2003 BMW 325 Help, I'm a girl with an Oil Leak

2003 BMW 325
119,000 MILES • 4 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
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STEPHCLAY
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About 6 months ago my oil light came on so I added a quart of oil to raise level back up and then had oil changed.....no problems til last night when oil light came back on....so I again added a quart of oil. It has been around 4 months since my oil change. I also noticed some oil on my garage floor....not much but about an area of 2"x2".....it idled for a few mins in an open garage so that i could have light putting oil in. I'm worried because I have also seen oil spray on the windshield wiper fluid housing and on the cooling housing. The drip that is under the car is coming from the center of the car in front. I am using a full synthetic 5w30 and live in central ky where it gets pretty cold. Can you lead me in the right direction before I take this car in to be looked at by a mechanic so that I don't seem like a ditzy girl? I only noticed the oil sprays because I was using a flashlight to see if anything looked out of place....not that I would really know if it was.

Thank you for your help!!
Stephanie
Mar 23, 2008 at 10:32 AM
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MERLIN2021
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First thing is add oil only when you have checked the stick, engine off, and on level ground, if you add too much, it's just as bad as not enough! Next, I worked on one a few years ago, and found the oil sending unit was cracked, and the oil pumped up thru the conduit to the top of the motor and sprayed all over the place, Before I found this for a co worker, he had spent 3000.00 on repairs he never needed! I wish I had got all that!
Mar 23, 2008 at 10:56 AM
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STEPHCLAY
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[quote:2f999706eb="merlin2021"]First thing is add oil only when you have checked the stick, engine off, and on level ground, if you add too much, it's just as bad as not enough! Next, I worked on one a few years ago, and found the oil sending unit was cracked, and the oil pumped up thru the conduit to the top of the motor and sprayed all over the place, Before I found this for a co worker, he had spent 3000.00 on repairs he never needed! I wish I had got all that![/quote:2f999706eb]

I think I'm okay on the level.....I just don't want to cause more damage that is going to cost me alot of money. I'm a single mother and not getting any monetary help/payment from my ex husband. Is there anything I should really keep an eye on if I have to wait a few weeks before I can afford the repair?

Thank you for the quick response!
Mar 23, 2008 at 11:45 AM
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MERLIN2021
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Check the oil with every tank full of gas.
Mar 23, 2008 at 2:39 PM
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DOCHAGERTY
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There is a reservoir of oil in the front of the engine compartment that is for power steering and has a weep hole that does often spew a bit of oil, this is not unusual and does not always mean there is a leak or that anything is dreadfully wrong, the 2003 E-46 325 is a fairly robust little car and should give you good service if properly maintained. Please repost if you need more help.
Mar 24, 2008 at 10:32 PM
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MERLIN2021
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Hey Doc, would that cause the oil light to come on?
Mar 25, 2008 at 2:56 AM
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DOCHAGERTY
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Merlin got me thinking that it might be the oil pressure sender or perhaps the oil filter housing profile gasket. Either way, it will require inspection by a knowledgeable technician to pinpoint.
Apr 6, 2008 at 1:30 AM