Help / Advise Needed: Smoke Coming out of Air vents E90

[Speirie]

Hi Guys

Need you guys expert advice and knowledge.
Car: 2006 BMW 323i Steptronic
This morning while going out in traffic as the car warmed up, some smoke almost like burnt oil was coming out of the air vents, as I moved off it stopped then came even thicker at the next robot.

Had gotten so bad had to open all windows to breath, returned home did not have time to inspect had to rush to work and took the other car.

The weird part is that the smoke never came out of the bonnet or any other indication of smoke only through the air vents.

Any advise what to look for?

When i get back home this evening will lift off the covers and have a look

Thanks

 

[Speirie]

Ok lifted the covers and nothin appears to be leaking or missing.
No sign of any oil leak

Took the car for a spirited drive and still nothing

The car was standing for a week before startup this morning

Clueless

Fluid levels appear to be normal

 

[Philip Foglar]

This is very strange!! Have no idea what could have caused this - hopefully someone will have a sensible answer for you! :thumbs:

 

[Major]

Interesting. I'm tempted to say a tappet cover gasket or the vacuum pump on the back of the head, those things love to leak on the 6-cylinders and are a common replacement part. My guess is you're looking for something that could leak onto the exhaust, and those two are the usual culprits, unless a plastic bag got onto your exhaust.

 

[Speirie]

Will run it this wknd again and see, if anything happens again.
Noticed also now some oil leak from gearbox i guess, coz its almost halfway down the car, will have to have it checked out

 

[Speirie]

@Major thanks for your advise, Im having a problem locating the vacuum pump on the n52 engine.

Thought it was behind the block, against the firewall, dismantled the whole micro filter assembly but couldnt find it.

Any Help Please, need my car in condition for the BMW Festival

 

[JENICH]

Long shot here, but this happened to me.
Some of you know son me time back my little one stuck coins into the CD player and a few days later there was smoke coming from the vents and the cd slot.

Do you have kids, if so, I would check the cd player.

With me, when the smoke started come out I stopped, switched the car off and aver all the smoke cleared, I checked and found nothing wrong, started the car and there was no smoke, limped home, not wanting anything to go wrong.

Took the car to JSN and they checed the CD player first. Found the problem.

Car never smoked again

 

[Speirie]

@Jenich, haha buddy no kids, (dont think the wife counts, nevermind the tantrums)

doubt anything fell in the airvents, but didnt notice anymore smoke this wknd.

Will wait and see

Maybe a trip to zeemax will scare the gremlins out

 

[Brendon.Myburgh]

this happened to my boets, 320

alas was the vacuum pump. Seems like a major job though. on the e90 '07 320 the vacuum pump as far as i can tell from the job card sits somwhere under the tappet cover ????. They replaced the tappet head cover gasket & the vacuum pump.

i cant say for sure though, im not familiar with the petrol engines. I drive diesel so i know what to check for on my beemer

 

[Chucky]

N42/N46B20 Motors are known for their oil leaks and mystery oil leaks something similar happened to me with the e90 where I got home one day and as I switched the car off smoke was coming through the gaps between the bonnet and fenders, had the car since brand new never abused or even driven hard.
Checked for any signs of oil leaks could see none at face-value, car has been fine ever since and all fluid levels seem normal not to concerned about it as it is still under mplan if BMW does pick something up.

On my E46 318ti very similar problem where it will leak drops of oil onto the exhaust and I have nice smoke effects when at a robot or whenever bringing the car to a stop.

The common cause is the tappet cover gasket and the breather pipe found at the back of the tappet cover.
Oil will seep out from there and run onto a hot surface like the exhaust and some smoke will appear.

I also notice a burned oil smell after the ti has been standing for a couple days, but if it has been used for days in succession no sign of smoke or burn oil smells.

 

[Speirie]

On the 4cylinder engine it sits behind the head between the firewall.
I followed this DIY all through to the end but never realised its for the wrong engine

http://www.bmwland.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=134590

Still no idea where the vacuum pump is located on a n52 engine

Checked the tappet cover, no leaks detected and its not losing oil faster than its usual

 

[Speirie]

Update: Took the car beginning of last month to Zeemax who diagnosed leaking tappet cover, even though i couldnt find a leak. They replaced gasket
And all seems fine, no smoke so far. hold thumbs