White Smoke on Ignition

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AT-Sixx

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Hi bros

I was away on holiday for a week and when I got home - I started my F30 to run the engine.

(A) A huge ball of white smoke from the exhaust came out for a good 30 seconds (enveloping my porch)and gradually the smoke thinned till it was clear emission (after about 2 minutes).

(B) The following day (abt 12 hrs later), I started the car again - still got smoke but less than previous.

(C) This morning, same thing - got smoke like (B) above.

In my mind, white smoke means burning of engine oil. This should happen during the whole drive not at initial ignition.

Any ideas ?

tqvm in advance.

Rgds
 
guys - apologies for the smileys above - it's supposed to be a bullet marked 'b'
 
Bro, I think should not be too much concern on the white smoke. Most probably just water/moisture trapped in your exhaust while you were away...plus the weather has been rainy and humid this couple of weeks. If you're still concerned, probably can take a video of the smoke emission during cold start and show it to your mech or SA. You could also share it here for our assessment.

Sharing some info on types of smokes coming from the exhaust and what may be the possible causes:

Blue Smoke:

If your car is blowing blue smoke, it’s a clear sign that the engine is burning oil. What happens is that the valve guide seals or piston rings are worn out, and oil is leaking past from where it should be lubricating the moving parts, to the combustion chamber where it’s being burned up with the fuel.

If you’re seeing this kind of smoke, check your oil regularly and watch for consumption issues. While an issue that normally should require immediate attention and expensive repairs, including some internal replacement parts, if your vehicle is old and the leak is minimal, it can be carefully managed by topping up the oil on a regular basis.

White Smoke:

White smoke can be nothing to be concerned about if it’s thin, like vapor. This is probably the result of normal condensation buildup inside the exhaust system. This kind of smoke disappears quickly.

However, thicker smoke is a big problem, and can be caused the engine burning coolant. This can be the result of a serious issue like a blown head gasket, a damaged cylinder head, or a cracked engine block – all of which are costly repairs.

Don’t ignore it, however, as the problem could become far worse. Even a small leak in the coolant can lead to overheating and serious risk of damage to the engine. A coolant leak can also mix with oil and cause serious headaches for you and your car.

Grey Smoke:

Gray smoke is hard to diagnose directly. Like blue smoke, it can mean that the car is burning oil or suffering from a bad turbocharger. Take the same precautions as with blue smoke, and check for excessive oil consumption.

Gray smoke can also be an issue with your automatic transmission fluid getting burned up in the engine. A faulty transmission vacuum modulator would be the culprit in this situation, leading to transmission fluid getting sucked into the engine and getting burned up.


Black Smoke:

Black exhaust smoke means the engine is burning too much fuel. The first think you should check is your air-filter and other intake components like sensors, fuel injectors and the fuel-pressure regulator. Other reasons could be a clogged fuel return line. Black smoke is usually the easiest issue to diagnose and fix, but burning unnecessary fuel will definitely affect your fuel economy, so don’t think of avoiding this one to save money, it won’t work.

Any smoke coming from your car’s exhaust pipe is a sign that your car is in distress. Pay attention to what it needs to ensure more miles for your vehicle.
 
Oh btw, my ride produces a slight puff of black smoke when sudden throttle and drops to another lower gear...
 
Hi Silverbullet

Thanks so much for your sharing - much appreciated.
The thing that worries me is that prior to this I used to get (quite regularly) coolant top up indications.
SA fixed it saying it was a sensor/programming issue - since the coolant level in the tub never dropped.

I'll get the car checked one of these days and update everyone.

As some of you are curious to know, yes, I'm still experiencing the white smoke although much less.

Cheerz
 
How old is your car ? Valve seals worn out maybe. You can try to rev in on the highway and ask your buddy to drive behind you and see. If have white smoke, could be this issue.
 
1st batch of 328i. noted on suggestion, will try monitor observations.
to-date, have not noticed any white smoke anymore as car is driven every 12 hr interval (unlike previously when it was idle for a while).

thanks for suggestion Bro ET
 
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