Please help me diagnose strange fluid build-up

[cmhoward]

Hey guys, can you please help me diagnose why there is a fluid building up inside my engine bay and in the front left wheel well? I believe that I might have a brake fluid leak, but I'm not sure. All I know is that there is a fluid building up at the tip of the blue arrow in the picture, underneath that silver cylinder thing in the picture (which I am guessing is the brake fluid pump??).

By the way, my car is not actually pink. This is just the only clear picture I could find online of an E39 4.4V8 motor from a 540i.

Thanks in advance!

Here's the photo:

http://9103418493786630949-a-greenbl...attredirects=0

[mattmartindrift]

that's your oil filter housing.



Let me guess: you recently had the oil changed and they used an STP filter, or pinched the new o-ring.

other possibilities:
- loose oil-filter housing cap
- cracked oil-filter housing
- failing oil hose

[jamesdc4]

Welcome to Bimmerforums.

Matt is right about the possibility of the housing leaking because of a bad or pinched O ring. Check and see if you can locate the exact source of the leak.
Is the fluid coming from where the cap threads into the housing or are the hose connections underneath the housing leaking?

[f355spider]

Oil pressure sensor can also start leaking too, it is threaded into the base of oil filter housing. But like the others, check the cap. Remove it, make sure the o-ring is properly seated and tighten it up. If it still leaks, get a new o-ring from the dealer, that is about the only place to get them individually.

Other possibilities:

1) Cracked plastic oil filter cap.
2) Leaking oil hoses, or where the hoses meet the oil filter housing (replace the o-rings on each hose fitting)

You need to examine everything closely with the engine running to find the leak.

[cmhoward]

Wow, thanks very much guys! Yes, I did recently have the oil changed, at Mr. Lube, so who knows whether the tech was careful with the O ring. The leak appears to be coming from where the oil hoses meet the oil filter housing, but I'll check everything.

And here I thought that oil filter housing was for brake fluid. Oops... :-)

Thank you very much for your help!

[Cantesanu]

Did the "Mr. Lube" guy used synthetic oil? Need to make sure you get a good quality filter and fully synthetic oil...like Mobil 1

[f355spider]

Originally Posted by cmhoward

Wow, thanks very much guys! Yes, I did recently have the oil changed, at Mr. Lube, so who knows whether the tech was careful with the O ring. The leak appears to be coming from where the oil hoses meet the oil filter housing, but I'll check everything.

And here I thought that oil filter housing was for brake fluid. Oops... :-)

Thank you very much for your help!

Those "Mr. Lube" places seem really snarky to me...like the other guy asked, find out what brand oil filter they used...if it was not Mahle, Mann or Hegnst, then most likely the problem is with the o-ring. All the other brand filters use mis-matched o-ring sizes that don't fit properly. Always use the above mentioned filters only. I too wonder what brand/type oil they used too...there is a reason oil changes cost more at The BMW Store and Jessel.