BimmerFest BMW Forum banner

X5 35d exhaust smell in cabin

97K views 175 replies 59 participants last post by  edycol 
#1 ·
I have almost 17,000 miles on my 2011 X5 35d. So far, it's been a joy to drive. Great for towing, excellent in deep snow on Boston roads, and a great car to take to dinner.

A few months ago, maybe October, when we had the first cold mornings of the fall, I noticed a strong city bus like diesel smell, but only when backing out of the driveway - it would then go away. Recently, however, it has become really bad, even while driving. It tends to be worse around town, in traffic. Tonight, when I got it from the valet after dinner, I noticed he had the drivers side window was halfway down (it is 15 degrees and falling tonight...) and I realized I wasn't the only one who thought the odor was strong.

When I got home, I opened the hood and I could smell a strong odor of diesel exhaust from the area by the radiator of the car, a place where I should not be smelling exhaust.

Any ideas? Maybe a bad manifold or possibly a turbo plumbing issue? It's winter, we have had record snowfall, and I really don't want to be without my beloved X5. I also don't want to drive it with a dangerous exhaust leak...
 
#35 ·
I bought a used 2010 35d this February. At startup or sitting at a traffic light I would get a strong odor in cabin. Finally took it to my dealer and they say it is ERG valve which is on order. We will see how this works out.
Pete
 
#37 ·
Had been ocasionally noticing the smell, so opened the cover to check the EGR valve. Looked clean, unliked in the picture.

However, on the passenger side of the engine, I noticed some burn marks, suggesting fumes could be escaping. See the picture from yikes98.

P.S. Also saw they spilled urea all over the engine bay after last DEF refill. Now have these white spots everywhere. Mad about it.
 

Attachments

#41 ·
Rock472, I am fairly certain you have a cracked exhaust cooler - same issue as peteo. As soon as I mentioned the smell to my SA he immediately asked the tech to check for cracked exhaust cooler and sure enough that was the problem.

You need to dump your current dealer and try another one . . . your current one is simply blowing smoke . . . the SI you attached *does not* address your issue which is exhaust smell inside the cabin . . . *not* soot near the turbocharger!
 
#42 ·
exhaust in the cabin is not normal especially cancer causing diesel exhaust. i'm dealing witth the same issue and was hoping the recall campain would take care of it, but it hasnt
 
#44 ·
I have 10k miles on my 2011 x5 diesel and have the same issue of diesel smell in the cabin.
Recently they did update the software as part of recall. They changed the catalytic converter too.
But the smell issue is still there.
Going to take it back and will suggest the SA as per the forum recommended.
Let's see if they can fix it.
Thanks all.
 
#45 · (Edited)
I cannot speak to the small diesels in our X's but large industrial diesels benefit from hard running occasionally to "clear" (so to speak) soot conglomeration in certain areas which also causes excessive heat build up where soot build up is extreme. Soot particularly likes sharp bends and large-to-small openings.

Fords EGR coolers were a poorly designed, stamped steel cooler with crimped flanges....they are destined to fail when purchased. Some of the high-performance shops carry a much better cooler.

Cummins and Detroit have both had extreme issues with coolers although these engines are designed and typically geared to minimize soot. Their death is normally attributed to excessive engine idling which, again, leads to excessive soot.

The DPF regeneration is also tough on ANY EGR system though due to the extreme temperatures. I do not know what temps ours reach on regen's but a typical Class 8 regen generates approximately 1200'F exhaust temps. (allow me to clarify...it's not the regen heat that is directly going through the EGR system but it gradually heats the exhaust stream flowing through the engine because of additional back pressure)

We have only had ours less that 1k miles but so far has been GREAT!

Thanks for the info on fumes and I will clue my wife in on your post....thanks!
 
#48 ·
I can smell it in the morning when the car is started first time. Unfortunately, it's a 1hr drive to the dealer. Going to have hard time replicating it there, and of course expecting smirks.
However, this new dealer (an hour away vs 15 min, my first dealer) has successfully taken care of door creak and buzz in door trim - unlike the dealer 15 min away who blamed it on window tint.
I had to record the buzz on my phone and play it back to forcem to remove the trim and inspect. Guess what - a loose screw was causing buzz sound that drove me crazy for months.

When I smelled the fumes, I did check the EGR valve, and it looked clean. Does it mean it's not leaking? Maybe. But maybe it's leaking and stays clean.

