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  #1  
Old 11-20-2011, 11:51 PM
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Engine Smoke for a couple of seconds after short ideling time

Hey Guys- Maybe you can steer me in the right direction-

I have a 2004 BMW X5 4.4i (Production 4/04) So im assuming its the N62 engine- The car is tight- and rides phenomenal like my E39 Sport.
The other day this is what I began noticing-

Coming to a stop (i.e. Rail Road crossings- car parked and running- ) and then progressing to normal road speed I would see grey smoke? white smoke? nothing to dark- emit from the exhaust of the car only for about a couple seconds- then driving the car would be fine- the Temperature gauge is spot on in the middle- ive looked under the car and have not seen any oil spots-

Could it be valve cover gaskets? The X5 currently has 120k on the clock- mostly high way miles. I am here in Kansas City- So the only dealership is Baron BMW- and i don't want to deal with them- I have a great parts source for german cars- I just want to know what I should do- or expect-

Thanks
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Old 01-10-2012, 02:14 PM
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I have an 06 4.4i and have been experiencing the same thing recently, especially when in stop and go traffic where I sit idling for a bit before moving.

Fingers crossed for no major problems.
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Old 01-10-2012, 03:27 PM
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Smoke on take off after sitting idle. Oil usage increase

1) Had the same thing happening on my 4.8is. There are CCV valves that can get sludged up. With enough sludge build up, it can stick and cause a vacuum. It sucks up your oil and it gets dumped into your intake manifold while you're idling. You may notice you are burning more oil than normal too. Your engine is fine, it's just the CCV valves.

2) My mechanic says he sees in addition that the valve covers get sludged up over time and cause the same issue since it's part of the same system. The interior of the valve cover has a "labyrinth" of passageways to separate the oil from the air and allow the crankcase to ventilate. Those passages can get clogged to the point that it creates the same oil vacuum affect. Since the valve covers are ~$400 a pop, I started with the CCV valves and put an additive package for sludge removal in my oil.
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Old 01-10-2012, 03:50 PM
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Thanks for the follow up. On a related note, did you notice any difference with the addition of the sludge removal additive? If so, what brand did you use?
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Old 01-10-2012, 06:32 PM
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White smoke issues

Quote:
Originally Posted by ibkevman View Post
Thanks for the follow up. On a related note, did you notice any difference with the addition of the sludge removal additive? If so, what brand did you use?
Soo... here is the longer story...

I had the CCV's replaced which took care of almost all of the smoke issue. I still noticed some, however, and figured it was the valve cover labyrinths that were also sludged up that the mechanic said was probably the real problem. That makes sense as it's the same crankcase breathing system and if one area is sludged up, I'm sure it's the same throughout.

My mechanic asked if I do short commutes to work (I do). He said the oil doesn't get warmed up enough to boil off the moisture that builds up and that ends up being sludge eventually. This happens most in wet or cold climates but also short commutes that don't warm the oil up to temp for long intervals. I'm in a wet climate WITH a short commute!

I did not want to spend $400 ea. for new valve covers until I tried something else to clean it out first. I started with Liqui Moly Engine Flush before I drained the oil for an oil change. I let it idle for 10 minutes, revved it up and WOW - loads of smoke. Then I added Auto-RX to the fresh oil (it's highly touted on other forums) as I wanted to use something gentle to "de-sludge" my engine. I used the Fast Track instructions by adding (2) bottles since our X's hold about 9L of oil. There are much harsher engine flushes out there. They can damage seals, etc. I wanted to start gentle. I am almost to the end of the "wash" phase.

At this point in time I have no more smoke after idling! I'm very happy. My next step was to be to remove the valve covers myself and clean the sludge out if needed but I really didn't want to get that far into my engine. I'm very happy now and my car doesn't look like a junker with a bunch of white smoke coming out the back
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Old 01-11-2012, 12:33 PM
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Thanks again for the reply and info sharing. Any idea on what it cost to replace the CCVs? I also like your idea of looking to remove the sludge gently instead of using some of the more harsh products on the market.
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Old 03-06-2012, 10:00 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jbond007 View Post
1) Had the same thing happening on my 4.8is. There are CCV valves that can get sludged up. With enough sludge build up, it can stick and cause a vacuum. It sucks up your oil and it gets dumped into your intake manifold while you're idling. You may notice you are burning more oil than normal too. Your engine is fine, it's just the CCV valves.

2) My mechanic says he sees in addition that the valve covers get sludged up over time and cause the same issue since it's part of the same system. The interior of the valve cover has a "labyrinth" of passageways to separate the oil from the air and allow the crankcase to ventilate. Those passages can get clogged to the point that it creates the same oil vacuum affect. Since the valve covers are ~$400 a pop, I started with the CCV valves and put an additive package for sludge removal in my oil.

I have an '06 4.8iS with 72k and it started doing the smoke show at idle. I first noticed it when it was being driven out of the car wash and having to sit an idle for about 2 minutes. I was shocked at the plum of smoke.

I figured it was CCV when I first saw it but after reading some of these threads I am now freaked out. I really hope it's my CCV's and not the valve stem seals.

I love my X5 and hope it gives me several more years of non issues as it has the last 72k.

Beside replacing the CCV's should I replace anything else corresponding?

Thanks,
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Old 03-06-2012, 11:08 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sapphireX5 View Post
I have an '06 4.8iS with 72k and it started doing the smoke show at idle. I first noticed it when it was being driven out of the car wash and having to sit an idle for about 2 minutes. I was shocked at the plum of smoke.

I figured it was CCV when I first saw it but after reading some of these threads I am now freaked out. I really hope it's my CCV's and not the valve stem seals.

I love my X5 and hope it gives me several more years of non issues as it has the last 72k.

Beside replacing the CCV's should I replace anything else corresponding?

Thanks,
I think CCV's are the place to start. I may still remove and clean my valve covers when I have time, but I'm happy currently with the sludge removal and the CCV's being replaced. My mechanic claims it's almost always CCV's and the valve covers though. They just replace them and pass the $800 part cost on. If I get to it, I'll remove and clean them instead myself.

I can't imagine valve stem seals being an issue at 72,000 miles...
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Old 03-06-2012, 11:18 AM
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My 2001 at 5 years old would smoke on start up. Just a small puff. It ended up being the vacuum hoses. Unfortunately it is not an easy repair since BMW puts those hoses through the engine because they really consider this vehicle a potential off road vehicle.
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Old 03-06-2012, 11:23 AM
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My mechs have a theory on this. That oil, that get changed every 3 million miles, that is where people should start. The car doesn't realize that you driving it in harsh conditions when you don't warm it up enough. All it monitors is how many gallons of fuel you burned. That's it. No other car has this issue, because no other car asks you to change the oil every 16k miles. I change mine every 6k, or 9 months.

Mine is an 06 4.8is. NYC, garage kept, no cheese.
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