BMW X4 Diesel Glow Plug Mystery: Starting Woes & Solutions

Hey there! I had similar issues with my 2011 BMW X3 diesel last winter. The symptoms you're describing are exactly what I experienced, sluggish starts, glow plug light staying on, and battery strain. Took it to my mechanic and turned out two glow plugs were defective, plus the glow plug control module was failing. It wasn't just a simple plug replacement, they had to remove part of the intake manifold to access everything properly. The job took about 4-5 hours. This isn't a minor issue since faulty glow plugs can lead to starting problems, poor performance, and increased fuel consumption. In my case, fixing it early prevented potential damage to the cylinder head. My advice? Get it checked soon, cold starts will only get worse and could potentially damage other components. Make sure you find someone who specifically works with BMW diesels, as these systems can be tricky. Just a heads up, if one glow plug is bad, it's usually good practice to replace them all at once. Hope this helps with your decision.

Thanks for sharing your experience! It really sounds like the same problem I'm having. I'm getting it checked out next week. Just curious, do you remember roughly what the total repair cost was? Also, have you had any other glow plug issues since getting it fixed? I want to budget properly and make sure I get it done right the first time.

Hey again! Good to hear back from you! Just wanted to let you know that I got my glow plug issue completely sorted out. Since my last post, I had everything fixed and the total came to 440€, which included replacing all the glow plugs and labor. The mechanic did a thorough job, and I haven't had a single problem since then, my X3 starts up like a charm now, even on those chilly mornings! I know it might seem a bit pricey, but honestly, it was worth every penny to get it done right. The car's performance has improved noticeably, and I'm not dealing with any of those annoying cold start issues anymore. Plus, my fuel consumption has actually gotten better since the fix. Quick tip though, make sure they check the control module while they're at it. Sometimes it's not just the plugs themselves causing trouble. Let me know how your repair goes next week! Always good to hear how these things turn out.

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! I actually just got back from the mechanic today. What a relief to finally have this sorted! My repair ended up costing a bit more, around 600€ total because they did find issues with the control module, just like you mentioned. The mechanic I found was fantastic, really knew his stuff about BMWs. He showed me the old glow plugs, and wow, they were in rough shape! Replaced all of them plus the control module. The car's running like a dream now, starts up instantly and feels way more powerful. The whole repair process took about 6 hours, but it was worth the wait. The mechanic even threw in a general inspection and caught a few minor things we'll need to watch for in the future. Thanks again for your help, your advice definitely made me feel more confident about getting this fixed. No more stressing about cold starts for me!