Oil leaks 2 months after purchasing 2009 X5 4.8 M Sport

[getafewlives]

Well, I must admit that my BMW experience so far hasn't been the greatest.

I got an opportunity to buy my bosses 2009 X5 M sport, Alpine white with about 82,000kms (50,000 miles), in immaculate condition, and decided to take the deal and sell my super reliable 2006 Lexus IS350.

2 months later, I am here with 2 excessive oil leaks. The dealer is saying that it is the alternator bracket and timing covers, and they are wanting almost $5,000!

I have found an independent shop that will do the work for about $2,000... but that is still a lot of money for me at the moment, considering most of my cash went to buying this darn thing.

My question is, I have heard that once it starts leaking, there's a fairly good chance of the gasket completely blowing out and oil spewing everywhere. How common is that? Is this something that I should get fixed asap, or can it be left for a little while? Has anyone gone for an extended period of time with the oil leaks not getting substantially worse?

The other question is, once I get the oil leaks fixed, should I be good for a while, or am I still driving a ticking time bomb? I haven't seen any signs of the valve stem seals issue... but I also didn't have any oil leaks two months ago. As much as I love driving this vehicle, the added stress and risk is weighing fairly heavy on me. I just don't know what i would get to replace this... I was hoping that since the vehicle was always dealer serviced and well taken care of, that I wouldn't run into major issues this quickly. My Lexus went 3 years and 50,000kms of hard driving without a single issue.

Bonus pic of my X5, my bosses new X5M and my previous Lexus:

[turboawd]

that generation v8 does have a few issues. mainly leaking seals. the alternator gasket, valve cover gasket, and valve stem seals can leak(smoke). also be aware of the valley coolant pipe.
however with that said, the alternator gasket is probably a $20 seal, but it is a bit labor intensive to replace. your biggest mistake is going to the dealer for out of warranty work. you will get bent over. have you checked around for any other bmw mechanics? years ago i found a guy on craigslist who offered bmw repairs on his time off. he was a bmw tech by day. and have used him many times over the years and recommended him to friends.

are you in british columbia? vancouver?

check this for example:
https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/search/bbb?query=bmw

which brings up a shop like this:
https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/nvn/aos/5952111682.html

[getafewlives]

Originally Posted by turboawd

that generation v8 does have a few issues. mainly leaking seals. the alternator gasket, valve cover gasket, and valve stem seals can leak(smoke). also be aware of the valley coolant pipe.
however with that said, the alternator gasket is probably a $20 seal, but it is a bit labor intensive to replace. your biggest mistake is going to the dealer for out of warranty work. you will get bent over. have you checked around for any other bmw mechanics? years ago i found a guy on craigslist who offered bmw repairs on his time off. he was a bmw tech by day. and have used him many times over the years and recommended him to friends.

are you in british columbia? vancouver?

check this for example:
https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/search/bbb?query=bmw

which brings up a shop like this:
https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/nvn/aos/5952111682.html

Thanks for the reply. I actually found that exact same ad and contacted them. They have good reviews and have given me the best price on doing the work. I was going to try and drop by and talk with them in person either today or tomorrow.

Has anyone else that had these leaks, gone for a significant amount of time without the leaks getting progressively worse? I have heard stories where the gaskets completely give out and spew oil everywhere, requiring a tow. I definitely don't want to let that happen, but I still need this vehicle to get around while I try and set up a time to get it fixed. I will need to find a vehicle that I can borrow while this one is in the shop, preferably after our winter snowstorm goes away.

Should I be getting any other preventative maintenance work done at the same time, since everything will be ripped apart?

How likely is it to get the valve seal issue? Is it as common as the oil leaks? I really don't want to spend thousands fixing the oil leaks, then have to spend thousands more on the valve seals. Is it always a matter of when? Or do some manage to get luckier than others?

Does it make absolute sense to get both the timing cover gaskets and the alternator bracket gasket done at the same time? Are they both the same risk of catastrophic failure? Or could I start with whichever is worse, then get the other done maybe next month?

