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Thread: 2007 BMW X3 - Startup Issues, Burning Smell, White Smoke

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    2007 BMW X3 3.0si

    Post 2007 BMW X3 - Startup Issues, Burning Smell, White Smoke

    Hey guys, this is pretty much a follow up of my first post but that didn't get anywhere because I couldn't upload any images so sorry for that. But anyways, the issue I had was an oil leak. I ended up taking it to the dealer to see what was going on and they said it was a cracked valve cover after putting a dye overnight and checking it the next day. They were going to charge $1800 to get it fixed. I declined the service so I went ahead and replaced it myself.

    After replacing the valve cover/gaskets, I am having a few issues.
    1. When I start the car, it starts but it rumbles for a few seconds (5-10??) then it goes away, hard to explain but it seems like it is "sputtering".
    2. During startup, white smoke comes out of the exhaust, again, for a few seconds (5-10??). Smells like something is burning too.
    3. Car drives fine, but when I slow down (car is downshifting), before coming to a complete stop, the RPM seems to just dip quick, not a slow dip, but QUICK then rises back up.
    4. Twice already (day one and day two), coming from a stop the car would go then it just shuts off (feels like it stalled and I have to put it in park, then start it again), luckily no car was behind me. (Hasn't happened since)
    5. After finish driving the car, when I leave the vehicle, I can smell something burning, almost smells like if you have been riding on your Parking brakes while driving.

    Any idea of what it might be?

    Looking forward to your responses.

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    You may need your ccv checked/repaired.

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    '06 BMW X3
    Assume it's not your actual brakes, but have you felt all 4 wheels after driving? If something actually is dragging, you will feel the wheel noticeably HOTTER than the ones not dragging.

  4. #4
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    Thanks for the replies!

    So I checked all my connections again and everything seems fine until I pulled out the coils for the spark plugs (I believe that is what they are called?) and looking into each well, I saw that cylinders 3 & 4 had a pool of oil in them, where as the other 4 does not. I am assuming this would be a bad gasket or the gasket slipped out? This would make sense that oil would be in 2 wells instead of one because the gaskets cover 2 spark plugs together.

    Also, would this cause all the symptoms I am having?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
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    caribbean
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    09 x3
    the symptoms point to a vacuum leak or unmetered air getting into the " loop" ... essentially like leaving the dip stick loose in a sealed system car like all are these days. considering you aren't a professional, the problem you are going to have is that you don't know what you are looking at at any time is good or not and its easy to make mistakes and simply not recognize that they ARE mistakes... your leaking spark plug wells are an example. if oil is getting out then air can be getting in causing the issue. like any problem that shows up new after you have worked on the car that wasn't there before, this is going to be something you did wrong. simply go back and do it all again. touch every nut, bolt, washer, screw clamp and connection that you had off the first time and simply find what you did wrong and the problem will disappear. getting the gasket seated correctly will be a good beginning.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by stvsxm View Post
    the symptoms point to a vacuum leak or unmetered air getting into the " loop" ... essentially like leaving the dip stick loose in a sealed system car like all are these days. considering you aren't a professional, the problem you are going to have is that you don't know what you are looking at at any time is good or not and its easy to make mistakes and simply not recognize that they ARE mistakes... your leaking spark plug wells are an example. if oil is getting out then air can be getting in causing the issue. like any problem that shows up new after you have worked on the car that wasn't there before, this is going to be something you did wrong. simply go back and do it all again. touch every nut, bolt, washer, screw clamp and connection that you had off the first time and simply find what you did wrong and the problem will disappear. getting the gasket seated correctly will be a good beginning.
    I work in the tech field so I pretty much follow that, always.

    As you mentioned, I did go back and touch every wire, connections, nuts, bolts, etc and found the oil filled spark plug wells.
    I did end up removing the whole valve cover again and saw that during the installation, the gasket probably fell off because it was sitting inside the engine where as the other 2 spark plug gaskets (the non-issue ones) were seated in place. Put the gasket back on, the valve cover, checked every connection again and started up the car. The symptoms were pretty much gone. No more harsh rumbling on startup and white smoke/burning. There was a little burning in the beginning but I assume that was just the old oil that was already there. I tried to clean it as good as I could get it. But today, when I got to work, after a 20 mile drive, no burning smell at all or the very fast dip in RPMs on slowdown. So it seems like the gasket was the issue. I'll just have to drive it a couple more days to confirm.

    Thanks everyone for your input!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
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    caribbean
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    09 x3
    well done. in the trade , that's rule number one... " if you " fixed it " and now something else is wrong, it's not the car's fault "...

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    Houston,texas , USA
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    2007 BMW X5
    Quote Originally Posted by theblob640 View Post
    Thanks for the replies!

    So I checked all my connections again and everything seems fine until I pulled out the coils for the spark plugs (I believe that is what they are called?) and looking into each well, I saw that cylinders 3 & 4 had a pool of oil in them, where as the other 4 does not. I am assuming this would be a bad gasket or the gasket slipped out? This would make sense that oil would be in 2 wells instead of one because the gaskets cover 2 spark plugs together.

    Also, would this cause all the symptoms I am having?
    Hey there, thanks for your posting.
    I have x5 2007 4.8, after I replaced engine coolant pipe, removed the intake manifold and put it back, and touched the bank1 valve cover (open and put it back).
    it took me one month to make the car firing, but I got heavy white smoking from the exhaust and big smoking below from between the Bank2 valve cover and the
    intake manifold. I think it is similar to your issue. I am wondering if it is blown gasket? my coolant level is too low every time when I filled in. So I guess I have cracked
    intake manifold? or valve cover bank2? tanks for your opinion1

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    09 x3
    the first question I always ask is " did it do all these things BEFORE you worked on it ? if the answer is yes then normal troubleshooting for symptoms begins . if the answer is " no" then you have to go back over your work and see what you did wrong. white smoke that smells sweet is generally coolant getting in the combustion chamber but considering you had the intake manifold off, if you didn't get that back on right for one reason or another, it could be sucking coolant into one of the runners. I presume that intake manifold has coolant passages in it as virtually every car does...

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