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Dealer estimate to fix light oil leak

34K views 39 replies 24 participants last post by  Attacking Mid 
#1 ·
I just received a quote from a dealer to fix a leak that no independent shop has noticed (no oil on the ground and just had oil changed 5k ago). Requested fixes:

Replace oil filter housing- $682.45
Replace oil pan gasket- $1912.46
Replace valve cover gasket- $420.12

This is for a 2005 x3 3.0i with 76k miles.

Does this sound correct to anyone out there?
 
#2 ·
That's how they make their money, but $1900 for an oil pan gasket! that's outrageous. Valve cover gasket will run you about $200 done by an Indy. Run!
 
#26 ·
Not really. Mine pretty much did this.

My VCG was leaking for years in the back passenger corner, so bad I was getting smoke plumes off the exhaust manifold at times! Finally had to replace it when it failed a safety inspection for fire risk. Did it myself.

My OFHG was leaking at same time as I would see some drips on the ground under car. Saw the engine block "waffles" filled up with oil. Tell tale symptom of OFHG. Did that myself, but had to do it THREE TIMES because it kept leaking. I think the gasket groove in my housing was too deep and the gasket had no clamp/sealing force on it.

ALSO at same time, I get oil covering the bottom stiffening pan. Very slow leak. Torqued all the oil pan bolts, but no luck there. I just let it leak. Maybe top up 1/2 qt every few weeks/month. I'm leaving it alone for now.
 
#6 ·
Haha yeah I took my car in for the airbag light and got a list of items to address and these were all on there plus some. I was blown away that the oil pan gasket is, according to BMW, a 15 hour job!!! Does this mean you have to pull the engine or something? I say let it leak!
 
#7 ·
When I had my 740 there was a very complex oil pan with both inner and outer gaskets. It was the same kind of huge money from the dealer to address - because when the gaskets age they get brittle and if they don't come off clean its a fair amount of labor to make it right. I say go get a good under body car wash, inspect and take pictures after it dries, and then wait and watch what happens. I would bet dollars to donuts that if you do have a leak its the VCG.
 
#10 ·
Check bimrs.org for shops close to you. If none, those jobs are not complicated, any "imports" or "foreign" shop should be able to handle those without any problem.
 
#9 ·
Fortunately, you have a dipstick to check things.

Some bean counter decided it would be better to eliminate them in the 2007 on up.

And to paarot others. All three? Sounds more like they don't know what they are doing so trying the shotgun effect and try them all while making a nice chunk of change to boot.

The most expensive detailed spped shop in all of MD is cheaper than the worst dealership in hourly rates.

Dealers make a huge chunk of change on repairs.
 
#11 ·
Took the x3 into the local dealer today (not the same dealer) to replace the drive belts and they gave me a quote for the oil leak as well. They also told me it's so minuscule that it's not necessary at this point.

Oil filter adapter housing leaking- $410.53 + tax
Valve cover gasket leaking - 458.25 + tax

This sounded better to me than the initial quote so I figured I would post an update.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the update, prices still high but I'd say in the "normal" range of stealership prices. Good is not as bad yet. What did they say about the oil pan gasket?
 
#14 · (Edited)
To those who asked about oil pan gasket replacement. Yes, it is a very complex and time-consuming job, especially on an X-Drive vehicle. Although the engine does not have to be removed, it must be supported from the top. Then the entire front subframe (including suspension) must be removed, and dropped out of the way. The front driveshaft runs through the oil pan. I am not trying to justify a $1900 price tag, but this is not a job for the faint-hearted.

The valve cover gasket, on the other hand, is a fairly routine replacement. I did it preventatively at 60k miles on both my E46 and my X3. I had some slight oil seepage at one of the spark plugs on the X3, so it was definitely time to change the gasket. I also replaced the spark plugs at the same time, since a lot of the labor overlaps between the two jobs. This is a reasonable DIY project, for someone with moderate mechanical skills.

The oil filter housing gasket is also possible for the DIY'er. Access is a bit difficult due to tight clearances in the engine compartment. There is some disassembly required.

IMO, the valve cover gasket is the most likely to leak of those three, so I would replace it first. If there is still leakage, I would replace the oil filter housing gasket next. It would have to be leaking badly before I considered having the oil pan gasket replaced.

