N20 updated turbo oil feed line 
you can see on the new oil,,,,the 1 way check valve to stop oil feeding the turbo while its shut off. 
You have to remove the turbo ,,,because the oil line is behind the turbo
this is a pic of the old oil line,,,,,no check valve,,,,,,what happens is that during cold start up the customer could see smoke coming out the tailpipe,,,,the major problem is the turbo oil feed line,,,,,,when the engine is shut off and sits for long periods of time,,,,,,the oil keep draining from the engine into the turbo,,,,causing to much oil inside the turbo during cold start and blowing past the turbo seals,,,,causing the smoke out the tailpipe.
-
Recent Comments
vic san on N20 vanos unit broken Mark on N55 intake camshaft beari… JC on F30 A/C noise Jordan on New B engine mechanical water… jmiddle204 on X3 4×4 transfer case
bmwtechnician 
Is this a recall item performed by the dealer or is this out of pocket expense by the owner?
LikeLike
The N20 turbo oil line was covered under the cars warranty,,,,the customer complaint about smoke coming out the tailpipe during cold start p in the morning,,,,so BMW updated the oil line for the turbo with a built in check valve,,,,this will not be covered if car is out of warranty
LikeLike
Curious if you know why the original line didn’t smoke from the beginning? Without the check valve it would seem to have been an issue right away. Why would the oil line leak after a number of years? Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a good question,,,,,and I wish I knew the answer to that because we asked BMW the same thing at school and they didn’t have a answer for us either,,,,I guess some things are best not explained ,,,lol
LikeLike
Hi, i’m having a similar problem with my 2016 X5 40e.. i took into the dealer several times over the past year complaining of the smoke on cold start and they brushed it off as “bad gas” — while it was still under warranty. I took it in again last month (out of warranty) for an oil leak and mentioned the smoke again and miraculously they found the problem as you described. They told me it was not necessary to fix it.. but i’m not feeling warm an fuzzy about their assessment.. is this something that must be done? Will i run into problems later if i don’t fix it?
thank you!
LikeLike
I hate to say it but the problem is not going to get any better,,,the problem will get worse over time,,,the problem I have is that burnt oil is going into the catalytic converters and that is not a good thing,,,,so one thing you can try is tell the dealership which they have records of this complaint about the smoking when it was under warranty,,,,and now they find the problem when it is out of warranty,,,they should good you some kind of a goodwill for repairs or discount or eat the labor and you pay for the parts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello, I have a 2016 328ix that recently started smoking upon a cold start and I happen to believe it could be due to the turbo oil line, do you know if this is covered under the 7 year/70k miles warranty?
LikeLike
No I don’t believe so
LikeLike
You you might want to double-check with a warranty department I just had a 528i 2012 with 95000 Miles done under warranty
LikeLiked by 1 person
Part number? Please. Cheers
LikeLike
Sorry I don’t have the part number,,,that special oil line is only released from BMW only,,,,,I have to make a PUMA case,,,a PUMA case is a group of BMW specialist who we have to get authorized to replace special parts,,,,that oil line is only released from BMW,,,,,it is not a part you can order at this time,,,,,,why what’s wrong with your car?
LikeLike
Same as you have explained in your ‘n20 turbo oil line’ post. Need the part number to fix mine. Any chances of getting the part number? I ordered 11428626652 but it does not have check valve. Regards
Malik +6421991786
Sent with AquaMail for Android http://www.aqua-mail.com
LikeLike
No sorry,,,like I said that part is only release from BMW per PUMA case,,,,you would have to have a dealer submit a PUMA case with a problem with your car,,,,,the dealers don’t have permission to release that part.
LikeLike
Thanks for posting this,
I thought i had worn valve stem seals at first, after seeing this I have replaced the oil feed and she’s good as gold.
LikeLike
I’m glad I can help
LikeLike
Do you happen to know what model year they began using the new line with valve?
LikeLike
Oh good question,,,,,no I don’t know what year the new oil line came out,,,,I would have to look in to that.
LikeLike
Hi … thanks for the details here, very helpful!!
Would you know what could cause this? Per my mechanic I need to replace N20 turbo line and I am curious what cause this. He saying this is labor intensive task – cost of parts is not too high.
Thanks!
