Got a mysterious leak - seems to have been one time only, and not too recent (at least a week), but since this is the first one that my car sprang, I can't say for sure. Attached is the picture of the splash pattern on the underbelly guard - don't know what to make out of it. Four distinct drops on the driver side seem to have originated from the oil dripping down when the car was standing - they're significantly deeper than the rest of the oil layer. Visual check - fresh oil all around the oil pan, except for the drain plug, which is absolutely dry. A drop of fresh[er] oil on the pipe that connects to the power steering pump. An older, darker drop on the AC compressor. Looking from the bottom up, it looks like a leak could've originated at the top, but looking from the top - everything is virgin clean. Oil level is exactly where'd you expect it to be normally. Knee jerk reaction is - the oil pan gasket is gone, but I think I'm talking out of my butt here. The only other thing I can think of is that I've recently (kind of, Feb 5 09) changed the oil from original BMW to Castrol Syntec, and the fact that the car is not driven much - can stand for weeks without movement. So, what does it look like? I didn't try to wipe out anything to catch telltale signs, so I'd appreciate if someone could let me know what else to look for. Here's the small picture: And here's the link to a big one: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2800/4254778649_9acf6e3264_o.jpg
same thing if I'm not mistaken, I know they recommend Castrol Syntec so I can't imagine their oil being any different
(investigating now, but maybe someone gets to this post before I find the answer) What would be the symptoms of the front crankshaft seal failure?
Looks like the lower timing case gasket. Mine leaks on the left side, but it's not bad enough yet to go through the BIG job of replacing it.
