Sudden coolant loss, smoking engine bay

J

jake1

Member
Hi I have searched the web a lot about these problems, about the smoking of the engine bay from the back drivers side near the heat shield. I've read that this could be a head gasket fail or Valve.

But I can't find info on the coolant problem.

I filled up the coolant as the light came on a few days ago, it didn't take a lot and was filled to the correct amount, I then drove the car about 20 miles and when I got out I could smell a slight burning smell from the heaters.

I then went out the next day half a mile down the road and the coolant light came on, I pulled over straight away and opened the bonnet to find it smoking from the back of the engine bay. The coolant measurement gauge thing was also very low.

The temp gauge in the car didn't go above halfway and there is a small amount of Mayo in the oil filler cap, but none on the dipstick.

I haven't driven it since or started it, wandering if anyone could shed some light please.

Thanks guys
 
They are not related, and the smoking and burning on the exhaust metal cover is almost certianly going to be your rocker cover gasket, which is a cheap and easy fix. It can make a lot of smoke, especially when cold and is worth doing but not critical.

Loss of coolant is harder to diagnose and probably more important. Firstly, refill the system and make sure you bleed it properly using the bleed screw. This means taking the front cover off. Then keep a close eye out for coolant leaks on the undertray and around the hoses. Keep a regular check on the coolant level, don't just wait for the light to come on.
 
Hi thanks for the replys first! When I checked the coolant level there was some liquid on the under tray but it was pissing it down so wasn't sure if it was just rain. I will refill the coolant and bleed it watching the for leaks then.

Going back to the head gasket as it is smoking it will be stupid not to change it now as it would lead to bigger problems?

Thanks for the help!
 
Also should the head gasket be changed before trying to find the coolant issue?

Could anyone be kind enough to grab me a link to the correct gasket? It's for a 2003 3.0 231bhp

I'm just abit confused on which is the right one as I watched this video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B-TLgNCmTlY

And the ones on eBay when I search are very differnt like this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301199583174

Thanks
 
Rocker cover (valve cover) gasket, not head gasket.

Gsf car parts sell a decent one for around £35.
 
jake1 said:
Also should the head gasket be changed before trying to find the coolant issue?

Could anyone be kind enough to grab me a link to the correct gasket? It's for a 2003 3.0 231bhp

I'm just abit confused on which is the right one as I watched this video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B-TLgNCmTlY

And the ones on eBay when I search are very differnt like this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301199583174

Thanks
Click to expand...
Yes, that's the video for changing the rocker cover gasket ( valve cover gasket ). As mentioned, that is most likely where the smoke is coming from and it is an easy job.
 
For the coolant loss I would check the expansion tank. Common problem is for them to crack and leak water only when hot and under pressure. Little external sign of it but sometimes coolant in the undertray.

I use the 'not recommended' method of diagnosing such liquid on the undertray to decide if it's rainwater or coolant - taste a spot of it. I'm still alive :)

EDIT - just be sure you're also not confusing steam and smoke. Would be odd to have coolant and oil both leak at once and so often folks mistake the 2 - similar to steam in the exhaust mistaken for smoke.
 
I'm not an expert on here having only had my Z for just over a year. But I have had all the common problems. The oil leak is almost certainly your rocker cover gasket. You need to make sure you get the rubber grommets as well as the gasket itself. not all of them come with these. i had to order them separately from a bmw dealer here in France. If you could tell us if your car is auto or manual transmission. Because if your expansion bottle is the problem, on the auto there is also a thermostat under the expansion vessel that diverts coolant off to the auto gearbox. On a 2003 car this will also be shot. Other places where coolant can get out is around the water pump. All the hoses have o-ring type seals on them. These are also on the expansion vessel. They get very hard over time and can let by. They also make getting the expansion vessel off a bit of a bugger sometimes.
When I changed my vessel which was cracked in the corner, I also changed the coolant level sensor,the cap, and the thermostat that I mentioned previously.
 
jake1 said:
Also should the head gasket be changed before trying to find the coolant issue?

Could anyone be kind enough to grab me a link to the correct gasket? It's for a 2003 3.0 231bhp
Click to expand...

Here's the link item 16 on the diagram.

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BT52&mospid=47797&btnr=11_2172&hg=11&fg=15
 
Thanks for all the help guys, it seems like a great community on here! Okay I will order the gasket and make sure it has the spark plug gasket bits. And I'll then check the coolant expansion tank for any cracks or any splits in the pipes.

I'll let you know how it goes! :D
 
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