Engine Oil Level keep dropping.

[azeL_Inc]

Recently, i noticed my Engine Oil keep missing! Haha..i meant, the oil level keep going to min level.One day when i m driving on hiway, the light (insufficient engine oil or whatsoever) lit up. Since, i am due to engine oil, i head straight to workshop to check.I thought it was just one time since it never happened before, so i just change engine oil and drove away. But after 4000km, the warnign light lit up again (actually lit up, n when i turn off and on engine, it goes off).Is this a sign of major problem? What should i be looking into... sigh...one by one problem keep popping out....i m also having problem with water level keep dropping too..now it s engine oil..grrr....btw i m driving 318i 2.0..

 

[jarance]

Maybe engine type, year would help as well.

BTW, what is the mileage clocked?

 

[azeL_Inc]

owh...engine is N42B20...year 2002...
i normally use castrol edge...sometimes 5w, sometimes 10w

i bought the car recond...at mileage of around 20000miles (i m quite certain the mileage not been tampered, during that particular of time, but now, reading lots of stories from our fellow friends, wondering too..haha..anyway too late)
Now after 1 year and 5 months, clocking 48000miles...yeah, i travel a lot...

Anyway, since Jarance," the walking BMW Encyclopedia" is here, i have a question to ask..
(I always like it when Jarance reply to post, very informative posts.hehe)
Maybe not related to the title of thread, but, I found a piece of metal on the ground (where i normally park my car).it is a small piece of metal..
I am wondering whether this piece is coming from my car, or not..no idea..
Trying my luck, maybe hard to recognize from photo, taken from my HTC summore..only small piece, comparing with my key...hehe..


the photos:

 

[fashraf]

bro azel,

I am having similiar model & year as yours. I got same problem. Finally I get the top overhaul done to the engine and now tip top! Total pocket burnt RM2500.... for the water level problem, it seems your water hose and connectors somewhere are now due for replacement.... got to prepare roughly RM500-600 for that...

 

[r37720]

there is a potential of the valve seal probelm. To test, just let the engine idle for more than 5 minutes and check the exhaust if there is white smoke comes out. If yes then just change the valve seal.

With a special tool to hold the valve, you dont even need to do top overhaul. Cost around RM1K plus only or less.

 

[azeL_Inc]

there is a potential of the valve seal probelm. To test, just let the engine idle for more than 5 minutes and check the exhaust if there is white smoke comes out. If yes then just change the valve seal.

With a special tool to hold the valve, you dont even need to do top overhaul. Cost around RM1K plus only or less.

Thanks!! Will try that out tomorrow.. i guess the white smoke should be obvious to be seen right.

bro azel,

I am having similiar model & year as yours. I got same problem. Finally I get the top overhaul done to the engine and now tip top! Total pocket burnt RM2500.... for the water level problem, it seems your water hose and connectors somewhere are now due for replacement.... got to prepare roughly RM500-600 for that...

yea..i hope the problem with the host, less headache..coz i ve changed the expansion tank before...

 

[jarance]

owh...engine is N42B20...year 2002...
i normally use castrol edge...sometimes 5w, sometimes 10w

i bought the car recond...at mileage of around 20000miles (i m quite certain the mileage not been tampered, during that particular of time, but now, reading lots of stories from our fellow friends, wondering too..haha..anyway too late)
Now after 1 year and 5 months, clocking 48000miles...yeah, i travel a lot...

Anyway, since Jarance," the walking BMW Encyclopedia" is here, i have a question to ask..
(I always like it when Jarance reply to post, very informative posts.hehe)
Maybe not related to the title of thread, but, I found a piece of metal on the ground (where i normally park my car).it is a small piece of metal..
I am wondering whether this piece is coming from my car, or not..no idea..
Trying my luck, maybe hard to recognize from photo, taken from my HTC summore..only small piece, comparing with my key...hehe..


the photos:

bro, edit your key pattern.. somebody may duplicate your key based on the pattern.

Thanks for the compliment but honestly I am no bmw encyclopedia. There are alot more forummers who are more knowledgeable than me.. :wink: (pss.sst most of info are from google. so now you know my secret).

Regarding that piece of "cover". It look familiar but I cant seem to place it.. Will google.. HA..HA.. :smokin:

 

[jarance]

there is a potential of the valve seal probelm. To test, just let the engine idle for more than 5 minutes and check the exhaust if there is white smoke comes out. If yes then just change the valve seal.

With a special tool to hold the valve, you dont even need to do top overhaul. Cost around RM1K plus only or less.

r37720, care to share what the special tools that you mentioned to hold the valves. Would be interesting to know how it works.

yes white smoke can be seen when the engine is cold.

 

[jarance]

Maybe not related to the title of thread, but, I found a piece of metal on the ground (where i normally park my car).it is a small piece of metal..
I am wondering whether this piece is coming from my car, or not..no idea..
Trying my luck, maybe hard to recognize from photo, taken from my HTC summore..only small piece, comparing with my key...hehe..


the photos:

Pertaining to the black cover, it look like a the cover of a bicycle ringer. dring.. dring...

 

[saat]

Nampak cam loceng basikal lah bro.

 

[azeL_Inc]

Pertaining to the black cover, it look like a the cover of a bicycle ringer. dring.. dring...

LOL...........
i guess i m just being paranoid (worried that the pieces may cause me troubles later on)

btw Jarance, ur cute photo of the ringer makes it even funnier

 

[kshapawi]

there is a potential of the valve seal probelm. To test, just let the engine idle for more than 5 minutes and check the exhaust if there is white smoke comes out. If yes then just change the valve seal.

With a special tool to hold the valve, you dont even need to do top overhaul. Cost around RM1K plus only or less.

I have white smoke d...but not sure why...as usual piston ring already out need to do top overhaul..

 

[Grand]

You may want to troubleshoot the oil separator first. Mine was emitting white smoke at startup and after idling at traffic light. Changed the oil separator and the smoke is gone. This could be due to the oil separator being clogged and egnine oil seeped thru. This is a much cheaper and quicker alternative repair route compared to changing the valve seal. I have been to several other workshops prior to this and most of them recommended changing the valve seal. If not for the time factor to change the seal, I would have accepted their suggestion and parted with more than RM2K although the seal may not necessarily be the culprit. And once they open up your engine top to change your valve seal, they would normally suggest that you might as well change the oil separator. Thus in the end, you may not be sure whether it is the replacement of the oil separator or the valve seal which solve your problem, or may be both :burnout:. See my post at the E60 thread. :wink:

 

[azeL_Inc]

Grand, how much it cost you to just change the oil separator...

 

[Grand]

Plus labour RM800.00