2005 330i e90 n52 plastic smell and smoke.

NewKiwiland · 01-23-2019, 09:03 PM

Hi guys, first of all I would like to say this is my first interaction in the forum and I am glad I landed here.
Basically I am living in New Zealand (English is my second language, sorry if grammar is not correct), I bought a 330i with 143k kms. My brother is mechanic, he was here when I bought it and he said everything was fine. Unluckily for me he left and just after that problems started.
So I bought it, a few weeks after I changed the battery and a week or so after my starter motor died. So I took out the starter motor (remove plastics, remove airbox, move intake manifold), I opened it and I changed the brushes holder. Tested on the bench, all OK. I put everything back, pressed the Start button and car started OK. 5 or 6 seconds later I spotted smoke coming from the left-bottom side of the engine (cant see properly from where), I stopped the car and the smell is like plastic. I turned it on no more than 3 times (2 to see the smoke, 1 to move the car).
I dont have a ramp and I couldnt lift the car to see from underneath yet.
I am not sure if I did a good job and by mistake I dropped a clip, a piece of plastic or whatever and its staying in a surface melting or if I moved a cable or something and its touching the exhaust manifold, or if there is some cooling/liquid touching the pipe and smelling like plastic. As far as I remember, I didnt move anything from this side of the car so I am a little WTF???
I am aware smoke can come from there if oil is leaking from the valve cover but I know how oil smells and this is not the situation.
Any ideas?

P.S: im getting a ramp and a small camera to have a deep look today, hope can find the problem.

Meeni · 01-25-2019, 06:56 AM

Your description is unclear but an electric fire smell behind the starter can be a short in the wire harness that you necessary moved during the recent service. You won't see the area from under the car as the wire harness is between the head an manifold.

Another possible cause is the oil separator. Our car is not part of the recall campaign that affect the different design on the 328. However fires starting from the oil separator heater wire harness are not unheard of on the 330.

In any case this is a serious condition and you need it investigated and fixed. Do not park the car indoor until fixed.

01-23-2019, 09:03 PM	#1
NewKiwiland Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: 2005 330i Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Auckland, New Zealand iTrader: (0)	2005 330i e90 n52 plastic smell and smoke. Hi guys, first of all I would like to say this is my first interaction in the forum and I am glad I landed here. Basically I am living in New Zealand (English is my second language, sorry if grammar is not correct), I bought a 330i with 143k kms. My brother is mechanic, he was here when I bought it and he said everything was fine. Unluckily for me he left and just after that problems started. So I bought it, a few weeks after I changed the battery and a week or so after my starter motor died. So I took out the starter motor (remove plastics, remove airbox, move intake manifold), I opened it and I changed the brushes holder. Tested on the bench, all OK. I put everything back, pressed the Start button and car started OK. 5 or 6 seconds later I spotted smoke coming from the left-bottom side of the engine (cant see properly from where), I stopped the car and the smell is like plastic. I turned it on no more than 3 times (2 to see the smoke, 1 to move the car). I dont have a ramp and I couldnt lift the car to see from underneath yet. I am not sure if I did a good job and by mistake I dropped a clip, a piece of plastic or whatever and its staying in a surface melting or if I moved a cable or something and its touching the exhaust manifold, or if there is some cooling/liquid touching the pipe and smelling like plastic. As far as I remember, I didnt move anything from this side of the car so I am a little WTF??? I am aware smoke can come from there if oil is leaking from the valve cover but I know how oil smells and this is not the situation. Any ideas? P.S: im getting a ramp and a small camera to have a deep look today, hope can find the problem.
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01-25-2019, 06:56 AM	#2
Meeni Gateropode 329 Rep 2,848 Posts Drives: BMW 330i 06 Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: TN iTrader: (0)	Your description is unclear but an electric fire smell behind the starter can be a short in the wire harness that you necessary moved during the recent service. You won't see the area from under the car as the wire harness is between the head an manifold. Another possible cause is the oil separator. Our car is not part of the recall campaign that affect the different design on the 328. However fires starting from the oil separator heater wire harness are not unheard of on the 330. In any case this is a serious condition and you need it investigated and fixed. Do not park the car indoor until fixed.
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