1995 540i/6 started smoking and quit

[jsalinas]

Let me start by saying this site is awsome and has been very handy in the month I have had my car.
This morning I was idling in a parking spot and the car started to blow white smoke and make the suction noise for about a minute and then clear out and run normal again?
I have read all about the M60 CCV/PCV being garbage and causing this issue, but do they stick and only do it intermittently? This is the first and only time is has done this. I checked all fluids and everything is normal, drove it 40 miles to and from work and all is fine? Going to order CCV and gasket but is there anything else that can cause this? Coolant and oil are normal and not mixed?

Thanks in advance!

[moroza]

Welcome!

Did the smoke smell sweet? That'd be coolant.

PCV failure burns oil, which is blue smoke that does not smell sweet. See here.

[XAlt]

Welcome!

Did the smoke smell sweet? That'd be coolant.

PCV failure burns oil, which is blue smoke that does not smell sweet.

BMW cats contain magic that make it smoke whitish, especially on V8 exhausts

[moroza]

BMW cats contain magic that make it smoke whitish, especially on V8 exhausts

First I hear of this... what's cooking off in that scenario?

[jsalinas]

The smoke did not smell sweet, but didn't seem like oil smoke to me? I have driven it everyday this week to and from work (40 mile round trip) with no issues. I check all fluids every evening and morning and all are clean and topped off. I have no clue what it was but ordered a new CCV and gasket. Figured it couldn't hurt to change it anyways.

[ross1]

The smoke did not smell sweet, but didn't seem like oil smoke to me? I have driven it everyday this week to and from work (40 mile round trip) with no issues. I check all fluids every evening and morning and all are clean and topped off. I have no clue what it was but ordered a new CCV and gasket. Figured it couldn't hurt to change it anyways.

My guess is that you saw steam from the exhaust simply from condensation. These are huge mufflers with the potential to hold a bunch of water and it sometimes takes quite a while to "burn" off collected condensation.