Nightmare - husband hitting the roof here!

M

maryem

Member
If you'll remember, we had oil leaking onto the exhaust which you all told me was the rockerbox plastic cover cracked. The garage insisted it was the gasket, and replaced that. So now we've done only about 20-25 miles and it's leaking again. Obv we take it back tomorrow and ask them this time to do it properly and fix the cover not the gasket. BUT husband now wondering if it could be a cylinder head crack. Any advice gratefully grabbed, because he's really sick of this garage but we've got the warranty with them so are stuck.. TYVM :(
 
Check for 'mayonnaise' inside of oil filler cap and coolant reservoir for head gasket leaks.
Unlikely to be that as any garage should be able to tell a head gasket leak from a rocker cover leak.

Have you got warranty with the garage? Usually a third party warranty provided by an insurance company, with the garage being the broker. If it is with the garage themselves and you are not happy with what they do, threaten to take it to another garage and say they will be picking up the bill. Might make them pay attention better!
 
Ok many thanks Pondrew. He's worried the head might be cracked where the rocker box fits on. My mistake I misunderstood what he was saying. He's ready to slit wrists here and I'm being so cheerful it's sickening :rofl:
 
Almost inconceivable that it’s a cracked cylinder head..not on a N20 engine…much more likely to be a cracked cam box cover as was originally pointed out and/or incorrect fitment / torque of the new cam box seal…
 
B21, maybe he's just fearing the worst. I think his first experience with a BMW is notta happy one :|
Scubaregs - Vauxhall dealers in Hawick. They looked after our Cascada for years and have been fine so far. Husband spoke to the mechanic when he picked it up and he said it had been torqued down to BMW specs. I'll know more tomorrow when he takes the car back to them.
 
Don't just let them continue doing stuff at random, it maybe time to put a letter in stating you will reject the car if they do not resolve the issue to your satisfaction on this attempt to repair.

I would also be looking at some sort of extended warranty on the car with the garage directly.

Finally, do not let this put you off a Z4, they really are a great car all round with no that many issues and not much looks better at the price point.
 
The vast majority of the time it's just a gasket. But sometimes it's a cracked cover. Here in the states the BMW dealers automatically replace the cover and the gasket. That's because they don't want customers coming back and complaining if they replaced the wrong component. So, they replace both, which is very expensive for the customer. You replace the gasket yourself for less than $100. For the dealer to do both, your talking around $1000.
 
Update - the plot thickens :!:
Took the car back to garage and left it, then they phoned to say they couldn't find anything wrong :cry: The mechanic ran his hand round the bottom of the rocker box and it was all clean & dry. Husband gobsmacked and embarrassed. Got the bloody thing home and left it outside. Went out yesterday morning and it did it again, then cleared itself. So whatever it is, is happening after a few miles - kicking out a strong smell of burning oil and black smoke from the exhaust (engine end), then clearing itself. He says it's running great, no problems with performance etc. Any ideas before he cracks up? He's already doing a Basil Fawlty here :D :D
 
Check the oil filler cap. I had one of the locking plastic 'wings' snap so it didn't seal properly. When oil is up to temperature (ie thin) and car was moving, it would drip out of the cap, under the engine cover and all over the exhaust manifold (which is how I noticed it).

This is how mine looked. The metal wing is OK but one of the plastic ones had snapped off, so it didn't seal.
IMG_8854.JPG
 
This is the best forum I've ever been on, and I'm on a lot of them. You always come right back with good help, and you don't get annoyed with me wittering. Husband outside now poking aboot under the bonnet... please pray. :rofl:
 
maryem said:
This is the best forum I've ever been on, and I'm on a lot of them. You always come right back with good help, and you don't get annoyed with me wittering. Husband outside now poking aboot under the bonnet... please pray. :rofl:
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Are we praying he finds it, or doesn't come back. :wink: :D
 
Whatever you prayed for it worked :lol: He says there's clean oil underneath at the cylinder head. He's going back to the garage now. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
 
maryem said:
Whatever you prayed for it worked :lol: He says there's clean oil underneath at the cylinder head. He's going back to the garage now. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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They need to make sure it is good and hot (he should insist they check while he watches)
I think if it were the filler cap you'd see it running from it, so my money is still on the cracked cover.
 
I have just had the identical issue with my 13 plate Zed. The garage changed the rocker cover gasket and the fault came back within 20-40 miles. Took it back and insisted that the Technician came to look with me there.
Fortunately I have an engineering background and the garage agreed that the most likely cause was a cracked rocker cover and not the gasket.
This was then changed and all is good now.
This was all completed at zero cost as I bought the car from BMW as a 'pre-loved' car and had a 12 month warranty.
The rocker covers are a known weak point I believe.
ATB Bondwhar
 
AWESOME all of you , thank you! Just been back to the garage and he practically dragged the mechanic out, both grubbled about under the bonnet and bingo, hit oil. We all trekked back in and the mechanic told reception "yes there's fresh oil" - as if he couldn't believe it :lol:
Car booked in for Thursday. :evil: :thumbsup: :driving:
 
maryem said:
AWESOME all of you , thank you! Just been back to the garage and he practically dragged the mechanic out, both grubbled about under the bonnet and bingo, hit oil. We all trekked back in and the mechanic told reception "yes there's fresh oil" - as if he couldn't believe it :lol:
Car booked in for Thursday. :evil: :thumbsup: :driving:
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Methinks you were fobbed off before.
I know you have a warranty with them, but I'd still be looking for somewhere else in the future.
If only to contain hubby's blood pressure. :rofl:
 
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