LikeLike
Yes labor is about 5 hours labor,,,,why does he want to replace the turbo oil line,,,,letting you know that replacing the oil line is not always the fix for smoke coming out the exhaust pipe during cold start up,,,,sometimes it’s both the line and the turbo,,,,when replacing the oil line you have to remove the turbo at the same time,,,,,check in your area if the turbo is covered under a emissions warranty,,,,,,get the turbo replaced under the emissions warranty if you can,,,,,then just buy the updated oil line and replace it at the same time as the turbo,,,,save a lot of money if you can,,,,good luck,,,,I talk about this on my blog,,,,good luck
LikeLike
Hello. I just purchased a 528i 2013 with 42,000 miles it also smoke at start up after it sat for 3days called the dealer and they said it was condensation. I let the car sit again at start up it did the same thing and it wasn’t condensation will take it in to the dealership.
LikeLike
Good idea,,,,it’s can be a combination of things,,,,it could be the turbo oil line update or it could be the turbo and the oil line.,,,thanks for checking out my blog,,,,I hoped it helped you
LikeLike
Up date on N20 smoke on start up the dealer replaced the oil in feed line to the turbo.
LikeLike
Good
LikeLike
How can I find out if my 2013 528i has the timing chain issue does it go by year or do I look to see if it makes noise.
LikeLike
It goes by the noise,,,does your car have a load whine noise while revving the engine,,,,that is the sign that the timing chain is going bad.
LikeLike
Hi there,
I have 2013 X3 with 86000 KM and started emitting white smoke at start up. It was really bad when the car was idle for 3 days. I took the picture and showed to the service advisor and was told that they are going to replace the turbo feed oil line. Will that solve my issue? My timing chain and oil pump chain were replaced last week. With all these change will it be wise to keep the vehicle as I would like to enjoy the vehicle for at least 2-3 years. Please advise.
LikeLike
Yes the turbo oil line should fix your problem,,,,after this repair you should be all done with problems,,,,let hope,,,the timing chain and oil feed line were the 2 major problems with that car.
LikeLike
Thanks for the reply. With all those changes have been made and do you think it is safe to keep this vehicle for another 2-3 years without warranty..please let me know your thoughts.
LikeLike
The only thing I would worry about would be the fuel injector,,,,,but you should be fine
LikeLike
People with the same BMW car engine need to read this blog. I have 2012 X1 with the N20 and have the same problem. The dealer however gave me the run around. I’m still trying to see if the Turbo line will go on the emission warranty. I doubt I’ll get anything from the dealer since I’m just over the warranty period. I’ve been to two different dealers in National Capital region and got two different quotes for the same work. They made me waste my time on two visits to finally leaving the car overnight for them to see the cold start smoke. Then they came with a timing chain and oil pump problem plus the turbo line…a total of $6,333.83 with taxes. Don’t worry I wont get it done…I’ll live with the problem and add oil if necessary. Hey people need to see another smoking BMW on the road, with the blackened exhaust tip. Maybe it will make people think twice.
LikeLike
I’m sorry,,,,I wish I could due something,,,,I can tell you BMW is thinking about extending the warranty on the timing chain,,,,because they know it’s a problem,,,,it might be like a extended timing chain warranty through BMW ,,,,let’s hope this happens,,,,on the turbo,,,,what state are you from,,,,maybe I can find something on the emission,,,,what year and miles on your car
LikeLike
Hi, I’m from the unofficial northern state called “Canada” (joke!). Lot’s of X1’s around this area on the road due to the winters (SUV’s are really popular). By the way I love your blog, I was excited to find it and (even though my current experience with BMW dealer) that you had explained all the symptoms of my vehicle so clearly. Thank you for that and keep up the great work!!
I did a quick check on the emission warranty and it appears to be 4 years/80,000km here in Canada. It a 2012 X1 with 80,000km (just turned this week, go figure!). Do you know if I can request some financial assistance from BMW? Any alternative?
LikeLike
Yes you should ask for financial help,,,,I’m glad I could help,,,,are you getting ready for World Cup of hockey
LikeLike
I have a 2013 X3 28i with 54K km on it and have exactly the same issue. I’m from Canada, too.
Dealer replaced the turbo oil line but the car still smoke. Dealer won’t replace the turbo saying the white smoke is not big enough for BMW Canada to approve the work under warranty.
Would the oil in the turbo clear itself overtime? What would be the long term effect if it continues?
Thanks,
LikeLike
No the oil will not clear out over time,,,,the problem will just get worse over time.
