White smoke from exhaust low engine oil

[Quantz]

Hey guys

I'm new to the forum and Mercedes Benz. I have purchased an W211 e320 CDI sport from 2009 with 40k miles on the clock last month.

Last week I have taken my car to a local MB specialist for an oil and oil filter change. I have since done a road trip of 400 miles.
After starting the car today, I noticed that it didn't fire up like usually, and white smoke came out of the exhaust, which has never happened before.

After browsing a bit I went to check my oil level to find it dry, less than minimum level! Suffice to say that I was shocked since I had it changed last week.

My question is, have they screwed my car somehow? I lost all engine oil in a week... Can the white smoke be a result of low engine oil or something they haven't done correctly?

I'm a bit angry since it was my dream car but already had to change a ball joint after 2 days of having it, and now this! :fail

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Quantz]

I forgot to mention that I did not scrape anything nor had an accident since I have the car, I noticed the issue just today.

 

[PobodY]

White "smoke" is typically water vapour, which is not uncommon this time of year when the air is colder. - Does it settle down once the engine is warned-up?
Given it's a diesel, are you waiting for the glow plugs to go out before you try to start it?

Obviously the lack of oil is a real concern, so it is possible that damage has been done. However I would have thought you'd get some other warning first (like the temperature gauge hitting the top).

And dribbles or dips under the car that might indicate it had oil, but it's all slowly leaked out? - I'm wondering if the sump plug wasn't sufficiently tight (rather than the possibility that some numpty forgot to refill it).

 

[Quantz]

Hi Pobody

Thanks for your answer. That's what I thought too, however the smell is not the one you would get from a diesel car, however it is not sweet as other have described.

It seems that I was lucky enough that the oil didn't drain completely, it stopped right below the minimum. I checked the car and there is a huge stain near the engine sump when I lit it up. Is it something that the garage did wrong? Actually they did a star evaluation last week after the oil change and there was no error messages according to them, and also on the paperwork they give me.

I really hope that they did not screw up anything because the white smoke just came after they changed the oil. Gonna go see them first thing in the morning. I'm a bit surprised that keys (mb specialist) would have botched the work, they seemed to have a good reputation.

 

[dan1w]

Check your coolant level, if that is low then it's getting burnt by your engine somehow.

You're checking your oil level with the car level right?

 

[ExMercTech]

Have you spoken to the MB garage about this?.

 

[andy27168]

Hi,
I would of thought that the dash display would of lit up red stating to top up once it needed as little as half a litre, so it looks like you have a possible faulty oil lever sensor to.

 

[kid-jensen]

The garage may just have failed to allow for the oil required to fill the filter.

Check the driveway for oil patches and if not too bad, get some more oil in there and keep an eye on it..

Your chances of getting the garage to take responsibility are slim anyway...

 

[Mr Filipov]

If it is just a puff of white smoke as soon as it fires up and clears immediately it is more likely than not unburnt diesel. Mine did that when it was cranking longer than usual due to a mixture of glow plugs and module failing (all in the space of a week or so). If it does not crank any longer than usual and you get smoke might be something else then.

 

[keith of kent]

As Dan said above, you are checking it on the level?
I have never had a car before that was so sensitive to being on an absolutely level surface as this one.
Also check it when the engine has not been running for about 5 mins if its hot after a run or longer if cold.
Makes a huge difference

 

[brucemillar]

If you are checking the oil when cold? It will be "lower" than when warm (which is when it should be checked).

Run the car for 15 minutes at idle. Switch off and leave to stand on a level surface for 5 minutes, then check the level.

An oil residue around the sump plug? suggest that the plug or washer is leaking. I would get that checked out whatever the level is saying. You should have a "low" oil warning light? If that has not come on this suggests that your oil is marginally low and not at a point of causing any damage.

 

[kid-jensen]

If you have to take out the sump plug, put a magnetic one in !

 

[Lit91]

I would think that the white smoke is glow plug/glow plug relay related.

The oil level can be very deceiving if the ground is not almost 100% level, with it looking as it is almost empty OR overfilled just by the way that the car is parked.

As most have said, you should of definitely got a warning message if the oil was close to or below the minimum, so try checking the oil somewhere else (fuel stations would usually have level ground).

 

[Quantz]

Hi everyone, thank you very much for all of your helpful replies. I have taken the car to the garage, and there was indeed a leak from the engine lump that was not there before. I always do check the oil when warm, and it was just almost empty after a week.

Regarding the smoke, it is still there, it's not a huge amount and it goes away as soon as the engine hits the running temp (around 80 degrees), however it is quite noticeable when starting up the car and idling when the engine is cold. Just to be sure the garage will be having a full inspection and test with STAR on my car in two weeks. Some glow plugs have been changed by the previous owner last year, it might be the ones that were not changed that are failing.

Last thing also, when I pushed the car harder this morning after hitting the running temp (accelerated to 50mph as fast as i could), I noticed that there was much more smoke coming from the exhaust as well. Could it be related? If it is indeed the glow plugs, how much repair I'm looking into?

Once again, thank you for the responses guys, you've been all awesome!

 

[PobodY]

A bit of a concern that the oil leaked out... right after it was serviced. - I'd guess there's a bit of backside covering by offering to put it on STAR to make sure there's no permanent damage if there's a possibility it was their fault.

My vote is still for condensation in the exhaust rather than any serious problem. However, if others are right and it's unburnt diesel in the exhaust, then it might take a little while to work it all through.

 

[Quantz]

A bit of a concern that the oil leaked out... right after it was serviced. - I'd guess there's a bit of backside covering by offering to put it on STAR to make sure there's no permanent damage if there's a possibility it was their fault.

My vote is still for condensation in the exhaust rather than any serious problem. However, if others are right and it's unburnt diesel in the exhaust, then it might take a little while to work it all through.

Yes I will see in two weeks, hopefully it's nothing!
I have been quite unlucky since I got the car, I do really love it since it was a car I wanted since it came out early 2000's... Today I noticed someone made a small dent to my car near the rear tail light at the supermarket parking. It's not really visible unless to pay attention but it's just adding up in the month and a half I had this car

 

[kadz1993]

Yes I will see in two weeks, hopefully it's nothing!
I have been quite unlucky since I got the car, I do really love it since it was a car I wanted since it came out early 2000's... Today I noticed someone made a small dent to my car near the rear tail light at the supermarket parking. It's not really visible unless to pay attention but it's just adding up in the month and a half I had this car

HI, I having the same issue. Were you able to get this fixed? I haven't taken mine to a mechanic yet.