M54 330ci drinking oil

[Owen]

My little clubsport has been an alcoholic this last year. It goes through a litre of oil every 300 miles or so. To remedy this, so far I've done :

• Oil filter bracket gasket
• CCV valve and all hoses.
• Rocker cover gasket.

I'm waiting to see the outcome of the rocker cover gasket as I've just finished this. All 3 areas were contributing.

If it continues after this, is there anything else that could be contributing? Sump isn't leaking, and the only other culprit I can think of is doing compression tests on the cylinders to make sure they're up to scratch - mileage is 120k, so on the M54 I'd be surprised if they were on the way out.

I also did a smoke test with a Snap-on smoke machine, the air intake boots were perished so I replaced them too.

[Peter-E36]

Are you using 5w30? Switching to 10w40 should help

[Owen]

I am actually! 5w30 fully synth. Someone else recommended going all the way to M spec 10W60 recently too.

[Peter-E36]

No experience with 10w60 personally but switching to 10w40 on my M52 e36 made a nice difference. Nice car by the way, any pics of it?

[Ketron]

My little clubsport has been an alcoholic this last year. It goes through a litre of oil every 300 miles or so. To remedy this, so far I've done :

• Oil filter bracket gasket
• CCV valve and all hoses.
• Rocker cover gasket.

I'm waiting to see the outcome of the rocker cover gasket as I've just finished this. All 3 areas were contributing.

If it continues after this, is there anything else that could be contributing? Sump isn't leaking, and the only other culprit I can think of is doing compression tests on the cylinders to make sure they're up to scratch - mileage is 120k, so on the M54 I'd be surprised if they were on the way out.

I also did a smoke test with a Snap-on smoke machine, the air intake boots were perished so I replaced them too.

That is excessive even for a M54, think the guideline of 1l every 1000 miles is within acceptable limits according to BMW. You've covered the main areas so I'd get a compression test if possible.

[Owen]

Nice car by the way, any pics of it?

Thanks! Just a few, I need to take more TBH. Needs a full body respray, I'll take care of that when I get a week off work at some point, there isn't a panel with a small trolley dent, or that was keyed while it was with the previous owner. You can't tell up close, but if you're as bad as me you'd spot it straight away.

I do all the work on her myself, getting CarPlay into it was probably the most interesting so far. The CCV was the most challenging, pain in the bum with the limited access.

carplay.jpg

cockpit.jpg

carwash.jpg

[Mark]

My 530i had little oil consumption once I replaced the CCV even after 140k miles so might be worth keeping an eye on it for now and then do a compression test. Are you sure that the CCV is connected properly?

[Owen]

My 530i had little oil consumption once I replaced the CCV even after 140k miles so might be worth keeping an eye on it for now and then do a compression test. Are you sure that the CCV is connected properly?

100%.

As an extra test, with the old CCV connected if I undid the oil cap the engine would run fine. With the new one, it splutters indicating the valve is working properly.

[Owen]

Had a look at the DISA Valve today ... and it's screwed. Could this be contributing to the oil consumption? I have to have a look in the inlet manifold for the missing plate now and see where that is.

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[Korsam]

Watching your thread Owen as I have the same woe, but fk me I d never have guessed on that happening ! Were there any symptoms ?