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

[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!!