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PetraBenz

BMW M3 Throttle Woes: Fix That Jerky Acceleration Now

Poor fuel economy

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Engine hard to start

Hey there! I need advice regarding my 2006 BMW M3 (137k km). My car's been giving me headaches lately with some rough running issues. The engine jerks during acceleration, takes forever to respond when I hit the gas, and I've noticed I'm spending way more on fuel lately. It's also become a pain to start in the mornings. I suspect it might be a faulty throttle valve, but after a bad experience with my last mechanic, I'm hesitant to go back. Has anyone dealt with similar symptoms in their M3? If so, was it the throttle valve, and can you recommend a reliable fix? Also, what did the repair cost you? Thanks in advance for any help!

4 comment(s)


LuiBraun

I had nearly identical issues with my 2009 BMW M5 last summer. The symptoms matched yours exactly, sluggish acceleration, delayed throttle response, and higher fuel consumption. After taking it to the garage, they diagnosed a defective accelerator pedal module. The repair was relatively straightforward but it was definitely a serious issue that needed immediate attention since it affects both performance and safety. The faulty module was causing incorrect signals to be sent to the engine management system, which explained all those symptoms you're describing. While your throttle valve suspicion makes sense, based on my experience, I'd bet on the accelerator pedal module. In my case, they simply replaced the module and recalibrated the system. The car's been running perfectly since then, smooth acceleration, normal fuel consumption, and no more cold start issues. If it helps, this is a known issue in some BMW models from that generation. Don't wait too long to get it checked out, as driving with this problem could potentially cause more damage to other components.

PetraBenz (Author)

Thanks for sharing your experience! That's super helpful to know about the accelerator pedal module, definitely sounds like what I'm dealing with too. Just curious, do you remember roughly how much you ended up paying for the fix? And has everything been running smooth since then, or have you noticed any other quirks pop up?

LuiBraun

Hey again! I'm glad I could help! Yeah, so I took your advice and had it checked out, spot on about the throttle valve being the culprit. The mechanic fixed that up, and while they were at it, they replaced the accelerator pedal module which was also playing up. Total bill came to 205€ for the module replacement, which honestly wasn't as bad as I was expecting. The best part? My M5's running like a dream now! No more of that annoying jerking during acceleration, and the throttle response is back to being super crisp. It starts up first time every morning too, which is a massive relief. Fuel consumption's back to normal as well, my wallet's definitely happier! Haven't noticed any other issues since the fix, it's been about 8 months now and everything's still running perfectly smooth. If you're still having those problems, I'd definitely recommend getting it sorted sooner rather than later. The peace of mind alone is worth it! Let me know how you get on with yours!

PetraBenz (Author)

Thanks for the follow-up! I actually just got back from the mechanic yesterday and you were right about getting it fixed sooner. Turned out both the throttle valve and accelerator module needed replacing. Bill came to around 250 for parts and labor, but honestly, it was worth every penny. The difference is like night and day! Car's running super smooth now, starts up perfectly in the mornings, and that annoying hesitation is completely gone. Even my fuel consumption has dropped back to normal. Should've done this weeks ago instead of worrying about it. Really appreciate you sharing your experience, it gave me the push I needed to get it sorted. Now I can finally enjoy driving my M3 again without stressing about every little problem! Take care!

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