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Thread: 2006 330i 6MT smoking post VCG replacement

  1. #1
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    Unhappy 2006 330i 6MT smoking post VCG replacement

    My 330i (2006) smokes from the passenger side rear of the engine. Thinking it was the valve cover gasket i replaced that along with the oil filter adapter gasket about 300 miles ago. It has since continued smoking and not gotten any better. My oil levels remain the same but coolant goes down. Which is odd bc it smells like burning oil. If anyone has any suggestions Im losing my mind over here.

    Cheers,
    - Marco

  2. #2
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    Please advise whether this is an E46 or an E90. (2 doors or 4?) (In 2006, the 2 door was a very different bodyshell and engine from the 4 door)..
    I'm going to assume you mean the 4 door E90, with an N52 engine...

    This is a quite difficult valve cover gasket to replace, without making one of several possible mistakes:
    If you don't thoroughly clean the grooves of the valve cover, and then use some sort of adhesive to hold the gasket in place, it's quite likely to fall out of the groove, Which causes and intake leak, and an oil leak.
    If you're not EXCEPTIONALLY careful, getting that cover back into place, as you swivel and tilt it to clear the valvetronic gear, you'll catch the edge of the gasket, misaligning it on the back edge, causing the same leaks.
    If you aren't very careful to get the O2 sensor wires out from under the back of the valvecover, you'll get those same leaks, AND ruin the O2 sensor wires.

    Coolant disappearing is another issue, which you should immediately address, by getting a pressure test of the cooling system at a BMW specialist shop, and then replacing whatever's leaking. Also, do make sure that you're not overfilling the expansion tank - it needs a few inches of airspace to allow the coolant to expand, which will cause an overpressure and leaks.

    Chris Powell
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    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
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    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  3. #3
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    Chris, your assumption is correct: it’s an E90.

    OP, how quickly is the coolant disappearing? Your engine is made of an aluminum alloy and it will not tolerate overheatibg at all. What’s the Service history of the cooling system? Modern BMW cooling systems are made primarily of plastic, good German plastic, but plastic nonetheless. Also, aftermarket cooling system parts are strictly verboten (forbidden). I recommend you go to www.bimrs.org to find a reputable indie shop that specializes in bimmers.

  4. #4
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    I think so too, Mark, but I did find that BMW made the E46 330i coupe for the US, up until 5/06, which is why I asked.

    https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sel...&prod=20060400

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  5. #5
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    Chris, an E46 coupe would have the 330Ci designation. The “C” signifies coupe.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by marcofive0 View Post
    My 330i (2006) smokes from the passenger side rear of the engine. Thinking it was the valve cover gasket i replaced that along with the oil filter adapter gasket about 300 miles ago. It has since continued smoking and not gotten any better. My oil levels remain the same but coolant goes down. Which is odd bc it smells like burning oil. If anyone has any suggestions Im losing my mind over here.

    Cheers,
    - Marco
    How do the oil and the coolant look like? Look for traces of foam on the oil filling cap and traces of oil in the coolant.
    "If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters." Alan K. Simpson.
    5spd E46 "3XX": 328i engine, 330i Intake and exhaust, CAI, 323i diff.

  7. #7
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    Yeah, I agree. Mark, which is why I referred to the E90. Still, we often don't get all the necessary data on this forum, so I left the door open, in case he just neglected to include "C"

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  8. #8
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    Roger that Chris.

  9. #9
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    i appreciate the response, it is an e90 (4 door) with an N52, the leaking does not seem to be coming from the valve cover gasket, i will check again, the coolant took about a week to turn the light on, but im beginning to suspect that it was a symptom of me not bleeding my coolant all the way from the last time i filled it. I refilled it and have had no issues since. Oddly enough, it only seems to smoke when its cold out side??? As I live in florida, it only smokes and smells of smoke when the temperature drops below like 75F. is there an easy way to rule out VC or VCG (that wont financially ruin me)?

  10. #10
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    Chris, looks like your suspicions were correct-it’s an E90. The resistors May be factory.

  11. #11
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    the resistors?

  12. #12
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    Yup, OP reports that there are resistors in amongst the coil packs. OP, I don’t believe the resistors are the probkem. You need to properly bleed the cooling system (the E90 process is very easy when compared to the E46 process), and then top it off.

  13. #13
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    okay, and the smoking even over 2 months after the valve cover gasket replacement? its leaking from down low on the exhaust side...

  14. #14
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    I'd have to guess that the gasket job didn't fix the leak. Maybe the valve cover is cracked. Maybe you made a mistake, and the gasket got pinched as you manipulated it into place. Hey, I had to do an N55 valve cover twice last week. Mistakes happen.

    On an N52, there's really nothing on that side that could leak oil lower than the valve cover, unless it's coming from the very front of the engine.

    Now, if it's COOLANT that's leaking and causing vapor, then you need a cooling system pressure test to find the source. Probably you'll need a water pump and thermostat and the u-shaped hose that joins them.
    Last edited by bmwdirtracer; 01-08-2019 at 08:18 PM.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  15. #15
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    if i had and possibly still have oil in my coolant from a heat exchanger gasket that went, could that cause it to smell like oil?

  16. #16
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    Realistically, I doubt it. The smell of coolant being vaporized is very potent.

    You need to start with the issue you can prove. If you're losing coolant, get a pressure test of the system, and fix whatever leaks are found. (If the water pump or thermostat is leaking, I highly recommend that you change both at the same time. Ditto if you have codes for either one. A code may not set a CEL)

    Sometimes, you have to thoroughly clean the engine, in order to find the source of an oil leak.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  17. #17
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    thanks, this car is turning into more of a sh*tshow by the day, got ABS, traction ctrl, and E brake light all at the same time today... slight mental breakdowns ahead

  18. #18
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    Those 3 lights will be caused by a single problem. Do you have a BMW specific scan tool? (An OBD code reader can't talk to the ABS/DSC computer.)

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

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