Oil drain cover on E46 330Ci ?

[Pastie Bloater]

I first noticed that there was no oil drain cover on my E46 330Ci not long after buying it, but didn't think anything of it. I phoned BMW parts to order one with the fittings and they informed me my car should not have one fitted? On interrogation they found that the E46 328Ci does have one however. Further questioning determined that the 325/330 don't have one and the 323/328 do.

I asked why this may be and the only explanation offered was that there may be a cooling function of leaving the square area in the under brace open but I'm certainly not convinced by this. I have the parts now and they are indeed for a 328Ci but will fit mine the same, seeing it was £6 all in it seemed like a no-brainer to get one. My reason for wanting it is that lots of crap goes up there and makes it filthy, this seems at odds with the whole engine undertray design which keeps everything else protected.

Can anyone shed any light on this at all?

[Pastie Bloater]

Yes that's it, parts 3-6.

[4rephill]

jz325i said:

Is it this thing you're talking about? ...

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BD52...

As the parts diagram in this link shows the parts that are required for an E46 330ci, I'd say it should be fitted.
As for the parts guy saying it may be left off for cooling, I'm struggling to believe that the 3.0 engine generates any more heat than the 2.8!.

[Pastie Bloater]

Thats's what I thought. It does say 'up to 02/2001' and I don't remember if I gave him the reg or not (mine's 02/2004). It fits fine anyway!

[4rephill]

having looked at the realoem drawings in more detail, the main reinforcement plate (#1 on the drawing) got changed from 02/2001 onwards, and on the later plate, the #3 cover is missing from the listings which seems to indicate that it is no longer fitted (as the BMW parts guy said):

UP TO 01/2001: #1 part No.: 51.71.8.260.810 (with cover #3 fitted. Part No.:51.71.8.197.932)

FROM 02/2001: #1 part No.: 51.71.7.028.433 (without cover #3 fitted)

Seems very strange!.
I cannot believe that the 3.0L's from 02/2001 onwards require any more cooling than the 3.0L's up to 01/2001 (as suggested by the BMW parts guy).
It's even more strange if the #3 cover fits onto both the old and the new reinforcement plate and yet gets deleted from the new plate, I just don't see the point of that, you'd just delete the aperture from the new design if it's not required, surely?.

[Pastie Bloater]

That's some good sleuthing! I think there would still be an aperture because that's where the oil drain is, but it really doesn't make sense that the new reinforcement plate still has the 'hinge' features and drilled hole for the clip to go on.