANOS? I've asked on
> bimmerwerkz but no one has answered me with
> a "simple" explanation. Have you found a good
> BMW forum?

I am not Cary but I can respond. VANOS in this example is on the intake cam only and varies the cam to open later/earlier (valve timing) depending on rpms to increase torque at lower rpms while still maintaining power and efficiency.

(Googling)

Here, more than you ever wanted to know about VANOS:

http://www.bmwworld.com/technology/vanos.htm

Newer BMWs add Valvetronic which can vary the amount of valve lift and when combined with Double VANOS and the fully variable intake manifold, really results in increased power and efficiency.

Regards,

Rich
 
VANOS is BMW's Variable Valve Timing that changes the timing as the rpms's change. Unlike lesser cars, it does this to both the intake and exhaust valves (referred to as Double VANOS). It increase hp and torque throughout the engine's rpm range.

However, I'm a little surprised that you have leaks with the 15-40, but it is a dino and I believe that leaks are inevitable with any dino. Isn't the Rotella T a diesel oil? Shouldn't these have enough detergents to prevent leaks? Maybe try Delo 15-40?

Otherwise, whenever I switched to synth. (once with a different brand) in my BMW I got a leak. Usually oil pan gaskets. I would still recommend switching to synth. Start with Syntec 5-40. That's what I'll be using in my GF's `94 325is soon. Or the 5-50 with some LC is what I use in my 94 850. If the leak increases, it would be nice to know if it eventually goes away with syth. use. Just do regular engine washes (ev. 6 mo.) to keep her clean.

In the 8, I had the gaskets replaced so I'll never know, but she has 221k...zero leaks.

[ February 16, 2006, 12:13 PM: Message edited by: Dr. T ]
 
Others have already answered what vanos is. The reason that I mention it, is that people running heavy oils in cold climates have had issues with the Vanos sticking when the engine is cold. Remember the vanos uses oil to operate.

Re consumption. In my wife's M50 525i, I ran M1 15w-50 for years (California mild climate 30f-100f). It worked fine with consumption of about 1 quart every 1500 miles. When I went to 0w-40, then engine was quieter during startup, and after an intitial period of high consumption, consumption actually dropped to about 1 quart every 3000 miles.
 
Larry,

My experience with oil leaks on my older M30-big six engine is that the oil pressure sending unit, at the rear of the cylinder head, failed its seal integrity, causing the leak. It would leave a puddle and caused me to think that the rear main bearing seal had failed. Check this out, it may be the cause. A new sending unit, fixes it.
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Yeah, my friend did this in his high-mi. `87 325, but he stuck in there with the synth and the oil leak went away.

Likewise, the consumption should go down too (if you stuck with it). It was probably cleaning things out. Or you could always have gone to the 5-50...
 
VANOS changes cam timing for a flatter torque curve. My 1992 325i does not have it and lacks low-end torque. I test drove a 328i and the difference in city driving was substantial.

I would caution about changing from 15W-40 to any synthetic in a high-mileage BMW. I did and am sorry. At about 125,000 miles I had no leaks and minimal oil consumption, about 1qt/5000 miles. 10W-40 Castrol Syntec was on sale, is BMW LL approved and seemed to be a conservative way to try synth. Oil consumption tripled and now I have seepage, but not a puddle on the floor. Went back to Delo, the oil consumption went back to normal, but the seepage is permanent. Auto-Rx made no difference.

I use Purolator or STP filter inserts and 6000 mile OCI's, validated by UOA's.
 
I took this weekend to get into the oil leak and here is what I found.

I cleaned the engine good with degreaser and drove it a few miles to dry off. Got home and looked at the seal between the oil filter housing and engine block..........Why you ask because the BMW parts guy Jeff said to. There was already a weeping spot showing up.....not pouring out but I would not have thought it should show with only 3 miles of driving.

The plan was to replace the valve cover gasket and bolt gromets (15 total) but since I saw the other leak I went back to the parts shop Saturday morning and donated another $100 in parts.

So I went to work. You have to remove the plastic covers on the top of the engine (covering coils and injectors). Then remove the air filter box and cold air intake including the altenator cooling tube. Remove the alternator belt (oh replaced the tensioning pulley too, noisey) and alternator. Remove the power steering pump and move it aside. Good practice to clean the area around the filter housing prior to removing the 6 bolts which need to me marked and returned to their original spots.

The pre-formed o-ring style gasket was hard as a rock. Definitely needed replacing.

The next thing was to remove the valve cover. Remove the coil packs and place out of the way. Then remove the 15 (10mm) nuts and grommet assemblies. You have to remove a few grounding straps to the coil packs first.

The pre-formed valve cover gasket was BRITTLE! Especially the interior part that seals between the cover and the spark plug access holes, not much oil in the plug holes but this gasket was definitely shot!

Cleaned everything nicely and reinstalled all parts, torqued as instructed. I could not find torque values for the oil filter housing bolts in any manual I had. Used similar bolt and application information here. A little RTV on the 1/2 circle cut outs on the back of the head and the 4 corners.

So far no indication of leaks, at least from these 2 areas.

Next job. Replace transmission filter, gasket and fluid........no such thing as lifetime fluid!

Go syn on trans?

end
 
I wouldn't go synthetic on trans fluid if doesn't have syn now. I've only heard horror stories about making the switch in older transmissions. They don't appear to last very long after the synthetic stirs things up.
 
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