[Pierce330]

OP, tough to answer "likely hood" questions, but the probability is quite high. The above issues mentioned are common issues that plague 4.8 motor. My recommendation is bite the bullet and get them all fixed at once. Then you should be good for quite a while! Find yourself a good indy shop and build a relationship with them.

BTW: Very nice 4.8!

[turboawd]

google "n62 alternator bracket" for all kinds of info on this.

when doing the alternator bracket, there really isnt anything else you could do at the same time.
now if you were to do valve cover gaskets, valve stem seals, coolant valley pipe....then you'd save labor by doing all at the same time.


you'll notice smoke come out of your exhaust off idle if you have worn valve stem seals. it usually occurs with higher mileage and age. change your oil more frequently than recommended!

[-c-]

Originally Posted by getafewlives

Well, I must admit that my BMW experience so far hasn't been the greatest.

I got an opportunity to buy my bosses 2009 X5 M sport, Alpine white with about 82,000kms (50,000 miles), in immaculate condition, and decided to take the deal and sell my super reliable 2006 Lexus IS350.

2 months later, I am here with 2 excessive oil leaks. The dealer is saying that it is the alternator bracket and timing covers, and they are wanting almost $5,000!

I have found an independent shop that will do the work for about $2,000... but that is still a lot of money for me at the moment, considering most of my cash went to buying this darn thing.

My question is, I have heard that once it starts leaking, there's a fairly good chance of the gasket completely blowing out and oil spewing everywhere. How common is that? Is this something that I should get fixed asap, or can it be left for a little while? Has anyone gone for an extended period of time with the oil leaks not getting substantially worse?

The other question is, once I get the oil leaks fixed, should I be good for a while, or am I still driving a ticking time bomb? I haven't seen any signs of the valve stem seals issue... but I also didn't have any oil leaks two months ago. As much as I love driving this vehicle, the added stress and risk is weighing fairly heavy on me. I just don't know what i would get to replace this... I was hoping that since the vehicle was always dealer serviced and well taken care of, that I wouldn't run into major issues this quickly. My Lexus went 3 years and 50,000kms of hard driving without a single issue.

Bonus pic of my X5, my bosses new X5M and my previous Lexus:

I'll tell you this, don't be begrudged because a BMW be giving you problems, and Lexus is just a toyota everywhere is in the world is no better of a company than anybody else, theirs Lexus and Toyota cars that have issues as well, my x5 has 120k miles and has just needed a transfer case which was replaced without issue. When you break down the numbers from CR it was like 3.5 problems per thousand vehicles witch separated the best from the worst witch to me means all car manufacturers are pretty good nowadays.

A friend at works 4 runner blew a motor on the freeway a year after he bought it, luckily he was covered under warranty but like I said any car can have issues where others will have more and some will have less.

Some of the reason Toyota has so few issues is they take an old and tried and true motor and continue to perfect it, while for some reason BMW seems to want to make a new motor every couple of years, so yea your gonna run into issues but that's also why they win awards for their drive trains the downside is the maintenance may become an issue over time.

The new parts will probably be a more robust design as they worked out the kinks from issues found on the older designed gaskets.

Here is an example of how they redesigned the upper bulkhead parts that broke all the time on the x5's. It also contains more glass full so it's structurally more robust as well. As well as removing the need for nasty rubber goo....

In all their are BMW's that will break more often and their are ones that never seem to die.

Now on the other hand BMW is much better at making inline 6 motors than v8's. The V8's always seem to be an issue for them. .

[-c-]

Originally Posted by getafewlives

Well, I must admit that my BMW experience so far hasn't been the greatest.

I got an opportunity to buy my bosses 2009 X5 M sport, Alpine white with about 82,000kms (50,000 miles), in immaculate condition, and decided to take the deal and sell my super reliable 2006 Lexus IS350.

2 months later, I am here with 2 excessive oil leaks. The dealer is saying that it is the alternator bracket and timing covers, and they are wanting almost $5,000!

