Why Is Smoke Coming From The Rear??

[bgreen]

I am having problems with my 2001 525i again. The check engine light goes on and off intermittingly. There is also a greyish looking smoke coming from the rear of the car on occasions. My husband changed all (4) of the Oxygen Sensors becasue that is the code he got from the code reader that we have. At first the car was stalling when I stopped at lights or stop signs. He has also replaced the Camshaft Sensor. He took it to a car repair shop and needless to say, they couldn't get the check engine light to come on, so they couldn't tell what the problem was. They told us to take it to a BMW dealer and have them check it out to see what the problem was. We have heard that it might be a problem with the motor and it could be at least $3500.00 to repair. I just wanted to know if anyone has had this kind of problem and if so, what did you do, and what was causing the problem?
Please Help! I am getting so depressed because I haven't driven my car in 3 weeks.....
Signed, Desperate.....:( :( :( :(

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

if not, then is the car drinking oil? How are the spark plugs?

[632 Regal]

what do the gages say when your driving besides check engine? Smoke from the rear is bad but could be from overheating too. We need a little more info on your problem to help you figure it out.

*copied bobs stuff too*

[bgreen]

if not, then is the car drinking oil? How are the spark plugs?
No the car has not been overheated. My husband constantly checks the oil and it is not using oil. All the gages are where they are supposed to be and everything else seems to be normal. What gives?????

[bgreen]

No the car has not been overheated. My husband constantly checks the oil and it is not using oil. All the gages are where they are supposed to be and everything else seems to be normal.
He also changed the spark splugs about 2 weeks ago.
What gives??????

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Wet oily

Light brown dry?

Gray with little bumps/crystals?

[bgreen]

The gages are all normal. The only message we are getting is the Check Engine. The spark splugs are new, the Oxygen Sensors are new and it has a new Camshaft Sensor. This car only has like 74k miles on it. I dont know what could be wrong. Could it be the engine????

[632 Regal]

need more info... were any of the plugs looking funkey? There should be some sign of problems your either not devulging or not saying. Any mechanic would need more info with oit having the car it their hands.

[bgreen]

They were wet and my husband said they smelled like gas.

[Dave M]

They were wet and my husband said they smelled like gas.

Aha, reading through this, I thought (cuz I'm so smrt) if it ain't using oil, and it ain't overheated, it must be gas. The O2 sensors being changed recently doesn't fit, but someone here will be able to rhyme off a few reasons (otherthan O2) why you'de be running rich. Not familiar with the vehicle, but it could be an air flow/mixture issue.

Keep the post on the first page,

Dave M

[BillionPa]

faulty fuel pressure regulator?

water in the oil?

faulty MAP sensor?

Spark plugs not torqued down enough?

[bgreen]

faulty fuel pressure regulator?

water in the oil?

faulty MAP sensor?

Spark plugs not torqued down enough? Would these issues cause smoke to come from the exhaust???

[mamilapon]

Is the car low on power? Are all the spark plugs wet with gas or just one? Does you engine have individual coils for ignition?Is the rev counter stable at idle?

[BillionPa]

a coolant leak will cause white smoke, which can look grey when mixed with soot

a faulty MAP sensor can cause the system to inject too much fuel, and damage the oxygen sensors

a faulty fuel pressure regulator does the same, but the ECU can usally compensate to a certain extent.

having the spark plugs not tight enough can cause small leaks, and leaks are bad.