Replace this before it's too late! - E90 Oil Filter Housing Gasket DIY

BMW never seems to be able to solve this oil filter housing gasket problem. It's been a problem for years and years and years through several generations. Geez BMW, fix your junk already you know? Maybe route some groves where the gasket can fit or maybe, I don't know, use the best possible rubber compound known to man? Sheesh. I guess it wouldn't be a BMW if it didn't leak oil straight out of the factory! Anyway, you should change this gasket right away if you haven't already, lest your belt disintegrate from oil dripping on it and weakening it and get wrapped around the crank pulley and squeezed past the front crank seal and into the engine. You don't want that kind of mess.
Remember to check out www.oembimmerparts.com to get your oil filter housing gaskets.
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:57 Removing the cabin air filter housing, cowl, engine cover, and air snorkel
00:03:26 Removing the air filter housing
00:05:04 OEMBimmerParts.com
00:05:39 Job Outline
00:06:54 Disconnect the charge pipe
00:07:39 Unbolt the intake manifold
00:09:47 Lift the intake manifold a tad
00:10:26 A peak at the valves!
00:11:04 Removing the hardest to get to bolt
00:11:50 Removing the lower bolt
00:14:48 Removing the under car splash shield
00:15:10 Removing the oil filter cap
00:15:27 Finally, removing the oil filter housing
00:17:24 If you have the oil cooler, you have to do this
00:18:46 Replacing the oil filter housing gasket
00:19:14 Reinstalling the oil filter housing
00:20:21 Cleaning up
00:22:30 An idea on how to keep this job less messy
00:23:39 Reinstalling the intake manifold
00:26:27 Reinstalling the air filter housing
00:27:15 Reinstalling the air snorkel, engine cover, cowl and cabin air filter housing
00:30:19 Starting the car to confirm there are no leaks
00:30:42 Wrap-up
This video is for entertainment purposes only. 50sKid assumes no liability for any repairs or modifications performed by the viewer as a result of the information contained in this video.

[@kapinio1]

Bought an E90 325i last week after owning a E46 325ci for 7 years. Fixed my entire E46 with your video's, and i'm sure your E90 series will be just as helpfull. Thanks!

[@cheffywest]

50skid New video = eternal happiness.

[@migelprager1097]

Thank you Jason for the detailed explanations and camera shots! I almost couldn't believe the hassle required to remove 1 BOLT of the oil filter housing... Big facepalm to the engineering department that designed, prototyped, tested, validated and ended up approving this non-sense for serial production ...

[@mustangj0hn]

Who ever designed that engine bay needs impaling on a hot poker 🤪

[@PresidentEvil]

they've come a long way from this design

[@AlecKristi]

The bolt at 7:14 - you gotta be really careful with metal tools around that bolt if your battery is still connected. It's very easy to short it out with the alternator positive terminal...

[@alcubano2887]

You are one of the key guys who gave me the push I needed to start my apprenticeship as a mature aged technician at BMW in Australia. Thank you for your videos, and the inspiration man.

[@50sKid]

Wow, that’s pretty cool!

[@xpo186]

Love your approach to diy videos. Super helpful and informative. Thank you!

[@myxipitlik2]

Very informative as always, Thanks for being transparent and showing us your mistakes so people know what to be aware of when taking on this job, also great tip on the foil.

[@lp2565]

Great video, Jason. Thanks for sharing.

[@lolidk9448]

you are the only guy i will watch for my n54!!! keep up the hard work i never leave comments.

[@gster109]

Great idea with the foil bro, doing that as we speak on mine because of you !!!

[@thebywall]

I could only hit like once. Great insight in this vid. Good call on the foil trick- gonna have to use that one next time.

[@michaelc6044]

Glad this came up on my recommended videos it was very useful! I'm planning on changing the oil filter housing gaskets on my 335i in the next few days, definitely going to use the foil sheets to help keep the belt clean

[@50sKid]

Nice!

[@seanmarrero3461]

Thank you for this video

[@AlecKristi]

27:55 - I get rid of these wire trays on my cars, and route the wires along the strut braces like it's done on the Z4... So much easier to remove and reinstall the cowl cover that way.

[@rodiddy4983]

Very good content! Mine went out and it was pretty messy. Also my oil filter housing was warped 😖

[@seanpaul3050]

BMW service information bulletin says to prime the oil system after removing the oil filter housing. This applies to all cars with an oil level sensor for checking the oil level. That’s from BMW not me. Also when interrupting the coolant circuit the cooling system should be bled according to the correct procedure. Because you will have introduced air locks into the system. The coolant level being too high to start with, makes no difference.

