BMW Remote Diagnostics: Get Your Car Checked Now

Good evening!

I think my neighbor's BMW is broken.

It is a Txp X 83.
Key No. 0005 / ACD
4-cylinder diesel engine, 110 kW, with a displacement of 1995 ccm.
Year: 2007, approximately 90,000 km.

Problem: "The car is smoking so much that sometimes I can't see anything in the rearview mirror."
"The engine is running completely normally, with no misfires or rattles."

I took a closer look at it.
Even when idling, there's a noticeable amount of smoke coming from the exhaust, almost white, and it smells like burnt oil.
There is also an oil film on the exhaust pipe.
Normally, the car doesn't have any measurable oil consumption, but now it has dropped from the maximum level to the minimum.

I then opened the oil filler cap slightly while the engine was idling, and I could hear a lot of gurgling and bubbling, and a significant amount of oil was spraying out. There was also a lot of white smoke coming from there.

Now, the question is:
What could that be?
I think it might be a problem with the piston.
but I'm not entirely sure.
My diagnostic options are also very limited.

Are there any other possible causes, such as ventilation issues or the turbocharger pressure pushing into the crankcase, or something similar?

I won't be changing the pistons myself either.

Does anyone have any ideas whether the exhaust aftertreatment system can withstand such conditions?

Check the engine ventilation system, as it often gets clogged or malfunctions.

Hi Steffen!
That sounds like it could be serious turbocharger damage!
While it wouldn't quite match the image of smoke coming from the fuel filler cap, I once experienced something similar in an E46.
In my opinion, the DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) won't survive something like that.

If everything falls apart, I would have a diagnostic system for BMW.

Best regards,

Quote:

That sounds like severe turbocharger damage! While it wouldn't quite match the image of smoke coming from the filler cap, I once had a similar issue with an e46.

I thought so too. Is the crankcase under pressure? Although, that wouldn't really fit with what seems like normal engine operation.

You'd really need to take a look inside with a camera... or maybe expose it.

Autoservice wrote:

I thought so too. Is the crankcase under pressure? Although, that wouldn't really fit with the supposedly normal engine operation.

Well, the owner of the vehicle is not an idiot.
If he says the car is running normally, then it is.
So, at least in normal everyday operation. It certainly didn't measure whether you were 2 km/h faster or slower on the highway due to GPS.

And regarding the pressure inside the crankcase:
Okay, let me describe it this way: when I opened the oil cap, I had the feeling that...
that about as much steam, oil smoke, and pressure came out as from the exhaust pipe.
It was already bad just idling, and I didn't even open it fully, because a lot of oil also sprayed out.

The valve cover should have a filter for the venting system. Try replacing it and let me know the result. I've experienced this issue several times before. It causes so much smoke that you might think the turbo is faulty.

chli1976 wrote:

The valve cover should have a filter for the venting system. Try replacing it and report back on the results. I've experienced this several times before. Then they start smoking so heavily that you might think the turbo is defective.

Yes, this is a common issue with BMW diesel engines. It should be replaced or cleaned regularly, especially with frequent short trips. In my 330d, it was even noted in the service booklet.

Hi!

Okay, here's a quick update:

The neighbor immediately took the car to a BMW dealership.
Although I offered to examine the filter and turbo myself first, and to look for other anomalies.
I just met him, and he said they're going to install a new turbocharger.

It's not finished yet.

I will provide further updates.
I don't entirely believe that it's just the turbo.

Hello!

I visited him today and also inquired about the current status of the matter.

A new turbocharger has been installed, and the engine survived.
Everything is working normally again.

He didn't have the invoice with him, but no other "larger" items were included.