KurtWeberFan

Problems with BMW X3 Diesel: Suspected defective swirl flaps

Hello everyone! I drive a BMW X3 Diesel from 2013 with a mileage of 157,415 km. My car has been acting up lately - the engine power is decreasing, it jerks when accelerating, the engine almost stalls when idling and black smoke comes out of the exhaust when accelerating. The check engine light also comes on. My assumption is that the problem could be with the swirl flaps of the intake manifold. Have any of you had experience with similar problems and can tell me a bit about the costs? Last time the mechanic was quite expensive and I don't want to be surprised by the prices again. Thanks in advance!

(Translated from German)

5 comment(s)

Hello, thank you very much for your detailed reply. So it seems that my assumption about the swirl flaps is probably correct. 800-900 euros sounds pretty hefty when I think about how much the whole thing will cost me. But considering that the car will run better again and, above all, the jerking will stop and fuel consumption will improve, it's probably worth the investment. I will definitely have it checked as soon as possible and hope that it works as well for me as it did for you. Thanks again for the helpful advice and for sharing your experience!

(Translated from German)

Hey, I knew that sounded familiar. Everything was very similar with my 2013 BMW 1 Series. A visit to the garage helped me when the same symptoms occurred. As you already suspected, the swirl flaps of the intake manifold were the culprit in my case. They then carried out a thorough cleaning and adjusted the flap. After that, the car ran like clockwork again, accelerating without jerking, holding instead of stalling at idle and no more embarrassing clouds of black smoke. The check engine light also went out again. So don't worry, it's nothing major and with a bit of manual work it should be fixed quickly! Good luck!

(Translated from German)

Hey, thanks for your quick reply! I'm glad to hear that there was a simple solution for your car. Do you happen to remember roughly how much the repair cost? And have you had any other problems with the car since then? It would be really great to hear how it went for you!

(Translated from German)

Hey, I remember that I paid around €900 for the repair of the swirl flap back then. In my case, however, the swirl flap was broken. But since the mechanic took care of it, the problem hasn't come back and everything is running great. Hope that helps you!

(Translated from German)

Hi, I recently had a similar problem with my 2012 BMW 3 Series diesel. It was the same for me. Check engine light, rough engine running, jerking when accelerating, idling problems and black smoke from the exhaust. My garage solved the whole thing by replacing the swirl flaps. To do this, they dismantled the intake manifold and replaced the swirl flaps and servomotors. The work in the workshop wasn't as easy as it sounds, it took a lot of time and the repair wasn't cheap either at 800 euros. So yes, it was expensive, but it was worth it in the long run.

(Translated from German)

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