Help! Learning mechanics on beloved Z3 - oil leak - need ramp

[Yashka]

Hello!

I've had my beloved red Z3 for around a year and a half and the time has come for its MOT. The time has also come for it to have a significant oil leak!

Because I'm keen to learn more about mechanics (and save costs too), I'd really like to be able to at least locate the oil leak... Of course the height of the car means a ramp/pit is definitely needed in order to get underneath, clean it up and locate the leak...

What I'm looking for is someone who has a workshop and is keen for an enthusiast (me) to come and bring the car to do the oil-leak-location-work, or someone who has a ramp/pit and loves this kind of thing. I feel like learning from someone else is really the best way of doing this kind of thing! I got this car knowing that it would need some work, but unfortunately at the moment don't have the space to properly work on it (live in London) and my mechanics knowledge is more eagerness and book-reading than experience...

Would really love some help and advice with this. I travel up from London to Oxford, Derbyshire to Sheffield regularly, so anywhere within these areas would work Really flexible and open to whatever ideas people might have!

Thanks,
Jessica

 

[jonco]

Nice colour car but I am biased.
You may not need a ramp on this one. Usual leak areas are from rocker cover or filter housing, if it is engine oil, both of these are under bonnet access to fix. You need to try and clean it from the top and then observe after a short run where the likely leak area is. Photos of what you are seeing may help with advice.
One of the forum Zed sheds will no doubt respond soon.

 

[t-tony]

There's a young man who did his oil filter housing leak at my place a couple of years ago. He works in London and may be able to help you. His car is a 1.9 4 cyl. but the filter housing is very similar on a 6 cyl. engine. What engine do you have? Here's a video.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7dUMt3Go6c


Tony.

 

[Yashka]

There's a young man who did his oil filter housing leak at my place a couple of years ago. He works in London and may be able to help you. His car is a 1.9 4 cyl. but the filter housing is very similar on a 6 cyl. engine. What engine do you have? Here's a video.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7dUMt3Go6c


Thanks Tony and Jonco! Super helpful and great to see the video! The engine is a 1.9 4 cyl.

From the forum I've figured - zedsheds are places where people with other zeds go and work on their cars and share knowledge!? Sounds like a dream! Tony, do you still have people come to yours? Would I perhaps be able to come?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

With thanks,
Yashka

 

[t-tony]

Hi Yashka, sadly because of Covid we haven‘t had any meets at ours since before the Lockdown. Not sure when we will be able to resume but when we are it will be posted on here you can be sure. Where are you located again please?

Tony.