Lumpy idle, then a cloud of white smoke

[feeshta]

So, I had an issue last night with the car that has me slightly worried. I've also been having another issue for about a week now, but I don't think the two things are related. The first issue is a weird noise I've been getting on shut-down, which I posted in the thread below. Seems likely to be a failing electric water pump, but so far it has been hanging on.

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...php?p=18890748

Now the new issues. Last night after playing in a flag football game, I came out and started the car at around 8 PM, or attempted to start the car I should say. It started, then stumbled and stalled after about a second. A second start got the car running, but I was getting a lumpy idle, almost like one cylinder was missing.

Giving the car a little gas after a minute or two seemed to mostly settle it down. As I drove home, I drove about 10 minutes out to the highway at slow speeds and all felt relatively normal.

When I hit the on-ramp, I got on it a little bit in second, and was rewarded with a huge cloud of white smoke. A coworker was behind me and let me know about the color, as all I could see was that it had belched out a cloud of smoke. It had an acrid smell, almost like tire smoke.

When I got back to my apartment a few minutes later, the car seemed to be running fine, and a few revs of the engine did not yield any smoking at all. It ran similarly fine this morning on the way to work.

The car is unmodified when it comes to power train(has some light suspension work) and has just short of 55K miles. It's a CPO. I have not had any check engine lights, and a quick check with a wifi based OBD code reader did not show anything at all.

So, my thought is that it may have been a chunk of carbon buildup getting wedged into a valve opening, then breaking off and burning when I got on it. Anyone have any other ideas? Suggestions?

[Willortiz]

I might be wrong but if huge cloud of white smoke and a burning smell seems signs of your turbos leaking oil. I could be wrong. If its a cpo with ni mods i would think just to take i back.

[feeshta]

Originally Posted by Willortiz

I might be wrong but if huge cloud of white smoke and a burning smell seems signs of your turbos leaking oil. I could be wrong. If its a cpo with ni mods i would think just to take i back.

The thing I don't get is why it would suddenly be there, but then completely go away. If it were a bad turbo, I would think it would keep doing it, but it has not.

[Willortiz]

Ahhhh. So it only did it for that brief moment?

[Pig Farmer]

I don't want to freak you out too much, but I had a similar issue with a car years ago, and it turned out to be a warpped head. The only reason I bring this up is that it was caused by a faulty water pump. This car (an old Honda Prelude) didn't have all the safety features of the BMW, and the smell was not like burning tires. Instead the smell was kind of sweet. That being said, I would check your coolant level after it has had a chance to cool off. The old Prelude would burn off nearly all of the coolant in a day. Also check to see if you see oil in the coolant tank. If it's really bad, it will look like a chocolate milkshake.

[feeshta]

Originally Posted by Willortiz

Ahhhh. So it only did it for that brief moment?

Yep, just one burp of smoke, and it was done.

Originally Posted by Pig Farmer

I don't want to freak you out too much, but I had a similar issue with a car years ago, and it turned out to be a warpped head. The only reason I bring this up is that it was caused by a faulty water pump. This car (an old Honda Prelude) didn't have all the safety features of the BMW, and the smell was not like burning tires. Instead the smell was kind of sweet. That being said, I would check your coolant level after it has had a chance to cool off. The old Prelude would burn off nearly all of the coolant in a day. Also check to see if you see oil in the coolant tank. If it's really bad, it will look like a chocolate milkshake.

I don't believe it is anything nearly that severe. Coolant levels are fine.

[Willortiz]

You dont have an occ correct?

[feeshta]

Originally Posted by Willortiz

You dont have an occ correct?

Assuming that OCC means Oil Catch Can, no, I do not.

[Willortiz]

Hmmm if it hasnet happened again i guess it was just an excess of oil that leaked and got burned up and burped out. Your not getting any codes or misfiring or anything erratic...i really wouldnt lose sleep over it bud. But hey if your bone stock and can get around $140 take it to the dealer and have them doni full diagnostics and call it a day.

[livnpaintball2]

Leaking fuel injector

[feeshta]

I got the lumpy idle again this morning, but no cloud of smoke this time. Of course, I was not able to get on it as before as I was parked while I waited for a business to open. The car idled fine for a while, then started to get a lumpiness that gradually got worse. I was wondering if it might stall at one point, but it never did.

[feeshta]

Originally Posted by livnpaintball2

Leaking fuel injector

I thought the injector issue was a only with the N54's? My car is an N55.

[livnpaintball2]

It's direct injection like the N54, it is a possibility

[Dackelone]

Could be a bad injector. Could be lots of things... Have your DME's memory read for faults IF you have not done so yet. Also... you might want to change your oil - if you have a leaking injector. It won't take long for unburnt fuel to water down your oil and create big time problems for your engine's life.

[feeshta]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Could be a bad injector. Could be lots of things... Have your DME's memory read for faults IF you have not done so yet. Also... you might want to change your oil - if you have a leaking injector. It won't take long for unburnt fuel to water down your oil and create big time problems for your engine's life.

I'm only about 500 miles from normal oil change interval anyway, so I might just do that. Would there be an easy way to tell that there is gas in the oil? Just the smell?

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by feeshta

I'm only about 500 miles from normal oil change interval anyway, so I might just do that. Would there be an easy way to tell that there is gas in the oil? Just the smell?

Collect a oil sample and check it thru a lab(Blackstone, etc..). Or just let the sample sit over night and see IF it settles into two different shades of oil(gas). The more(fuel) the dilution the more "water like" it will be.

Dack

[feeshta]

I scheduled an appointment to have the car checked out next Tuesday. I'll let you guys know what they find.

[livnpaintball2]

What was the fix?

[feeshta]

Originally Posted by livnpaintball2

What was the fix?

Sorry I forgot to post what happened. Maybe it was because, nothing happened. I got the classic "can't reproduce the problem". The car refused to make the electrical noise while there, after doing it when I pulled in. And there were supposedly no codes.

[livnpaintball2]

Open your oil cap and if it smells like gas you have a leaking injector.

[muddtt]

Originally Posted by livnpaintball2

Open your oil cap and if it smells like gas you have a leaking injector.

is it necessary to change your oil immediately if this happens?

[livnpaintball2]

If you have fuel in your oil it should be changed immediately