The 7th generation BMW 5 series was available as a regular saloon – the G30, as the more practical touring estate – the G31 and there was also the long wheelbase model made for the Chinese market – the G38. Of course there is also the M5 version which for some strange reason is not called the M5 G30, it’s an M5 F90. Why the fuck they had to call the M5 F90 and not G30, I have no idea, but in this article I won’t mention the M5 anyway.
Currently there are 22 BMW 5 series G30 and G31 models for sale in Germany with more than 300 000 km / 186 000 mi, and 7 of them have more than 350 000 km / 217 000 mi. And I would bet that most, if not all of them still have the original engine and gearbox. So, from this angle the reliability of these cars looks promising. However, I did my research and I found minor as well as bigger more expensive problems these cars can have…
The complete full video about all the issues I found and things to check before buying is available to the channel members only – Joining my channel will cost you almost nothing while you will gain knowledge which can save you thousands ! You can cancel the membership anytime, so you will get the complete 42 min used car review for 1€ / $1 only !
Meanwhile lets check out 5 common problems of these cars:
1. DRL LEDs
First things first, the DRL LED lights on these cars often turn yellow or stop illuminating altogether. The cause is both simple and a bit ridiculous: Each headlight has a dedicated DRL LED module mounted underneath it, and the LEDs on this module sit extremely close to the base of the plastic DRL light guides. Over time, the LEDs generate enough heat to partially melt or deform the plastic base, which leads to the yellowing effect. But sometimes the LEDs themselves on the module break too. MORE INFORMATIONS IN THE VIDEO
genuine drl modules part numbers: 63117214939 , 63117214940
2. Active grille flaps
Another common problem is related to the active air flaps. All of these cars are equipped with these plastic flaps in the front grille which can open or close automatically (unless they fail of course). In many cases just the plastic mechanism gets jammed, but in other cases the actuator itself which is connected to this mechanism breaks. The good thing is, that you can buy the actuator itself separately and if just the mechanism is jammed – then it’s enough to clean and lubricate it. MORE INFORMATIONS IN THE VIDEO
Additionaly, some of these cars are equipped with lower active flaps in the front bumper too. These can of course fail as well and in this case the upper flaps are not gonna work correctly either.
3. Coolant leaks
Coolant leaks are another common problem of these cars. Sooner or later all of the engines will develop coolant leaks, however the petrol engines and especially the B48 and B58 petrol engines will suffer from them not only sooner but also more often. So lets check out some of the coolant leaks of these engines only:
B48, B58 coolant leaks
- the plastic oil filter housing will crack at some point and let all of the coolant out
- the plastic coolant flange above the oil filter housing which will leak at some point too (pre-facelift cars)
- the plastic coolant pipes from the small and from the big coolant tanks will inevitably fail at some point and leak coolant MORE INFORMATIONS IN THE VIDEO
Unfortunately, these are not all the coolant leaks these engines can have, so let’s continue with the other usually slow and steady possible coolant leaks. They can appear from the:
- coolant pump
- coolant pump bracket which is sealed with sealant from the factory to the engine block
- thermostat housing
- main plastic coolant tank
- water cooled intercooler MORE INFORMATIONS IN THE VIDEO
The hybrid models can have the same coolant leaks, since they are equipped with either the B48 or the B58 engines which also have the same cooling related parts.
For more informations about all the engines including the suspicious N63 V8 join my channel and check out the full video about these cars. And to be honest you should, because there are some other really important informations which can not only save you thousands but also save your engine from damage…
4. Crank pulley
The fourth problem is related to the crank pulley. All of the engines except the V8 are equipped with a crank pulley damper which can fail, but mostly on the diesel engines. It can fail sometimes even before 100 000 km, however it can also last 200 000 km or more, so no one knows when your crank pulley will fall apart. But when it finally falls apart then the accessory belt jumps off which will force you to stop the car. That’s why it’s a very good idea to at least regularly visually check this crank pulley.
To avoid confusion I have to clarify that these cars can be equipped with either the older classic type pulley or with the newer mettalic type. Checking the older type is easy – If you see cracks on it then its better to replace it.
But on the newer type you cant see the condition of the rubber middle part, so in this case you have to focus on other signs of wear. For example:
- if the pulley is not centered properly or in other words if its leaning to one side then its worn
- if you see that the pulley is wobbling then its also worn
- but the worn pulley can also cause vibrations in the body or a slight whistle of the acc belt when the engine is still cold
5. Intake manifold and EGR
Intake manifold
First thing first, all the diesel engines have a variable intake manifold with swirl flaps in it. The pre facelift cars have a completely plastic very flimsy looking manifold, while the facelifted cars have a completely metallic manifold which looks very durable. In both cases the whole intake gets more or less clogged with carbon sooth over time which is not very good – because the sooth will not only slightly reduce the efficiency of the engine, but it will also clog up the sensitive swirl flap mechanism! MORE INFORMATIONS IN THE VIDEO
Worn/faulty swirl flaps symptoms: fault codes stored for swirl flaps with or without check engine light, lack of power, boost leak, slight oil leak at the beginning of the intake manifold near the alternator.
EGR
Next there is the infamous EGR cooler problem like on other diesel engine BMWs since 2010 to roughly 2021. Long story short: The EGR cooler on these diesel engines can start to leak coolant internally → The coolant will mix with the carbon sooth in the EGR cooler and in the intake → Creating a pretty flamable dark mixture → If the temperature in the intake raises then this mixture can more easily catch fire which will melt the plastic intake manifold on the pre facelift cars → If you don’t catch this early, then the hot sooth particles will escape thru the hole possibly causing a complete engine fire, a big one, which will obviously spread to the whole fucking car…
Sadly, this catching fire is not some kind of a far away sci-fi urban legend. It happened many times in the past and even in the not that distant past + there are many videos, pictures and articles about the fires – EGR fire article, another EGR fire article. That’s why BMW already did a recall for this possible issue in the past, so in many of the affected cars the EGR cooler was already replaced to an updated part. Usually this would be the end of the story, but it’s not. Because in 2022 BMW introduced another updated EGR cooler. This means that even if your car already had a new EGR cooler fitted in the past – it can still catch fire since if the fix was made before 2022 then it’s not gonna have the newest updated EGR cooler from 2022. And actually, there is still an ongoing recall for this problem, so definitely check your car thru the official BMW website or call the dealer. And check it even if they already replaced the EGR cooler on your car in the past, since as I said in 2022 they introduced an updated newest EGR cooler. If your car is on the list then you will get a new EGR cooler for free.
However the bad thing is, that even if you car does have this latest 2022 EGR cooler fitted it doesn’t mean shit, because there are already rare cases when these newest EGR coolers started to leak internally as well. So if you want to be on the safe side then you have 2 options basically:
1. You can find someone who can remove the EGR system completely and properly – But this is not always possible for many different reasons.
2. The second option is a combination of things you should do:
- check the coolant level regularly
- keep the intake manifold at least somehow clean
- occasionally check the inside of the EGR cooler – If the inside of the cooler looks dry and it’s not leaking then it’s fine. However if it’s wet or if its already clogged with bigger chunks of sooth mixed with coolant – then you should immediately replace the EGR cooler!
EGR valve
Next, it’s also good to know that the EGR valve itself can fail on all diesel engines even before 100 000 km / 62 000 mi causing the classic symptoms.
That would be it. But as I said, the complete full video about all the issues I found and things to check before buying is available to the channel members only – Joining my channel will cost you almost nothing while you will gain knowledge which can save you thousands ! You can cancel the membership anytime, so you will get the complete 42 min used car review for 1€ / $1 only !
