E30 Zone

Hi guys, I seem to have developed a very small "oil" leak from the engine.
I've been all over the bloomin thing and I can't find the culprit. If your lookin down into the engine from the drivers side you follow the steering column down. There then appears to be a metal cylindrical unit with 3/4 pipes coming from it.I don't know if this is part of the steering control.The drip seems to coming from under there.I've been under the car with gunk still no joy.Checked around the sump as much as I can doesn't appear to be from there or dripping down from higher up the engine like the head gasket.
Please any ideas?
And yes I know this is useless without photos will try to get some though.

Cheers

If this is an M20 (six cylinder) engine we're talking about, then you're very lucky if that is your only leak.
There are loads of common places for these engines to leak (cam seal, sump gasket, rocker shaft plugs, oil pressure switch, oil return pipe, head gasket, crank front seal, crank rear seal, oil thermostat, etc,etc)
You'll have to clean the area with something like Gunk or Hyperclean and watch carefully to see where oil starts appearing from..

My apologies,yep it's a 320i M20 engine '89.
I've replaced the rocker cover gasket when i painted the rocker cover at that appears a ok. Checked around the oil filter and nothing there. It is only on the left hand side of the engine (if your looking from the front).There doesn't appear to be any reduction in the level of oil when I check the dipstick and no oil warning light. Could it be power steering fluid? I've Gunked and gunked but it's coming from one of those places thats a B**ch to see!

Since you've had the rocker cover off, then check the two hard rubber D shaped plugs at the back of the head, in line with the rocker shafts. These harden with age and can leak if disturbed.
You can tell by taste if the oil is engine oil, gearbox oil, brake fluid or steering fluid.
Could be steering fluid if any of the connections are loose. (common leak is from return pipe on the bottom of the resevoir).
A failing steering rack leaks fluid from the rubber bellows on either end of the rack.

Right I've managed to take some pics of the problem area?
Does this help.I can't see that the rubber gaiter is split anywhere and the sump plug looks fine.There doesn't appear to be any leak from the head gasket dripping down.
I beleive it to be steering fluid coming from this section of the steering rack ( see pic) where the steering column meets the track rod? I don't know what this bit is called.Does this have gaskets which can go?
Sorry if the pictures are to big,new at this

[

just reading some other threads on here about steering racks and i think my fluid defo needs changing!.If it is what is leaking then it's a very dark colour!

Now don't go tasting fluids, chaps

Gearbox oil is yummy, and old engine oil has that lovely creamy taste reminiscent of walking with the temple maidens through wooded dusky valleys on a hot summer's day.

Power steering fluid will kill you. It hammers the kidneys somethin rotten.

[if the dampness u are on about is in the centre of the picture showen it just a very minor problem. the two pipes going inot the rack seal on a taper. just give them a tighten with a spanner. prob solved, i'm doubtin this is the oil leak u r on about. re tasting oil.. not very bright. power steering oil is reddish. gear oil smells rotten, and engine oil should smell like whats on your dipstick and be kinda black

I didn't say drink a cupfull of the stuff. Just dip your finger, taste it, and spit.

Brian your sense of smell must be terible if you have to resort to tasting the stuff.

String, if you call that a leak then i think a dam has burst under my bonnet.

String, if you call that a leak then i think a dam has burst under my bonnet.



That pic was after being cleaned and didn't show the pool on the garage floor!

If it's leaking then its found the weak point in the system and that pipe is a metal to metal union with no gasket to deteriorate.
It could be caused by excess pressure due to gunk clogging it up internaly.
changing the fluid alone will not cure it, it probably needs a good flush through otherwise it will ruin the internal seals and then its a new rack.

Been trying to give it a better clean to find the leak but no joy yet!
Opened the resoviour? and it's half full.Dipped a piece of white paper towel in there (not into tastin!) and it came out black totally black.So I need to change the fluid for sure. Which pipe is which that runs to the resoviour,which is flow which is return?Also wheres the best place and stuff to get?How would I flush the system?

use one of the engine flush ones available and put it in with the old fluid for a while. How long will depend on the noises it makes.
After that you can drain it by pulling off the return hose (one from rack) but that gets messy or un-bolt the resevour and try to push it down below the car and empty it into a bowl and turn the engine over.