Advice on Oil Leak/AutoRX for a BMW M52 Engine

[Touring5]

I did the ARX treatment on my '99 528i with about 88K miles when I got it several years ago. Being the third owner and not having all service records I did so as more of a precautionary exercise. Two bottles with non-syn oil for clean and rinse. I used RTS 5w40, which that engine (52TU) really likes.

I didn't have any preexisting leaks so I can't address that, but I did find a good amount of small flakes in the filter which I presumed to be from cleaning the rings. Other than that, no gunk or other evidence of significant sludge was noticed.

Another member, Russell, did the treatment in the same time frame on his '98 528i and posted several times with his experiences.

 

[E36Alex]

I'm going to pull the valve cover within a few days and check out how it looks.

I picked up some Lubro Moly Engine Flush and some Oil Saver, but I'm debating what I want to do with them. I know LM is a very reputable company, but a 10 minute engine flush really scares me, I feel like there's no way that stuff would play nice with my already damaged seal(s). If the inside don't look too bad after pulling the valve cover I'm tempted just to try the oil saver and see what happens.

What would be an ideal oil for putting the oil saver into? I think it's an ester based product....."Craig in Canada" is a very knowlegeable member, especially about BMW engines said I should avoid an oil with esters in it if using an ester based additive.

Should I just stick with M1 0w-40 or perhaps try Rotella T6 5w-40? Or perhaps use one of the Lubro Moly oils? I'm up for about anything. The reason I was thinking of switching away from M1 is because many BMW owners report it being loud in their engine, I'd be curious to try something else equally good.

 

[E36Alex]

I'm going to pull the valve cover tonight and have a look. If it's spotless then my course of action will probably be different than if it's dirty.

 

[fdcg27]

ARX did seem to help with the leaks in my M42, but just using the car and circulating fresh, hot oil might help as well.
Why don't you just change the oil and use the car, and see what happens?
Why not drive and enjoy the car?
The six will last well past 200K with decent maintenance.
I drove a 230K 325i e36 last fall, and the thing ran really well, and did not seem to have had any meticulous care over the years.
Anyway, a 328i e36 is a pretty quick car.
Drive it and enjoy it.
BMWs are fun to drive, after all.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Falcon_LS
I use Liqui-Moly's Pro-Line Engine Flush at every oil change. It doesn't have any negative effects on seals, provided you use it as instructed. The maximum amount of time you should run this stuff in your engine is 25 minutes, and that is for really dirty/sludged engines. For a well maintained engine, 10-15 minutes is more than sufficient.

Worth mentioning, Liqui-Moly Motor Clean is exactly the same product as Pro-Line Engine Flush. The only difference is the packaging, as the Pro-Line series is for professional users, whereas Motor Clean is for retail users. Motor Clean comes in a nice box with all the marketing hype, so it costs more.


Why use a flush at every OCI? I'm just wondering, not looking to start a flame war. I'd be a bit concerned of the possible long term effects on the bearings.

 

[E36Alex]

Pulled the valve cover today to put on a new valve cover gasket. Here are some pictures. Overall it was much cleaner than I expected. There was not much in the way of buildup, which is good news. I honestly thought there was a good chance it was going to be horribly sludged.

What I did notice, is that back of the engine is a considerably darker color brown than the front, what would be the reason for that? After seeing the engine in reasonably good shape for 14 years old / 105k miles, what oil do you guys think I should pull the trigger on? Thanks for the continued time and advice.

Engine bay is not as clean as it was last month :

 

[demarpaint]

It looks pretty good all in all. I'd run my favorite oil and add a pint of MMO for the last 1000 miles of the OCI. Once winter comes add a qt of MMO in place of a qt of oil during an oil change, run that for the full OCI. No need for expensive cleaning procedures.

 

[Norm Olt]

It's hotter in the back of the engine?

Motor looks OK. AutoRx has worked for me in the past, didn't used to be $50 for two treatments, though.

I'd just go with any good ol' HDEO and a maybe couple shorter intervals to see how things cleaned up. A 15W-40 will work year round for you in a BMW of that era. Go with AMSOIL AME if you really want to try a longer OCI some time.

Cheers!

 

[KenO]

Cylinders 5 & 6 see the most heat. Make sure your cooling system is up to snuff. If it hasn't been rebuilt yet, plan on a COMPLETE cooling system overhaul (radiator, water pump, thermostat, thermostat housing, hoses, fan clutch, etc.).

Based on the discoloration, I'm going to guess the car's had dino oil most of it's life. Personally - I'd switch to Rotella Syn 5W-40, and just drive it. Monitor oil usage. If you are using a considerable amount of oil in a 5k OCI, then do an AutoRX treatment to hopefully fix a sticky ring situation. other than that - drive it.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Kreen for cleaning. That's our new motto around here. Fantastic stuff in any older engine.

If a seal is leaking the options are simple. But I strongly recommend replacement.

I would be VERY cautious about who did the work, as these older BMW's can be expensive and subject to severe consequences if the mechanic is not qualified/careful.

 

[E36Alex]

I think I'm going to try out some Rotella T6 with LubroMoly Oil Saver! I will report back with my results!