To prove I am not crazy, I even thought to buy a cheap battery powered CO detector and put it to the vent when starting vehicle in the morning - while videotaping of course.
But diesel does not produce a lot of CO (unlike petrol) - might not even get detected.
I could smell the diesel exhaust in the 2nd row vents a lot better than on drivers.

Will be interesting on Monday.
 
#50 ·
Finally, got the diesel smell inside cabin fixed. Dealer kept the vehicle for 2 full days.
Cause: High Pressure EGR Cooler issue. They also replaced microfilters, cleaned blower motor and air ducts.
They also found issues with coolant system, so drained and cleaned it.
No more smell of diesel in the cabin.
thanks
 
#51 · (Edited)
Dropped my 35d this morning. The foreman was not in, so there was not attempt to reproduce the issue with me on site.

Did they reproduce the smell? Or simply went and just replaced the EGR?

The smell is hard to reproduce, as it occurs in the morning and at any point during the day. Sometimes it feels like there's a cloud of fumes lingering under the hood, and at certain points comes out. Very random.

P.S. Got a gourgeous black saphire MSport 328i coupe as loaner.
 
#52 ·
I live 3 miles away from dealership and had the appointment at 6:30am, so it worked out for me. When i reached there, the cabin already had the smell fresh.
I realize that if you take quick sharp turns, you will get the smell in during the day.
They did see soot under the hood and around the coolant and were also able to smell the diesel in the air ducts, filters etc.
I did not make any suggestions to them about the EGR issue, so I am sure that they did their due diligence before going changing it.
Also, they kept the vehicle for 2 days, so they had the opportunity to test it the next morning.
 
#56 ·
UPDATE
Got the vehicle back from deler. They changed the EGR cooler (it's shiny now vs. black old one).
During the 1.5hr drive home in traffic, never smelled the fumes - a good sign. Will check in the morning, which used to be a guaranteed reproduction. Feeling confident this was the fix, also hoping the new EGR stays working for a while.
 
#57 ·
I am the latest victim. 65,000 miles on the X5D. I pulled her into the service bay, walked into the office, and 3 different SA's said "WHOA your car smells." We all subsequently decided it wasn't just the car, but me, as the diesel smell had permeated my clothes. Yuck. My kids go to school with a boy whose father owns a (very successful) septic-tank-pumping business. I smell about as bad as one of his drivers right now.

Driving an X3 loaner and disappointed, as the steering and brake pedal have even less feel than our 535. With its smaller size and lighter weight, I had expected the X3 to be more tossable than our X5, but it definitely is not (even though my X5 is on snows and the X3 is on A/S tires).

I am betting it is the EGR cooler, and will report back when I know more.
 
#61 ·
I am the latest victim. 65,000 miles on the X5D. I pulled her into the service bay, walked into the office, and 3 different SA's said "WHOA your car smells." We all subsequently decided it wasn't just the car, but me, as the diesel smell had permeated my clothes. Yuck. My kids go to school with a boy whose father owns a (very successful) septic-tank-pumping business. I smell about as bad as one of his drivers right now.

Driving an X3 loaner and disappointed, as the steering and brake pedal have even less feel than our 535. With its smaller size and lighter weight, I had expected the X3 to be more tossable than our X5, but it definitely is not (even though my X5 is on snows and the X3 is on A/S tires).

I am betting it is the EGR cooler, and will report back when I know more.
At least you got 65k before yours went, mine went at 10k, agree with the X3, I was not impressed at all, finger light steering, a lot of highway float. Wow, 65k, I thought I drove a lot !
 
#58 ·
The EGR fix will take away the very obvious diesel smell.
However, I am still ocasionally smelling something when slowing down or taking turns (same situations as with bad EGR).
The smell is not the same as was from EGR. I have opened the engine cover and put my nose next to EGR - no smell at all.
This smell is more "misty". I wonder if it may be coming from that opening on the right side of the engine. Not nearly as bad as was with EGR cooler, but still doesn't feel right.
This is the same smell I was experiencing before EGR got really bad. Perhaps it's something else that eventually got overwhelmed by EGR smell. I will investigate when I have time...
 
#59 ·
^^ Thats what I can't put a finger on, my problem is not my EGR cooler, mine is the shiny one which was replaced as part of the emissions recall. My smell is not constant either, but it may be when the DEF is injected into the exhuast. I never used to smell anything before, not even during burn off.
 
#60 · (Edited)
I too had an exhaust smell in the cabin on start-up. Check engine light came on as well. Car sounded a little louder, ran a little rougher, and about a 2 mpg drop in mileage (it's pretty cold here, so that could have caused the MPG drop).