:drive:
 
#17 ·
paying $400 for a VCG is crazy
shop time should not be more than 2 hours and parts not any more than $100
At dealer rates....that's about right $125/hr + $100 parts/shop + Taxes
A reasonable Indy could charge ~$250 for that job.
 
#18 ·
Maybe not that bad

The oil filter housing has been an issue on the straight six engines for some time. On an older Bmw I have they quoted the job pretty high but not that high. They suggested replacing the whole apparatus, not just the gasket due to the fact that often the whole housing cracks. I opted for an indy to change just the gasket and have been rolling right along for several years now. But, you won't know if you have a crack until you get in there.
 
#19 ·
To be honest I'm holding off on this part for a little while. $1200 in the last 3 weeks during the holidays isn't what I was hoping for so we'll wait and see if we actually lose any oil and take it from there. Thanks for all the replies, this is the most helpful forum!
 
#20 ·
Just got a similar estimate for my valve cover gasket today on our 04 X3. They wanted $456 with most of that being labor. Declined and will either do myself or take to an Indy shop that is closer and said will do for about $100 less but also suggested doing spark plugs at the same time, which makes sense.
 
#21 ·
ALL three areas (oil filter housing gasket, VCG, and pan gasket) were/are leaking on my '04 X3.

First, regarding the dealership: in my experience, (a) they do NOT quote you work you do not need, (b) they DO charge ridiculously high prices for repairs (at least here in the DC area).

The way I use the dealerships is this: I get free bumper to bumper inspections from them either as part of the annual safety inspection or other campaigns they run from time to time. Then I figure out how to deal with their recommendations, mostly by doing the job myself.

In the case of those three leaks, I have fixed the VCG and the oil filter housing gasket leaks already. They were both leaking, and this is fairly common on the M54 engine. Their quotes on these were $530 and $700. I have a very slight leak at the pan gasket, and until it becomes an issue I have no intention of fixing it.

The VCG job is straightforward, but has to be done right. If you decide to take it to an Indy for that, make sure they have worked on this engine before. The sealant only goes in specific areas, and all 15 bolts have to be tightened to a spec. If they don't know what they're doing, I can guarantee it'll end up leaking after the repair. Also they make they do not use an aftermarket gasket. You also must replace the 15 sealing washers.

The filter housing gasket job by itself requires less skill to put the gasket on, but access issues make the job difficult.

The prices your dealer quoted seemed reasonable to me compared to what they are here, but then prices ought to be lower in that region.

bimrs.org is hit or miss. There are excellent repair shops in there, but some of them are just ordinary. In any case, don't drive far to avail services by one of them.

It is very useful to develop a relationship of trust with an indy, but that is easier said than done. I am still looking for such a place myself!
 
#25 ·
I just received a quote from a dealer to fix a leak that no independent shop has noticed (no oil on the ground and just had oil changed 5k ago). Requested fixes:

Replace oil filter housing- $682.45
Replace oil pan gasket- $1912.46
Replace valve cover gasket- $420.12

This is for a 2005 x3 3.0i with 76k miles.

Does this sound correct to anyone out there?
Yes I know this is an old thread, but BMW dealers are still doing this. If you have a valve cover gasket leak only they are still recommending replacing all of these. I just had it happen to me. I took it to a local shop and so far it's only the valve cover gasket. BMW dealerships will rip you off period. That's why they are commonly referred to as the stealership.
 
#31 ·
Ironically, I just had a VERY similar quote from BMW. I told my SA he was insane and what would be the consequences of me not have the oil pan gasket done? He pulled me aside and said he wouldn't do it either....and I would be fine. It is what BMW recommends (according to the SA).
 
#29 ·
Or, since it is such an ordeal to replace, how about if BMW opted for a more robust pan gasket with a much lower incidence of failure? For a company that is so proud of its engineering prowess, they never have figured out the concept of reliable gasket design.

AM.
 
#32 ·
For non essential leaks the far more economical solution is a piece of cardboard on the driveway. If you’re overly concerned with an oil drip beneath a 10+ yr old car, your champagne tastes are outweighing your Budweiser budget, IMO. Unless it is a complete blowout, you should never have to add oil due to oil seepage, if following appropriate OCIs.


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