Blowing smoke at startup but head gasket good...

... I think. I haven't done a compression check.

I have a 2000 540i with 154k miles. It has a slightly rough idle when the engine is cold but other than that it runs great. It isn't losing coolant and isn't losing much oil but often at start-up it blows out a huge amount of oil smoke.

There is no coolant in the oil and no oil in the coolant reservoir. This has been going on for about 4 months. I just bought a new car to replace it but I don't want to give up my 540.

Does anyone have any idea about what I can check to find out what the problem is? I know the valve cover gasket leaks but the smoke is from the exhaust pipe and not the front of the engine.

Thanks

Its a common problem
I haven't had this happen (yet:|) but what your describing sounds like what happens when the CCV is clogged/broken. BUT im not sure if it stops after the car is warmed up and the crud in the CCV gets softer.

Here's a DIY link
CLICK HERE

Andreas
Queens NY
BMWCCA# 186796
86 325es (wrecked by careless driver)
87 325 300k (project for life)
00 540is 6spd 180k (daily driver)
http://forums1.roadfly.com/preferenc....php?img=17983

Andreas
Queens NY
BMWCCA# 186796
86 325es (wrecked by careless driver)
87 325 300k (project for life)
00 540is 6spd 180k (daily driver)
http://forums1.roadfly.com/preferenc....php?img=17983

You sure its oil burning?

Andreas
Queens NY
BMWCCA# 186796
86 325es (wrecked by careless driver)
87 325 300k (project for life)
00 540is 6spd 180k (daily driver)
http://forums1.roadfly.com/preferenc....php?img=17983

Thanks Whorse. I really hope it is my CCV. For a while I was thinking about almost giving my car away since I thought the entire engine needed removing.

Do you live in a cold climate? that's when the CCV problem will show up.BMW found out that they needed to insulate all hoses and the unit itself in cold climate areas. Just did mine on a 03 530 6 cylinder don't know how bad a job it is for the 8. No problem in the summmer as soon as it starts to freeze out, smoke at start up and sometimes when I was going down the road huge clouds for 5 seconds then nothing for a few days then back again. I bet that's your problem. It's a oil separator system and when it plugs up it sucks oil into the intake and that's what causes the smoke.If you unclip the top hose that goes to the unit I would bet you will fined like a yellow whip cream plugging the hose. When I took mine out it was everywhere in the system.
Hope this helps. It took me about 10 hours to do mine, and about $175 in parts. Now that I did it I could do it a lot faster. Bavarian Auto parts blog has a great picture article on how to do the 6 cylinder.

blog site? I found one entry for the M54 engine. Looks similar to my M52 6... or is this the entry to which you were refering?
Thanks.
Greg
2000 528

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~jimlev/07Sig.JPG" height=299 width=600>
<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~jimlev/SLINGSHOT2.gif">

http://forums1.roadfly.com/preferenc...e.php?img=4328

<b><i>"Drive It Like You Stole It, A Sickness for Quickness"</i></b>
<b>The Bottle Rocket "King of Spray" 2 Stage Nitrous Oxide</b>
<b><i>Dare to be different and stand out among the crowd of me-to-cars!</i></b>
<b><i>No guts, no glory!</i></b> <b>Tire smoke, not traction control!</b>
<b>Zionsville all aluminum radiator to replace the 3 leak prone Nissens Radiators!</b>

NOS Progressive 2 Stage Controller with port injection
Snow's Performance Methanol/Water Injection
Dinan downloads, VAC Under Drive Pulleys
Dinan Carbon Fiber CAI
Dinan Front Strut Bar
Electric Cooling Fan w/PWM controller
NGK Iridium Plugs
DDE Enhanced Angel Eyes, Smoked Lenses
Koni FSD's/H&R Springs, BAV Brass Caliper Bushings
Eisenmann Race Exhaust (from H8-Rain's car)
///M5 3.15 LSD
///M5 Sway Bars, Front & Rear
Energy Suspension Polyurethane Sway Bar Bushings
///M5 Gauge Cluster Rings ///M5 Lip Spoiler
///M5 Mirrors and Switches
Leather Z weighted shift knob (thanks H8-Rain)
Rogue “Octane” Short Shift kit w/WSR
Rogue Tranny Mounts
StopTech Brake Lines Front & Rear
Axxis Deluxe Plus pads Front & Rear
Staggered M Parallel 66, Xenons
Modified CDV, UGDO
Euro Storage Tray (thanks Zombywolf)
Redline in Diff and Tranny
Passport 8500 X50, Escort ZR3 Laser Jammer
G-Tech/Competition Pro Data Logger
Auto Enginuity OBD-II Scan Tool
25% Tint, X-Pel, LoJack
PIAA Driving Lights
BMW CCA Member Boston Chapter

Heavy oil smoke at start-up, rough idle, goes away in time. I tolerated four starts before digging into it. Maybe it was because my first start was in front of 70 bike racing friends who then filled me with comments about my POS German hotrod pimp-mobile for the next three hours of racing.

