N54 335i Leaky/cracked valve cover? Help!
Discussion
Having a bit of trouble with my car, symptoms include.
Occasional puffs of white smoke under hard acceleration, very occasional spluttering under hard acceleration. Steam coming from left hand kidney grill after a drive in cold conditions, very thin milky residue on underside of oil cap, and I think there's oil getting to the spark plugs. I'll pull a couple to be sure and have a look.
Does this sound more like a valve cover seal or a dreaded headgasket?
Occasional puffs of white smoke under hard acceleration, very occasional spluttering under hard acceleration. Steam coming from left hand kidney grill after a drive in cold conditions, very thin milky residue on underside of oil cap, and I think there's oil getting to the spark plugs. I'll pull a couple to be sure and have a look.
Does this sound more like a valve cover seal or a dreaded headgasket?
Silverbullet767 said:
Having a bit of trouble with my car, symptoms include.
Occasional puffs of white smoke under hard acceleration, very occasional spluttering under hard acceleration. Steam coming from left hand kidney grill after a drive in cold conditions, very thin milky residue on underside of oil cap, and I think there's oil getting to the spark plugs. I'll pull a couple to be sure and have a look.
Does this sound more like a valve cover seal or a dreaded headgasket?
Puffs of white smoke under hard accel - It's cold out atm. Probably just steam?Occasional puffs of white smoke under hard acceleration, very occasional spluttering under hard acceleration. Steam coming from left hand kidney grill after a drive in cold conditions, very thin milky residue on underside of oil cap, and I think there's oil getting to the spark plugs. I'll pull a couple to be sure and have a look.
Does this sound more like a valve cover seal or a dreaded headgasket?
Spluttering on hard accel - Has it been walnut blasted, when were the plugs changed?
Steam from kidney grill - No idea.
Residue on oil cap - Do you do short journeys?
Cracked valve covers and pretty common.
Don't waste your time with just a gasket, once it's had a gasket the cover splits and causes more issues. If it needs a gasket, just get the cover.
Headgasket is unlikely.
My N54 had a valve cover gasket (by BMW) and about 6 months later, the valve cover had split which contaminated a couple of injectors.
Dannbodge said:
Puffs of white smoke under hard accel - It's cold out atm. Probably just steam?
Spluttering on hard accel - Has it been walnut blasted, when were the plugs changed?
Steam from kidney grill - No idea.
Residue on oil cap - Do you do short journeys?
Cracked valve covers and pretty common.
Don't waste your time with just a gasket, once it's had a gasket the cover splits and causes more issues. If it needs a gasket, just get the cover.
Headgasket is unlikely.
My N54 had a valve cover gasket (by BMW) and about 6 months later, the valve cover had split which contaminated a couple of injectors.
It's a funny one, 95% throttle, no white smoke, only at 100% (I have a JB4)Spluttering on hard accel - Has it been walnut blasted, when were the plugs changed?
Steam from kidney grill - No idea.
Residue on oil cap - Do you do short journeys?
Cracked valve covers and pretty common.
Don't waste your time with just a gasket, once it's had a gasket the cover splits and causes more issues. If it needs a gasket, just get the cover.
Headgasket is unlikely.
My N54 had a valve cover gasket (by BMW) and about 6 months later, the valve cover had split which contaminated a couple of injectors.
Walnut blasted 20,000 miles ago. Plugs around 5000 miles after that.
I do short journeys, my work is only 15 min drive away, the oil gets up to temperature just as I arrive.
I might just change the valve cover, found a great DIY here.
http://bd8ba3c866c8cbc330ab-7b26c6f3e01bf511d4da33...
To double check the correct part, would I need 11127565284?
Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff