Blue smoke and antifreeze smell

[rjs1222]

I just had a fuel injector replaced on my 3.0, it would run rough and white smoke out the exhaust, no antifreeze smell though.

[X5Sport]

Here's summat possibly a bit off the wall - but............

Could it be that the engine smoke is no more than unburnt fuel as the cold engine starts up on rich mode coupled with slightly skanky air conditioning filters giving a nasty smell for a few minutes perhaps?

My wife's E46 has a nasty smell, not unlike antifreeze as the a/c compressor has not been used and mould may have grown on the microfilters. She is now using the full a/c in Auto mode and this smell has become apparent, but only for a couple of minutes after cold start. Once the system warms up it all stops again. It's being serviced in the next week or so and I'm going to suggest she gets new filters.

Just a thought.

[BMWguy]

Thanks. How did you know it was a injector and which one. I'm a DIY. I didn't drive my X for a few days, the antifreeze smell is back, again only when sitting for a couple of days and at the first start up. But even after a chemical test we all know, if you're getting antifreeze in the exhaust it must be going through the combustion chamber. Maybe via a headgasket. Not giving up yet, commute is about 1/2 city so not really worried about overheating (maybe when the wife takes it at breakneck speeds) again drives the 3.5 Altima at highway speeds all week. Still open for ideas.
Thanks (Great site)

Steve didn't order the coils from Bavauto.com. Not gonna go to the "dealer" at over $25.00 more per coil. I'm off a couple of days and wanted to get that in, we'll see.

[BMWguy]

Well guys (Steve) I'm back. I really need your guys to put on your thinking caps. With less than 500 miles after the oil change, still getting the antifreeze smell from the exhaust on first start up. No more milky build up on the oil cap but I haven't let the wife drive it (she only knows 80 mph on the NJTP). Just the weelky commute to the office 30-35 minute suburban drive.

What are the ways antifreeze can get into the exhaust manifolds?

Thanks

[noncom23]

Cracked block?

[BMWguy]

Crack Block would be overheating. Temp is normal.

[rjs1222]

Are you sure you smell antifreeze? When my injector was bad it had a terrible smell but there was no mixing of oil and antifreeze. I pulled all the plugs and there was one that was basically washed clean (on the number three cylinder). Since the smoke was only coming out of one exhaust, moved the 1-3 plugs and cylinders to the 4-6 cylinders and vice versa. When I started the engine, the smoke was still coming out of the same exhaust. I looked at the fuel rail but the job looked to complex. I took it to the dealer and they confirmed a stuck open injector. Five bills to replace. Oh yeah, I got an SES light that showed cylinder misfires, the dealer said this was due to the engine sensing the raw fuel and shutting down other cylinders to try and adjust. Hope this helps. I would definitely pull the coils and move them around, it's really easy to do.

[supersteve]

Not sure about this engine. . .Some engines circulate antifreeze through passages in the intake and/or throttle body. It's something to check into.

[BMWguy]

Thanks guys, talking through will be great. I'm sure it's antifreeze. Also while it dose not appear the "milky gunk" is mixing with the oil. When I pull the dip stick. The lobes on the end seem to have a slight coating of that gunk from the inside of the filler tube.

How can I tell what model engine I have?

2001 3.0 M54? M52 TU? M52?
Right now the plan is change the oil every 2000 miles and prepare for a head job in early spring.
And keeping talking my way through this.

[BMWguy]

Guys, one other symptom to add, for the 2nd time in about 3 months I've had a stalling/missing feeling while at idle. once at a traffic light, more recent while waiting at the office. Again only one time and it clears up. Can this be a sighn of a failing fuel injector?

Thanks