LikeLike
Help please, took my 2013 740Li for front bumper repair at a BMW Dealer. After repair a fault check revealed AUC Sensor issue in which the sensor was unplugged. The dealership plunged the sensor in and my battery died and would not charge beyond 4 percent. Because my battery according to the dealership was the original battery I opted for replacement. After which I was notified that my car would not stay running, I’m now getting the runaround and they are trying to get out of fixing my car. They looked into the history of the vehicle and learned that in July 2016 the dealership removed the cowl and performed work on the climate control and I remember that the only work performed was the hard drive for Navigation and a trunk spring recall. But I do remember that they had to recharge my battery, installed a bumper camera so I don’t understand what’s going on here. Now I’m told the CAS Module might be why the car will not stay running. I have a list with the codes that I would like to forward to you if possible. Not able to add them to this blog.
LikeLike
Sounds like a mess,,,yes let me see the codes,,,maybe I can help
LikeLike
It’s in PDF how would I get them to you
LikeLike
Send it to my email ,,,,andreas5bmw@earthlink.net
LikeLike
Here you go thanks
Sent from my iPhone
>
LikeLike
Sorry I don’t see any codes
LikeLike
Bmwtechnician Helppppp! LOL I recently purchased a 2013 BMW x3 with 26000 miles on it from a non Bmw dealer. It started smoking on cold starts very shortly after that, or that is when I noticed it. I took it to BMW and they said it needs a turbo oil feed pipe and ordered one. The next day the car said low oil pressure stop carefully, I pulled over and the car died. Now the Bmw dealer has had the car for a week and said a lobe broke off the cam and it’s due to not changing the oil. They only show oil change in their system at 22,000 miles. They now say it’s not covered under warranty and it’s 18000 for a new engine. My question is can the oil feed pipe cause any of this? Second how can they prove that there is only one oil change and that is the cause of the problem. Help!!!!!
LikeLike
Yes the oil line could cause low oil over a long period of time,,,,,,BMW has records of when the car was serviced at the dealer,,,,the first oil change should have been at 10 k miles
LikeLike
Hi there , i had the same issue on my n20 i replaced the turbo and i still have white smoke on cold start this time the smoke is not that much but i can’t tell if its oil leak or normal condensation.. Thanks
LikeLike
Did you replace the turbo or the turbo oil line or both,,,,,if it’s condensation it should be like steam and disappear in to the air and it should not smell like burnt oil,,,,,if it’s oil burning it will smell and the smoke will stay in the air longer
LikeLike
Thanks for your reply i have replaced both and here is the result https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oSvBKD6ao_I
Please check it and advise
LikeLike
Thanks for the video,,,,the video is hard to tell what’s going on,,,,you should make the video just standing behind the car and watching the exhaust ,,,the good news is that I saw water dripping out the exhaust which tells me it’s condensation .
LikeLike
Thank you very much for your response really appreciate it.. I will post another video after letting the car stand for a while
LikeLike
Hi I had a similar experience last week, my car always used to be smoking on cold starts. I bought the car used and was unaware of the recall. Got my oil change down for the first time with a BMW dealership and the next day the car said engine oil pressure stop carefully, I pulled over and the car died. Now the Bmw dealer has the car and said engine has grooves and pits due to low oil leading to low compression over time. My car is currently at 62000 miles, I contacted BMW NA and am hoping they will help me out. I was not even aware there was low oil. I want to ask again if the oil feed pipe cause any of this? I have all the records on carfax for service. its a 2013 328i xdrive. I am hoping to get your opinion on my situation. Please Help!!!!!
LikeLike
Is your car due for the turbo oil line recall,,,,,and it wasn’t done,,,,,yes that can cause low oil.
LikeLike
Yes it’s due. I’m a new owner of this used car, got it 6 months ago and was never intimidated about any recall nor did any error messages pop up in car displaying low oil. My service rep as well as BMW confirmed it was in line for recall on Thursday and car died on me on Friday morning. I was planning to get it done today Monday. BMW is looking into my escalated case though it’s not in warranty how should I take this forward? I’m extremely upset about this.
