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545I oil leaks come right on time

4K views 52 replies 8 participants last post by  patrick_y 
#1 ·
Well just broke 100,000 miles and took it in for oil change of course they tell me I have some leaks. One is the vac pump which I already knew but just have been lazy and haven't fixed yet. The other was the valve cover gaskets also not bad. Well that was until last week when I started smelling it burning on the driver exhaust manifold. Then 2 days ago it started pissing out. I guess on the driver side manifold but more towards the rear. I was driving to work and smoke was pouring from the engine compartment and it was like 2 degrees so I had the heat on and then the cabin filled with smoke. Anyway got it home and had a friend load it on a trailer to take it to a shop in Winchester VA. When it was half way on the trailer it leaked at least half a quart of oil on the road and by the time we got there there was about a 1/5 of a quart on the trailer. Can it be that bad from the valve covers or could there be another leak from that area. And what could it be. Don't think the alternator gasket it looks nice and dry.
 
#4 ·
I didn't think so either so it's going in on a 912 dollar repair bill for valve cover gaskets and upper timing chain covers. But I'm planning on at least another 1200 for something. Next on the time chart will be valve seals. I see a lot of people complain around 110 to 115 k so about 2 more months.
 
#25 ·
$300 seems very reasonable. Doing it yourself and having that satisfaction is priceless.

I haven't changed the valve cover gaskets on the BMW, but the Mercedes-Benz dealer charged me several hundred dollars $800 approx. to have them them changed on a Mercedes vehicle. And I'll be paying that again soon on another vehicle.
 
#9 ·
OP, i would double check alternator housing gasket. i never seen valve cover/timing case cover gaskets causing trail of oil.

i did see in many occasions where due to change of temperature alt housing seal would leak massive amount of oil since oil is pressurized going through the gasket.

valve cover gasket/ timing cover gasket for $900 is a great deal given 545i is even tighter than 645i or 745i , we charge $1200 for upper timing case cover gasket w/ valve cover gaskets.

p.s also have the check oil pressure sensor and valve seals - if your engine is smoking from tail pipe and having to add quart of oil every other week than you have internal valve seal leak, which in that case you have to remove upper timing case cover and camshafts to replace the seals. wouldn't want to pay for labor twice when you can knock all of them out at once.
 
#11 ·
New quote. So a lot was leaking but mainly the alternator gasket. I had the feeling but was in denial. So the vcg, timing cover gaskets, alternator gasket, and vac pump seals oh and fresh oil change and engine cleaning 1811 out the door. It's weird but kinda happy.
 
#18 ·
I just got mine back from bmw today, it's been there since last Monday. I had a oil leak from hell. Timing cover, oil sensor leaking, behind the alternator bracket leaking and both valve cover gaskets. Luckily I have an extended warranty on the car only had to pay $75, Grand total from bmw was $3,100
 
#21 ·
I'll take the hit. Like I said before when I get all the leaks fixed. I still have smg issues that'll be coming soon. Which cost a lot more that these leaks so when we settle on our new house in May I'm gonna say goodbye and get a tl or ctsv. But I'll miss the bmw look and handling but not the over engineered issues that come up all the time. If I got another it would be something like a 3.0 x5.
 
#44 ·
I have driven the E39 M5 and the 2005 and 2006 E55 AMG (very similar to the 2003).

My thoughts about the E39 M5; beautiful interior, great quality, smooth ride, good brakes, good power, good transmission, good audio system. Only fault, the steering wasn't very communicative, not terrible, but a little vague. Only complaint is the steering.

THe 2005/6 E55; beautiful interior but compared to the E39 M5 the dashboard is not full leather. Good ride, but slightly vague with the air suspension, also long-term reliability of the air suspension is a question mark. The POWER is amazing, pointless because in the USA the police would stop you, but it's a really nice to have that kind of effortless power, amazing power. Brakes are very capable, but the feeling is a bit strange because it's a computer controlled braking system so the brake pedal has artificial feedback; but the hardware is a 8 piston front caliper by Brembo. The steering ratio is a little slow, not a huge amount of feel, and a little bit on the light side; but the steering is probably better than the E39 M5 overall because it's more precise.

