Suddenly, smoke!

Dazza335iC · 07-31-2018, 03:25 PM

Yesterday morning I noticed a strong diesel exhaust smell during my commute, which started on the freeway. Once I got off and hit the sidestreets, I noticed vapor coming from under the hood and an even stronger exhaust smell. Pulled in to a parking lot to find that the little dipstick on my ACC catch can was missing, and it was venting crankcase vapors. I threw an M8 bolt in to the hole and all was well. Fast forward to that afternoon, I was idling for ~10 minutes yesterday while on a phone call and writing some notes (had the AC cranked as it was 95F or so). Drove ~2 miles home and noticed in my rearview that the car was emitting a lot of bluish smoke. Opened the hood: no sign of anything amiss. Drove to work this morning, and the smoke was still there. Really bad at lower speeds during accel/decel, and still noticeable on the freeway. The color/appearance looks like something between diesel soot and burning oil. edit: There's also a TON of oil on the underside of the engine, transmission, and exhaust, and I had to add a quart yesterday.

The car is driving fine, no codes or faults. Running JR ST2 with DEF/EGR deactivated but all hardware in place.

I'm not sure what would cause this, so I'm looking for ideas/experience before I go tearing in to the intake pipes and checking for leaks and such. Any opinions out there?

ranthum · 07-31-2018, 10:29 PM

Best guess is valve cover gasket. Probably why you lost your catch can dipstick (pressurized crankcase) and explains the oil smoke.

Dazza335iC · 08-01-2018, 09:40 AM

Yes, I noticed that it seems like excessive cranckcase pressure. There's also a TON of oil on the underside of the engine, transmission, and exhaust, and I had to add a quart yesterday. That would coincide with excessive pressure forcing oil out of the rear main. I also noticed oil in the intake piping.

How would a bad VCG cause excessive crankcase pressure?

dmanb2b · 08-01-2018, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazza335iC

How would a bad VCG cause excessive crankcase pressure?

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1456308

Dazza335iC · 08-01-2018, 04:15 PM

Gotcha. I kind forgot the intake track runs through the VC. Makes sense that a leak could pressurize the whole engine.

I've been on the lookout for a DIY for changing out the VCG, but haven't had any luck. I'm still new(ish) to diesels, to disconnecting the fuel system kind of freaks me out, especially when it comes time to prime it after reassembly. Anyone have any experience/tips?

Duckinator · 08-02-2018, 03:05 AM

When you say DEF/EGR in place but deactive.. is the DPF still attached but you're not doing regens?

bmwdiesel · 08-02-2018, 04:56 AM

i think i have something similar even tho with the opposite effect that is low charge air pressure in intake manifold, even at idle (INPA live readings show this). I too am losing loads of oil, and it was exaggerated with the last engine oil, where I changed it at some independent garage I just found and thinking it's just an oil change (I have bought oil before) and guess what. After I left the garage, engine power was noticeably weaker. In retrospective, I figured out that the guy didn't let out all oil, it was still pouring slightly at the end, when he closed it. then when he was filling it, He put all 8 quarts or liters of oil. the engine capacity for 335d is 7.5 liters or quarts, so I assume, there was about 8.5 liters or quarts-+. However, since it is dripping oil while parked, now the oil level on dipstic is in the middle after I took out 0.5quarts /liters via dipstick with sucking it through plastic hose.

so my version is that it also blew the crankcase gasket and the question is, could it be losing the crankcase pressure resulting in lower charge/boost air that way too?

PS: LESSON LEARNED: BE ALWAYS CAREFUL TO LET ALL OIL OUT AND NOT TO OVERFILL.....

Dazza335iC · 08-02-2018, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duckinator

When you say DEF/EGR in place but deactive.. is the DPF still attached but you're not doing regens?

My current tune has the SCR deactivated completely, and the EGR running only during warmup and during regens. So the DPF system itself is still 100% fully functional, and regens work exactly as programmed from the factory.

I went this route because my SCR system failed but the DPF was still perfectly fine. If the DPF fails in the future, I can do a full exhaust and 2.8 tune.

Dazza335iC · 08-06-2018, 04:49 PM

For those who have done the VCG, did you do the full cleaing of the injector seat/shaft/socket using a servicing kit, a la Step 12 in: https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...lid/1VnZ6Y5gpX ?