LikeLike
Wow,,,,you can tell them you never got a low oil warning,,,and that since the turbo oil feed line was never replaced which causes loss of engine oil,,,,that the problem should be BMW ,,,,good luck
LikeLike
Thank you for your prompt response, I really appreciate it. I am waiting on BMW to let me know the outcomes of this investigation. So as far as I understand, the turbo feed line [old] fed more oil into the turbo even when turbo was shut off which lead to low oil within the engine causing low compression? Does the same turbo oil feed line feed the engine too? Please correct me if I am wrong, I want to have a strong case to present to BMW if the turbo oil feed line is the root cause. The engine grooves are damaged and pistons not operational that’s what the dealer said.
LikeLike
The turbo oil line only feeds the turbo,,,,the new turbo oil line has a one way check valve so oil from the engine doesn’t leak in to the turbo when it’s in the off position,,,,what happens is that oil leaks into the turbo from the engine and when you start it up all this oil gets burnt off though the exhaust and out the tailpipe causing the smoke in the morning start up,,,,,I hope this makes sense ,,,,lol
LikeLike
I spoke to BMW they agreed to pay 50% for the repair cost, with all costs I guess it will cost $20k. I am not looking at spending $10k to replace engine, any idea how to source used or remanufactured engines? What do you suggest I do? BMW NA is not willing to budge from the price.
LikeLike
Sorry I don’t know any used or reman engines,,,,,I really don’t have any ideas on what to do next,,,I understand not wanting to pay $10k that’s a lot of money,,,,I wish I had a better answer for you.,,,,maybe find a good independent BMW shop
LikeLike
Hello BMWTechnician ,
I have a 2012 Bmw 528i that recently started doing the smoke at cold start up, but also noticed my engine temperature rises from 215 F to 245F when running at 70mph. Is this something to be concerned about?
Thank you in advance.
Armando Contreras
LikeLike
The smoking part I would worry about,,,,keep an eye on the oil level,,,I would worry about the oil temp unless it goes higher,,,then I would have the car checked out,,,maybe some kind of cooling problem
LikeLike
Thank you for the feedback. Is the temperature I pointed out a pretty normal temperature range, while driving on a 90 degree day? I also noticed that the smoke is white at times, but smells like gas and not burned oil, then clears. It doesn’t do this all the time at cold start, but just started a week ago. My car has approx. 84,000 miles.
Thanks again,
Armando
LikeLike
The temperature sounds about right,,,you said it smell like gasoline,,,,if that is true then you might have a fuel injector that is starting to go bad.
LikeLike
Hi BMW Technician, I have a 2013 X1 N20 with 110,000 miles that has the oil cloud on start-up problem. I’m a fairly high level do-it-yourselfer, how difficult is removing and replacing the turbo? Have you seen any written or video info on how?
LikeLike
It’s alittle on the difficult side,,,,you do 80% of the work from under the car,,,,you actual just pull back the turbo to gain access to the oil line so you can remove it,,,,,there is no need to completely remove the turbo,,,,just unbolt it and lay it on it side against the engine compartment so you can unbolt the oil line.
LikeLike
Another problem we have quite often, after a short stop like getting gas, the half engine light symbol comes on and the car goes into limp mode for a short time. It never happens on cold start or while driving. Any thoughts?
LikeLike
No it’s hard to say what’s going on without scanning the car and checking for any faults in the system.
LikeLike
I too am dealing with the Smoky starts. You said earlier that there is a recall for the Turbo Oil Feed Line? I have a 2013 X3, 28i, 60000 miles…original owner.
LikeLike
Yes there is a recall,,,,but it only covers certain cars,,,,you can ask your local BMW dealer and they will let you know if your car is covered.
LikeLike
Hi, Does the new feed line with check valves work on F30, 320i, 2012? And when you change the feed line at this car, do you need another parts? Like gaskets or another things? Can the dealer easy damage something on my engine when he remove the turbocharger? Thanks
LikeLike
Yes the new oil feed line should work on your car,,,,don’t quote me on that,,,,,yes you will need exhaust clamps,exhaust gaskets and o-rings and exhaust nuts,,,,,can the dealership damage anything while doing this repairs ,,,,,no they shouldn’t it’s a pretty simple procedure ,,,,just remove turbo replace oil feed line and replace turbo
LikeLike
I found the feed line, it has the code: 11428678840. But i did not find the rest of the needed parts, can you help me with the codes? It will help me a lot.
LikeLike
Did i find the corect parts? O-rings = 07119907330, exhaust clamp: 18307606136, exhaust gasket: 18307581970, exhaust nuts: 18307525607.
