[AUbeast86]

Terry,

It's alarming the rate at which these "Smoking N54" threads are popping up now. It seems like I see a new one every day. Can we get a sticky going to help these guys out in their troubleshooting? I feel like we're seeing the beginning of a huge refurbishment era for this engine.

[Smacc83]

Please!

[BeastMode335i]

x3

[Kommodore]

Your original post was pretty concise on this matter. From PCV valve to valve stem seals to bent rod.

[AUbeast86]

Originally Posted by Kommodore

Your original post was pretty concise on this matter. From PCV valve to valve stem seals to bent rod.

Thanks. I'd just like a central location to compile different root causes and the final countermeasures and to identify a common troubleshooting process to begin eliminating variables.

Another good data sample would be each persons mods/tunes/hardware etc. Smoking is a symptom of a million different issues and it literally took me a year to finally narrow it down along with trying to conduct a proper FEMA. Also, multiple issues can be working together to produce the same effect so you have to be prepared to acknowledge that just replacing one part may not completely fix your problem.

[BeastMode335i]

Originally Posted by AUbeast86

Thanks. I'd just like a central location to compile different root causes and the final countermeasures and to identify a common troubleshooting process to begin eliminating variables.

Another good data sample would be each persons mods/tunes/hardware etc. Smoking is a symptom of a million different issues and it literally took me a year to finally narrow it down along with trying to conduct a proper FEMA. Also, multiple issues can be working together to produce the same effect so you have to be prepared to acknowledge that just replacing one part may not completely fix your problem.

Yeah it seems like it stems from all stock people like me, with 70k miles, all the way to people who are FBO+meth with 20k miles.. Large spectrum so maybe we could narrow it down and each person put what they've done to diagnose and fix it... The only reason I dont think mine is valve seal related is because it doesn't even slow down or go away once the car warms up.. But mines a bit more then most of you, my car is basically not able to be driven because of it..

[Aerotest]

Just make list of Rob Beck quotes because he knows everything.

[wtfmarine]

If everyone followed my stringent maintenance/modification guideline there would be no smoking N54's.

[crazyyardie]

Originally Posted by wtfmarine

If everyone followed my stringent maintenance/modification guideline there would be no smoking N54's.

Where is said guideline ?

[Smacc83]

Originally Posted by wtfmarine

If everyone followed my stringent maintenance/modification guideline there would be no smoking N54's.

My car has less than 38,000 miles, has never seen snow almost never seen rain, kept in a heated garage, never been over 3000 miles for an oil change, new brake and tranny fluid and now new valve cover and pcv valve and yet let's out enough smoke approaching stop lights to have, on two seperate occasions, rednecks in rotten pick ups let me know that my car is burning up.

It's been modified for maybe 15k and with the exception of two days at the 1/4 track is usually driven on weekends to the cottage with two children in the back.

I would say that any support this community can provide, to the less knowledgeable, and "few" that are having these smoking issues would be greatly appreciated. Just my $.02.

[wtfmarine]

I'll tell you the secret. Change your oil less frequently. Drive your car hard often. Weekend trips to the cottage is not going to burn off the contaminants in the engine. You have to get the oil hot and sustain the temp for a period of time. I have 140K miles on my car and no oil cooler. It is not garage kept. I've driven it through snow when I should have parked and walked. I have tracked my car many times and had a rear main seal replaced as result, but it was probably on the way out anyways. Be cautious about the next greatest thing that comes out for the N54 regarding tunes as well as bolt-on parts. BMW designed these cars to driven hard. DO NOT BABY your car. Enjoy it. Push it hard. Right around 120k I started to get puffs of smoke on initial start up, but nothing like you guys have experienced. I put on my FFTEC kit the next week and upon inspection of the stock turbos the seals were clearly the issue. I try to give the honest answer and not inflate dyno numbers or races. I have nothing to prove, but my love to our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

BTW my comment was more of a poke at AUBeast and Aerotest honestly. I recently cleaned my engine bay because of nagging those 2 gave me. Damn OCD engineers lol.

[AUbeast86]

Originally Posted by wtfmarine

I'll tell you the secret. Change your oil less frequently. Drive your car hard often. Weekend trips to the cottage is not going to burn off the contaminants in the engine. You have to get the oil hot and sustain the temp for a period of time. I have 140K miles on my car and no oil cooler. It is not garage kept. I've driven it through snow when I should have parked and walked. I have tracked my car many times and had a rear main seal replaced as result, but it was probably on the way out anyways. Be cautious about the next greatest thing that comes out for the N54 regarding tunes as well as bolt-on parts. BMW designed these cars to driven hard. DO NOT BABY your car. Enjoy it. Push it hard. Right around 120k I started to get puffs of smoke on initial start up, but nothing like you guys have experienced. I put on my FFTEC kit the next week and upon inspection of the stock turbos the seals were clearly the issue. I try to give the honest answer and not inflate dyno numbers or races. I have nothing to prove, but my love to our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

BTW my comment was more of a poke at AUBeast and Aerotest honestly. I recently cleaned my engine bay because of nagging those 2 gave me. Damn OCD engineers lol.

LOL!!