white smoke while idiling

gt3fever · 11-13-2009, 10:51 PM

hey guys, i recently noticed there white smoke coming out from my exhaust while idiling(not sure if it does the same thing while driving). I have fully catless dp, exhaust, but i dont remember i have seem the white smoke when i went fully catless awhile ago.

I used BT to scan the car but there is no code founded, any idea ?

ToadHollow · 11-13-2009, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hipertech

hey guys, i recently noticed there white smoke coming out from my exhaust while idiling(not sure if it does the same thing while driving). I have fully catless dp, exhaust, but i dont remember i have seem the white smoke when i went fully catless awhile ago.

I used BT to scan the car but there is no code founded, any idea ?

No codes at all? How is the car running? Good?

bump for someone else to chime in ......

Alex@AKMotorwerk · 11-13-2009, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hipertech

hey guys, i recently noticed there white smoke coming out from my exhaust while idiling(not sure if it does the same thing while driving). I have fully catless dp, exhaust, but i dont remember i have seem the white smoke when i went fully catless awhile ago.

I used BT to scan the car but there is no code founded, any idea ?

Is your Antifreeze low? White smoke is usually cause by antifreeze getting into the engine

gt3fever · 11-14-2009, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToadHollow

No codes at all? How is the car running? Good?

bump for someone else to chime in ......

car is running great. It drives normal and still pulls nicely.
wth is white smoke coming from ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by nj323ci

Is your Antifreeze low? White smoke is usually cause by antifreeze getting into the engine

i will run the test on BT again to find out.

Bagelfast · 11-14-2009, 12:12 AM

Why not datalogg your car and see how its running?

gt3fever · 11-14-2009, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1LUMI335

Why not datalogg your car and see how its running?

what parameter should i need to look for?

plus, no idea how to datalog via BT...

i am supposed to get codes if there is white smoke rite ?!

Bagelfast · 11-14-2009, 12:20 AM

Car might not throw codes but you might be able to tell something more via Datalogging.

If you are tuned, contact your tuner to find out what parameters to datalogg to find some more info.

Juss my guess, next step would be to bring her into the shop.

gian335 · 11-14-2009, 12:34 AM

what tune do u have? and how many miles on the car?......im fully catless and at cold start and sometimes normal idle it seems to be somewhat white.

Also im sure u know how ur car smells by now with going catless.....does it smell any different now that uve noticed this white smoke?

Alex@AKMotorwerk · 11-14-2009, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hipertech

what parameter should i need to look for?

plus, no idea how to datalog via BT...

i am supposed to get codes if there is white smoke rite ?!

BT tool won't help much in this situation if your car isn't throwing any codes... Might have to do some good old fashioned trouble shooting and open up the hood and actually look at the reservoir and see if the antifreeze is low

gt3fever · 11-14-2009, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nj323ci

BT tool won't help much in this situation if your car isn't throwing any codes... Might have to do some good old fashioned trouble shooting and open up the hood and actually look at the reservoir and see if the antifreeze is low

where is reservoir ? ill go look it up

gt3fever · 11-14-2009, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gian335

what tune do u have? and how many miles on the car?......im fully catless and at cold start and sometimes normal idle it seems to be somewhat white.

Also im sure u know how ur car smells by now with going catless.....does it smell any different now that uve noticed this white smoke?

currently 21000-miles on the odometer. i remembered to see the white smoke was when i just put my new exhaust 1.5 month ago. but never seem it after the exhaust break-in period until now.

and for the smell, i can't tell any diff...

gian335 · 11-14-2009, 12:57 AM

well usually when ur burning oil or antifreeze im sure the fumes will smell different. Im used 2 the smell already, so I would pretty much tell if something else was burning. It will defenately smell different if ur burning oil and there would be a good amount of white smoke coming out of the pipes.

How much smoke are we talking about here? a lot or just a little? The best way is to take a video 4 us 2 see.