The last 7 digits of my car VIN are: J401476
LikeLike
I’m sorry I don’t have the part number with me,,,,,I’m on vacation right now,,,,will be back to work in 2 weeks,,,I’m sorry,,,,,you can look at Realoem.com for part numbers with you vin number
LikeLike
I changed the turbo oil feed line with a new one with check valve and everything is ok now
LikeLike
Hi Cristian, i assume that you are from Romania. Write me on my email, adrian.vasile@live.com. I have the same problem. Best regards,
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do you happen to know if this applies to the N26 as well. I’m having a similar issue. Big cloud of smoke right after cold start. Mine is under warranty but I definitely want to to as much as I can so I don’t get a “everything seems fine” from the service guys.
My car is a 2014 428i xDrive F32 N26.
Thanks.
LikeLike
Yes it should be covered,,,,and that should be your problem,,,,if you video tape and show it to the service writer that always helps
LikeLike
I appreciate the reply. They have had my car for 2 days now and I’m getting suggestions that it is just exhaust. They have even seen the video but told me they could not replicate it the next morning although it has happened every morning to me for the past week and a half. I also told them it definitely smells like oil when it happens. I wish I could attach the video but it sticks around in the air for a while and from my understanding, typical exhaust dissipates pretty quick.
Is the fact that they couldn’t replicate it simply because the car was barely driven at all the day before?
LikeLike
Yes sometime you have to drive the car for awhile and then let it sit overnight
LikeLike
They finally replaced the oil feed line. But I still have an oil consumption issue. Something I have already brought it in for and they said they couldn’t figure it out/didn’t see any leaks. The problem I have been having has to deal with a long distance drive. In my case I travel to visit family from NC to MD. Today I had the same issue going for the holidays. Every time I travel around 100 miles I get the Low oil warning. I added the quart like it said then I get the same message 50 miles later. Have you had any experience with this type of issue? This thing is killing me man. No signs of external leaking either. Called the service depertament and the suggested to drive while it was yellow and if it turned red then it was an oil consumption issue and not a faulty sensor. It turned red after another 100 miles right before I arrived.
Thanks again and happy holidays.
LikeLike
No I haven’t had any oil consumption on a N20 engine,,,,you need someone to check the vacuum pump vacuum lines and brake booster line for any oil inside the vacuum lines,,,,sometimes the vacuum pump will pump oil inside the vacuum lines,,,,next has anyone checked the spark plugs for any oil burning,,,,next you need to start with a fresh oil service and monitor the miles until the oil light comes on ,,,,then have someone check the oil level and see how much oil you have lost.
LikeLike
Hi, i had my turbo replaced on my 320 f30 2000 mile ago due to oil leak , the car now is doing 100,000 mile ,, today i noticed on the bolts bottom left side of the engine some oil , i have pictures of it , i want you to see it please .. Can this be caused from the old turbo or while replacing it the oil appeared ?
LikeLike
Here are the photos https://www.mediafire.com/view/pt5z6t7gmr78745/DSC_0101.jpg https://www.mediafire.com/view/pt5z6t7gmr78745/DSC_0102.jpg https://www.mediafire.com/view/pt5z6t7gmr78745/DSC_0103.jpg
LikeLike
Ok that oil on the passengers side and it’s coming from the valve cover gasket or its coming from the vacuum pump at the rear of the valve cover,,,,this is not related to the turbo
LikeLike
Thanks so much for your quick response , really appreciate your help.
LikeLike
Yes I would love to see it,,,,,and when you say left side do you mean driver side because the turbo is on the right side passengers side
LikeLike
Hi there. I am in California and have a 2013 320i (non sulev from what I can tell). My dealer is stating the turbo oil line needs to be replaced but they will not replace under warranty (I am currently in first year of CPO coverage). Just checking to see if this is correct. I have been doing a lot of reading up on this and I don’t see a lot of info in the 320i. Thanks!
LikeLike
My question is why don’t they replace it under CPO warranty,,,,it should be covered
LikeLike
Hi, I have X3 20i, 2012, live in SA is on 90000km. The car started smoking on startup I took it to local BMW and also asked to bring the videos, it only does this if it stays for 3 to 4 days that is why they couldn’t see the smoke. I checked under the car for oil the cover looks oily moist. How long can these last before it damage the turbo.
LikeLike
I really don’t know how long before it will damage the turbo
LikeLike
Hi, is the turbo oil feed for 20d and 20i X3 needs upgrade. Or only petrol engines.
