Hey guys I noticed that there was white smoke coming from under my E32 735i. I took a peek under and noticed it came from some pipes. The exact location under the car is where the center console in the front seat would be. I think its something with the exhaust system because the pipes under there lead to in. The smoke came from an area where the pipe connects. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

If white smoke wasn't also coming out the tail pipe, then the smoke isn't coming from the exhaust headers or from within the engine, but rather the smoke is being caused by a coolant leak (and the water is landing on the exhaust headers).

I would take this car to a mechanic right away. You probably have a simple gasket leak, but this isn't something that you can wait to have fixed.

Do it today!

Here are some independent BMW mechanics in California (you have to sort through the pages to find one in your area), http://www.bimmershops.com/bmwshops/california/

Exactly what he said but.

The old E32's have a coolant reservoir at the top middle of the firewall that has a hose come off the driver's side which can pop off with age. I would check that first because my car did it to me until I replaced the clamp.

This happend to me too. One of my metal hose connections to the tranny was loose. Easy fix with a wrench, havent had a problem with it yet. Keep a drip pan underneath the car over night after driving it and you can narrow down the problem.

after reading about your problem it seems like there is a great chance you have a slight coolent leak i used to have a BMW 750il with a slight leak and getting that slight white smoke to the tail pipes. i would def check it out because you dont want this to become a bigger issue then it is

When I got home that night I turned off the car and peeked under again. The fluid was a neon color. It must be the coolant because I noticed that on top of the coolant tank there was a little fluid seeping out but not out of the cap. Could it just be my tank? I have driven the car locally and no smoke or leaks have come. The temp is fine and the car never overheats. Should I be worried? Sorry if I seem so dumb at cars. I'm trying to get better. I seem to know how to drive them better them fix them. Thanks for all of your help guys! I appreciate it!

When I got home that night I turned off the car and peeked under again. The fluid was a neon color. It must be the coolant because I noticed that on top of the coolant tank there was a little fluid seeping out but not out of the cap. Could it just be my tank? I have driven the car locally and no smoke or leaks have come. The temp is fine and the car never overheats. Should I be worried? Sorry if I seem so dumb at cars. I'm trying to get better. I seem to know how to drive them better them fix them. Thanks for all of your help guys! I appreciate it!

yes def worry this should be fixed remember coolent is like acid if it gets on some parts and wires it will eat right through it . also a slow leak will soon become bigger fix it before it becomes a bigger issue it might be a simple issue as a hose

When I got home that night I turned off the car and peeked under again. The fluid was a neon color. It must be the coolant because I noticed that on top of the coolant tank there was a little fluid seeping out but not out of the cap. Could it just be my tank? I have driven the car locally and no smoke or leaks have come. The temp is fine and the car never overheats. Should I be worried? Sorry if I seem so dumb at cars. I'm trying to get better. I seem to know how to drive them better them fix them. Thanks for all of your help guys! I appreciate it!

You shouldn't be seeing any coolant anywhere.

I would take it to a mechanic tomorrow. They can do tests to determine exactly where you leaks are (it sounds like you have more than one).

However, if money is an issue and you want to tackle this yourself, then I would start with the hoses in the rear (check out www.realoem.com for a diagram). If you do replace any hoses, remember that you need to bleed the coolant system of air before driving it again. And only refill it with BMW coolant (or phosphate-free coolant, like Zerex) mixed 50/50 with distilled water.

Thanks guys! I took it into a mechanic and he says that the coolant tank is broken and its overfilled. That the tank can't handle the pressure. He checked the hoses and everything seems fine. I don't get it. Should I get a second opinion? Seems like an easy fix but my gut says its to easy. The car will go around town just fine but it seems like this problem comes back when I travel farther away like to riverside (100 miles round trip for me). Fyi theres a small oil leak in the engine but he thinks a stop leak would work.

Google e32 expansion tank and check the hits. There is an excellent write up on www.e38.org with pix for the later series sevens which I thought was great.

You might have to pull a few things out of the way, but it doesn't look that intimidating especially if you have a few basic hand tools. Someone from your neck of the woods is sure to read this thread and get with you on this, since California is crawling with sevens of every description.

Have faith in yourself....you can do it.

jake