BMW Z3 Information Urgently Needed, Please

I've been looking at a Z3 for my son (see my first thread on this at the bottom of this post). We found a really nice one, and the seller was nice enough to travel 20 miles to bring it to my house so I could put it on my lift to inspect it.
Well I found something. There is oil seeping from the head gasket in the front. I'm about 99% sure of this, although it was very tight in there. Its the 1.9 engine. Thinking that the only way to stop it would be to replace the gasket, and the point of buying a nice car was to not have to work on it, I told him we couldn't buy it. Am I wrong? Is this a common problem that never gets any worse? Can you just re-torque the head and solve it? Does it get worse over time? Is there some other gizmo in that area of the engine that makes it look like the head gasket when it's not? My son is understandably disappointed, so if anyone can offer information that would make this a non-issue, I'd sure like to hear it before he sells it to someone else. Thanks guys.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/1997-z3-what-can-you-tell-me-about-them/88319/page1/

Unless it's a valve cover leak (somewhat common), as I don't think the profile gaskets leak anything other than coolant, it is probably indeed a head gasket; between the timing chain and the special lock tools needed to not make it a PITA, you probably made the right choice.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/learn-me-bmw-m44-head-gasket-repair/37093/page1/

So is it something that MUST be repaired? The car runs great and the oil seepage is slow. Will it get worse?

I thought it was only the M42 that really had the issue with the profile gaskets?

it's probably the valvecover gasket. it is a big gasket and a rather big cover

If the car is otherwise sound and problem free, find out what it would cost to get it fixed from the dealer (yikes!), independent shop and whoever else (local BMW guy) that could do it and negotiate the price of the car from there. That's fair. The owner might be selling it because he's aware of the leak. The cost of repairs should be taken off the cost of the car. The added bonus of going that route is that your son will be eternally grateful and he will have a cool car to drive around in.

In reply to mad_machine:

Thanks, but I'm fairly certain I know the difference between a valve cover and a head gasket.

In reply to Feedyurhed:

When I found the problem he stated that he was not willing to lower the price any further. At this point the only thing that will change my mind about buying it would be if it was not likely to get any worse. I really want to buy the car, but the deal with my wife and kids is that we will only buy a car that needs no repairs.

I don't know the 4s very well but the oil filter housing leaks on the 6s in the front. it might be similar. and it falls from around the same area.

cd

If you're 100% sure it's the head gasket, walk away. I've never seen any modern BMW leak anything from the head seal without an impending failure. Don't get too snippy at mad_machine though, the valve cover gaskets are indeed massive, they have multiple half-circle shaped indents and are known for seepage. (And FWIW, yes the M42s are mainly the sufferers of profile gasket failure but it is not 100% unheard of on the M44.) But, if you're sure it was the head, you made the right decision; M44 is an Aluminum block/head engine and that may even be evidence of a previous repair.

Any possibility to clean the area with green can Brakleen, blow dry and apply Dr. Scholl's spray on foot powder followed by a quick drive to isolate the leak?

The M54 in in e39 was weeping around the valve cover in a number of locations. I replaced the gasket, the oil separator and various associated hoses and it's totally dry. The S52 in the M3 is utterly dty no matter what I do to it.

In reply to SlickDizzy:

Thanks. Yes, I'm sure that where I am looking is the head gasket. The valve cover gasket is dry on the front side, although there is a small amount of leakage on the right side. Where I have my .1% doubt is in whether or not the oil is actually coming from the head gasket. It sure looks like it, but if there is something specific to this engine that is not easily visible I suppose it could be something else. But just to be clear, if this was an engine I was more familiar with, and I saw this same condition, I'd be 100% sure it was the head gasket.

motomoron wrote: Any possibility to clean the area with green can Brakleen, blow dry and apply Dr. Scholl's spray on foot powder followed by a quick drive to isolate the leak? The M54 in in e39 was weeping around the valve cover in a number of locations. I replaced the gasket, the oil separator and various associated hoses and it's totally dry. The S52 in the M3 is utterly dty no matter what I do to it.

Not easily. The leak is obviously very slow by the looks of it, and the seller lives 20 miles away. He also has other people interested in it, so all of that would make it pretty difficult to do something like that. If it were already mine, then yes, I'd do it to be 100% sure its the gasket, but in this case its not really feasible.

Can anyone add anything to this before the car gets sold to someone else? Right now Dizzy has me convinced, although I wish I wasn't. I guess I'm looking for something to change my mind...

The only thing that I can offer is that after you've looked at a bunch of cars, you get an internal sense. I wouldn't try to talk myself into something if it doesn't feel right. That's how down the road you end up saying "why didn't I listen to myself?" Sucks, I know, but like I tell the fam, sorry for the disappointment, I wanted it too, but give me a few days and I'll find a better one. Just about always end up with a good one and the old one becomes forgotten.

In reply to glueguy:

I agree. But I wouldn't say it doesn't feel right, as it feels very right except for this one problem. I just want to make sure I'm not passing up on a car that I shouldn't.

Even if it were to fail, M44's are cheap as heck.

Also, a 15+yo BMW is definitely going to break the "Needs no repairs" bit anyways.

In reply to yamaha:

What I meant was that it needed no repairs at the time of purchase.

Here's what I have to offer: There's no used car that doesn't need repairs when you buy it, only some with problems that you fail to notice

That and a BMW Z3 will SIGNFICANTLY enhance your son's life. You can't get your teenage years back.

In reply to bravenrace:

If the price is already a great one, and the car feels that right, buy it and drive it.

I can't really say anything otherwise without pictures of the leak/location to reference to my 2 M42's.

Head gasket or timing chain cover gasket? The timing cover is split into upper and lower sections, could it be the timing cover gasket seeping? They're not very difficult to replace. #4 in this picture meets your description of an oil leak at the front of the engine on the same plane as the head gasket.

Well, see now, that's why I kept asking. It was very tight in that engine compartment, and in reality I was looking at the timing cover and not the head. Does the lower timing cover even have to come off to repair it? Looks like just the top has to come off. Thanks for pointing that out, ansonivan.

Upper cover can be done with only removing the valve cover.

Have you bought it yet?

Nope. Sold.

Would you have?