LikeLike
It’s only for gasoline engines
LikeLike
Hi I have 2009 e90 323i m sport I have problem when start after few seconds revs go 2000 rpm and comes down and goes back 2k rpm and comes down without doing anything recently I have refurb the vanos gears and flush the engine it had slug asked mechanic reason coz didn’t had this before that he told give some time it will come right but I have drove 1.5k km but still the same and some time in busy traffic when I clutch in to break revs goes high and comes right down nearly to shut down and sometimes it did shut but this happens only ones in a while but in starting revs it happens all the time when ever I start the car weather is hot or cold
Please help
LikeLike
You said you refurb the vanos gears what does that mean? ,,,,it sound like when you cleaned the engine sludge it is now clogged something maybe the vanos solenoids or the vanos gears are now binding,,,,you might have to flush again and perform a oil and filter change,,,,something happen after you refurb the vanos gears and flushed the engine.
LikeLike
Hi, my F30 320i Dec 2012 model with n20 has white smoke (with oil burning smell) during morning cold start up. The white smoke will last about 5s or so, and no more white smoke after that. Car mileage is 105k km. I have the top 1 liter of engine oil every 4k – 5k km thing as well.
Question – does changing the turbo oil line feed solve the issue? The BMW stockist gave the below parts to replace
Turbo oil pipe x1
Return oil pile x1
Water pipe x2
Gasket at oil pipe x1
Exhaust manifold o ring x4
Do appreciate your advice
LikeLike
Yes the new updated turbo oil feed line will fix that problem
LikeLike
Thanks. Understand it’s a 5-hour job. Does it involved removing the turbo or the exhaust? I have 2 workshops where one is saying have to remove the turbo and the other, remove the exhaust.
LikeLike
Yes the turbo needs to be removed,,,the exhaust manifold is part of the turbo,,,,and 5 hr labor
LikeLike
Many thanks
LikeLike
I had my car checked and the mech told me that the brake vacuum pump is leaking. Should I changed it for the OEM (BMW original) which cost $440 or aftermarket at $100. I understand the labour cost to change the brake vacuum pump is high.
LikeLike
I would go with original if you can,,,,if you have a N20 engine the labor should only be 1.5 to 2.0 hours to replace.
LikeLike
Got it, thanks.
LikeLike
Hi,
I live in Canada and I have a 2013 BMW X3. I used to have a whining noise when I rev the engine and the dealership changed the timing chain and oil pump mechanism back in January under the warranty (thank god, it was a hassle convincing them its their fault) . Now the car smokes on start up and the longer it stays parked the bigger the smoke cloud is. I am assuming it’s the turbo oil line, the dealership refused to do anything about it and even BMW Canada said that there is no warranty on this part.
My question is what would happen if I don’t fix the problem and keep adding oil every 4 to 5 k kms?
LikeLike
The only problem I have seen is that the catalytic converter will get damaged over a long period of time with the oil being burned off inside the catalytic converter
LikeLike
Hello,
I have a 2013 BMW 328i xDrive. Three weeks ago after my car sat 24 plus hours there was blue/grey smoke at startup, this happened two mornings in a row and then it stopped. I took in to a dealership, it was due for service in 300 miles so I just it and they did an oil change and looked it over but said they didn’t see a cause for the smoke but said if it happens again they would keep it overnight and it could possibly need a new turbo. So now three weeks later and again after sitting for 24 plus hours there was smoke at startup. My car has just under 80k miles, it is out of the CPO warranty. It has had required all service done by the BMS dealership. Do you think it is the turbo oil feed line or the turbo itself? Please help, I do not have $$$ to replace the turbo.
LikeLike
It sounds like to oil line,,,,have the dealer see if you have the updated oil line in your car,,,,if not then that should be your problem,,,,also see if your car has extended warranty on that oil line,,,,BMW extended the warranty on that oil line only on certain vehicles
LikeLike
When I had the service done they said the line has not been replaced and my car was not part of the recall and it’s no longer under warranty. I’m just afraid that they will tell me it is the turbo. If it is the oil line is it urgent that it is replaced immediately? Thank you for your help!
LikeLike
No it’s not urgent,,,but it is something you should think about doing and not push it away.
LikeLike
I have an appointment at the dealership next week. Just really hoping it’s the oil feed line and not the turbocharger itself. Thanks again for your help!
