[udfxrookie]

So my buddy owns a 300i N52 and is having issues with MASSIVE smoke out his exhaust and it is definitely oil. I looked under the car and where the header meets the exhaust the gasket was dripping oil (bottom of headers, start of exhaust pipes), I tightened the bolt which resolved that problem (LOL) but it was a solid indicator of oil leakage as it was very dark.

Here's the video of what's going on:

View post on imgur.com

Compression test on all cylinders shows 200 across the board with cylinder 1 at maybe 190



Plugs are in HORRIBLE shape:


and VANOS needed replaced:


Codes initially were:

DME/DDE [MSV70] | 29F4: Catalytic-converter conversion
DME/DDE [MSV70] | 29F5: Catalytic-converter conversion 2
DME/DDE [MSV70] | 2A82: VANOS intake
DME/DDE [MSV70] | 2A87: Exhaust VANOS, mechanism
DME/DDE [MSV70] | 29D0: Combustion misfires, cylinder 4
DME/DDE [MSV70] | 29D2: Combustion misfires, cylinder 6
DME/DDE [MSV70] | 29CC: Combustion misfires, several cylinders

***This car has NO CATS and has AA headers to account for first 2 codes
After replacing VANOS and resetting codes, nothing has instantly popped back up.

At first I thought it was a blown head gasket, maybe the rings... then I read about the oil separator for this engine being a big cause on this.... any way to test that? Ideas on what this could be?

[AlphaSO]

It looks like your buddy has excessive oil consumption coming out of the exhaust.

It wouldn't be a valve cover gasket leak, but if it was excessive, the oil would leak onto the front exhaust manifold and smoke would be beaming from the front engine bay.

If your mate has the aluminum valve cover (grey vanity cover) N52 (first variant). Check the crankcake breather pipe and the PCV Valve. But, if he has the BLACK vanity cover, which is the plastic valve cover for his car - I would consider changing the valve cover as a whole because the newer variant never came with separate parts like the first variant.

Once the valve cover or its part (depending on which N52 engine they have), this should rectify the issue.

Just note that it is normal to have the valve cover to crack or a pipe at the back to break - our engines run extremely hot due to emissions purposes - so these pipes, gasets and other engine components (if plastic) will deteriorate over time.

[udfxrookie]

Replacing the CCV system, just waiting for it to arrive and will post results. But with 0 coolant leaking and seeing JUST oil drop out the header (before I tightened the flange LOL) I was going towards PCV system as well. TY for the response!

[udfxrookie]

Just noticed too.... ADMIN, please delete this post, this is a duplicate of another of my posts.... didn't know it did that my apologies, but please delete this thread. Thank you.