Oil Mist

[sumotan]

Hi Guys
Where is this coming from, is it a leaky head gasket or ? Many thanks

0809A0B3-4720-4BE1-BBB2-841EA40F0D92.jpeg (199.78 KiB) Viewed 414 times

[flybobbie]

Where's the oil, all i see is dust or rusty powder.
Where do you live, around here soil is sandy but never see this.

[brillomaster]

+1. all i see is red dust!

[sumotan]

Hi Gents,
I live on a dusty island. Yes it's red dust but it's stuck there due to oil mist.
So am wondering if its a leaky valve cover gasket or it's cause by a block PCV

Thanks

[B21]

Most probably the cam box gasket, the N20 PCV system is much better than earlier engines..

You have to remove the cosmetic cover bearing in mind the two vacuum reservoir connectors underneath and how it pulls off without breaking anything…

[colb]

I don't see any evidence of an oil leak in your picture, if the cam cover gasket was leaking its usually from the side of the cover and drips onto the exhaust heat shield where it burns and produces oil smoke in the engine bay. The other location for leaks is the oil filter housing to engine block joint where the gasket turns hard after many heat cycles and old age. The cam cover gasket suffers the same, the centre plug well gaskets also fail and allow oil into the plug wells causing problems with igntion as the plugs get covered in oil.
Z4's seem to attract dust into the engine bay, I think thats what your seeing, no harm in jet washing the engine bay but cover the Alternator with plastic to keep it dry when you do it.

[B21]

Other options is some engine oil that missed the filler hole …does happen..

Taking the cover off will reveal all..

[sumotan]

Many thanks for the advice Gents
will take a closer examination