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3 Series Parts

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.

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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. You get a written estimate first and approve each job before we start; nothing is added without asking you.

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 bring it

3 Series Parts Service

More of what we do

Independent repair shop; not affiliated with or endorsed by BMW AG or BMW of North America. BMW is a registered trademark of BMW AG.