Found the cause of my oil consumption.

[Jon K]

1992 525i:

So i took my engine cover off and pulled my coil packs for grins and to my dismay I found cylinder 2 and 5 having oil in the plug holes. Cylinder 6 has a yellow/brown residue as if oil had been dripping from the Valve Cover and down into the plug holes. There was no sitting oil in #6 but there was in #2 and #5, #2 being the worst. I am hoping that (since my coils are still ok) there is no escalated problem and replacing the valve cover will remedy this?

Secondly, every now and then, I will very quickly blip the throttle from idle (to hear the motor sound) or when rev matching and sometimes I will get a "POP" from just infront of the fire wall. It sounds like a backfird, only its coming from up front. Could this be the sudden burn of the oil thats in the spark plug holes? If not, what the heck is this sudden firing sound, it almost sounds like a miss but all my coils and (to my knowledge) plugs are good. Coils were replaced but 15,000 miles ago (with Bosch). I didn't want to remove my plugs, knowing that oil would fall down into the combustion chamber and I am not sure how ideal that would be. Can anyone give me information on what i need to replace, and part numbers for the gaskets/o-rings? I can't find them in my ETK. I have a 1992 525i 5 Speed (build is 9/91).

[George M]

Hi Jon,
Doesn't sound too bad...but I would check the spark plugs regardless. Simply take some paper towel and soak up residual oil from the valve cover around each plug prior to removal. Any oil after that, that falls into the plug hole upon spark plug removal is not an issue. Your popping may be a loose spark plug and if left unattended could lead to a bigger problem.
HTH,
George

[Jon K]

Hi Jon,
Doesn't sound too bad...but I would check the spark plugs regardless. Simply take some paper towel and soak up residual oil from the valve cover around each plug prior to removal. Any oil after that, that falls into the plug hole upon spark plug removal is not an issue. Your popping may be a loose spark plug and if left unattended could lead to a bigger problem.
HTH,
George

I am going to do as you say. Any idea on part numbers for the full gasket replacement kit?

[AZ_Jason_S]

Your valve cover is leaking. I guess it is pretty common on the 525. I think it takes awhile to accumulate oil in there. I doubt if it happened fast enough to notice the consumption. You can push a shoprag down there with a screwdriver and soak it up. If the oil shorts your coils, I think it can wipe out your computer.

[Hector]

be due to the oil in the spark plug well but it depends how dirty the oil is. If it hasn't been changed for a while, oil becomes somewhat electrically conductive with age.

Hector

Hi Jon,
Doesn't sound too bad...but I would check the spark plugs regardless. Simply take some paper towel and soak up residual oil from the valve cover around each plug prior to removal. Any oil after that, that falls into the plug hole upon spark plug removal is not an issue. Your popping may be a loose spark plug and if left unattended could lead to a bigger problem.
HTH,
George

[AZ_Jason_S]

If there is metal or dirt in the oil, it will definitely conduct. Afterall, this is why we change our oil, it becomes contaminated. Even water is an insulator as long as it is pure. It is the minerals that cause water to conduct electricity...

be due to the oil in the spark plug well but it depends how dirty the oil is. If it hasn't been changed for a while, oil becomes somewhat electrically conductive with age.

Hector

[Jon K]

be due to the oil in the spark plug well but it depends how dirty the oil is. If it hasn't been changed for a while, oil becomes somewhat electrically conductive with age.

Hector

Hector,
I consumed 1 qt. of oil in about 700 miles. switched from 10w30 to 15w50 in a dire attempt to save my oil. Motor oil is about 1000 miles old, barely used (synthetic). I think its just a sudden burning of the oil from the spark plug hole... but im not sure. This nose will happen maybe one time ever 3 days. The first time it happened, I had the throttle in somewhat while starting the car.

[ryan roopnarine]

finding stuff in ETK, suggest trying graphical search. i got this quickest by using-->graphical search-->engine longblock picture-->scrolling down to the picture of the cylinder head cover. dan d did a writeup...methinks that just asking for it from bma would yield you a good result, dan says there's a pcv/recirculator type oring likely to break that's not included in the kit if yer taking the cover off....i personally didn't have a problem with such an item.

[AZ_Jason_S]

finding stuff in ETK, suggest trying graphical search. i got this quickest by using-->graphical search-->engine longblock picture-->scrolling down to the picture of the cylinder head cover. dan d did a writeup...methinks that just asking for it from bma would yield you a good result, dan says there's a pcv/recirculator type oring likely to break that's not included in the kit if yer taking the cover off....i personally didn't have a problem with such an item.

[AZ_Jason_S]

Thats way too much for the sparkplug holes. Oil isn't that flamable and the coils couldn't be burning it that fast if at all.

Hector,
I consumed 1 qt. of oil in about 700 miles. switched from 10w30 to 15w50 in a dire attempt to save my oil. Motor oil is about 1000 miles old, barely used (synthetic). I think its just a sudden burning of the oil from the spark plug hole... but im not sure. This nose will happen maybe one time ever 3 days. The first time it happened, I had the throttle in somewhat while starting the car.