I have found an independent shop that will do the work for about $2,000... but that is still a lot of money for me at the moment, considering most of my cash went to buying this darn thing.

My question is, I have heard that once it starts leaking, there's a fairly good chance of the gasket completely blowing out and oil spewing everywhere. How common is that? Is this something that I should get fixed asap, or can it be left for a little while? Has anyone gone for an extended period of time with the oil leaks not getting substantially worse?

The other question is, once I get the oil leaks fixed, should I be good for a while, or am I still driving a ticking time bomb? I haven't seen any signs of the valve stem seals issue... but I also didn't have any oil leaks two months ago. As much as I love driving this vehicle, the added stress and risk is weighing fairly heavy on me. I just don't know what i would get to replace this... I was hoping that since the vehicle was always dealer serviced and well taken care of, that I wouldn't run into major issues this quickly. My Lexus went 3 years and 50,000kms of hard driving without a single issue.

Bonus pic of my X5, my bosses new X5M and my previous Lexus:

I'll tell you this, don't be begrudged because a BMW be giving you problems, and Lexus is just a toyota everywhere is in the world is no better of a company than anybody else, theirs Lexus and Toyota cars that have issues as well, my x5 has 120k miles and has just needed a transfer case which was replaced without issue. When you break down the numbers from CR it was like 3.5 problems per thousand vehicles witch separated the best from the worst witch to me means all car manufacturers are pretty good nowadays.

A friend at works 4 runner blew a motor on the freeway a year after he bought it, luckily he was covered under warranty but like I said any car can have issues where others will have more and some will have less.

Some of the reason Toyota has so few issues is they take an old and tried and true motor and continue to perfect it, while for some reason BMW seems to want to make a new motor every couple of years, so yea your gonna run into issues but that's also why they win awards for their drive trains the downside is the maintenance may become an issue over time.

The new parts will probably be a more robust design as they worked out the kinks from issues found on the older designed gaskets.

Here is an example of how they redesigned the upper bulkhead parts that broke all the time on the x5's. It also contains more glass full so it's structurally more robust as well. As well as removing the need for nasty rubber goo....

In all their are BMW's that will break more often and their are ones that never seem to die.

Now on the other hand BMW is much better at making inline 6 motors than v8's. The V8's always seem to be an issue for them. .

[getafewlives]

Thanks for the replies guys. I know that you definitely have to pay to play when it comes to BMW, it's just hard to bite the bullet when my most expensive repair ever, comes only 2 months after purchasing the vehicle. And it's the newest/lowest mileage vehicle I have owned before. Then that doesn't even guarantee a trouble-free future.

I am going to stop by the mechanic tomorrow and talk to him and see what he recommends. It would be great if I could fix these oil leaks and have a mechanically sound vehicle that won't keep costing me money... but I doubt that will be the case haha. The valve stem issue definitely worries me. I would prefer to not have to deal with that as well. And on top of that, I have heard horror stories of people's transmissions going out around at this mileage, which seems pretty ridiculous to me.

This car is definitely worth maintaining though. It has a great set of options, no accidents, pretty much mint condition inside and out. It's just too bad that the production date was 3 months before they changed to the CIC system. But oh well, I tend to use my phone for navigation and music anyways.

Out of the timing cover leak and the alternator bracket leak, which is usually a bigger issue? Which one has the risk of completely letting go and leaving me on the side of the road? Or do they both?

[turboawd]

I don't think timing cover leaks are all that common. I'd get a second look at your leak. You may just have only a leaking alt bracket. I don't think the bracket seal will leave you stranded.

[-c-]

Originally Posted by getafewlives

Thanks for the replies guys. I know that you definitely have to pay to play when it comes to BMW, it's just hard to bite the bullet when my most expensive repair ever, comes only 2 months after purchasing the vehicle. And it's the newest/lowest mileage vehicle I have owned before. Then that doesn't even guarantee a trouble-free future.

