Many folks think that their car’s oil pan gasket is leaking when it’s actually the valve cover gasket and/or the oil filter housing gasket leaking. Try cleaning the sides of the engine with brake cleaner and then looking for the leak.

Replacing the pan gasket isn’t a huge job but does require an engine lift as the engine subframe has to be removed to get the pan out. Also, go to www.bimrs.org to find a reputable indie shop that specializes in bimmers in your area. If your friend decides to replace the pan gasket the engine mounts can and should be replaced at the same time.

 

My friend engine was just cleaned. Leak is the right front corner of the oil pan.
I laugh because the leak is sooooo slight but he says it bothers him.
He does most repairs himself so I'm sure he would do the oil pan replacement himself. As he said to me "The Blue Devil oil stop stuff may same a lot of time and trouble."
I don't know, I never heard of this stuff. :facepalm:

 

I did the oil pan gasket alone for the majority of it until my friend stooped by and helped me but that was during reassembly. It isn't hard. It just takes long. https://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1244177

 

I'd personally avoid putting unknown additives in my crankcase. To me it just feels wrong putting anything except engine oil. I personally have never tried the stuff, but I'd recommend either replacing the oil pan gasket (which only takes a few hours if you DIY) or just leaving it. I lived with a leaking oil pan gasket for 3 years before I finally bought a Harbour Freight engine support bar and got around to replacing it.

 

Definitely stop leak doesn’t work it’s just a way to take your money. Been a mechanic for almost 30 years and never saw a stop leak work. You don’t need an engine lift. They make a bar that sits on the inside edge of the fenders that you hook to the chain to hold the engine in place. Called a engine support bar. Here’s one at harbor freight. https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lb-capacity-engine-support-bar-96524.html


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

RBMW thanks for the info on the engine support bar.
But the question is about Blue Devil Oil Stop Leak. Been reading a lot of reviews and it seems this stuff really works. Not convinced I would use it but many have.

 

Or you could end up with VANOS issues, oil blockages, etc. Unless you have read many reviews, on M54 engine, with results before and after, and long-term, from a decent number of people, I would not risk it. If that stuff really worked I am sure it would had already been on the sticky topics here.

 

I think that leak additives and Seafoam are snake oil. How bad is the leak? The bellypan catches most small leaks and exits while driving anyway. If he***8217;s that OCD, he should probably DIY or find an Independent to fix it.

 

Retorqueing pan bolts often times fixes a leak.
As you can see I said retorque not tighten till stripping.

 

OK here is an update with regard to the Blue Devil.
Per my buddy, the oil leak stopped! Yes, it stopped and he is real happy about it.
Unfortunately he is leaving town for a week, when he returns I'll check in with him to see how the oil leak is doing. Since the car will be parked for a week it should be easy to check for leaks when he returns.
Will post an update.

 

Blue Devil

I recently bought a 03 A4 audi wagon with a 3.0 engine 6speed with 90k miles
Did not do a good PPI, it had a small leak in the crankshaft seal or somewhere
It was very small so a friend recommended the Blue Devil, it did not work.
Tried it 2 times did nothing. I don’t know if it was because it was a seal or not but just did not do anything. Great car to drive but it was an Audi which break down all the time.

 

Blue Devil Oil Stop Leak update.
As stated in OP my buddy is trying this stuff.
After 3 weeks he reports the oil leak has stopped. NOT a drop. :thumbup:
The quarter size oil puddle he would find daily under his car is gone.

 

Blue Devil Oil Stop Leak up date.
Back in January/2019 I posted about the use of Blue Devil Stop Leak to stop a BMW oil pan leak.
As of today, March/2019, the oil leak has stop. No more drips. It appears the stuff works.
From my point of view it is worth trying before spend the time and money to change an oil pan gasket.

 

People who use stop leak in their engine, after KNOWING FULL WELL what the actual fix is, deserve the eventual engine failure that is no doubt coming...

 

I wouldn't. I can't help thinking that if it gums up oil leaks then what else does it gum up? Journal oil passageways? They're only small. You could try going around the sump screws with a torque wrench maybe. Set to the correct torque of course. When the engine is cold. A few times in the past I have resolved leaks in oil pan gaskets and manifold gasket by just retorquing them. They can back off over time. Not on my E46 though.

