Engine Steam Cleaning Prior to Repair?

[shrink]

Hello,

I have 97 318ti. It has an oil leak which has been present for some time. It
only leaks when the car is running. I have to replace about a half quart of oil every two to three weeks. I was recently talking with a BMW mechanic about having the leak repaired. He said because of the considerable amount of oil on the engine after having driven for a while with the leak he wants to steam clean the engine prior to performing a diagnostic.

My questions are, (1) is the steam cleaning more of convenience than a necessity in order to do the repair and (2) if not, what is a reasonable price range for a steam cleaning? I have a very tight budget (which is why I have been driving around with a leak for so long) and I'm not familiar with steam cleaning.

Thanks!

[Mallard]

if u can localise the leek, use brake cleaner instead to clean the area.

The pressure used in stem cleaning may force water where u dont want it to go

Give it a good wipe over with a cloth dowsed in brake rinse and then start the engine and look for the leak.

have a look above the suspect area for possible dripping instead

[cooljess76]

Originally Posted by Mallard

if u can localise the leek, use brake cleaner instead to clean the area.

The pressure used in stem cleaning may force water where u dont want it to go

Give it a good wipe over with a cloth dowsed in brake rinse and then start the engine and look for the leak.

have a look above the suspect area for possible dripping instead

+1, Brake cleaner works wonders. Also on a warm engine, Simple Green is great inexpensive alternative. For the heavily gunked areas, I use an engine degreaser that you could find at your local auto parts store such as CRC or Gunk Engine Brite. Let it foam up and sit for about 10 minutes and then use a soft bristle brush purchased from the 99 cent store to break all the grime loose. Follow with a light spray of brake cleaner or simple green and then rinse clean with a bucket of warm water.

If you do choose to hose it down with say a spray nozzle on your garden hose, STAY AWAY from the electrical components such as the DME(located behind the battery), the alternator, fuse box and data connectors. As a precaution, it might be a good idea to cover these areas with a plastic bag before splashing water around in your engine bay. The DME(ECU) compartment is known to let water in and flood the DME which will cause problems starting and running if you're not careful. I recommend filling a bucket with hot water from your bath tub and using a big cup to pour the water where you need it. If you use hose and belt dressing, try not to get it on the pulleys or the inside of the serpentine and A/C belts.

Good Luck finding the oil leak. Usually it's from the valve cover or the oil pan.

[shrink]

Thanks for the advice. Appreciate it.