BMW Repair: bmw 325i coolant loss, head gasket failure, coolant loss
QuestionI have a 1990 E-30 325i sedan which releases white smoke from the exhaust esp. on cold morning starts. The smoke does have a "sweet" antifreeze smell so I assume the smoke is, in fact, coolant steam. The car does not overheat but does misfire a bit at start-up before running smoothly. I am experiencing coolant loss +/- 500ml every couple of days. After warming up it does not smoke at all. Does this neccessarily mean it is a head gasket failure? What else could it be? I have checked water hoses which all seem to be fine.
PS. I have had a compression test done and the compression was even across all 6 cyl.'s
AnswerSageer,
Well all the tale-tale signs are there for a blown/leaking headgasket, but it could be a cracked cylinder head as well. If the car has not overheated I doubt it has a cracked head, but sometimes it happens.
I would make sure you dont have external leaks around the engine first, place a piece of cardboard on the ground under the engine, and let the car sit like that over night. In the morning, check the cardboard for antifreeze spots. If there is a spot, locate where the leak is, and fix it.
You are probably going to have to remove the head and replace the head gasket, to fix the white-smoke problem.
Let me know if I can help any more.
Josh