[@edwardmerida3252]

Yes. Prime oiling system only when interrupting the oil circuit. I worked at BMW for several years and engines would lock up after this repair. I personally never had one lock up on me but BMW would not cover it unless you followed the priming test plan on ista

[@robertkenney6002]

For that bottom oil filter housing bolt that’s when an e10 wrench comes in handy

[@de-Todo]

I really enjoy your videos, I would like to have the knowledge you have, I love BMV cars (e46 specifically) but I'm afraid to buy one, because of $$ that is necessary to have to keep the car going!!! but I really enjoy seeing the way you work on these cars!

[@pianothatilove]

Most of the time it is a question of preventive maintenance and this is something that every car owner needs to deal with. BMW might have some issues which are common for a particular model ( E46 valve cover gasket etc) but you must understand that other brands have also issues

[@ET-0524]

have you hear of the external head bolt head snapping off causing a massive oil leak?? The bolt is located near the filter housing gasket, under the intake manifold.

[@vinotec4136]

Sup kid nice work very informational I am having a dtc 27bb code on my 2004 318i e46 I can't seem to find a direct fix for this r someone who explained it without buying a lot of parts trying

[@juanmartincorrea9652]

Hey Jason! Thanks for another super useful video. How is your friend's X5 doing?

[@50sKid]

It's good, but it's just sitting as he doesn't need it right now. I've been meaning to make one final follow up video on it. I just gotta go over there.

[@rahmanr112]

Gear wrenches are the best! I misplaced 10 12 and 14 Smh

[@84Bruto]

Easy junkyard upgrade. Engine oil cooler.

[@m-hadventures]

Hi Jason, How are you finding the E90 to work on compared to the E46? is it much more difficult/involved? considering a similar upgrade in the near future. Cheers, Mitch

[@50sKid]

It’s similar but the engine bay is a little more stuffed in some areas so that is challenging

[@mailpup]

I prefer OEM too. Just because. How old was the intake manifold gasket?

[@50sKid]

No idea, probably the original

[@jhncvngh]

OFHG leak destroyed my N54!! Learn from my mistake and listen to 50sKid!

[@sasamarjanovic8385]

Would this all be the same on my e88 135i and would draining my coolent a bit be ok so I didn't get any leaking down

[@50sKid]

Yes and yes, lots of ways to do it. But I favor the silver foil trick as it's easier!

[@cliftonrblandin3860]

OK so what about the N51 engine in the SULEV version

[@84Bruto]

Very similar repair

[@AlecKristi]

Same as n52. The only difference is 10:1 instead of 11:1 compression ratio, and SAP. They're pretty much interchangable.

[@damaestro5667]

Hey 50sKid! Could you help me out with this one ? I have a fault code that I read out with INPA and it says Kuehlerausgangstemperatur , and it won't let me delete the fault code. Any ideas ? e46 M54 engine

[@50sKid]

Well I don’t speak German so I have no idea lol

[@CrazyOneToo]

I wonder why OEMBimmerParts doesn't carry Z4 parts.

[@Sally-nd5pc]

Hi, i have new professional scanners, i want to find the professional tester and review it, how can I contact you?

[@shahrukhmuhammad6664]

Jason why don't you open a shop or have a bigger garage? Thanks

[@50sKid]

I have a day job :-)

[@nickgsj]

German engineering !!!

[@bsth2140]

Hey man, where you study?

[@henryt9254]

German engineering at its best.

[@anthonywillmore9188]

Do you still have the e46?

[@50sKid]

yes

[@dynamoeffekt]

Be careful not to get any fluids onto the harmonic balancer. There is a circular rubber pressed in between two heavy metal discs which gets squeezed out unevenly, leaving you with a wobbly harmonic balancer. When that happens, there is no way to fix it. Costs $500 from BMW.

[@Jimbo1268]

I think you mean, replace your BMW before it is too late. Which I am doing next week with a Lexus ES350

[@nightstorm9128]

I think bimmer is actually pronounced beemer ..well that's how we say it in Europe....

[@50sKid]

I want people to understand how to spell it phonetically

[@goddesseddog]

Replace the car before it's too late!

[@henryt9254]

This is the reason why people shy away from owning BMWs. Unless you DIY, any simple repair requires major surgery and it would be miracle with a job completed without breaking any parts. Another reason people is bailing out of ICE cars and buying EVs.