KurtWeberFan
Problems with BMW X3 Diesel: Suspected defective swirl flaps
(Translated from German)
Summary of the thread
The BMW X3 Diesel is experiencing decreased engine power, jerking during acceleration, near-stalling when idling, and black smoke from the exhaust. The suspected cause is defective swirl flaps in the intake manifold. Possible solutions include cleaning and adjusting the swirl flaps or replacing them entirely. These repairs, while potentially costly, could resolve the issues and improve the vehicle's performance.
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5 comment(s)
GWeber21
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!
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KurtWeberFan (community.author)
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!
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SamKru
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!
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ErnFis
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.
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BMW
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X3
KurtWeberFan (community.author)
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!
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