Dr_Dirt · 11-14-2009, 09:40 AM

Possibly your turbo bearings have some play in them, allowing oil and coolant into your exhaust.
When you accellerate hard you get more white smoke

gt3fever · 11-15-2009, 05:41 AM

the white smoke occurs at random not all the time. sometime i dont see any white smoke coming out.

any possibility the car is running to lean ?

R1000K3 · 11-15-2009, 06:38 AM

White smoke is not an indication on running lean. Couldn't it just be normal water condensation during warm up and in cold weather?

detrick · 11-15-2009, 10:01 AM

I agree with the previous poster. White smoke on cold starts is typical because of water condensation in the fuel system. Typically, as you drive, the cats heat up and evaporate the water and the white spoke goes away after driving for 10 minutes.

Since you're catless, I would think that it would take much longer wait to get the exhaust hot enough to create evaporation, no?

If you get white smoke after driving for an hour, you probably are burning anti-freeze and will need to take it to the shop for repairs.

Check underneath the oil cap...if you see a light capuchino-like or mustard colored buildup, that means that the anti-freeze is mixing with your oil.

munters · 11-15-2009, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by detrick

I agree with the previous poster. White smoke on cold starts is typical because of water condensation in the fuel system. Typically, as you drive, the cats heat up and evaporate the water and the white spoke goes away after driving for 10 minutes.

Since you're catless, I would think that it would take much longer wait to get the exhaust hot enough to create evaporation, no?

If you get white smoke after driving for an hour, you probably are burning anti-freeze and will need to take it to the shop for repairs.

Check underneath the oil cap...if you see a light capuchino-like or mustard colored buildup, that means that the anti-freeze is mixing with your oil.

+1

chris b. · 11-15-2009, 10:49 AM

do you smell fuel?injector leaking? check your plugs? a lot of n54's that come into the shop with injector failures have this condition.

itsbrokeagain · 11-15-2009, 11:05 AM

sounds like its just water vapor being evaporated in the exhaust. It is cold outside, and this will increase the effect of it. I doubt you have a blown headgasket, as it would linger in the air if it was coolant, oil or fuel.

gt3fever · 11-15-2009, 11:43 PM

i will bring the car in tomorrow to get it check up.

thanks for all the help

Sniz · 11-16-2009, 09:42 AM

Sounds like regular water vapor to me. Based on the OP's responses if he had coolant getting into the engine he woulde be freaked out over the amount of smoke......itcould look like a james bond smokescreen if it was bad enough.

My vote is for normal watervapor

ianthegreat · 11-16-2009, 10:44 AM

You would smell antifreeze also. Nice and sweet.

