Changed entire cooling system.. What is this issue now?

[Anfernyxxx]

So I looked under the cap.. there was some milkyness going on..White smoke from exhaust and It's been sitting in cold weather. I recently changed the entire cooling system. Is this just condensation?? The vehicle has not been overheated I always have the coolant temp up on the dash. Oil level has always been fine.. doesn't burn any. Needle always in the middle. The coolant doesn't seem to be effected at all.. I'm going to check it again after the vehicle cools down.

I've included a picture of the milky stuff under cap and a video of the white smoke! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

I changed radiator, All hoses, reservoir, Water pump, Coolant sensor/O ring..

I wish I knew more about these BMWs I'm a new 325i owner.. I really love the vehicle I hope it's not a head gasket issue! It was at a garage being checked out and he said no codes, no misfires.. that necessarily doesn't eliminate he fact it could have a bad head gasket? Maybe it's just the CCV getting old?


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[Mless5]

That's normal if the car sat and or you are running short trips in cold weather.

[Anfernyxxx]

God bless you Mless5. Stupid question but.. How about the coolant is level when cold and when at operating temp it's way above the full line? I know coolant expands and contracts with engine temp.. so I'm a new owner I have a ton of stupid questions to ask. I have a new CCV ready to install also! Oh yeah I replaced the oil filter housing gasket also! And the hose from the bottom of the CCV to the dipstick was broken replaced that. There is not excessive vacuum on the crankcase since the CCV line was replaced. I also hear a slight suction when I pulled the dipstick out.. Is that a pump of some sort? Forgive me.

[dhurley34]

In a colder climate, set the level at the bottom end of normal with the engine cold. The reason I specify colder climate is because, like air, volume expands and contracts with ambient temperature. There is a greater rate of coolant expansion with a car going from 30 degrees to 75 degrees ambient, than a car going from 55 to 75.

[Anfernyxxx]

I took the picture and video today it's currently 44 out. Yeah I filled the level on the lower/Full end. I'm going to be driving the vehicle to work in the morning that's 15 miles there. I'm just so worried about the coolant system blowing up! Hopefully if it really is condensation it will dissipate when I arrive home from work! I so damn paranoid with this vehicle.

[dhurley34]

Dont sweat it. Nothing I see alarms me in the slightest. The water and yellow stuff under the cap is normal for cold climate short distance driving and the "smoke" looks like nothing but condensation. If it were a head gasket, it would be a THICK white cloud with a sweet smell to it.

[Anfernyxxx]

dHurley34 Thank you. I'm learning more things about this vehicle every single day. Appreciate it

How long should it take before the condensation is gone?

[Mless5]

Depends from how much condensation has accumulated and how long/hard your drive it. If you are putting along at low rpm for a short distance, it will take longer than if you were to say get on the highway and drive for some time.

[Raddee]

Take your car out for a good one or two hour spin. When the engine is thoroughly warmed up (after like 20 minutes) put your foot down and have some fun with it for a while. It will make you and the car much happier to do that from time to time and you'll see the condensation disappears after a drive like that

[MarcoZandrini]

What’s the cooling system maintenance history? What brands of parts did you install? Here’s a quick check to see if there’s something seriously wrong with the cooling system:
- get the engine up to full operating temperature
- allow the engine to cool completely (overnight is best)
- pop the hood and squeeze the upper cooling system hose
- easy to squeeze= the head gasket is likely ok
- hard to squeeze = the head gasket may be an issue.

Also, the E46 cooling system is notoriously finicky when it comes to bleeding. Go to E46Fanatics and check Mango’s sticky on the cooling system. It’ll tell you how to properly bleed the cooling system.