LikeLike
I’m pretty sure that’s the problem
LikeLike
Do you know what the average cost is to replace the turbo oil feed line? The dealership is charging $1,745 plus tax, that seems pretty high to me…
LikeLike
Hi, my 2011 X1 28i with N20 engine started smoking on start up.
I took it to a local independent mechanic (not affiliated with BMW or any other maker) and the initial feedback is that it’s burning fuel because of a faulty injector.
Does that sound like a plausible scenario?
How can I tell if it’s smoking because of fuel or oil?
Thanks,
Kamen
LikeLike
Ok if it is blue smoke then it is oil burning ,,,,the next thing what does the smoke smell like,,,,does it smell like gasoline or burning oil,,,if that doesn’t help,,,and the shop says it’s a fuel injector issue then there should be check engine light on and what are the faults,,,,if that doesn’t work then have the shop show you the spark plugs if fuel injector is leaking then one of the spark plugs should be wet with fuel….and yes injectors do go bad and can cause a smoking issue at start up.
LikeLike
Hello i have a 420i 2015 with the n20 engine (77000km)
When the car sits for 2 days or more the cars smokes at startup
I heard about the oil line problem
But in the recall bulletin they said it affects the cars oil before 2014
What the problem could be
LikeLike
It still might be that turbo oil line,,,,your car might be a 2015 but the car was produced in 2014 which might need the updated turbo oil line.
LikeLike
My N26 did get the turbo line recall done, but blue smoke started to show up at cold start again. So does BMWNA provide warranty on recall repair, e.g. 2 years/unlimited miles?
LikeLike
Yes they do have parts warranty,,,but you might have a new problem,,,,the problem maybe the turbo or a fuel related issue.
LikeLike
Thanks for reply, the car will be brought to dealer for diagnosis.
LikeLike
Hi BMW TECH
I have a 2012 BMW 528IX 95,000 MI blue smoke at start up. All threads I read saying turbo oil line. I’m a pretty good do it ur self mech. any service on changing oil line as do you need to remove turbo or just unhook and move around to location to remove oil line any help greatly appreciated
LikeLike
No you have to remove the turbo,,,the turbo is part of the manifold,,,,and most of the work is done under the car.
LikeLike
I know from reading the threads it is time consuming, but can the average do it yourself mech accomplish the task??
LikeLike
I think if you are above average do it yourself and have good set of tools,,,I think you can do this job,,,it pretty straight forward,,,no magical tricks
LikeLike
That is what I need to know.
Thanks for your advice
LikeLike
Hi,
my 2012 320i is having this issue and is covered under BMW’s extended comprehensive warranty.
however the BMW dealership i’m using is insisting it is steam not smoke coming from the exhaust.
they said they have drained some water from the exhaust, and any future ‘mist’ coming from the exhaust is just steam evaporating.
it happens for a few minutes very time the vehicle is left standing for a day or more,
and it doesn’t make any smoke at all afterwards, until it has been left standing again…
the longer the time the more smoke.
these are youtube videos of the last 3 days starting up.
LikeLike
Thanks for the video,,,that’s the turbo oil line issue,,,,did you show this video to your dealer
LikeLike
Thanks for the Reply,
Yes i have shown the video’s to my dealer, but they will not accept that it is smoke, they insist it is steam.
They said they found some water in the exhaust backbox when they took it off.
I also mentioned the SIB number to help guide them in the right direction.
But they said that SIB numbers have no relevence in the UK,
and that UK and U.S. N20 engines are different, and do not have the same parts or issue.
i know this is not the case as other UK 320i owners on the F30 post forum have replaced the part, and it solved the issue.
unfortunately i’ve paid for the BMW extended warranty and the dealership refused to replace the pipe whether i paid for it myself or not.
LikeLike
That sucks,,,,have you tried a different dealership if you can.
LikeLike
Thanks for your help,
I’m very dissapointed and just don’t know how to get this work done.
I’ll take some more video footage once the car has stood on my drive for a couple of days.
to prove their repair didn’t work and complain to the dealership.
I can only think of using a non BMW independant garage who will do the work I ask for, and not whatever they decide to do against my wishes.
when the car was booked after having the investigation,
the dealership agreed the work to be done was to replace the turbo feed pipe, and check the turbo for oil.
after having the car for 3 days they called to say the exhaust had some water in it and that steam was the issue.
