e46 330ci tech help please

[oakey]

My brothers e46 is using oil randomly. It is not leaking or obviously burning any. He has read on other forums that something called a 'PCV' could be the cause??
Is this like a crankcase breather/valve or something?
Any ideas of where to start?

Cheers!

[oakey]

Sorry "PCV valve"

[oakey]

Ok IRC valve then
Number1 on the link below:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=11&fg=15
Could this be the culprit?

[bennydotc]

Is it using a lot? The E46 330 does like to drink a bit of oil.

[Rik178m]

Yeh mine will use 4litres in about 6weeks but i do alot of miles. Its ok to use 5w30 which if you buy at tesco's is have the price of 0w30

[seanboy]

i had a E46 330i sport think its the M54B30 block,These do like oil.
mine used to do half to a litre every few thousand miles

[fowler]

quite possibly dave email ant and get it down the workshop for a good going over !!!!

[oakey]

We're talking a litre with 1000k miles.
I spoke to Ant today about it Ben^ and I'm gonna get my bro to take it up there as it needs fluids and filters etc done anyhoo

[fowler]

thats not to bad dave as mine has done half a litre in 1500-2000 miles but as people have stated the 330 have been know to use oil plus it prob gets driven hard from cold

[oakey]

We've noticed blue smoke on start up so I'm assuming valve stems
He's put it up for sale now if anyone's interested?

[bss325i]

We're talking a litre with 1000k miles.
I spoke to Ant today about it Ben^ and I'm gonna get my bro to take it up there as it needs fluids and filters etc done anyhoo

That is normal for an M54B30 using 5w30.

Some specialists recomend using 10w40.

[fowler]

i use 10w-40 in the 323i E46 just keep it as they are good cars
i am sure the oil is just too thin and being absorbed by the engine

[Rik178m]

0W-30 Is the bmw recommended oil for the 330Ci. Using 5W-30 is cheaper and will run just fine. 10W-40 mmmmm not sure bout that

[bss325i]

10W40 is fine.

[stuartgallafant]

personally i wouldnt use 10w 40. takes too long to thin up, cools down quicker, basically completely different from 0w 30 which is what its meant to use

BMW reccommend that 1 litre to every 1000 miles is not a problem. We get so many people come in at work complaining about oil usage, but there's not a lot you can do. the 330's are the worst of the bunch, even worse than the diesels i find, but i suppose its the way people drive a 330!!

Oakey, those breathers can get clogged up badly, but im not sure i recollect changing one for oil usage, more likely poor idle and lack of power.

If you wanna put your mind at rest, they're only cheap!!

[B7]

My 530i is doing about half a litre to 1500. I've been told it's normal. Still unnerving when you get low oil level come up

[oakey]

^ My 540i used half a litre in 4K
Thanks for all the advice guys but it has now been exchanged for a 335i