 

I have used the blue devil oil stop leak.

I had a Saab 9000t that would drip oil from the rear main seal right onto the exhaust and instantly vaporize. it was like 1 tiny drop every 10 seconds, but it made the car undrivable cause it smelled so really bad.

Anyway I put the blue devil stuff in and it stopped the leak!

Apparently it will only fix leaks that come from seals cause they claim all it does is reconditions them.

I have used it in several other cars and it did nothing to stop or slow the leaks at all. Nothing. (for example an e36 m3 that was leaking from the gasket where the oil canister attaches to the block, and a caddy cts that was leaking from the same place, nada, a few other cars I don't remember as well )

I bought a 2001 e46 and it was leaking from the rear main seal when I bought it (I knew it was leaking when I bought it) I dumped a bottle of blue devil in and while it was not 100% fixed, I would say 90% enough that I will wait until my clutch starts slipping to replace it.

It feels very wrong pouring what looks like water into your oil.

On the other hand I feel pretty confident that it will not plug any oil passages or the Vanos, in fact maybe it will help the vanos seals ?


Regardless whenever I buy a car now I change the oil and add it, drive for 100 miles clean the engine and then look for any leaks I need to fix.

 

Ninja edit: see this is 'resolved.' Hope it holds...but the leak still may not have been the oil pan--it might have been the rear main seal which that fluid helped seal. I wouldn't try it in mine as I would worry about small engine passages closing up.

OP, I don't believe anyone mentioned this yet...I quickly skimmmed...but pretty often 'oil pan leaks' are really something else. My rear main seal has been leaking for years...a small, predictable drip. At speed on the highway, this can blow back and drip down. PS fluid drips and can get down to the oil pan.

I'd have your friend clean up his undersides well and then inspect before either worrying or doing anything about it. A drip isn't a catastrophe. I'd rather add a qt. of oil a year for $6, than $1200 for a gasket. Just monitor the oil level.

 

dmax and others,
Prior to using the BD stuff my buddy did a through cleaning of the engine bay. He wanted to be able to verify where the oil leaks were coming from. He verified the leak was in the right front of the oil pan.
Prior to using the BD he re-torq the oil pan bolts and after a short period of time he noticed the oil leak again. He then added the Blued Devil stuff and has no leaks since. That said he has not changed his oil yet as he usually does it at 5000-7000 mile intervals.
I am actually impressed that it works. I post this so that other may try it and hopefully get the same success and save big $$$
From the research I have done it does not "gum up" as it works only with the gasket materials.

 

Why exactly would this product close up small passageways in the engine?
If it's so thin as described etc, reconditioning the seal....what would lead to clumps clogging up passageways?

 

Why exactly would this product close up small passageways in the engine?
If it's so thin as described etc, reconditioning the seal....what would lead to clumps clogging up passageways?

 

What blue devil says is that it "absorbs into the seal to soften, expand & revitalize the size and flexibility to its original condition."

 

Well, still. I don't see how it going into the seal would lead to clumps clogging sth

Sent from my MI 5 using E46Fanatics mobile app

 

Agree

 

YES... Valve cover gasket was leaking on 2003 E46 and decided to give Blue Devil a try.. It stopped the leak for about a year.. The leak just recently came back (very slight) and not worth replacing gasket "yet".. So still going.. Maybe another bottle before the next oil change... --this is a car I keep running for my daughter.. I like that the Blue Devil product is a nice viscous clear product as apposed to the Lucas Oil molasses stuff they offer up..

 

LiquiMoly Oil Saver works very well. I used it on my 06 Ford Explorer to handle a slight oil pan gasket leak and its gone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I found this thread somewhat interesting. After reading reviews on Amazon, it seems that Lucas Oil has a better product. Just conveying the information I found.

 

Who's using the blue devil?
Give me the VIN number so I can save in on my library. Should said car ever hit my shop for a PPI, I'll note it.

IOW I really don't care for the stuff.

 

Everybody calm down, it doesn't clog or gunk anything up. It simply lubricates the o rings and valves. It works for minor valve and ring leaks

 

Thread is a year old. I think people are calm by now.

 

😁😁