BMW 7 Diesel Glow Plug Issues: Cold Start Warning Signs

Hey there! I had nearly identical issues with my 2017 BMW 5 Series diesel last winter. The glow plug warning stayed on and my car struggled badly during cold starts. The diagnostic showed multiple cylinder glow plug failures, had 3 out of 6 plugs completely dead. Got it fixed at my regular garage. They replaced all glow plugs since the remaining ones weren't far behind in wear. They also cleaned the glow plug connections and checked the control module. The whole job took about half a day. It's not a major repair in terms of engine health, but it's definitely not something you want to ignore. Bad glow plugs can lead to incomplete combustion and eventually damage your engine if left unfixed. Cold starts will just get worse, and you'll likely see increased fuel consumption and smoking. Since fixing it, cold starts have been perfect, and the engine runs much smoother overall. The warning light hasn't come back either.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's really helpful since it sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with. The cleaning of connections is something I hadn't considered, good to know they checked that too. Quick question, do you remember roughly how much you paid for the full job? Also, has everything stayed running smoothly since the repair, or have you noticed any other issues pop up?

Hey again! Happy to update you! The total bill came to 440 €, that covered replacing all glow plugs, cleaning the connections, and labor. I know it might sound a bit steep, but considering how well it solved the problem, it was worth every penny. Since getting it fixed, my BMW has been running like a dream! The cold starts are super smooth now, no more of that struggling or excessive cranking. It's been several months, and I haven't had a single glow plug warning light or any related issues pop up. The engine feels much more responsive too, especially on those chilly mornings. The mechanics did a thorough job checking everything while they were at it, which probably helped prevent any follow-up problems. Honestly, when you mentioned your symptoms, I immediately thought of my experience, it was like déjà vu! Trust me, once you get this sorted, you'll notice a huge difference in how your car performs. Just make sure they check all the plugs and connections like they did with mine.

Thanks for all those details! Finally got my BMW sorted at the mechanic yesterday. You were absolutely right, it was the glow plugs causing all the trouble. Three of them were completely shot, just like in your case. The repair cost was a bit higher than yours, around 520 €, but they also found and fixed a loose connection in the wiring harness. The mechanic was really thorough and showed me all the old plugs, they were in pretty rough shape! Had my first proper cold start this morning and what a difference! No more warning lights, no struggling, just smooth starts. The engine feels way more responsive now, and that annoying crank noise is gone. Should've done this weeks ago instead of worrying about it. Really appreciate you sharing your experience, it gave me the confidence to get it sorted properly. Fingers crossed it keeps running this smoothly!