I strongly refuted this and insisted on them repairing the oil feed pipe.
But they ignored everything I said, and continued with the work they decided to do.
And then charged me £289 in total, (including VAT and courtesy car charges) to drain water from the back box.
LikeLike
I have never heard of draining water from the back box.
LikeLike
Wow
Similar with my story with BMW Knights in Stoke
I took the car to them as at a cold start in the morning I had a small cloud of blue smoke. They’ve called me the next day and they’ve said that they’ve made a diagnostic on the car and that they saw the DPF is close to the end of it’s life and it has to be changed at 120k. Currently I have 102k. So I went back to them and asked how they’ve reached to the conclusion that my DPF is faulty and if they did a read on the values of the DPF.
Their values were 22mg on idling, I know its in the normal range values, Soot accumulation was 48 and I know the maximum it’s 126 and the last regeneration was made 271 miles ago so that one one is working as well.
So. As long as the values of my DPF are alright and in the normal running range, why should I change it? And let’s say, I will change the DPF (£2500) how a new DPF will fix the blue smoke issue?! Oh. Because it’s a new one and will be able to store more exhaust gas and it will not come out from the exhaust, but the problem will still be there, only that we will not see the smoke again because of the new DPF. They didn’t had an answer for this
I also asked them, normally the life for a DPF is 120k correct?!
Yes, it is! Ok. 120k as long as the engine is working perfectly and the amount of emissions are within the correct values?! Yes it’s correct!
So if I will buy now a new DPF, it will have the same like of 120k, because clearly the car has a problem and the amount of smoke is way bigger that it should…..again they didn’t had an answer for me
I’ve told the guy, it’s like, you are wearing a face mask and instead of washing your teeth’s you are wearing two face masks to keep the stinky smell inside….
I had so many problems with this branch over the past 4 years but this went already to far
My car is a BMW F10, 520d from 2015
Can you please advice if the values from the DPF are in good working order and also if on my car it was fitted the updated oil line with the check valve
Thank you for your time reading this message
LikeLike
Ok no need for updated oil line is only for gasoline engine N20 ,N26,,,yes you are correct if the DPF is working then there is no reason to replace it,,,,unless it isn’t buying out the correct volume or amount of DPF.
LikeLike
Best thing to do if you own a BMW is get rid of it as fast as possible nothing but a nightmare and headache and a money pit
LikeLike
Hello,
2014 BMW 528i xdrive with 56k miles.
I have replaced engine cover gasket 3 weeks ago due to leaking oil and now this. I read your comments on the turbo oil feeding line.
My question is could this be related to engine cover gasket replacement or is it just a coincidence?
Is this an emergency to fix or can it wait until I find out if BMW will cover it under recall/emission warranty?
Should I add some oil until I figure out where to fix it? What would you recommend how much oil to add/how often? I don’t want my engine to die on me.
This car is going to be end of me as I had to replace AC compressor 4 months ago, engine gasket cover and now this.
Thank you for all your help.
LikeLike
No this is not related to the valve cover gasket it’s just coincidence,,,you can wait to see if BMW will cover it.,,,you need to perform the oil level test though the I-drive and that will tell you if you need to add any oil.
LikeLike
Thank you very much for taking time to answer my questions🙏. I-drive shows the oil level OK and the service advisor at my local BMW said dealership wouldn’t cover it ( out of the warranty and no recall since it is not safety issue 😂 even though I showed him BMW bulletin acknowledging the issue ). He suggested running diagnostics($100) to find out if the oil feeding line only or turbo and oil feeding line needs to be fixed. I’m thinking of paying $100 to diagnose the issue and then contact BMWUSA. Thank you again!!!
LikeLike
Hi,
My bmw 528i xdrive F10 N20 had the same blue smoke/ turbo oil line issue 4/5 months ago, lasted for a week and stopped. Nothing since then, until yesterday, same issue. Do you have any idea what would be the reason for this kind of pattern, nothing for 4 months and the issue is back? Thank you
Do you recommend contacting BMWUSA? They extended warranty on this issue to 10years but only for production date before 06/2013. Mine is 04/2014. I wonder if they corrected issue after 06/2013. If not, why cut off the warranty, if Yes, whe the issue 😂It’s the same F10 N20. Thank you
LikeLike
If the problem came back,,, there could be a issue with turbo,,,,I would have someone check it out
LikeLike