Service & repair
E36 & E46 Oil Leaks: Valve Cover, Filter Housing and Pan Gaskets
Finding and fixing E36 and E46 oil leaks — the valve cover gasket, oil filter housing gasket, oil pan and seals.
Almost every E36 and E46 leaks oil somewhere by now. The usual places are the valve cover gasket, the oil filter housing gasket (which can drip onto the belts), the oil pan gasket and the front and rear crank seals. Oil on the exhaust makes smoke and a burning smell; oil on the belts can throw them.
We clean the engine, find where the oil is actually coming from — it runs downhill, so the drip is rarely the leak — and quote that.
Signs it needs doing
- A burning oil smell after driving
- Smoke from the engine bay
- Oil spots under the car
- Oil on the belts or pulleys
What the job covers
- Leak found and traced to its source
- Gaskets and seals replaced as quoted
- Engine bay cleaned and re-checked
What it costs
Every car is different at this age, so we price it once we have seen yours. Yes. You get a written estimate by email with a private link, and you approve it job by job — or decline what you don’t want. We won’t go over the estimate you approved by more than Colorado allows (10% or 25 dollars, whichever is less) without asking you first.
Questions
Will I know the price before you start?
Yes. You get a written estimate by email with a private link, and you approve it job by job — or decline what you don’t want. We won’t go over the estimate you approved by more than Colorado allows (10% or 25 dollars, whichever is less) without asking you first.
Where to find us
Where to bring it
Book ahead so the car has a bay and the right person when it arrives. We get back to you to agree a time.
Book an appointment3 Series Parts Service
The service shop
More of what we do
Scheduled maintenance (Inspection I / II)BMW’s Inspection I and Inspection II maintenance for the E36 and E46 — fluids, filters, plugs, brakes and a full look-over, on our estimate first.
Oil serviceOil and filter change for the BMW E36 and E46 with the right oil for your engine, plus a quick look underneath while it is on the lift.
Cooling system overhaulRadiator, expansion tank, water pump, thermostat and hoses for the E36 and E46 — the plastic cooling parts these cars are known to crack.
VANOS repairDiagnosis and repair of the VANOS variable valve timing on E36 and E46 sixes — seals, solenoids and the M3’s high-pressure VANOS.
Book an appointment
Bring your E36 or E46 in
Nothing is booked or charged until we have talked, and any price comes as a written estimate you approve first.
Body damage, paint or rust? See our body shop. Parts for your own work: shop used E36 and E46 parts. Both shops.
Independent repair shop; not affiliated with or endorsed by BMW AG or BMW of North America. BMW is a registered trademark of BMW AG.