BMW 1 Series EGR Issues, Smoke and Power Loss Help

Hi there! I've got some experience working on cars (let's say some experience). I had a very similar issue with my 2016 BMW 3 series. The symptoms you're describing are exactly what I experienced, rough running, power loss, and that annoying hissing. Got it checked and yep, it was a blocked EGR valve. Had it fixed at my regular workshop about 6 months ago, cost me 355 Euro including parts and labor. They cleaned the whole EGR system and replaced the valve. Made a world of difference, car runs smooth as butter now. Before I share more specific details that might help, could you tell me if you've scanned for error codes? Also, what's your mileage and have you noticed any other warning lights? The more info you share, the better I can help based on my experience.

Hey, thanks for your detailed response! My car's at 35109 KM and just had its service last month. I've noticed those exact same symptoms you mentioned, really frustrating stuff. Haven't scanned for error codes yet, but planning to do that tomorrow. Feels good knowing I'm not alone with this issue, and it's encouraging to hear yours got sorted without breaking the bank too much. Definitely going to follow up with my mechanic about checking the EGR system based on your experience. Would love to hear more about how long the repair took if you don't mind sharing.

Hey again! Glad I could help earlier. Since you asked about the repair time, the whole job on my BMW took about 3.5 hours. The mechanics needed to remove quite a few parts to access the EGR valve properly, but they really knew what they were doing. Just to give you a heads up, when they cleaned my EGR system, they found that the valve was completely clogged with carbon deposits. That's what was causing all those symptoms we both experienced. They showed me the old valve, and honestly, it was a mess! One thing I forgot to mention in my first reply, after they fixed it, my fuel consumption dropped back to normal within the first tank. Before the repair, I was using about 15-20% more fuel than usual, which was a real pain. Also, since you're getting it checked tomorrow, make sure they look at the EGR cooler too. In my case, they did a thorough inspection and found it was partially blocked as well. Getting both sorted at once saved me another potential headache down the road. Let me know how the code scan goes, might be the same codes I got (P0401 and P0402 in my case). Keep us posted!

Thanks so much for all this helpful information! It's exactly what I needed to know. 3.5 hours doesn't sound too bad for such a thorough job. I'll definitely ask them to check the EGR cooler too, really good tip about getting everything sorted at once. I'd hate to have to go back for another repair later. That's really interesting about the fuel consumption going back to normal after the fix. I've been spending way too much on fuel lately, so fingers crossed I'll see the same improvement. I'll make sure to write down those error codes you mentioned to compare with what my scan shows tomorrow. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience in such detail. It's made me feel much more confident about getting this sorted. I'll update the thread once I know more after the diagnostic scan. Thanks again for all your help!