[AtlantaDan]

Greetings!

Per my previous post, I have a massive oil leak. I originally thought it was the front crank seal, but after spending an hour or so under the car - I'm not so sure. I suspect it may be the pan gasket, but I've got a few questions:
1. If it was the pan, would it leak continuously or just when running? This leak is only when the car is running.
2. The leak appears comes from the front edge of the sump and it is quite a lot of oil. I've cleaned off the pan, started the car, and after a couple of minutes running - the leak starts to show on the pan....

Still suspect pan gasket?

There is oil everywhere on the underside of the car: dripping off the A/C compressor, the crossmember, and smog pump. I've looked as best I could, and it doesn't appear to be the tensioner leaking, but I could be mistaken. If it was the tensioner, would the leak make it down to the front of the engine and the sump? I would think it would be running down the side.....

It also started virtually overnight.

Thanks for your assistance
-Dan

 

[davidoli]

It sounds like the tensioner may have backed out of the threads a little .

Try wiping all of the oil away from that area and putiing a fresh rag underneath before restarting the engine to see if that's the cause .

Alternatively , check that it's sufficently torqued .

Do you have an original tensioner ?

D

 

[mottati]

i agree with David, sounds like the chain tensioner, or it's diaphram (if it's an original).

 

[GoneAgain]

Could the oil cooler or hose have sprung a leak?

Engine oil cooling BMW 5' E34, M5 3.6 (S38) ? BMW parts catalog

 

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

It sounds like the tensioner may have backed out of the threads a little .

Mine did that before I upgraded it....

Did a "Hansel und Gretal" with several quarts of oil down the street and back.