I am going to stop by the mechanic tomorrow and talk to him and see what he recommends. It would be great if I could fix these oil leaks and have a mechanically sound vehicle that won't keep costing me money... but I doubt that will be the case haha. The valve stem issue definitely worries me. I would prefer to not have to deal with that as well. And on top of that, I have heard horror stories of people's transmissions going out around at this mileage, which seems pretty ridiculous to me.

This car is definitely worth maintaining though. It has a great set of options, no accidents, pretty much mint condition inside and out. It's just too bad that the production date was 3 months before they changed to the CIC system. But oh well, I tend to use my phone for navigation and music anyways.

Out of the timing cover leak and the alternator bracket leak, which is usually a bigger issue? Which one has the risk of completely letting go and leaving me on the side of the road? Or do they both?

For some reason the pic didn't show up !

[-c-]

Originally Posted by getafewlives

Thanks for the replies guys. I know that you definitely have to pay to play when it comes to BMW, it's just hard to bite the bullet when my most expensive repair ever, comes only 2 months after purchasing the vehicle. And it's the newest/lowest mileage vehicle I have owned before. Then that doesn't even guarantee a trouble-free future.

I am going to stop by the mechanic tomorrow and talk to him and see what he recommends. It would be great if I could fix these oil leaks and have a mechanically sound vehicle that won't keep costing me money... but I doubt that will be the case haha. The valve stem issue definitely worries me. I would prefer to not have to deal with that as well. And on top of that, I have heard horror stories of people's transmissions going out around at this mileage, which seems pretty ridiculous to me.

This car is definitely worth maintaining though. It has a great set of options, no accidents, pretty much mint condition inside and out. It's just too bad that the production date was 3 months before they changed to the CIC system. But oh well, I tend to use my phone for navigation and music anyways.

Out of the timing cover leak and the alternator bracket leak, which is usually a bigger issue? Which one has the risk of completely letting go and leaving me on the side of the road? Or do they both?

Here's the pic

[getafewlives]

Originally Posted by turboawd

I don't think timing cover leaks are all that common. I'd get a second look at your leak. You may just have only a leaking alt bracket. I don't think the bracket seal will leave you stranded.

Now that you mention it, that does seem like ti would be quite odd to go from no leaks, to 2 leaks... Hmm....

On the bright side, I got a free brake flush from the dealer. After they did the front brakes, the pedal felt a bit softer. When I took it back they said they would bleed it, then tried to upsell to a full brake flush. I had a feeling that they would just do it anyways if I declined, and I was right I guess they figured they would make back their money on fixing the oil leaks, ha!

[Mudd46738]

I had the same problem not too long ago. In my case I was putting a quart of oil about every three weeks. Then one day, BAM. It was a gusher and I mean GUSHER!! In my case the water pump, belt tensioner, leaking thermostat housing, leaking O-ring on the AC pump along with the rear air spring compressor came along with the alternator gasket. After the 5k bill my wife was done, but in my experience with BMW if you get the problem fixed by someone you trust and knows what they are doing it will last. I did worry about the valve stems but who knows. My last BMW had 258k at trade in. I am sure that it could have gone 300k. So as I pay little by little in my 5k on my credit card I have assurance that it won't be the things that I just replaced but know there will always be more to come. I mean who puts a gasket behind an alternator? But I love the vehicle all the same.

[getafewlives]

Originally Posted by Mudd46738

I had the same problem not too long ago. In my case I was putting a quart of oil about every three weeks. Then one day, BAM. It was a gusher and I mean GUSHER!! In my case the water pump, belt tensioner, leaking thermostat housing, leaking O-ring on the AC pump along with the rear air spring compressor came along with the alternator gasket. After the 5k bill my wife was done, but in my experience with BMW if you get the problem fixed by someone you trust and knows what they are doing it will last. I did worry about the valve stems but who knows. My last BMW had 258k at trade in. I am sure that it could have gone 300k. So as I pay little by little in my 5k on my credit card I have assurance that it won't be the things that I just replaced but know there will always be more to come. I mean who puts a gasket behind an alternator? But I love the vehicle all the same.

