2014 Spring maintenance

rsutoratosu · 04-13-2014, 08:51 PM

2007 Z4 3.0 @ 54,000 miles

Standard air + cabin filter
Radiator drain/flush
Spark plug change
Oil change
Diff change

Spark plugs - I thought it was the bosch quad spark plug but it was bosch iridium.. replaced with NGK, ill upload pics of old plugs but it had some gunk on the center electrode. Even one spark plug had something connected from the center to the ground electorde.. was trying to save it but when i dropped it into the tool box, it broke apart.

2 of the cylinder has this brownish discoloration on the insulator part.. it might be oil ? I should upload pics of the plugs, some has oil on the thread and some on the ground area.. but I saw from other bmw spark plugs pull, they look similar.. Ill get them up asap

Which leads to the pic 2-4, looks like I need a valve cover gasket ? I wipe and clean oil around where the red arrow is pointing towards. Hoping its not something worse ?

gas-can · 04-14-2014, 12:28 PM

spark plugs- probably wouldn't worry about what you saw there. The brown stuff is probably just the normal stuff you see as the car operates. The high temp can sometimes discolor the ceramic.

Spark plugs can also have stuff "growing" on the electrodes after use (which is why they are maintenance items!). If you had a pic of one, we can take a look and tell you perhaps what's going on. (The experienced mechanics can take a look and tell what the cylinders are doing just by the deposits!)

Regarding oil- can you actually see a leak? Could it possibly be a spill from previous work/change? I have basically the same car as you - same mileage, but one year older and mine is absolutely spotless there. It's possibly the vcg is leaking, but if it's not much, it may be easier to just leave it as is. That said, personally, if I saw it, I would replace it cause it would bug my ocd.

Love the bottles of coolant! May want to hide them if there are kids around where you live though!

-gc

jdoublehcubed · 04-14-2014, 01:16 PM

I can't see the pics (must be a work firewall thing), but the good news is, if you need a valve cover gasket, thats (1) cheap (Less than $70) and (2) easy to replace - shouldn't take more than an hour or so. Nothing like needing a head gasket or a VANOS sealing plate or anything.

Same note as above for spark plugs. I think most spark plugs will have a touch of brownish discoloration on the white, just from the heat, unless they haven't been in there long. I replaced my Audi spark plugs every 10k miles and they usually looked new still. - Note, this is because I was using copper core spark plugs at $2 a pop. They work like new the entire time they're in that way, versus iridium plugs that are still ok, but fairly degraded by 50k. Just in case someone wonders why I replacing spark plugs on such a short interval.

04-13-2014, 08:51 PM	#1
rsutoratosu Captain 114 Rep 779 Posts Drives: Z4 3.0i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Chicago, IL iTrader: (0)	2014 Spring maintenance - questions 2007 Z4 3.0 @ 54,000 miles Standard air + cabin filter Radiator drain/flush Spark plug change Oil change Diff change Spark plugs - I thought it was the bosch quad spark plug but it was bosch iridium.. replaced with NGK, ill upload pics of old plugs but it had some gunk on the center electrode. Even one spark plug had something connected from the center to the ground electorde.. was trying to save it but when i dropped it into the tool box, it broke apart. 2 of the cylinder has this brownish discoloration on the insulator part.. it might be oil ? I should upload pics of the plugs, some has oil on the thread and some on the ground area.. but I saw from other bmw spark plugs pull, they look similar.. Ill get them up asap Which leads to the pic 2-4, looks like I need a valve cover gasket ? I wipe and clean oil around where the red arrow is pointing towards. Hoping its not something worse ? __________________ -Roranji
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04-14-2014, 12:28 PM	#2
gas-can Second Lieutenant 25 Rep 204 Posts Drives: 2006 3.0i Roadster Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	spark plugs- probably wouldn't worry about what you saw there. The brown stuff is probably just the normal stuff you see as the car operates. The high temp can sometimes discolor the ceramic. Spark plugs can also have stuff "growing" on the electrodes after use (which is why they are maintenance items!). If you had a pic of one, we can take a look and tell you perhaps what's going on. (The experienced mechanics can take a look and tell what the cylinders are doing just by the deposits!) Regarding oil- can you actually see a leak? Could it possibly be a spill from previous work/change? I have basically the same car as you - same mileage, but one year older and mine is absolutely spotless there. It's possibly the vcg is leaking, but if it's not much, it may be easier to just leave it as is. That said, personally, if I saw it, I would replace it cause it would bug my ocd. Love the bottles of coolant! May want to hide them if there are kids around where you live though! -gc
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04-14-2014, 01:16 PM	#3
jdoublehcubed Mechanical Engineer 96 Rep 1,025 Posts Drives: 2006 Z4MR, Imola Red Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Anaheim, CA iTrader: (1)	I can't see the pics (must be a work firewall thing), but the good news is, if you need a valve cover gasket, thats (1) cheap (Less than $70) and (2) easy to replace - shouldn't take more than an hour or so. Nothing like needing a head gasket or a VANOS sealing plate or anything. Same note as above for spark plugs. I think most spark plugs will have a touch of brownish discoloration on the white, just from the heat, unless they haven't been in there long. I replaced my Audi spark plugs every 10k miles and they usually looked new still. - Note, this is because I was using copper core spark plugs at $2 a pop. They work like new the entire time they're in that way, versus iridium plugs that are still ok, but fairly degraded by 50k. Just in case someone wonders why I replacing spark plugs on such a short interval.
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