The E Class AMG isn't perfect, but it's a nice car. And with all the acclaim the E39 M5 gets, nobody seems to mention the steering isn't perfect. In the end, I would say the M5 has fan boys, and if I try not to be a fan boy, I would say the E55 is worth looking at.

And I've driven the E60 M5 as well. And while I really like the E60 M5, it genuinely gets an emotional response from me, I would really not like to have it on a daily basis. The car is not a car you can take clients or colleagues out to lunch in. It's not something you can take your mother or grandmother in. If you get the SMG version, the SMG doesn't shift smoothly no matter what "level of aggression mode" you're in (it has 6 modes) unless you shift at something higher than 3500 rpms. It gives your passengers a lot of noise, some vibration, and your passengers will be constantly wondering what's going on. The M5 makes a very good weekend car in my opinion. The E60 M5 has good handling, good braking, good acceleration, an annoying transmission, too firm of a suspension, and a beautiful full leather interior. Nice car. I want one, just to hear the sound of the V10 engine. That sound is so good...
I need to drive all these vehicles at some point.

I will echo your sentiments about the E60 M5 though. I wanted a comfortable, handy, Q-ship and I got that with the 550i. Sure the M5 will outperform it, but the 550i is better for everyday use.

The AMGs are significantly cheaper than the E39 M5s that's for sure though.
 
#46 ·
I need to drive all these vehicles at some point.

I will echo your sentiments about the E60 M5 though. I wanted a comfortable, handy, Q-ship and I got that with the 550i. Sure the M5 will outperform it, but the 550i is better for everyday use.

The AMGs are significantly cheaper than the E39 M5s that's for sure though.
Since you have a 550i...

Since you have a 550i, I would say you should go for something a bit extreme, the M5. But think about it thoroughly, it's very stiff, a bit like a teenager's rice rocket with cut springs. I sat in one for a two hour drive to go to wine country (and a two hour drive to come back from wine country) and it would've been an embarrassment to BMW if you weren't aware of what an "M-Car" was because it was extremely harsh and uncomfortable even on the highway. I was getting beaten up in the back seat. It's a big price to pay, but when you're accelerating, that engine sound is just wonderful. But since you don't hear it on the highway, all you can do is try not to get beat up by the suspension. The aforementioned driver did have the EDC (electronic damping control) set in the stiffer mode (three modes; stiff, stiffer, stiffest) so the car can probably be more acceptable than the way I found it. I've test driven the car on the least stiff mode and found it to be stiff, but it is probably bearable.

But if extreme harshness is not your thing, and reasonable comfort is expected, but a less luxurious cabin (the E55 doesn't have a full leather interior that's otherwise available on the M5) then I hope you can take supreme acceleration that comes with the E55. The E55 has a party piece, and that's its engine that is so amazing it generates 476 hp and 516 lb/ft of torque. Combined, that's 992 power units, from a decade ago! That's powerful, even in today's modern terms. The current V8 Turbocharged F10 M5 560 hp and 500 torque, netting 1060 power units when combined. The F10 M5 is a great car; it's like a 550i, it's comfortable, luxurious, quiet, does everything fairly well, handling isn't as sharp as the E60 M5. The only problem with the F10 M5 is that it's not super-special to drive, it drives very similar to the 550i, it's quiet, it's docile. THe E60 M5 was the most special and most radically different from its 5-series brethren than any M5 made so far, but many would say it was too emotional, loud, and stiff. And that SMG transmission on the E60 M5 was a difficult partner to tango with.

