Dark Vader

2010 535i E60… purchased 9/1/2022

Here’s my issue(s), and I’m going to try to explain this as thoroughly as possible so you have the information:

When I first start my car, a puff of smoke comes out and it runs/idles pretty rough for the first five minutes…

After that, the car runs as smooth as a top…

When my car has the engine light on and when I attach my code reader, I get warnings that I'm getting random multiple misfires (see attached photo)…

If I clear the code after the car smooths out, the engine light stays off until I stop my car over night (or for a long period of time… maybe a couple of hours) so the misfires/issues stop once the car is warmed up and for a couple of hours after

Even after the engine smooths out, if I accelerate hard, the car immediately goes into reduced power limp mode (until I turn the car off and back on it again)

I thought it might be the valve seals and it might be dripping oil into the cylinders (hence the puff of smoke and the initial rough idle, and the random misfires until it warms up/burns off) so I added an additive to the oil to help rejuvenate the seals and changed to a slightly higher viscosity oil… but I’ve been driving the car for more than 5 hours and it’s still having and initial rough idle etc. (the valve seals may be beyond rejuvenating)

If anyone has any suggestions as to what’s going on with my car, I’m open… I’m going to eventually take it to the “stealership” to get it diagnosed, but I want to go in ‘armed’

Side note: as a precaution and based on the mileage, I had the plugs and coils changed

and if it makes any difference… I’m in Los Angeles, CA

thx

seanjordan20

Have you checked you injector numbers? What you're going through can be many things and I would put it on ISTA to do a couple tests and observe some numbers. oil in the combustion chambers as the vehicle sits point to the seals but i would drive it longer to give the additive time to actually work. What oil did you change to? Are you burning a lot of oil between oil changes?

Dark Vader

Thanks for responding.. I haven't checked the injector numbers yet... I have ISTA, but I haven't gotten it to work yet... I'll try again
I'lI drive the car through another tank of gas (which it goes through kind of soon... 15MPG average, easy driving, and hyper-miling) before I poopoo the additive (ATP AT-205 Re-Seal)

.... I changed to 10w30 from 5w30

seanjordan20

You’re using ATP 205 Re-seal? I’ve only heard of people using LM ceratec or LM Oil saver.

Dark Vader

It was highly recommended by several people as a way to help re-invigorate the seals... but I'm open to suggestions... keep in mind, I'm in the US and some of the best sealers are only available overseas... ATP 205 was one of the ones avioalble here that came highly recommended... I'll look into the two you mentioned

Dark Vader

Update:

I looked into Ceratec and it seems that it's just a friction modifier (Still might try it for that reason), not a sealer

LM Oil Saver might be an option so I bought some...
It comes Monday 12/5, so I will keep everyone posted

thanks

gman6262

98,000 miles - if your car has the original injectors - you could have some bad injectors leaking fuel into the cylinders after shutdown - that will also give you the running rough on startup / problem goes away after running for a short distance. I've just gone through this myself.

Dark Vader

That's what I'm dreading....

I thought that since it is saying that there are random misfires that it might be something less invasive...

oh well.. I'll start saving my pennies

donpb

When I had random misfires, it was a loose plug wire. I didn't have smoke out though.

You most likely have an internal leak. I'd replace whatever it's blowing past instead of using leak sealer, but that's just me.