Engine: 70 T5: Lumpy and white smoke.

[outnumbered]

HI ALL
over the last couple of days with this cold spell the car when starting for the first time from overnight the engine is very lumpy and white smoke from the rear exaust, this last for about 15 seconds then clears,from then its fine. there is no power loss or any other symptoms from then on . your thoughts as always good and bad.
mike

[scr8pdo]

Originally Posted by outnumbered

HI ALL
over the last couple of days with this cold spell the car when starting for the first time from overnight the engine is very lumpy and white smoke from the rear exaust, this last for about 15 seconds then clears,from then its fine. there is no power loss or any other symptoms from then on . your thoughts as always good and bad.
mike

It sounds quite normal to me, it sounds like the steam/condensation coming out like when you breath out in cold weather, if I had a pound for every person that thought their headgasket had gone because of this i would be rich, but you say its running lumpy? Has this only been happeneing recently?
If you are not loosing any water/coolant I wouldnt suspect headgasket, my old 535i used to pump out tons of white steam/smoke especially when a bit cold but when you think about all that cold metal exhaust with hot exhaust gasses passing over it it makes sense its condensation and will soon clear once exhaust heats up, as for the running lumpy, check the usual, spark plugs HT leads, distributor cap rotor arm etc first, all the best Steve

[outnumbered]

Originally Posted by scr8pdo

It sounds quite normal to me, it sounds like the steam/condensation coming out like when you breath out in cold weather, if I had a pound for every person that thought their headgasket had gone because of this i would be rich, but you say its running lumpy? Has this only been happeneing recently?
If you are not loosing any water/coolant I wouldnt suspect headgasket, my old 535i used to pump out tons of white steam/smoke especially when a bit cold but when you think about all that cold metal exhaust with hot exhaust gasses passing over it it makes sense its condensation and will soon clear once exhaust heats up, as for the running lumpy, check the usual, spark plugs HT leads, distributor cap rotor arm etc first, all the best Steve

hi steve .
this has just started in the last couple of days, i will check the plugs and thats it , have no dizzy and all that malarky.
mike

[scr8pdo]

Originally Posted by outnumbered

hi steve .
this has just started in the last couple of days, i will check the plugs and thats it , have no dizzy and all that malarky.
mike

Sorry mate i see you have later ME7 type, have you got a fault code reader?

[outnumbered]

Originally Posted by scr8pdo

Sorry mate i see you have later ME7 type, have you got a fault code reader?

i have two so will have a look this weekend.
thanks
mike

[K6dude]

Hi, you say it's a bit lumpy for a few seconds....could possibly be one cylinder not burning fuel for a little while, and the white smoke could be just unburned fuel passing through until she warms up enough to "catch". Sounds like an ignition thing to me...dizzy/leads or most likely plugs/lazy (or sticky/over active) injector.


Usually 99% of such things are related to those simple few events/parts that have to come together just right when you start up!

Regards
Mike