Graz

I have a LCI E61 BMW 535D (Tourer) on a 58 plate with 55k miles on the clock. I bought it around two years ago from a main stealers with around 25k miles on it.

Been largely trouble free, had two new injectors under warranty and a crankcase oil separator or some such gizmo replaced to cure an oil leak.

Lately I've noticed it's started leaking a bit of oil again as there is a small patch on the drive. It was due a MoT and brake fluid change yesterday so I booked it in at my local garage for the work and mentioned the oil leak. Been using them for years and always trusted their judgement / diagnosis.

Anyway on collecting it he told me it was bad news regarding the oil leak. It wasn't coming from the engine but the turbos and he seems to think the bearing oil seals are on there way out. Said it shouldn't really be happening at such low miles but it's not the first one he's seen with the problem.

Now I'm confused, if one or both of the turbos are leaking oil through the bearing seals wouldn't this be internal and get burnt off in the engine. Why the external leak? He said they took some of the pipework off and there was some oil in the pipes and intercooler but this doesn't explain the patch on my drive.

I don't see any white smoke out of the exhaust, although I've never really looked for it, and it doesn't use any oil according to the electronic dip stick.

I'm thinking it's more likely to be something in the oil feed to the turbos that's leaking rather than the turbos themselves but I kind of hoped they'd have ruled all that out easily enough.

Finally if it does give up the ghost what will happen? Just plumes of smoke out of the exhaust or something more catastrophic?

Thoughts?

Cheers,

Graz

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Hmm, odd. To be frank without seeing the leak myself I can't really give any comment. Its very compact and bijoux in that area...even with the single turbo version, so diagnosing the source of leaks around there is very difficult.

But, I assume if they saying its turbo bearing/shaft seals, the only place oil can come out of is via one of the air hoses. Now the o-rings on these hoses can leak a bit, as they do on most turbo diesels. Obviously oil in the induction system isn't good, but all turbos do it to varying degrees - partly turbo seals, partly oil breathers. So really the question isn't that its leaking oil as they will all do it, but more so how much is leaking and if its excessive.

I've never had to mess with any hoses on these, nor would I fancy taking on the challenge either. Not impossible, but it looks like a ball ache.

Can you live with it? Probably, depends on how tidy you like your driveway LOL.....I've got a diesel patch on the drive from our 530d GT, haven't a clue where its coming from LOL (mind you, I never bothered to look for the leak ). The only car I had that didn't leak oil was a 1987 Nissan Sunny.

If a turbo fails...you won't get masses of smoke...you have A DPF. That'll filter most of it. So turbo failure isn't something you want to ignore....metal particles in the inlet, engine run-away, hydro-locking, and a clogged dpf. Obviously that's a worst case. So keep an eye on oil levels, and any strange/abnormal noises, anything untoward, get it checked out.

Evolution Stu

iTrader: (2)

If the leak is front drivers side between headlight and turbocharger its usually the O-ring on the lower outlet pipe just before intercooler.
Very common and there is an upgraded part for it. These pipes will always have oil in and its quite normal.

Graz

Thanks for that.

Appreciate that it is difficult to provide diagnosis without actually seeing the thing. It is an odd one, it's only leaking a little bit, just small marks on the drive. I can live with it but would obviously rather have a car that didn't leak oil. As far as the drive goes I'm sure it can be cleaned up and as it's block paved worst case scenario is getting the offending blocks turned over at some point.

It doesn't use any oil day to day so it must just be a tiny bit that is leaking which leads back to the fact that most turbos lose a little into the induction. If I had more time I'd be tempted to have a closer look myself but as you say it is very cramped in that area of the engine bay.

Thing is my mechanic was fairly adamant that the turbos were on there way out even suggesting that it may be worth my approaching BMW UK as they shouldn't be failing at such a low mileage. Perhaps I should have kept the warranty going

Anyway I'll keep an eye on it and hope he's wrong. Plan was to keep it for three years and trade up but that's over a year away yet. I really like the car but there's too much to go wrong and it's very complex so I'm not sure that I'd want to keep running it into its old age. If it really were on it's way out that could be a good case to sell on now but I don't really want the hassle of changing cars just yet.

Graz

Thanks.

I getting more convinced that my mechanic may be panicking over the lifespan of my turbos unnecessarily. As I say they've been pretty good over the years but only with the wife's cars and my old Passat. Not used them for a car this complicated before, used to go to PowerStation with the ScoobyDo. Perhaps I may be better off finding a specialist for the next service.

Evolution Stu

iTrader: (2)

Pop the bonnet and shine a torch down to the lower left boost hose. Its a corrugated affair normally and its usually pretty obvious if its leaking oil as it will be soaked at the lowest end.