White excessive exhaust smoke- Good/Bad?
02-27-2009, 06:12 PM
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New here. Quick question,
I have been looking at a lot of used e60s lately, particularly 2006+. I found a great e61 that pretty much fits all of my wants. Only problem, is that when we went to inspect the car, there seemed to be an excessive amount of pure white smoke coming out of the exhaust. The car has 43,000 miles on it and apparently, it has been sitting at this dealer since october, and probably not driven as they needed to replace the battery before we could drive it.
So my question is, is this just the exhaust depositing a buildup of waste in the pipes, or could it be something like a bad head gasket? I worry that an issue may arise as soon as the warranty expires. Thanks.
I have been looking at a lot of used e60s lately, particularly 2006+. I found a great e61 that pretty much fits all of my wants. Only problem, is that when we went to inspect the car, there seemed to be an excessive amount of pure white smoke coming out of the exhaust. The car has 43,000 miles on it and apparently, it has been sitting at this dealer since october, and probably not driven as they needed to replace the battery before we could drive it.
So my question is, is this just the exhaust depositing a buildup of waste in the pipes, or could it be something like a bad head gasket? I worry that an issue may arise as soon as the warranty expires. Thanks.
02-27-2009, 07:01 PM
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thick white smoke is not a good sign. there is probably an oil leak some where. I have a jeep that i use only for four wheeling and dont turn it on for months at a time and never get any kind of white smoke. maybe go back after a couple days of it sitting again and fire it up and see what happens, if its a dealer i'm sure you can get them to pay for the repair
02-27-2009, 07:13 PM
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My Ride: '10 Switzer "Ultimate Street Edition" GT-R
Is it a steam vapor or a blueish white cloud...Steam vapor, I wouldn't worry about, but if it is the white blueish smoke, stay away...That means oil is passing the rings....
02-27-2009, 07:25 PM
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Originally Posted by skeeter' post='803647' date='Feb 27 2009, 11:13 PM
Is it a steam vapor or a blueish white cloud...Steam vapor, I wouldn't worry about, but if it is the white blueish smoke, stay away...That means oil is passing the rings....
02-27-2009, 07:32 PM
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My Ride: '10 Switzer "Ultimate Street Edition" GT-R
Originally Posted by diplo' post='803654' date='Feb 27 2009, 08:25 PM
I definitely did not see blue smoke, as i would have immediatly trashed the idea. It was more of a cold start type of smoke, but a little more exaggerated and went on for a while longer than i would think normal, but then again, i have never owned a BMW. It is cold here in Chicago though. The dealer is an independent sports and import dealer, not a BMW one so this is why i am hesitant. Are there issues with head gasket leaks in the 06 models?
02-27-2009, 07:54 PM
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My Ride: 2007 530i. Purchased 6/28/07. Titanium Silver Metallic, Black Dakota Leather, Dark Poplar Trim, Steptronic, Premium Package, Cold Weather Package, Bluetooth, Adaptive Control Xenons. 10/30/07 Added OEM 124s with 245/40/18 & 275/35/18 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires. Installed red Cal Covers� from BavAuto. 11/21/07 Added OEM all-weather floor mats (for winter, carpet in summer) and coat rack. 6/26/08 installed M5-style rear spoiler. 6/30/08 put on red reflectors. 8/22/08 Euro turn signal stickers applied. 3/20/09 Installed Shadowline Trim. 3/27/09 Added Matte Black Kidney Grilles from Trinity. 4/03/09 Installed Bimmian Shadow Matte Black 530i Badges. 4/04/09 Installed LED license plate lights from Trinity. 5/01/09 Installed Brabus Interior LED Kit and White Angel Eyes. 5/02/09 Put in Brabus 6K Fogs. 5/14/09 Removed charcoal filter. 5/15/09 Installed light smoke LED side marker lamps from Trinity. 5/21/09 Sprint Booster. 6/12/09 Painted exhaust tips flat black. 6/13/09 Pulled red Cal Covers and painted calipers low gloss black. 6/27/09 RPI Ram Air Scoop from Trinity. 8/15/09 Installed Brabus's silver invisibulbs front and rear. 9/24/09 Installed R-Dash license plate LEDs from Brabaus (John).
I'd take it on a good long test drive. Let it set for a while, and start it again. You really shouldn't see smoke, save a puff on start-up, white or otherwise for any real period of time. Steam, yeah. Start a car sitting next to it on the lot. Does it do the same thing? Or if you want an apples to apples test, head over to a BMW dealership and start one there to compare. There are plenty of options for dealerships in Chicago--that's where I got mine. If it looks weird at all, just walk. 2 cents. GL.
02-27-2009, 07:59 PM
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My Ride: 2004 545i Sport loaded
One thing that noone mentioned is that if it's a 2006+ with only 43k on the clock, it's still covered by manufacturer's warranty. And if you're buying it from a BMW dealer, it should be CPO, which will extend your drivetrain warranty another 2 years up to 100k. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.
02-27-2009, 07:59 PM
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This has happened to me tons of times. Just drive it and it will go away. It's from not driving it and just sitting there. If something is wrong, it is an impure fuel mixture (maybe antifreeze got in the fuel) but I highly doubt that.
03-01-2009, 06:46 AM
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Originally Posted by diplo' post='804542' date='Mar 1 2009, 10:32 AM
this is a vid of what it kinda looks like. This is not the car, but this is what the exhaust looks like even after a long period of driving. Granite, it is very cold here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZV5jEYerMI...feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZV5jEYerMI...feature=related
If it continues after the car has been driven and reached operating temperature it may indicate a cooling system problem (water getting into combustion chambers). It really doesn't take very much water [coolant] to create big white exhaust clouds. Before you drive it again [engine COLD] check the coolant level. If it is low and if the dealer is honest, ask if they have added coolant while it was out of service.