Took it in last week. Air mass meter was identified as the problem. Part number 13-62-8-509-725.

Smell is gone, vehicle is quieter, MPGs are back up, and check engine light is off.
 
#62 ·
UPDATE: My SA called. Definitely the EGR cooler. Part is $1,200, plus labor, so likely a +/- $2,000 job when all is said and done. Fortunately covered under the Federal emissions warranty. Anyone remember how long that warranty lasts (I am thinking 10 years but not sure if there is a mileage limit). I would RTFM (actually RTFWI with WI = warranty information) but that is in the X5's door pocket at the dealership.I was thinking of buy my X5 at lease end, but may need to factor the cost of an out-of-warranty EGR replacement into the equation.
 
#65 · (Edited)
UPDATE: My SA called. Definitely the EGR cooler. Part is $1,200, plus labor, so likely a +/- $2,000 job when all is said and done...
The list price is ~$700, so it's either smthg else, several parts included, or your dealer has one hell of a mark up.

Also, it's only covered by the CA emissions warranty that is applicable in few other states; if yours is not one of them, and you got it covered specifically by the Federal one, I'd like to hear the details, as I need to have one replaced myself.
 
#63 ·
"The following components and/or systems are/is
covered under the Federal EmissionWarranty for
a period of 8 years or 80,000 miles, whichever
occurs first.
CATALYTIC CONVERTER
ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (INCLUDING
ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM)
For assistance in determining coverage of the
specific components of the Onboard diagnostic
system, please contact your authorized BMW
SAV center."


Out of the Service Warranty Booklet for X5/X6. The California section is much more specific as to what falls under their 7/70k program, but not sure where you are located.

In my mind, anything directly related to diesel emissions standards (since they are EPA mandated) should fall under the 8/80k bucket but the way the booklet is written leaves a lot to be desired in the confidence inspiring arena.

Jay
 
#64 ·
Thanks Jay. Glad mine failed before 80,000 miles, but unless the cooler has been redesigned and is now failproof, that definitely gives me pause about buying the X5 at lease end.
 
#68 ·
Are you referring to this list?

The following systems are covered by the
Federal Emission PerformanceWarranty for a
period of 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever
occurs first. The specific systems may vary
according to model, therefore, all of the systems
listed may not be used on your vehicle. For
assistance in determining which systems and
specific components within these systems apply
to your vehicle, please contact your authorized
BMW SAV center.
AIR INDUCTION SYSTEM
FUEL METERING SYSTEM
IGNITION SYSTEM
POSITIVE CRANKCASE VENTILATION
SYSTEM (PCV)
FUEL EVAPORATIVE CONTROL SYSTEM
EXHAUST SYSTEM
ENGINE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM
SENSORS/DEVICES
ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM (OBD)
RELATED PARTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
ABOVE SYSTEMS


None of that includes the wording "EGR Cooler" so I'm curious to find out where BMWNA classifies that. The California (and Arizona, California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont or Washington) section is much more detailed and lists the EGR cooler as a 7/70k part but I have never seen a matrix like the California one for us lowly states.

That's what I would like to see, my question was asking you if you had pressured BMWNA for a similar matrix related to Federal Emissions warranty. They have to have it right, in order to be systematic about approving/overriding warranty work requests.

Jay
 
#69 ·
The federal 2/24k warranty is irrelevant, since we have 4/50K factory warranty. The CA 7/70k, like you've said, does list (and covers) EGR cooler. The 8/80K Federal covers only cats and ECU. If Quack got the cooler covered by 8/80 Fed, he got lucky... and I'd like to use it as a precedent.
 
#70 ·
This is where I think your logic is flawed. The US market is primarily a gasoline market, which is what all this documentation and wording was originally meant to reflect. To meet federal emissions requirements a gasoline engine needs a catalytic converter and a computerized testing system to tell you if that converter is doing its job. To meet specific state testing requirements they may need more hence the California documentation.

To meet federal emissions requirements a diesel engine needs EGR/DPF/SCR as well as a testing system to tell you if they are doing thier jobs. To me that means all of those components should be covered under the 8/80k and I would be willing to fight BMWNA very hard on that logic. So unless they could show me a document which specificl excludes that I would expect them to cover it. I am either underestimating the fight you put forth or you gave up to easy.

On a second note if they showed me that document I would then start researching diesel specific forums and see what other manufacturers do and try to feel out environmental lawyers, etc. I feel that strongly about my logic.

Jay
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top