BMW 335i Turbo help

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getafix33

Expert Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2006
Messages
1,722
Howdy

Got a customer with a suspected turbo issue. There is oil in the return pipe from the turbo(s). The customer has complained about white smoke when idling as well as when releasing the accelerator going down hill.

Apparently you have to either remove the engine and drop the front suspension to access the turbos.

I know that this is like asking an online doctor for a diagnosis, but some guide lines will help.

Also, if the turbos need replacing, can anyone recommend a reputable exchange company (preferably in the Eastern Cape)

Thanks
 
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saturnz

Honorary Master
Joined
May 3, 2005
Messages
19,668
getafix33 said:
Howdy

Got a customer with a suspected turbo issue. There is oil in the return pipe from the turbo(s). The customer has complained about white smoke when idling as well as when releasing the accelerator going down hill.

Apparently you have to either remove the engine and drop the front suspension to access the turbos.

I know that this is like asking an online doctor for a diagnosis, but some guide lines will help.

Also, if the turbos need replacing, can anyone recommend a reputable exchange company (preferably in the Eastern Cape)

Thanks
Click to expand...

when you say return pipe, which return pipe are you referring to?

on a simple turbo setup, there is only an oil drain, where oil is fed to the turbo and returned back into the sump, this pipe by definition must have oil in it


generally when a turbo fails it means the seals have been damaged and the turbo now leaks oil, this oil will burn black as it hits the exhaust and not white
 
P

P924

Expert Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
2,617
getafix33 said:
Howdy

Got a customer with a suspected turbo issue. There is oil in the return pipe from the turbo(s). The customer has complained about white smoke when idling as well as when releasing the accelerator going down hill.

Apparently you have to either remove the engine and drop the front suspension to access the turbos.

I know that this is like asking an online doctor for a diagnosis, but some guide lines will help.

Also, if the turbos need replacing, can anyone recommend a reputable exchange company (preferably in the Eastern Cape)

Thanks
Click to expand...
A light layer of oil in the pipes between the intake manifold and the turbo is normal. If a turbo seal was a problem, there would be smoke under heavy acceleration, not when releasing the petrol.
I would hazard a guess that it is either carbon buildup on the intake valves due to it being direct injection, or perhaps a problem with the egr system, or a sensor. But the odds of finding such an issue with the BMW diagnostic computer is quite high, so do that first.

If you do get to swapping the turbos, get new OEM ones from the importer (not the stealership and not aftermarket). There are very few companies I would trust with a rebuild, and with the amount of labour involved, it is not worth the risk.

Synthetic oil can burn white, by the way...
 
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CPTBoy

Expert Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2011
Messages
1,207
Not BMW related, but when my STi started puffing white smoke I suspected it was the turbo.

When the car was cold it was very faint, but once it warmed up and I stopped at a traffic light, it would plume white smoke. At the end of the day, it was the turbo seal that was leaking. It was a fairly easy and cheap fix.
 
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