TommyB
Problems with BMW 6 Series Diesel 2003: Black smoke, starting difficulties and faulty DPF regeneration
Shaking while idling
Pre-glow light won't turn off
Longer cold start time
Car won't start
Black smoke from exhaust on acceleration
DPF regeneration failure
(Translated from German)
39 comment(s)
Best Answer
Hi, thanks for the info! With this high mileage and the age of the car, there could be several things causing the problems. A faulty glow control unit could definitely be behind the symptoms, especially with the starting problems you mentioned and the pre-glow lamp not going out. In my 5 Series, for example, the DPF was also clogged - this could also be the case for you, especially if the regeneration is no longer working. Professional cleaning or even replacement would be advisable here. That also helped with my car. I would therefore recommend that you have the car checked by a specialist. As some defects can also promote each other, you should, if possible, address both points (glow control unit and DPF) promptly. This may save you a visit to the garage or two. But as I said, I'm no expert - this is just my personal experience. Good luck and keep us up to date!
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@Robin
I also had black smoke coming out of my 2004 320d e46. I also have a defect glow control but I just ignored that. For me the issue was a ripped charge air pipe. I replaced that and my airflow sensors and it’s running fine again. So the glow control unit has no impact on the black smoke.
Thank you very much for your answer, and thank you for sharing your experience with us ;)
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@Robin
I also had black smoke coming out of my 2004 320d e46. I also have a defect glow control but I just ignored that. For me the issue was a ripped charge air pipe. I replaced that and my airflow sensors and it’s running fine again. So the glow control unit has no impact on the black smoke.
Thank you! You were able to help me fix my error!
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@Rhyss
Hi i have a e46 320d 2005. im experiencing misfiring around 2000/2500 and sometimes i lose all power altogether, carly saying glowplugs wondering if it is the glow plugs or the control unit before i spend money and waste my time. Thanks
If it’s more than 1 glow plug then I would say it’s the relay.
Hello, I had a similar problem with my 2001 BMW 5 Series diesel. I'm definitely not an automotive expert, I just have some experience with cars. We had the control unit replaced in the workshop because it was defective. According to the mechanic, that was the most common cause of the fault. It cost about 1000 euros and then the problems were gone. Before I give you specific advice, it would be helpful if you could tell us a bit more about your car, for example how many kilometers it already has on the clock and when it was last serviced. I hope this helps you!
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