Glow plug controller

[Crispian]

Had a fault code come up on my 2013 40d showing glow plug controller, this combined with a hesitant engine when first starting would lead me to think I need a new one.

Which unit/brand is recommended and how much of a pain is it to get to(i am relatively handy with spanners)

Many thanks.

[X5Sport]

BERU is very often fitted. You’ll need to check which plug types are fitted as there is a warning about mixing BERU and Bosch types if you need plugs too.

I believe the controller is underneath the intake manifold so that needs to come off too. If BMW hadn’t shut the newtis site down a couple of weeks ago you could have got to a copy of the official instructions.

If the controller has gone, you may also have failed plugs - which can often cause the controller to fail - so changing plugs also may be needed. If so you need to be aware that the plugs can snap! I had three out of 6 do so on my X6 (same engine) two years ago meaning a special tool (about £50) was needed to remove the broken parts without needing to take the engine apart. The bill for the work (including all parts and the tool) was £800 by a BMW specialist Indy.

I had all 6 plugs and the controller replaced - only two plugs had failed but that meant the others were probably on the way, and the controller was done as well because after plug issues the controller frequently goes soon after.

When fitting the replacements, the specialist used a high temp ceramic grease to make it much easier to remove the plugs in future should any need changing.

You can apply something like WD40 over several days to try and release them without snapping..

[Alan Gunn]

As above but i would change the plugs as well as the controller.

[Crispian]

Thank you for your time to reply, appreciated.

Does the intake manifold definitely have to come off?
(2013 e70 40d)

I've read conflicting reports whether it does or not,saying that I need to find where it is first.

Many thanks people.

[X5Sport]

Thread on here ... you might get away with it on the N57 engine. It was the M57 that was a dog to do, looks like it moved to a slightly more accessible spot in ours.

https://xdrivers.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17901

OEM parts here: https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showpa ... Id=12_1416

Just so you know what hunt for elsewhere

[Crispian]

Thanks very much for that,looks a fairly straightforward swap.

Many thanks.

[Crispian]

Just to conclude,it is possible to change the relay without removal of the inlet manifold.

1/4" drive set,wobble bars and lots of patience, its tucked up under the manifold but is doable,took around 2 hrs all in using common sense and a lot of small swear words.

[Leslie]

Thanks for posting back , certainly very difficult /impossible on the earlier versions ,good to see some things have improved

[Crispian]

Getting to the two retaining bolts is the biggest ball ache,I removed the following,

Air filter and airbox/air inlet pipe and the throttle butterfly,also the plastic coolant piece and water pipes that connects to the egr cooler,once their out of the way/movable,you will spend the next 50 minutes bent over the engine bay tearing lumps of flesh from your hands trying to get to the two 10mm retaining bolts, the bottom one is fairly easy,the top one you can just see but there is a small rigid metal pipe that obscures it,hence the need for a 1/4" drive set with universal joints and wobble bar extensions.

All sorted though and it regenerated when I initiated one on the icarsoft on a run down the motorway.

[Leslie]

BERU is very often fitted. You’ll need to check which plug types are fitted as there is a warning about mixing BERU and Bosch types if you need plugs too.

I see virtually every seller on ebay sells a Beru controller with bosch plugs , I suppose as long as all the plugs are the same it doesn't matter and really given the bother to get in there it makes sense to change all 6 IF they want to come out that is !

[H4MP]

Back in 2018 I fitted the beru controller but with bosch glow plugs I'm at the position where its rough idle for about 5-10 seconds with a plume of smoke. I've probably only covered 38k miles, I do have a small oil leak possible the VGC. It's an M57 engine. Would this be classed as a premature failure?