07-31-2018, 03:25 PM	#1
Dazza335iC Second Lieutenant 54 Rep 215 Posts Drives: E39 M5, F15 35d Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0) Garage List 2000 E39 M5 Dinan [0.00] 2017 X5 35d [0.00]	Suddenly, smoke! Yesterday morning I noticed a strong diesel exhaust smell during my commute, which started on the freeway. Once I got off and hit the sidestreets, I noticed vapor coming from under the hood and an even stronger exhaust smell. Pulled in to a parking lot to find that the little dipstick on my ACC catch can was missing, and it was venting crankcase vapors. I threw an M8 bolt in to the hole and all was well. Fast forward to that afternoon, I was idling for ~10 minutes yesterday while on a phone call and writing some notes (had the AC cranked as it was 95F or so). Drove ~2 miles home and noticed in my rearview that the car was emitting a lot of bluish smoke. Opened the hood: no sign of anything amiss. Drove to work this morning, and the smoke was still there. Really bad at lower speeds during accel/decel, and still noticeable on the freeway. The color/appearance looks like something between diesel soot and burning oil. edit: There's also a TON of oil on the underside of the engine, transmission, and exhaust, and I had to add a quart yesterday. The car is driving fine, no codes or faults. Running JR ST2 with DEF/EGR deactivated but all hardware in place. I'm not sure what would cause this, so I'm looking for ideas/experience before I go tearing in to the intake pipes and checking for leaks and such. Any opinions out there? Last edited by Dazza335iC; 08-01-2018 at 09:40 AM..
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07-31-2018, 10:29 PM	#2
ranthum Private First Class 23 Rep 133 Posts Drives: Looking to Buy Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: United States iTrader: (0)	Best guess is valve cover gasket. Probably why you lost your catch can dipstick (pressurized crankcase) and explains the oil smoke.
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08-01-2018, 09:40 AM	#3
Dazza335iC Second Lieutenant 54 Rep 215 Posts Drives: E39 M5, F15 35d Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0) Garage List 2000 E39 M5 Dinan [0.00] 2017 X5 35d [0.00]	Yes, I noticed that it seems like excessive cranckcase pressure. There's also a TON of oil on the underside of the engine, transmission, and exhaust, and I had to add a quart yesterday. That would coincide with excessive pressure forcing oil out of the rear main. I also noticed oil in the intake piping. How would a bad VCG cause excessive crankcase pressure?
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08-01-2018, 04:15 PM	#5
Dazza335iC Second Lieutenant 54 Rep 215 Posts Drives: E39 M5, F15 35d Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0) Garage List 2000 E39 M5 Dinan [0.00] 2017 X5 35d [0.00]	Gotcha. I kind forgot the intake track runs through the VC. Makes sense that a leak could pressurize the whole engine. I've been on the lookout for a DIY for changing out the VCG, but haven't had any luck. I'm still new(ish) to diesels, to disconnecting the fuel system kind of freaks me out, especially when it comes time to prime it after reassembly. Anyone have any experience/tips?
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08-02-2018, 03:05 AM	#6
Duckinator New Member 2 Rep 10 Posts Drives: 335d Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Seattle iTrader: (0)	When you say DEF/EGR in place but deactive.. is the DPF still attached but you're not doing regens?
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08-02-2018, 04:56 AM	#7
bmwdiesel Private 14 Rep 84 Posts Drives: 335d 2007 Join Date: May 2018 Location: old continent iTrader: (0)	i think i have something similar even tho with the opposite effect that is low charge air pressure in intake manifold, even at idle (INPA live readings show this). I too am losing loads of oil, and it was exaggerated with the last engine oil, where I changed it at some independent garage I just found and thinking it's just an oil change (I have bought oil before) and guess what. After I left the garage, engine power was noticeably weaker. In retrospective, I figured out that the guy didn't let out all oil, it was still pouring slightly at the end, when he closed it. then when he was filling it, He put all 8 quarts or liters of oil. the engine capacity for 335d is 7.5 liters or quarts, so I assume, there was about 8.5 liters or quarts-+. However, since it is dripping oil while parked, now the oil level on dipstic is in the middle after I took out 0.5quarts /liters via dipstick with sucking it through plastic hose. so my version is that it also blew the crankcase gasket and the question is, could it be losing the crankcase pressure resulting in lower charge/boost air that way too? PS: LESSON LEARNED: BE ALWAYS CAREFUL TO LET ALL OIL OUT AND NOT TO OVERFILL.....
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08-06-2018, 04:49 PM	#9
Dazza335iC Second Lieutenant 54 Rep 215 Posts Drives: E39 M5, F15 35d Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0) Garage List 2000 E39 M5 Dinan [0.00] 2017 X5 35d [0.00]	For those who have done the VCG, did you do the full cleaing of the injector seat/shaft/socket using a servicing kit, a la Step 12 in: https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...lid/1VnZ6Y5gpX ?
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