XBimmers X1   XBimmers X1
  XBimmers X1

Go Back   XBimmers | BMW X1 Forum > BMW X1 Forums > General BMW X1 (E84) Forum

Post Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      07-04-2015, 07:04 PM   #1
Peckhammer
New Member
Peckhammer's Avatar
United_States
1
Rep
16
Posts

Drives: 2014 X1 M-Sport
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Seattle

iTrader: (0)

The Smell, the Odor, the Bad MPG

A funny thing happened on the way home from work the other day. Great set up for a joke, right? No joke. I smelled burning plastic. Seemed to be coming from under the hood. I noticed this while parking in the garage. My neighbor smelled it and came over to ask what was wrong.

We looked under the hood, under the car and could find nothing. I thought that maybe a plastic grocery bag had blown under the car and attached to a hot pipe or something. We found nothing.

I've never smelled that odor again, but my gas mileage has been really bad lately. Never over 15 mpg in the city. Never over 25 on the highway. Thoughts?
Appreciate 0
      07-04-2015, 09:29 PM   #2
paradoxical3
Lieutenant Colonel
1008
Rep
1,563
Posts

Drives: BMW
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: USA

iTrader: (6)

Perhaps a brake caliper is dragging?
Appreciate 0
      07-05-2015, 12:16 AM   #3
Twix
Lieutenant Colonel
Twix's Avatar
Canada
652
Rep
1,922
Posts

Drives: 2011 e91
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
A brake caliper dragging would cause a hot metallic smell, not burning plastic. Could be EGR or charge pipe related. Maybe even the electronic actuator for the waste gate. Any symptoms other than the smell?
__________________
2011 E91
2016 M2 - Sold
2014 X1 - Sold
2002 Land Rover Discovery II - 3" lift & 33s
Appreciate 0
      07-05-2015, 04:42 PM   #4
Peckhammer
New Member
Peckhammer's Avatar
United_States
1
Rep
16
Posts

Drives: 2014 X1 M-Sport
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Seattle

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Twix View Post
Could be EGR or charge pipe related. Maybe even the electronic actuator for the waste gate. Any symptoms other than the smell?
Only smell of burning plastic, just once. Has not happened again. The only weird thing is the really bad gas mileage. Can't break 15 in the city.
Appreciate 0
      07-05-2015, 07:19 PM   #5
Twix
Lieutenant Colonel
Twix's Avatar
Canada
652
Rep
1,922
Posts

Drives: 2011 e91
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
How's power production? Do you feel as though the car is sluggish? Hard 1-2 shifts? Does it still idle smoothly?

Check your EGR hoses for cracks. They're the hoses that connect to the bottom side of the intake just before the intake connects to the plenum.

I suspect something burned through one of your vacuum hoses. But that usually causes a really crappy idle, or no idle.
__________________
2011 E91
2016 M2 - Sold
2014 X1 - Sold
2002 Land Rover Discovery II - 3" lift & 33s
Appreciate 0
      07-06-2015, 11:11 AM   #6
PrematureApex
Colonel
840
Rep
2,400
Posts

Drives: N55 X1, N54 135, s54 m3
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Philadelphia

iTrader: (0)

N55 or N20? If the 3.0l, that's not too bad on the mileage front. 18-20 mixed is pretty normal.
Appreciate 0
      07-06-2015, 10:06 PM   #7
Shock96
That was a hell of a thing...
21
Rep
168
Posts

Drives: 2013 xDrive 35i M Sport
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Olympia, WA

iTrader: (0)

My N55 is getting around 22 in mixed driving 70/30 city/hwy so you should be seeing better numbers.
Appreciate 0
      07-07-2015, 10:39 AM   #8
PrematureApex
Colonel
840
Rep
2,400
Posts

Drives: N55 X1, N54 135, s54 m3
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Philadelphia

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shock96 View Post
My N55 is getting around 22 in mixed driving 70/30 city/hwy so you should be seeing better numbers.
yeah, I suspect 20-22 is more indicative of most drivers. Wifey gets around 18-19 in hers. But she has a pretty heavy foot (and there's a JB4 on it). Drives closer to 90 than 70.
Appreciate 0
      07-08-2015, 02:17 PM   #9
Peckhammer
New Member
Peckhammer's Avatar
United_States
1
Rep
16
Posts

Drives: 2014 X1 M-Sport
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Seattle

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by PrematureApex View Post
N55 or N20? If the 3.0l, that's not too bad on the mileage front. 18-20 mixed is pretty normal.
It's the 4.0l. I mostly drive in the city. Mileage had been 17 to 18 mpg. Now it's just under 15 mpg. Seems to idle fine. I cannot detect any power loss either. Could be heavy use of air conditioning since it's been pretty hot here lately. IOW, bad burning smell followed by low mileage really a coincidence. Air conditioner eating 2 or 3 mpg?
Appreciate 0
      07-08-2015, 11:08 PM   #10
Twix
Lieutenant Colonel
Twix's Avatar
Canada
652
Rep
1,922
Posts

Drives: 2011 e91
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
4 cylinder you mean? Air con will eat a couple, but if you have the 28i (4 cyl), you're getting horrible mileage.

More info is needed, but if it continues and you're still under warranty, bring it in and have them look at it.
__________________
2011 E91
2016 M2 - Sold
2014 X1 - Sold
2002 Land Rover Discovery II - 3" lift & 33s
Appreciate 0
      07-08-2015, 11:55 PM   #11
d1saster
Captain
Bulgaria
59
Rep
674
Posts

Drives: F15 N55 & E93 N51
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Las Vegas

iTrader: (0)

22 mpg here 50/50 highway/city with temperatures over 100 F. I noticed 20 mpg after i left the car sitting for two weeks thinking the gas in the tank might degraded.
Appreciate 0
      07-15-2015, 09:14 AM   #12
HBWT
First Lieutenant
HBWT's Avatar
11
Rep
334
Posts

Drives: 2013 X1X 2.8
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Va

iTrader: (0)

mileage will vary greatly between the S line and the X
Appreciate 0
Post Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:38 AM.




xbimmers
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST