How to Deal With an Oil Leak in Your BMW’s Alternator Seal
Post on April 10, 2021 by ultimateauadmin
BMWs are popular and highly sought after cars that are fun to drive. They are reliable and offer drivers state-of-the-art technology and superior performance. But they do have their quirks, like any other vehicle. One of these issues is the dreaded alternator bracket seal oil leak.
What is an alternator seal?
The alternator is the component in your car that produces the battery’s power. There is a bracket that keeps the alternator from moving. Your BMWs alternator seal keeps the bracket in place. If the seal fails, it can cause several different problems.
What causes the seal to go bad?
The alternator seal in certain BMW models is known to have problems. It is a seal and gasket combination that is susceptible to failure. Over time, the seals will dry out and crack. Once the seal begins to fail, you will experience an oil leak.
Symptoms of a Faulty Alternator Seal
When your seal begins to fail, there are a few different symptoms that you may experience. Watch out for the following warning signs:
- Oil leak: When you have an oil leak, you may notice a brownish-colored liquid under your car near the alternator. You can easily distinguish oil from coolant or water. Coolant usually has a unique greenish color. A coolant leak is also a major issue that needs to be dealt with immediately. When you have an oil leak, your car may produce blue smoke that can be seen coming out of your exhaust pipe. If the oil is leaking on hit parts you may also notice a burning smell.
- Battery is Dead: When the alternator fails, it will not be able to produce power to charge the battery. If you didn’t leave the lights on or the car running and the battery is dead, you may have a bad alternator seal.
- Overheating Engine: When you have an oil leak, the parts are not getting the lubrication that they need. This leads to friction, which generates heat. If your engine overheats, do not continue to drive your BMW. If you do so, you are creating more damage that can result in engine failure.
- Electrical Failures: When the oil leaks into the alternator, electrical operations may begin to fail. It is unable to generate enough power to operate things such as the radio, windows, windshield wipers and the door locks.
- Check Engine Light: Your check engine light can come on for many different reasons. It is a part of your BMW’s diagnostic system. If your car discovers an issue, it will trigger the light to alert you. When the alternator seal fails, it will be triggered because it affects the engine. To find out the exact cause of the light, have your certified mechanic run a diagnostic check.
Dealing With a Failed Seal
Replacing an alternator seal might seem like something that you can do at home, but it is not an easy job. We do not recommend that you try to take this job on yourself. There are a lot of components that need to be removed before you can access the seal. Replacing the seal can take around 8-10 hours for a certified mechanic to complete.
Let the technicians at Ultimate European Repair help. Don’t take your BMW to a dealership and waste your money. We can replace your alternator seal at a fraction of the cost.
Our shop is equipped with factory-approved, current diagnostic equipment. If you allow a subpar shop to perform the replacement, there is a high probability that it will not be done correctly. Don’t take the chance. We will fix the problem right the first time.
Call Us Today
If you’re a driver who lives in or 
around Goodyear, Buckeye, Avondale, Phoenix, Peoria, or Tolleson, AZ areas and experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms, don’t wait to have your BMW fixed. Leaving any issue go can lead to additional damage. Taking care of the issue now will save you money in the long run. Call Ultimate European Repair today for all your BMW service and maintenance needs. Our expert technicians always provide dealership-quality service at a lower price.
Posted in BMW Repair