[basim07]

Firstly Ive done a lot of searching, on here and various other forums including the E60 forums

Have an 56 330D Pre Lci (M57 231bhp)

For a good 6 months noticed smoking from the exhaust with a very strong smell consistent with burning some oil
strangely only happens when car is upto to temperature and idling! Most noticeable when at traffic lights after a long drive and the car has warned up or when parked up for a while with engine running
Alongside this will notice strong exhaust fume smell inside the cabin
A mechanic has noticed it is quite dirty / sooty around the EGR cooler / EGR valve could this potentially be a leak?

Car has burned maybe from the 1/2 to minimum mark in the 6 months

- Had the DPF off and EGR mapped out in October
- Had the crankcase breather checked yesterday (had no breather at all! Had a vortex type one put in)
- Turbo had a little oil and very small amount of play but nothing massive ( I'm on 130k miles). Turbo pulls strong as ever and no issues regarding it

My next step is to clean the EGR valve and then once a blanking plate arrives blank it off on the left side port and then use golf tees to block off the vacuum hose to the EGR


Anyone have any suggestions to cause of the oil burning? Or how I should proceed after cleaning the EGR / physically blocking It off ? The fume smell and the oil burning is my main concern right now.

[kiel_dafo_kenyg_as]

The vortex type of breather has a diaphragma inside. I would throw a new one in on a regular basis, just to be on the safe side.
If you get a smell inside the cabin it's likely to come from the engine bay. Check the area around the turbos for oil slobber

[jimbo666]

Check your swirl flaps for leaking oil. It can be enough to run down the block, get hot and start stinking.

[basim07]

Would either of these cause oil smoking through the exhaust? I'm thinking they're related so any particular areas to take a look around?

[jimbo666]

I'd have thought that due to you removing the DPF, that filter no longer traps the soot that causes tail pipe smoke/odour. Does it drive ok?

[basim07]

It drives spot on, no issues whatsoever or any relevant codes

It's the fact it's definitely oil smoke (tinge of blue) coming out worried there's a leak somewhere

Plus it's quite the irritant to passers by when im parked up idling and it starts smoking

[Aragorn30d]

Blue smoke could be valve stem seals or turbo seals, or it could be a fuel injection issue.

[chriz1]

Little tip with engine running in a dark garage (door open) use a torch under the bonnet to search for where the smoke is coming from look at the beam of the light

[umut335i]

Sounds exactly like the problem I had with my e93 335i... nobody could tell me exactly what was wrong so I got pissed off and changed everything. I got advised all the stuff similar to below...

It was super embarrassing... everytime I came to a stand still I'd be absolutely covered in smoke and that awful smell...

Have you tried using an oil catch can? (Not sure if you can get it for your model but I'm guessing you can?)

I got told what fixed mine was the RB PCV valve and the Oil Catch Can bought those both from Burger Motorsports.

I did also change the Turbos to uprated ones but make sure you try all the cheap stuff first... :-D

[Stator]

Basim07, any luck resolving this?

I have a very similar issue - getting the breather replaced as we speak but wondering if that will actually make any difference...