Any ideas where this oil leak is coming from?

I started to notice drips of oil on my garage floor in the last few months and finally lifted the car to see where this leak is coming from. By looking under I cannot determine exactly where is the leak. By looking in the engine compartment down, there is nothing visible to tell me an oil leak. So where is this leak coming from? Rear main seal? Oil filter gasket? What are the typical oil leaks that would cause this?

I'm in the same boat. Check by the oil filter housing area, that's where mine appears to be forming. I will tackle it once this miserable winter leaves NY already.

Originally Posted by bkgreene39

I'm in the same boat. Check by the oil filter housing area, that's where mine appears to be forming. I will tackle it once this miserable winter leaves NY already.

you aint lying... im tired of winter. Helpfully spring comes soon!

Clean your engine really well and then watch for the leak. At this point, it could be from ANYWHERE.

I am in process of solving a similar problem with my 530i. Oil pan has been wet for 2-3 months but source is not obvious from below. Try looking under the valve cover on the block to see if there is any obvious signs of leakage. You can do this from the engine bay with a flashlight. In particular, look at the engine block behind the oil filter housing and under the intake manifold. This will definitely require a flashlight. My problem is at least partially due to a failing CCV system that must have been cracked and was leaking oil onto the block. I may also have an oil filter housing gasket leak but no way to tell yet. The CCV on my car failed big time ~10 days ago and I was suddenly burning tons of oil. I replaced the CCV and all hoses this week and found the engine block behind the oil filter housing and underneath the intake manifold was covered in oil. I also found the power steering hoses are leaking and contributing to what is dripping from my car. The best way to inspect these is to drop the plastic cover underneath the engine. My car has about 130K miles on it.

Originally Posted by mda185

I am in process of solving a similar problem with my 530i. Oil pan has been wet for 2-3 months but source is not obvious from below. Try looking under the valve cover on the block to see if there is any obvious signs of leakage. You can do this from the engine bay with a flashlight. In particular, look at the engine block behind the oil filter housing and under the intake manifold. This will definitely require a flashlight. My problem is at least partially due to a failing CCV system that must have been cracked and was leaking oil onto the block. I may also have an oil filter housing gasket leak but no way to tell yet. The CCV on my car failed big time ~10 days ago and I was suddenly burning tons of oil. I replaced the CCV and all hoses this week and found the engine block behind the oil filter housing and underneath the intake manifold was covered in oil. I also found the power steering hoses are leaking and contributing to what is dripping from my car. The best way to inspect these is to drop the plastic cover underneath the engine. My car has about 130K miles on it.

Im at 130K now also. Dealer replaced the Oil filter gasket maybe 3-4 years ago. My CCV is new. My Valve cover gasket is still orginal and I will focus on that. Will definitley go over the engine with a flashlight more thorough. Thanks