Coalman

How many of you have ever experienced a puff of smoke from the tailpipe of your E55 after you start up the car then turn it off and then start it up a few minutes later? This has happened to me maybe 2 or 3 times in past three years. Could I have gotten some bad gas or does it sound like a more serious problem? Car runs fine after smoke clears and there is no smoke problem afterwards.

III II I I AMG

well, when my car is cold.. and i start driving it in the morning.. every stop light i stop at.. theres a tonnnn of smoke that comes out of my tailpipe... i only got a resonator delete.. so im hoping thats normal too

kip

I have a stock car. Never any kind of smoke... When I took pictures of the car with a cold engine, there waseven no vapor visible in the picture. Maybe its the gas, I only use 98 octane...

stevebez

98 Octane and I get a very occasional puff at start up only ... and then the water vapour as she heats up...

Curious as to where it could be coming from but perhaps its the oil vapours making the roundtrip round through the induction system and after standing for a while she puffs out... I cannot think of another reason especially given the infrequency of it.

corgiman

I have the occasional puff as well.

CynCarvin32

Happened to my E55 and happens with my SL55.

I was detailing the SL this weekend and every time I turned it on to move it forward or backwards it would send out a plume of blue smoke. My tech says its normal but I might take it in and show him just so he sees the smoke first hand.

I have had 3 55k cars and all 3 have done this so I bet its normal.

Marcus Frost

The V12s do this as well. It is normal... just a puff though, it should go away pretty quick after startup.

-m

gameover

I get this recently too in my e55. I also noticed smoke coming out when I drive it hard. Is that normal too?

CA_E55

Its actually not an MB or AMG thing - its caused by the exhaust emission treatment design: Whats happening is the 'cats' don't heat up to light off the converter in the brief moment the engine runs, hence unburned hydrocarbons accumulate in the converter - these will blow out in a puff of bluish smoke at the next start up of the engine.

BTW - did yo know that 95% of all engine wear is happening at engine start during the first 30 seconds?

NDF55

BTW - did yo know that 95% of all engine wear is happening at engine start during the first 30 seconds?[/QUOTE]

Any tips on how to prevent engine wear on startup, other than using a quality synthetic, and allowing the car to warm up properly?

CA_E55

Any tips on how to prevent engine wear on startup, other than using a quality synthetic, and allowing the car to warm up properly?[/QUOTE]

Well, the obvious - but useless - answer is to keep engine startups to an absolute minimum. The only thing you can really do is what you already mentioned - use only the best oil you can buy, oils that give adequate film strength even at molecular film thickness.
Or modify your engine to copy what race engines do at start up (and e.g. Lamborghini did until recently on their V10 but interestingly dropped on the 560) i.e. run the starter for 2 - 3 seconds before dumping fuel - this will build oil pressure before loading the engine with combustion forces.

gameover

I was racing a cobra one day, and as i looked in the rear view mirror i noticed smoke coming out of my back end as well; thats the part i'm scared of. Has anyone you know had this problem, and/or is that not a big deal either?