'04 E53 - Puff of blue smoke on startup 3.0d - diesel

[rb0135]

Originally Posted by bigwave2255

on my car the little yellow light indicates low fuel

Ewen

Just checked the manual. It says "hold the ignition key in position 2 until the indicator light goes out".. The question is, which indicator light as that I cant find which one it is talking about. It goes on to say "in extremely low temperature conditions, the starter motor may have to run for upto 40 seconds"

The only time I can start the engine without any trouble (eg straight away) is if I take the yellow light on the fuel guage as the indicator light..

Depending on the cluster, next to the engine symbol (bottom left), there should be a DDE (Diesel Digial Electronics) symbol, but i dont have that. The manual states that will indicate when the Glow Plugs are warming. However, right near that (to the right), is a light, mine never comes on. Is this the Glow Plug warming light. The manual says nothing about it.

[X5Sport]

Which level of cluster do you have? On mine (High Level with OBM) there is no warning light but the display says 'Pre-Heating' for a few seconds when the air temp is low enough. Once that message disappears I turn the key.

I've never had to crank it for more than a second or so as she usually starts first touch. Only when the battery is low does she need more effort, but that's to turn the engine over.

If the air temp is above the pre-heating limit then I wait for all the amber warnings to go out leaving the normal reds (Generator, Parking Brake etc) and then crank - about the length of time to put the seatbelt on.

[rb0135]

Originally Posted by X5Sport

Which level of cluster do you have? On mine (High Level with OBM) there is no warning light but the display says 'Pre-Heating' for a few seconds when the air temp is low enough. Once that message disappears I turn the key.

I've never had to crank it for more than a second or so as she usually starts first touch. Only when the battery is low does she need more effort, but that's to turn the engine over.

If the air temp is above the pre-heating limit then I wait for all the amber warnings to go out leaving the normal reds (Generator, Parking Brake etc) and then crank - about the length of time to put the seatbelt on.

The time you wait is about the same I am waiting. I have never seen pre-heating on the display, and if I wait the time, then mine starts on first crank as well. If I wait that time, then I dont get the white smoke. Any starting earlier, I get the white smoke..

Not sure what level of Cluster I have (only had the "truck" for about 6 weeks) but in the manual, mine represents what is on page #15 and has the this label on the image, left side, 530de401

[X5Sport]

If you have a large central display window with two smaller ones either side with the service indicator display to the left then you have the 'High' cluster with the On Board Monitor and Check Control, if it's to the right and you have door open display to the left of 5 near equal display windows then it's the 'Low' cluster without check control.

It sounds as if you may have the former as my diagram numbers match all but the last digit (401) - your sounds like a later revision....although your warning light desciption matches the other version - do you have the on Board Monitor & Check Control (if you press the right hand stalk in the binnacle does a display come up saying 'Check Control OK' ?)

The 'Low' cluster brings the DDE indicator on in Yellow for preheating whereas the 'High' cluster says 'Pre-Heating' in the central display and no DDE light. On mine the DDE light does not come on at all before starting.

There may of course be country specific variants too - which usually only serves to confuse!!

[rb0135]

Originally Posted by X5Sport

If you have a large central display window with two smaller ones either side with the service indicator display to the left then you have the 'High' cluster with the On Board Monitor and Check Control, if it's to the right and you have door open display to the left of 5 near equal display windows then it's the 'Low' cluster without check control.

It sounds as if you may have the former as my diagram numbers match all but the last digit (401) - your sounds like a later revision....although your warning light desciption matches the other version - do you have the on Board Monitor & Check Control (if you press the right hand stalk in the binnacle does a display come up saying 'Check Control OK' ?)

The 'Low' cluster brings the DDE indicator on in Yellow for preheating whereas the 'High' cluster says 'Pre-Heating' in the central display and no DDE light. On mine the DDE light does not come on at all before starting.

There may of course be country specific variants too - which usually only serves to confuse!!

Yep, pressing the right hand stalk, it does say "Check Control OK", so looks like I have the "high" cluster as you state.. So, it should display "pre-heating" but I have never seen that come up..

[X5Sport]

I only ever see 'Pre-Heating' when the outside air temp is +5C or below. Any warmer and it does not come on. Again once the engine is warm, I don't see the message for the rest of the day unless the block has fully cooled to ambient again.

If the pre-heating is not required then it can take no more than a second longer to start, but I do notice more blue smoke for just a moment on those occasions when the temp is higher than the pre-heat limit, but it's still cold out.

On warm days there is no smoke at all.

Pre-heater plugs draw a lot of current so only run when absolutely necessary. We have an E53 and an E46 with the same engine and they both do the same in cold weather. I've never known one need cranking for 40 seconds. Even when the temps drop to -10C the pre-heating only comes on for a couple of seconds and the engine starts first touch.