BMW 7 Diesel Jerking & Stalling: Is Your Intake Bad?

Had the same issue with my 2019 BMW 5 Series diesel. Initially thought it was something minor, but turned out the intake manifold had severe scorching and was leaking. The symptoms matched yours exactly, rough idle, jerking during acceleration, and that distinct exhaust smell. Got it checked at the garage last month. The technician found carbon buildup had damaged the manifold gaskets, causing air leaks. This was messing with the air-fuel mixture, hence the performance issues. They had to replace the entire intake manifold assembly and clean the intake ports. It was pretty serious, if left unchecked, it could've led to bigger engine problems. While the manifold was off, they also found some EGR-related deposits, which they cleaned up. The whole job took about two days, but the car's running like new now. No more jerking or stalling. Given your symptoms, I'd definitely get it checked soon. These issues don't fix themselves and usually get worse over time.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That sounds exactly like what I'm dealing with. Really helpful to know about the carbon buildup and those gasket issues. Just curious, do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for the whole repair? Also, has everything been running smoothly since then, or have you noticed any other quirks pop up?

Hey there! Just wanted to follow up about the costs since you asked. Yeah, the total bill came to 1180 € for fixing that scorched intake manifold. And I've got good news, since getting it sorted at the mechanic's, my BMW's been running absolutely perfect! The intake manifold replacement really did the trick. It's like driving a completely different car now, no more jerking, stalling, or any of those annoying issues. Haven't noticed a single problem since the repair, and it's been several months already. The engine runs super smooth, and that nasty exhaust smell is totally gone too. Honestly, it was worth every penny considering how well it's performing now. If you're experiencing the same symptoms, I'd definitely recommend getting it checked out sooner rather than later. These kinds of problems tend to get worse if you leave them too long. Let me know if you need any other details about the repair. Happy to help!

Thanks a lot for the detailed info about the costs and the follow-up! Really puts my mind at ease. Actually, I bit the bullet and took my car to a new mechanic yesterday. You won't believe it, turned out it was exactly what you described! The intake manifold was completely shot, with major carbon deposits. Poor thing was barely hanging on. Mechanic quoted me slightly higher at 1350 €, but I figure that's fair considering it's a newer model. They're starting the work tomorrow, and honestly, I can't wait to get my car back in proper shape. Feeling much better about the whole situation now, especially knowing yours has been running smoothly since the fix. Thanks again for all your help, really saved me from more headaches with my previous mechanic who kept missing the real issue. I'll update once I get the car back!