Oil Leak on 1997 528i

[boloughlin]

I have a 1997 528i with 80,000 miles. When the car is sitting, there is no oil leakage. When the car is running, two small circles of oil collect. After I get done running the car, the oil hits the exhaust pipes causing a burning smell. Does anyone know if it is the oil pan or head gasket? I hear doing it yourself is a big deal but does anyone have some tips or tricks opposed to spending $1000 to get the pan (if that's what it is) gasket replaced? Thanks

[boloughlin]

One more question. I tried to remove the plastic cover to see if the head gasket was leaking, but when I tried to remove the bolt off the rear portion of the cover, it seemed to just spin. Is there any other way to get that bolt off other than breaking something? Thanks

[chpot]

I have a 1996 528i with 167,000 km (±104,000 miles), and also had an oil leak. It is not easy to peek inside, but how high up the machine does this oil leak start? My leak was from the oil filter housing and the whole kit was replaced. Quite costly @ about $650