11-13-2009, 10:51 PM	#1
gt3fever Major 79 Rep 1,232 Posts Drives: 992 GT3, G87 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Socal, Taiwan iTrader: (15)	white smoke while idiling hey guys, i recently noticed there white smoke coming out from my exhaust while idiling(not sure if it does the same thing while driving). I have fully catless dp, exhaust, but i dont remember i have seem the white smoke when i went fully catless awhile ago. I used BT to scan the car but there is no code founded, any idea ?
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11-14-2009, 12:12 AM	#5
Bagelfast Lieutenant Colonel 142 Rep 1,549 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Why not datalogg your car and see how its running?
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11-14-2009, 12:20 AM	#7
Bagelfast Lieutenant Colonel 142 Rep 1,549 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Car might not throw codes but you might be able to tell something more via Datalogging. If you are tuned, contact your tuner to find out what parameters to datalogg to find some more info. Juss my guess, next step would be to bring her into the shop.
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11-14-2009, 12:34 AM	#8
gian335 Major 38 Rep 1,031 Posts Drives: e92 335 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: uknown iTrader: (1)	what tune do u have? and how many miles on the car?......im fully catless and at cold start and sometimes normal idle it seems to be somewhat white. Also im sure u know how ur car smells by now with going catless.....does it smell any different now that uve noticed this white smoke?
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11-14-2009, 12:57 AM	#12
gian335 Major 38 Rep 1,031 Posts Drives: e92 335 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: uknown iTrader: (1)	well usually when ur burning oil or antifreeze im sure the fumes will smell different. Im used 2 the smell already, so I would pretty much tell if something else was burning. It will defenately smell different if ur burning oil and there would be a good amount of white smoke coming out of the pipes. How much smoke are we talking about here? a lot or just a little? The best way is to take a video 4 us 2 see.
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11-14-2009, 09:40 AM	#13
Dr_Dirt Major 65 Rep 1,476 Posts Drives: E90 335i 6AT Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DFW iTrader: (1)	Possibly your turbo bearings have some play in them, allowing oil and coolant into your exhaust. When you accellerate hard you get more white smoke
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11-15-2009, 05:41 AM	#14
gt3fever Major 79 Rep 1,232 Posts Drives: 992 GT3, G87 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Socal, Taiwan iTrader: (15)	the white smoke occurs at random not all the time. sometime i dont see any white smoke coming out. any possibility the car is running to lean ?
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11-15-2009, 06:38 AM	#15
R1000K3 Major 60 Rep 1,311 Posts Drives: 335i MT Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	White smoke is not an indication on running lean. Couldn't it just be normal water condensation during warm up and in cold weather?
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11-15-2009, 10:01 AM	#16
detrick Private First Class 3 Rep 154 Posts Drives: 2012 550xi M-Sport/Dinan S2 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Dealer Parking Lot iTrader: (0)	I agree with the previous poster. White smoke on cold starts is typical because of water condensation in the fuel system. Typically, as you drive, the cats heat up and evaporate the water and the white spoke goes away after driving for 10 minutes. Since you're catless, I would think that it would take much longer wait to get the exhaust hot enough to create evaporation, no? If you get white smoke after driving for an hour, you probably are burning anti-freeze and will need to take it to the shop for repairs. Check underneath the oil cap...if you see a light capuchino-like or mustard colored buildup, that means that the anti-freeze is mixing with your oil.
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11-15-2009, 10:49 AM	#18
chris b. Brigadier General 123 Rep 3,345 Posts Drives: zmp e90 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: White Plains NY iTrader: (1) Garage List 2010 335i [0.00]	do you smell fuel?injector leaking? check your plugs? a lot of n54's that come into the shop with injector failures have this condition. __________________ Brentuning Cobb AP pro tune -IG: @beemeraddict 2010 335i zmp fbo, 465/513 E60 mix
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11-15-2009, 11:05 AM	#19
itsbrokeagain 314 Rep 15,747 Posts Drives: 1999 528iT, E53 X5, E46 325xi Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Strong Island iTrader: (7)	sounds like its just water vapor being evaporated in the exhaust. It is cold outside, and this will increase the effect of it. I doubt you have a blown headgasket, as it would linger in the air if it was coolant, oil or fuel.
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11-15-2009, 11:43 PM	#20
gt3fever Major 79 Rep 1,232 Posts Drives: 992 GT3, G87 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Socal, Taiwan iTrader: (15)	i will bring the car in tomorrow to get it check up. thanks for all the help
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11-16-2009, 09:42 AM	#21
Sniz Lieutenant General 715 Rep 10,584 Posts Drives: e92 335 - gone // e36 M3 turbo Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ellicott City, MD iTrader: (1)	Sounds like regular water vapor to me. Based on the OP's responses if he had coolant getting into the engine he woulde be freaked out over the amount of smoke......itcould look like a james bond smokescreen if it was bad enough. My vote is for normal watervapor __________________
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11-16-2009, 10:44 AM	#22
ianthegreat Colonel 66 Rep 2,314 Posts Drives: n54 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Pittsburgh/Houston iTrader: (1)	You would smell antifreeze also. Nice and sweet.
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