BMW: bmw 1996 oil canister leaking from top, oil filter housing, bolt head

Question
bmw 1996 oil canister leaking from top, is this just a simple seal pproblem? There are no cracks and the oil seaps around the rim even though tight.

Answer
i really need more info for this one. if it is a 4 cylinder the oil filter cap that is visible from the top of the engine is either metal or plastic. in either one there is a large black o-ring that either sandwiches between the metal cap and the oil filter housing or if it is a plastic cap the o-ring goes around the top of the threads. the 6 cylinder models of that year were all the plastic cap as were the 8 cylinders. aftermarket oil filters don't come with the o-rings so they don't get changed very often. if this is the case you just need to buy a factory oil filter with the o-rings and replace them at your next oil change and it should last for another 5-6 oil changes after that. the metal cap is a 13mm bolt head and the plastic caps are 36mm. good luck.