BMW 5 Series E60 - 5 Series started consuming oil

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Tue 31 Mar 2015 13:07
BMW 5 Series E60 - 5 Series started consuming oil - Aocal

Hi

My 520d has started using around a litre of oil every 6 weeks, probably covering at most 300 miles in that time. The car has got 134,000 which I have done almost all and the oil has never needed topping up until recently. For Castrol it's twenty quid a litre so not an insignificant expense.

Another symptom is smoke when I start the car, it's never smoked and suddenly i'm seeing and smelling white smoke when cold.

Everything is normal, peformance, MPG etc.

Any advice gratefully received :-)

Adam

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Tue 31 Mar 2015 13:10
BMW 5 Series E60 - 5 Series started consuming oil - Aocal

Ooo Eeer, meant to post in Technical Matters, can HJ possibly move this thread over for me? thanks!

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Tue 31 Mar 2015 14:36
BMW 5 Series E60 - 5 Series started consuming oil - Andrew-T

Gasket ?

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Tue 31 Mar 2015 17:04
BMW 5 Series E60 - 5 Series started consuming oil - madf

You could have oil leaking onto teh exhaust system : hence the white smoke at startup..

Or the turbo seals are failing: hence the white smoke on startup.

or

or

or

We cannot possibly tell.

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Tue 31 Mar 2015 17:30
BMW 5 Series E60 - 5 Series started consuming oil - slkfanboy

White smoke is either water or fuel. It can be hard to tell but the difference. but it's either the cylinder head(water) on it's way out or an issue with the rings(white/grey). Both very bad news.

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Tue 31 Mar 2015 17:31
BMW 5 Series E60 - 5 Series started consuming oil - skidpan

For Castrol it's twenty quid a litre so not an insignificant expense.

But other brands that meet BMW's spec (LL04) can be significantly less. Dealers might use Castrol but that does not mean its the only oil that is suitable for your car.

I am not talking about unknown and cheapo stuff, this is Total.

https://www.nielsencdg.co.uk/acatalog/Total-Quartz-Ineo-MC3-5W30-Engine-Oil--157103-5-Litre-TOT_157103.html#SID=78

Used this in my 118d and since it meets Kia's C3 requirements and my Seats requirements its been used in those as well.

It won't stop it smoking and burning oil but it will cost you considerably less while you are doing that.

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Tue 31 Mar 2015 17:26
BMW 5 Series E60 - 5 Series started consuming oil - craig-pd130

I would suspect the turbo oil seal here.

A reasonably reliable test is this -- make sure the engine is fully warmed up (i.e. after at least a 10-15 mile journey). Stop the car but leave the engine ticking over for 1 minute. Then get someone else to sit behind the wheel while you stand behind the car and look at the exhaust.

Get the person to boot the throttle (gearbox in neutral) to rev the engine up. Do you get a big puff of blue / white smoke? If yes, the turbo oil seals are / have failed.

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Tue 31 Mar 2015 19:39
BMW 5 Series E60 - 5 Series started consuming oil - elekie&a/c doctor

Before getting involved with any major expense,I would suggest that the engine breather unit is replaced.

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Fri 3 Apr 2015 19:43
BMW 5 Series E60 - 5 Series started consuming oil - Aocal
Hi Craig

I tried what you suggested and no smoke.

The car had been idle on the drive for a couple of days and when started it was smoking and stinking big time so it's only doing it when cold it seems.

It's at a point now where things are starting to play up all over the place. Thinking of getting shot. But ill probably get a specialist to do some diagnostics first.

Thanks for the help!
Adam
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