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I recently bought this 2017 GLE 350 from a BMW dealership last month and noticed an oil build up, as shown in the video. You can see in the video that there is quite a buildup on the pipe next to the belt. I had my car in for Service A and they said "it looks like a front cover leak", but wouldn't further diagnose it without paying the $200 diagnostic fee. This car has a carfax that shows maintenance every 4K miles, so it might've been previously fixed (plus the Mercedes logo is missing from top of the engine so I assume it fell off when it was worked on lol). However, I plan on removing the buildup, driving around, and checking again. The car is still covered under 60-day warranty, so I was hesitant to pay the additional fee, and plan to bring it back if it is an issue.
Can anyone tell me what that pipe is? Is this a common issue?
I recently bought this 2017 GLE 350 from a BMW dealership last month and noticed an oil build up, as shown in the video. You can see in the video that there is quite a buildup on the pipe next to the belt. I had my car in for Service A and they said "it looks like a front cover leak", but wouldn't further diagnose it without paying the $200 diagnostic fee. This car has a carfax that shows maintenance every 4K miles, so it might've been previously fixed (plus the Mercedes logo is missing from the top of the engine so I assume it fell off when it was worked on lol). However, I plan on removing the buildup, driving around, and checking again. The car is still covered under 60-day warranty, so I was hesitant to pay the additional fee, and plan to bring it back if it is an issue.
Can anyone tell me what that pipe is? Is this a common issue?
Sorry from the video I can not see clearly. Can you post a picture if possible one zoom out and another zoom in. There can be a few common reasons based on the mileage. I have seen a simple oil spill when refilling the oil ( not using a funnel ). Another source can be from the oil catch reservoir just below the throttle body to prevent carbon build-up for the DI engines which this has. There are youtube videos on it how to clean the oil catched under the throttle body. Run your fingers under the throttle body and feel if it is wet. As the engine is a little bit tilted towards the back so drain from the cover leak goes to the back rather than the front I guess. You might need to remove the filter housing to see the leakage from the top cover.
See the following video especially at 5.40 min where he cleans oil accumulated below to prevent carbon build-up for DI engines
Leaking front timing covers are normal on this engine. The theory is the manufacturing process did not apply enough sealant or apply it where needed. I had my covers resealed under warranty and it required three complaints before my idiot dealer did the work. So far no leaks on the dealer repair. Tricky job because of the thin bead of sealant required and aluminum screws which must be replaced and torqued properly to a very low torque spec. Bad design from MB unsurprisingly.
Thank you for your responses! I have attached the respective pictures below. I believe it is either the front cover leaking, or the previous owner received a shotty oil change which was messy and overfilled - and thus the oil leaked through the point of least resistance (hence why their is buildup around the oil plug + filter). I also went to a technician and they cleaned the previous buildup and and ran the car for 15 minutes sitting + 15 minutes driving, and no new oil was immediately discovered. However, I was told that there is a probability that the oil will leak when I drive the car more.
Leaking front timing covers are normal on this engine. The theory is the manufacturing process did not apply enough sealant or apply it where needed. I had my covered resealed under warranty and it required three complaints before my idiot dealer did the work. So far no leaks on the dealer repair. Tricky job because of the thin bead of sealant required and aluminum screws which must be replaced and torqued properly to a very low torque spec. Bad design from MB unsurprisingly.
Thank you for your responses! I have attached the respective pictures below. I believe it is either the front cover leaking, or the previous owner received a shotty oil change which was messy and overfilled - and thus the oil leaked through the point of least resistance (hence why their is buildup around the oil plug + filter). I also went to a technician and they cleaned the previous buildup and and ran the car for 15 minutes sitting + 15 minutes driving, and no new oil was immediately discovered. However, I was told that there is a probability that the oil will leak when I drive the car more.
The photos don’t help much. There is no active oil leak shown. Clean away all of the dried residue and keep an eye on it. You have too much oil in too many places to assess the situation. Clean it all up and go from there.
From the pictures, it looks to me oil spill while filling. If this happened to my engine I would have steam cleaned it ( You can get a steam cleaner from Amazone for around 30 to 40 dollars it is very handy ) and checked after a couple of weeks,
Like to add more. It looks like from the picture the spill is all over. I see it on the alternator and also below the filter. Whosoever did the last oil change must have paper hands .lol
When I do an oil change I always stuff some old rags around those areas for safety. I suggest steam clean all that areas. Steam clean uses less water and it evaporates quickly. Also when I cleaned the engine I made sure my engine is warm as it helps to evaporate some water. So steam clean and warm engines are pretty safe I think. I have a good experience. I also covered electric terminals.
Thanks everybody. The technician used engine degreaser/cleaner and cleaned up 90% of the oil that was on the front of the engine. I agree, seemed like it was some seepage from the front covers + messy oil change. I've driven the car about 200-300ish miles since I cleaned it and have not noticed any new oil. However, I've really only been driving it like 15-25 miles at a time and I believe I would need to drive it for a longer period (couple hours or 150+ miles) to build enough pressure to recreate the seepage. Fingers crossed.
12-27-2021, 11:50 AM
