BMW 7 Series Cooling Issues: Faulty Air Flap System?

Hi there! I've got some experience working on BMWs, having owned a 2006 BMW 5 series before switching to my current BMW 3 series. I had a pretty similar issue with the active air flap system on my 5 series. Got the same symptoms, check engine light, overheating, slow warm-up. Took it to my regular workshop and turned out the electromechanism for the air flaps was completely shot. The repair set me back about 590 Euro but fixed the problem completely. No issues since then. Before I can give you more specific advice, could you share: Your exact engine type? What error codes you're getting? Has there been any recent work done on the cooling system? Just want to make sure we're dealing with the same problem before suggesting solutions.

Appreciate the detailed response! Mine's got 61793 KM on it and just had its service last month. It's the gasoline model, and I'm getting error code P0670. Haven't had any recent cooling system work done, just regular maintenance. Would you recommend checking the electromechanism first before digging deeper into other potential causes? The symptoms seem really similar to what you experienced.

Hey again! Yeah, that P0670 code definitely rings a bell, had the exact same one on my old 5 series. Based on the mileage you mentioned and the fact it's coming right after a service, I'm even more convinced it's the electromechanism. In my case, I first tried cleaning the flaps and checking the connections, but that was just a temporary fix that lasted maybe a week. The symptoms came right back. Looking back, I probably should've just gone straight for replacing the electromechanism, would've saved me some time and frustration. Since you're getting the same symptoms I had (the slow warm-up was particularly annoying during cold weather), I'd definitely recommend checking the electromechanism first. The repair isn't super complicated, but make sure whoever does it uses genuine BMW parts. I learned that lesson the hard way, tried an aftermarket part first and had to redo the whole thing three months later. One quick tip though, before you commit to replacing anything, get someone to run a full diagnostic. My issue was straightforward, but these symptoms can sometimes be tricky. Keep me posted on what you find out, curious to know if it's the same problem I dealt with.

Thanks so much for all the helpful info! Really good to know about sticking with genuine BMW parts, definitely don't want to deal with doing the repair twice. I'll get it checked out this week and make sure they do a full diagnostic first. The symptoms match up exactly with what you experienced, so I'm feeling pretty confident about the electromechanism being the culprit. Will probably bite the bullet and just get it replaced right away instead of trying temporary fixes like you mentioned. Can't believe I didn't look into this sooner, the slow warm-up has been driving me crazy! Thanks again for sharing your experience, it's really helped point me in the right direction. I'll make sure to update the thread once I get it sorted out.