The CCV is a bugger to get off on the V8 because it is on the back of the manifold very close to the firewall. The torx bolts get tight in the plastic, and there isn't room enough for a socket drive. I used a hex drive torx bit in a 1/4" drive breaker bar. There is a silicone diaphragm that was torn. When removing the CCV use care (wiggle slowly) so the vent tube running fore to aft through the manifold is not dislodged from the fore recess it pushes into. If it comes out a mirror and flashlight may be used to get it back in place if you are a tiny gymnast. Otherwise it's easier to remove the manifold. Putting the new CCV on is easy and reconnecting the hoses is easy. Maybe two and half hours? Fortunately for me it was May and warmish. Hopefully you have a warm bright place to work in.

Here are some links that need the spaces removed;
http://home.c o m cast.net/%7Evicent/osve38.html
http://forums.b i m merforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1445581

oil separator is in such a position that it gets little engine heat. The V8 separator is snuggled in behind the front cover, and gets much engine heat, so sludge doesn't seem to form as readily.
Ed in San Jose. BMW CCA member since 1987 (Nr. 62319). Golden Gate Chapter. '97 540i 6 speed. Build Date 3/97. Aspensilber over Aubergine leather.
http://forums1.roadfly.com/preferenc....php?img=21320

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~jimlev/07Sig.JPG" height=299 width=600>
<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~jimlev/SLINGSHOT2.gif">

http://forums1.roadfly.com/preferenc...e.php?img=4328

<b><i>"Drive It Like You Stole It, A Sickness for Quickness"</i></b>
<b>The Bottle Rocket "King of Spray" 2 Stage Nitrous Oxide</b>
<b><i>Dare to be different and stand out among the crowd of me-to-cars!</i></b>
<b><i>No guts, no glory!</i></b> <b>Tire smoke, not traction control!</b>
<b>Zionsville all aluminum radiator to replace the 3 leak prone Nissens Radiators!</b>

NOS Progressive 2 Stage Controller with port injection
Snow's Performance Methanol/Water Injection
Dinan downloads, VAC Under Drive Pulleys
Dinan Carbon Fiber CAI
Dinan Front Strut Bar
Electric Cooling Fan w/PWM controller
NGK Iridium Plugs
DDE Enhanced Angel Eyes, Smoked Lenses
Koni FSD's/H&R Springs, BAV Brass Caliper Bushings
Eisenmann Race Exhaust (from H8-Rain's car)
///M5 3.15 LSD
///M5 Sway Bars, Front & Rear
Energy Suspension Polyurethane Sway Bar Bushings
///M5 Gauge Cluster Rings ///M5 Lip Spoiler
///M5 Mirrors and Switches
Leather Z weighted shift knob (thanks H8-Rain)
Rogue “Octane” Short Shift kit w/WSR
Rogue Tranny Mounts
StopTech Brake Lines Front & Rear
Axxis Deluxe Plus pads Front & Rear
Staggered M Parallel 66, Xenons
Modified CDV, UGDO
Euro Storage Tray (thanks Zombywolf)
Redline in Diff and Tranny
Passport 8500 X50, Escort ZR3 Laser Jammer
G-Tech/Competition Pro Data Logger
Auto Enginuity OBD-II Scan Tool
25% Tint, X-Pel, LoJack
PIAA Driving Lights
BMW CCA Member Boston Chapter

http://blog.bavauto.com/bmw-e46/bmw-m54-6-cylinder-crankcase-ventilation-pcv-diy-325i-328i-330i-525i-530i

This will take you to the page, it is the M54

Maybe my torx bits are on the longish side. I wasn't able to shove the bit into the bolt and hold it in place as I wrenched (torqued the torx?). The bit driver made a more compact fit and has a longer lever arm. My bolts were really tight, too.

torx bolts away and used regular hex head bolts on the CCV and throttle body plate to the manifold.