Lastly, the E55 with the V8 Kompressor engine is just something really special. Open the hood and you'll see there's almost no plastic (the airboxes and that's it) on the engine itself. It's lovingly hand built. If you like torque, you'll love this engine.

The E39 M5 is a great all around car. But it doesn't do anything especially well. The excellent E39 handling is let down by the mediocre steering in the M5 (the V8s in the E39 chassis such as 540i and M5 have recirculating ball steering which feels imprecise and artificially boosted). But, out of all the 5-series, I still really like the E39; there's a feeling of quality in that car that you don't get anymore. And I like the conservative styling of the E39 with its sobering design. The E60 looked like a spaceship when it came out (it has since grown on me) and the F10 is back to conservative. I love the E39 in the 525i/530i guise with the rack and pinion steering those cars had. Great cars with great handling.

Perhaps the best duo would be to have an E55 as your day to day driver, and an M5/M6 with the V10 engine as your weekend car when you want those emotional driving experiences.
 
#23 ·
Yeah the 545I is right there with the s2000 in the handling dept. But it's a 4 door sedan which made me smile on the back roads. I may keep it and just get a beater who knows. But putting 110 miles a day on it and that's just to work the add sports and local driving I'm at almost 1000 miles a week. That's were a civic would come in handy but then I have to drive a civic.
 
#24 ·
Having a economical week runner back n forth work is the way to go with that kind of milage . I have a chevy colorado I use as my daily driver . The 545 In the garage sits till the week ends some times 3 to 4weeks, and I can't wait to get in it on Friday and feels so good to drive it . It's like my own personal treat for the week ends .
 
#28 ·
I've looked into the e55 amg but see a lot of complaints on electrical gremlins and parts are expensive. That's why the ctsv stood out. And the LS engine is bomb proof the only weak link on it is it's diff But cheaply upgraded. And all parts can be bought same day at any auto store. You just do a little cam and head work your well over 500 hp and still get 20 mpg... Well maybe if your foot doesn't get heavy.
 
#29 ·
The E55s (and all the 211 chassis cars) did have some issues in the 2003 models but the 2005-2006 models have all the bugs worked out.

I'm not really a modification type person, so I was thinking more stock for stock. The weak differential would be a concern for me, but I didn't know there was an inexpensive upgrade.
 
#30 ·
Rebuilds are not to bad but bmr suspension makes a kit to basically keep the rear from bouncing around. And I'd have to mod it because well it's and early 2000's American car so no handling and iffy looks. But I'm all over the internet now. And found a beautiful s type r 2005 with 70k and great service records for 11,500. I don't know. I'm going nuts I love my car and bmw but aaaahhhhhhh.
 
#35 ·
I hear you bro ,, but every time I get the ich for a M5 , I pull out the pink on my 545 look at it and I forget about it ... Lol it's nice not having a car payment . Plus the higher cost of owner ship and a total price of the car well exceeds a cost of a super charger in the long run . Also I feel a 545 with a super charger will cost less to maintain than a M5 .. So a SC would give me enough ponies to keep me happy , and it won't Break My Wallet for operating costs .
 
#45 ·
Well got it back today and everything looks amazing. They had the car done right on time and kept me updated on everything. If anyone lives near Winchester definitely recommend them all their reviews are good and rates are pretty good at 89. So I'm going to keep it until our house is done being built in May then maybe a x53 3.0 and get a toy like my s2000 for the weekend.
 
#52 ·
Well I can't catch a break. So got it back and expansion tank cracked in half got replaced then I go to leave to the store as I'm backing up there's a beautiful pool of blue/green coolant on the ground. Then Bing coolant low( NO ****) THANKS I DRIVE. So found out it was the lower hose. It was a bit wiggly on its connection and coolant was leaking. BMW needs to stop making crap harder. These hoses are stupid. So anyhow, I cut that stupid connection piece off and bought .50 cent clamp screwed it on and bam fixed. I drove 20 miles just beating it up and not a drop.
 
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