Hello, all. I previously posted and got some great advice; had a lot of work done, transmission stuff, oil sump, tire rods, etc. She's been idling rough upon ignition. Has been calming down almost immediately but last week, around the corner from home I got the Stop! Oil Press light. I thought it was because i stopped abruptly, because the light went out almost as soon as it went on. However, this morning, she was idling rough and the Service Engine Soon light started flashing. I smelled burning oil (never good) and acetone as well. needless to say i stopped the engine and took the other car to work. What could be going on, and is the car safe to drive to the shop, about eight miles away, including highway driving? I love the car but man this could start adding up... Thanks much, Dave:
Is it a V8? The oil pump bolts tend to loosen by themselves. Acetone? Hmm, that is a odd one. When asking yourself if you should tow, answer this: Which is cheaper, a tow truck or a motor replacement?
For others who may experience similar engine behavior, it can be a number of things of course. So read code faults and also investigate for air leaks also. You might even look more closely under the proper lighting (dark garage / bright flashlight) and simply see oil telltales along the valve covers. When a technician opens up this area, he might find Intake manifold gaskets, vent valves, valve cover gaskets. There's some posts also on e38.org. Will require media blaster to remove oil from valve covers so they seal tight when reinstalled. It is repairable. Mine was performed at 155K miles and 13 years old, but probably began to show indications of this behavior at 12 years old and 145K miles. I think many owners move on, but my experience is it can be repaired and if you like the car, it is worth it.