Smoke from right side wheel well

awhittle15 · 11-29-2016, 02:41 PM

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum and just purchased a 2011 335i N55 automatic / M Sport. My issue is that I took a few runs with a buddy with a ZL1 camero and after the first hard run after I stopped there was white smoke coming out of the passenger side front wheel well. I did not go hard on the brakes to slow down and it didn't smell like brake smoke. I looked all around the car for oil and did find any leaks or drops on the ground. The smoke was short lived and actually didn't have much of smell at all but it was windy that day. My car has 64k on the motor. Any idea where that smoke could have came from? Surely this car can handle a couple of 1/4 mile runs with no issues. As I am sure is the case with most of us on here, I didn't buy it to sit in my garage. This car "currently" does not have any tunes or upgraded parts that I can see. Needless to say I haven't got on it since then.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

robthewrench · 11-29-2016, 02:44 PM

When is the last time you changed your brake fluid? White smoke billowing from the wheel well is often the brake fluid boiling in the caliper and escaping past the caliper piston seal.

The older the fluid, the more water is has absorbed, the lower the boiling temperature. BMW recommends new, DOT 4 fluid every 2 years. If you compare DOT4 fluids you still find some have a higher / lower boiling temp.

A slightly sticking caliper will cause this to be worse, as will the rain sensor being triggered and 'drying' the brakes by dragging the pads slightly.

mjn77 · 11-29-2016, 04:00 PM

Sounds like a sticky caliper.

Was the alloy hot to touch?

11-29-2016, 02:41 PM	#1
awhittle15 Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: 2011 335i M Sport Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Martinsville, IN iTrader: (0)	Smoke from right side wheel well Hello everyone, I am new to the forum and just purchased a 2011 335i N55 automatic / M Sport. My issue is that I took a few runs with a buddy with a ZL1 camero and after the first hard run after I stopped there was white smoke coming out of the passenger side front wheel well. I did not go hard on the brakes to slow down and it didn't smell like brake smoke. I looked all around the car for oil and did find any leaks or drops on the ground. The smoke was short lived and actually didn't have much of smell at all but it was windy that day. My car has 64k on the motor. Any idea where that smoke could have came from? Surely this car can handle a couple of 1/4 mile runs with no issues. As I am sure is the case with most of us on here, I didn't buy it to sit in my garage. This car "currently" does not have any tunes or upgraded parts that I can see. Needless to say I haven't got on it since then. Any ideas would be appreciated.
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11-29-2016, 02:44 PM	#2
robthewrench Captain 266 Rep 952 Posts Drives: 11 E90 335i Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Columbus OH iTrader: (0)	When is the last time you changed your brake fluid? White smoke billowing from the wheel well is often the brake fluid boiling in the caliper and escaping past the caliper piston seal. The older the fluid, the more water is has absorbed, the lower the boiling temperature. BMW recommends new, DOT 4 fluid every 2 years. If you compare DOT4 fluids you still find some have a higher / lower boiling temp. A slightly sticking caliper will cause this to be worse, as will the rain sensor being triggered and 'drying' the brakes by dragging the pads slightly. __________________ bone stock
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11-29-2016, 04:00 PM	#3
mjn77 Lieutenant Colonel 1073 Rep 1,957 Posts Drives: E90 M3 LCI Jerez Black Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Herts, UK iTrader: (2) Garage List 2011 BMW M3 [0.00]	Sounds like a sticky caliper. Was the alloy hot to touch?
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