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need help from the bmw guru's?

spoolin_s14

By spoolin_s14
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spoolin_s14 Newbie

spoolin_s14

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i'm looking into buying a 97 328i that the guy says needs an intake gasket for a super cheap price. when i looked at it today, i pulled the oill cap and it looked like someone blew snot all over it. i was thinking headgasket issue but the guy was tring to guarentee me that it was just the intake gasket. he says that he quite driving it because the coolant was leaking into the intake from the bad gasket and causing the car to smoke.

 

still sounds like a headgasket to me

 

 

could his story hold water? or is he full of it?

 

are there even coolant journals in the intake of a bmw?

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bmwohio Newbie

bmwohio

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Not sure if you can read this without being a member, but my friend had a similar issue on his E36 http://ohiobimmers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3776&page=2

 

It sounds like a possible HG to me??

 

Also, how many miles are on it?

 

If I were you, I would pay to have a PPI done before you buy it because there are lot of other things that would need attention that typically need refreshed on the E36 engines and chassis.

 

Things to check/ask:

 

Last time the cooling system was replaced/updated (rad, tstat, waterpump)

Rear Trailing arms bushings-have they ever been replaced? (aka RTAB's)

Rear Shock Mounts- same question (aka RSM's)

 

 

This is a lot of reading, but gives you a good idea of everything to check for: This is specifically for an M3, but alot of similarities with the 97 328

 

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=300562

 

Again, I would get a PPI (pre-purchase inspection) done and make sure you don't have a pandora's box you're about to buy.

 

If you need advice on a good shop, John over at Best Motor Werks is a great shop for this. Tell him Kale sent you, and he'll take good care of you.

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Smokey Enthusiast

Smokey

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Sludge under the oil cap isn't a guarantee of a headgasket problem, but it definitely would point that way. You'll want to do a leak-down test to be sure. No, there shouldn't be any "coolant leaking from the intake manifold" Plus, the intake manifold has rubber o-rings that seal it that rarely fail unless you remove the manifold itself and tear them in the process.

 

Follow Kale's advice.

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Patterson Newbie

Patterson

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How long has it been sitting? Mine before I bought it had a clogged pcv breather, filled with oil and sludge, sucked it down into the motor and shut it off. It was cleaned out and runs fine for me.

 

Have you driven the car yet/does it run? Pressurize the cooling system and see if it holds pressure then do a compression test to see if its low on any cylinders. It Definately is not an intake Gasket problem.

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spoolin_s14 Newbie

spoolin_s14

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cars been sitting for a few months didnt drive it but it does start and runs smoothly. under the oil cap is not sludged up, but covered in yellow slime that looks like snot. no clue about that. i know that coolant can make oil turn milky looking but this stufff is like neon yellow. guess ill have to pressure test the coolant system and see from there
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Ef8sirJunkie Newbie

Ef8sirJunkie

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How long has it been sitting? Mine before I bought it had a clogged pcv breather, filled with oil and sludge, sucked it down into the motor and shut it off. It was cleaned out and runs fine for me.

.

 

im pretty sure your talking about the vent valve as this is what happens, it causes the snot look in the oil (should clean the valve cover as well) and will cause excessive smoking.

 

http://www.trademotion.com/sfimages/214336/partImages/4462/SFPLImage109032.jpg

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Patterson Newbie

Patterson

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im pretty sure your talking about the vent valve as this is what happens, it causes the snot look in the oil (should clean the valve cover as well) and will cause excessive smoking.

 

http://www.trademotion.com/sfimages/214336/partImages/4462/SFPLImage109032.jpg

 

Yep that's it. Did you get my PM from the other day?

 

I've seen quite a few caps white the milky oil on them in the past few years. No head gasket problems. It could be from moisture. Let the run for like a half an hour, see what it does then take it for a test drive.

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Das Borgen Proficient

Das Borgen

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Sounds to me like it needs a vent valve. They go bad all the time and are under the intake manifold. If you let it go to long your motor will lock up. It has 3 tubes 1 you can see in the front connected to the valve cover.

a bad cyclone (the Crankcase Ventilation Valve) is possible...since the engine is an M52, this is the P/N

11151703484

 

it can be replaced without taking the mani off

http://www.dvatp.com/bmw/diy/icv_ccv/

 

look at the oil....it s milky...look at the coolant too, if it is milky too, it s a bad HG more likely than not........I've never done one but it s a time consuming job that requires special tools that can be simulated

 

 

 

Patter$on is right there....milky cap can simply be moisture from sitting

 

no coolant journals in BMW intakes

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