Smoke out of the tail pipe! Help

[WesleyBR]

Hey guys, im having some problems with my 95 325ia. like... everytime i turn on i get a blue smoke. Sometimes white. when im driving.. i cant see much smoke.. but there is too.
And i have to put like 1,5 liter of oil each 2 months i guess.

it has 89.000miles Am i gonna have to rebuild it? Im really scared cause its gonna be really expensive to rebuild this engine around here. =/
if there anything i can try... tests.. or anyhting i do.. to know whats going on.

thanks guys

[witeshark]

That's a serious oil burning issue.

[BrianXE36]

Find that leak! If you're lucky it could be something easy like a gasket or something. Its a good car with really low miles too when you find the leak, tell us where it's coming from we'll do our best to help you out!

[WesleyBR]

Heyy, like witeshark said.. it IS definetely a serious oil burning issue.
And Brian, I wann find it... and i will. but i actually dont know how ... but i'll do my best. im learning about this cars, im 21 and its my second car, and i love SO MUCH bmw and i heard so much about it, that these engines will take like 250k miles until a 100% sure rebuild needed.

and one question, how can i be sure if it is a 89k miles? cause they can change it right?
A mechanic around here, didnt even looked at the engine and he said that i will have to rebuild it, and ist gonna cost like 7,000.00 R$ (around 4,000.00U$) and i bought it like last year.
And te engine doesnt do any wired noise, sounds like perfect u know? when the engine is bad, u can hear something's wrong.

anyway... Im not sure how to start find for the leak, since im new, but im learning a lot lately, and researching and doing DIY , so with some help im sure i can find it.

once again. thank you guys. u've been really helpful

[92cleanbeam]

Yes it will have to be rebuilt. The rings on the pistons are done or they cylinder walls are scarred. Either way there is nothing you can do to stop the smoke. Im not sure if you are at all inclined to take the motor out yourself but it would save you a little bit. Just have the bottom end rebuilt. This includes new crank bearings, cam bearings, PISTON RINGS, and new oil pump. There is no real reason to do the top end or the head if it was running fine. Like you said these motors run great so dont bother with rebuilding the entire engine. You may even find a crate motor or used motor in good shape. I have a feeling if you take it to some lil shop mechanic that they will just re-ring it anyways and charge you out the tailpipe for it.

[drivinfaster]

bmw engines, as well as many others, will go for more than 150k if taken care of. the fact that your is smoking at less than 90k would indicate to me less than regular oil changes. this can sometimes be verified by removing the valve cover and looking for the sludge that accumulates due to neglect.

when an engine smokes, it is usually due to the piston rings (indicated by smoke while driving, or under load), or valve seals (initial smoke on start up). either could be quite expensive.

if there isn't a lot of sludge, then it could be either a lot of high revving abuse, or, some sort of solvent was run through the crankcase to remove the sludge.

either way, you are looking at some serious funds if it is related to the compression rings. you could do one of the following, depending upon the budget.

1- trade it in and take your chances on another vehicle.
2-drive it 'till it breaks (who knows when that will be...) then get another vehicle.
3-have a used engine installed.
4-have a reman engine installed.

with either 3 or 4 i would source from a reputable place, not just 'the cheapest', and factor in a lot of extras, such as fresh plugs, thermostat, hoses (including the heater hoses), starter, and belts. for the 3rd option, i would also consider a 'reseal', meaning, the rear main seal, oil pan, and oil filter housing seals all get replaced. the valve cover can be done as well, but it is not a difficult job to do afterwards if you are looking to save on funds.

i have done many engine replacements and try to do the most effective repair for the money. sometimes the cost is a factor, but i have always tried to explain the cost benefit in doing the repairs in this manner. aside from the heater hoses, everything else *has to come off anyway*, so there is no additional labor in order to put many of the new parts on either a new or used motor. the gaskets on a used motor may be the exception, but the labor for that should be listed in a labor guide as 'add ons'.

hope this helps.


df

[johnnyBgood]

Originally Posted by WesleyBR

Heyy, like witeshark said.. it IS definetely a serious oil burning issue.
And Brian, I wann find it... and i will. but i actually dont know how ... but i'll do my best. im learning about this cars, im 21 and its my second car, and i love SO MUCH bmw and i heard so much about it, that these engines will take like 250k miles until a 100% sure rebuild needed.

and one question, how can i be sure if it is a 89k miles? cause they can change it right?
A mechanic around here, didnt even looked at the engine and he said that i will have to rebuild it, and ist gonna cost like 7,000.00 R$ (around 4,000.00U$) and i bought it like last year.
And te engine doesnt do any wired noise, sounds like perfect u know? when the engine is bad, u can hear something's wrong.

anyway... Im not sure how to start find for the leak, since im new, but im learning a lot lately, and researching and doing DIY , so with some help im sure i can find it.

once again. thank you guys. u've been really helpful

If you want to be absolutely sure, you can do a compression test on each cylinder......if you have oil leaking past the piston rings, your compression will be low.

Spark plug replacement & compression test DIY - United Bimmer Community - BMW Forum


jb
p.s. sorry about the link source fellas!

[WesleyBR]

thanks guys!! very much.. i'll try doing this compression test, and stuff. and ill let u guys know how it went. =]]

thank you