Oh geez, that's exactly what i am worried about! How long did you have before first noticing the leak, and all hell breaking loose?

I would really like to hold off on the repairs until the spring time...

[Mudd46738]

I want to say it took about six months. But I really wouldn't push it. If it were me I would get the alternator gasket replaced then worry about the rest. When it goes it's done till its replaced.

[getafewlives]

Originally Posted by Mudd46738

I want to say it took about six months. But I really wouldn't push it. If it were me I would get the alternator gasket replaced then worry about the rest. When it goes it's done till its replaced.

Well, that makes me feel a little better. 6 months time should be plenty to get this all sorted out.

[-c-]

Originally Posted by getafewlives

Well, that makes me feel a little better. 6 months time should be plenty to get this all sorted out.

Be carful just because his did doesn't mean yours will.

[turboawd]

most of the common bmw v8 issues are attributed to the rubber they use. if you look at new bmw seals, the rubber looks kinda dry. does bmw purposely use a cheap rubber so that things dont last too long?

valve seals? bad rubber
leaking valve cover? bad rubber
alternator leak? bad rubber
coolant valley pipe? bad rubber
vaccuum pump leak? bad rubber

[-c-]

Originally Posted by turboawd

most of the common bmw v8 issues are attributed to the rubber they use. if you look at new bmw seals, the rubber looks kinda dry. does bmw purposely use a cheap rubber so that things dont last too long?

valve seals? bad rubber
leaking valve cover? bad rubber
alternator leak? bad rubber
coolant valley pipe? bad rubber
vaccuum pump leak? bad rubber

Well the seals sometimes get redesigned over time so the old set may have failed and the new set you buy may have been superseded and won't fail.

Remember BMW designed the seal but suppliers make the seal. The suppliers build the seal to BMW specifications. Sometimes the formulations are off and you get bad parts sometimes BMW design specs are off and you have a bad design from the get go.

Take the takaka air bag recall, that's a supplier issue and not BMW's fault for making a bad part just like the drive shaft issue.

Their was a small window where the shafts where made out of spec and it hurt BMW. Through failures the parts are always made better to stop the future failures, but sometimes the supplier just makes a bad part from the beginning and costs BMW image points.

[turboawd]

Originally Posted by -c-

Well the seals sometimes get redesigned over time so the old set may have failed and the new set you buy may have been superseded and won't fail.

Remember BMW designed the seal but suppliers make the seal. The suppliers build the seal to BMW specifications. Sometimes the formulations are off and you get bad parts sometimes BMW design specs are off and you have a bad design from the get go.

Take the takaka air bag recall, that's a supplier issue and not BMW's fault for making a bad part just like the drive shaft issue.

Their was a small window where the shafts where made out of spec and it hurt BMW. Through failures the parts are always made better to stop the future failures, but sometimes the supplier just makes a bad part from the beginning and costs BMW image points.

but just when bmw has worked out all the kinks from an engine, they release a new model, and the cycle repeats. lol

[-c-]

Originally Posted by turboawd

but just when bmw has worked out all the kinks from an engine, they release a new model, and the cycle repeats. lol

Yep! But all the CPO models and past owners are taken care of. Used market and legacy sales are important and even after the model is no longer made their are still improvements made.

Here is a shot of upper bulkhead piece out of a 2012 x5

You'll notice the old design having the rubber gunk on it, this went on into the last 2013 production before the F15 release and after the f15 was released they still improved on the E70 design even though it was out of production.

They redesigned it to have water Chanel's and also added rubber areas that would crush together creating a seal and no more need for rubber gunk to be added an overall better design. Continuous improvements even for legacy models. !!!

[mic06]

Hey there I can feel your pain I have A 2009 X5 with 100k you are getting issues that might be out of the ordinary , I just had my adaptive steering redone power steering pump, valve cover gasket and oil pan gasket total$7k done at the dealer i only pay $250.00 usd
i have the usv coverage from Good sam the rv place it was well worth it