nick1981

Guys, I think my car has a leak

On some drives, esp. ones that take more than 30 minutes, I get some white smoke coming from the engine. However, it is a lot more likely to happen in cold and rainy weather than in dry, warm weather, which is why I thought its just rainwater running down from the hood and falling onto the hot radiator. The amount of smoke is not a lot, and it is not a constant stream, usually short bursts. It comes from the engine grill. The smoke is only emitted when standing still. What worried me is that one day, on a dry day, I got the same white smoke. At the same time, I sometimes (rarely) notice that when I have the heating system on, I sometimes get a sweet, nectar like smell.

I read on the internet that this sweet smell may indicate a heater core leak. Coupled with the occasional white smoke and the fact that my radiator seems to have a rather big knock from a stone hit, does this indicate that I may have a leak either in the radiator or the heater core or both? But if I have a leak, why isn?t there a more constant emission of white smoke and in bigger amounts? My commute lasts 40 minutes?I have had smoke twice (in rainy weather) and once in dry weather after 70 minutes or so on the road?very confused and wondering what other steps I can do to narrow it down before asking BMW to look into it. Car is a petrol, if that makes a difference.

EDIT: Forgot to say, in the last few weeks I noticed on at least two occasions that the engine fan was running even after switching off the car.

stoic1

Before any damage is done, get your car to your BMW dealer or a good independent shop.

Howitzer

Don't let something like that fester into a problem that could become far worse. Get it checked out ASAP.

pukka

It definitely sounds like you have a coolant leak in the engine bay somewhere. I don't think the heater core is the problem since it usually sits away from the engine near the blower motor. The white smoke is from the coolant hitting the hot engine. If the problem is intermittent then it could be a cracked or leaky hose/gasket which only acts up when it expands from the heat. I'd check all the hoses first - both when the engine is cold and after it warms up.

If the fins on your radiator are dented considerably then it'd probably be a good idea to replace the radiator anyway.

covinsky

My 530xi did the same exact thing, then several days later I noticed some antifreeze on the garage floor under the passenger side front of the car. A trip to Bavarian (independent shop in St Louis) resulted in a new radiator. It seems cooling systems are not BMW's priority, as e60's have issues just like my e39's. Chris

nick1981

Just got off the phone with BMW - they think its more likely to be rainwater falling on the engine/radiator when braking, because the smoke is so inconsistent. Advised to monitor coolant level closely (top up if needed) and if I observe any changes to book her in then. He said I shouldn't worry until the low coolant light comes on though, in case of a significant leak???

Just got told I have a trip up to Bath (90 miles each way)tomorrow as well :\ How on earth do I check the coolant level en-route? Thinking of checking tonight, making sure its full, then checking tomorrow morning before leaving...and again before leaving Bath?

pukka

I don't think I've ever witnessed rainwater with a sweet, anti-freeze type smell you mentioned earlier.

You can't really check the coolant level en-route. You can check the level in the expansion tank before you start, then check it again at your destination (after the car cools down a bit).

DylSmi

Hey I'm new to Bmw threads. I own a 2006 530xi I've owned it going on 3 years now. (66k miles) at 101k I had to replace thermostat, and water pump. (A thousand outside of warranty coverage) At 105k I had to replace the radiator due to a piece of metal flying out of the back of someone truck and going into it. Never over heated it always had it serviced by BMW. I've noticed the last week that when I use the heat my car starts to have a burning smell and white smoke. I do have a small coolant leak from the bottom of my rad, BMW said I need an entire new rad already (130k) but I've taken it in twice and BMW said (we can't find the problem) I can drive the car for a great while with no problem but as soon as I turn on the heat and it warms up it starts to smell and smoke like crazy. I popped the hood and it's coming from the left side little more then half way up. I don't know a lot about BMW engines and honestly I'm getting sick of dumping money into this car. I love the car, but seriously within the last year (when warranty went out) I've put between 8-11 thousand dollars of my own money into this car for repairs. And that's not including the interior stuff that needs replaired like the cup holders and rear sun shades. Sorry if this is posted somewhere else. But can anyone help me??! Thanks so much!