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Engine code

M57D30 engine faults.

Listed as: 3.0d, 3.0d/xDrive30d, 3.0sd/xDrive35d. The faults belong to this engine code. They do not apply to every car with that name.

diesel

fuel

2926 cc

displacement

135 kW (184 HP)

power

1 fault write-ups. Important.

Before you buy

Known faults

1 important faults

M57 (early): metal swirl flap can break off and enter the cylinder

critical

Swirl flaps sit in the intake ports of the six cylinder M57 diesel: at part load they spin the incoming air, saving fuel and emissions. According to the German technical press these flaps were made of metal on the engine versions before the technical revisions (TU and TU2), and sustained use can break the mechanism.

Show the rest

That is how it becomes engine damage: the detached flap travels down the intake port into the combustion chamber, and destroys the piston and the cylinder head there. That is not a repair but an engine rebuild.

Not every M57 has swirl flaps. Fitment depends on the model year, the gearbox and the emissions standard. Since the first revision (TU) the mechanism is plastic and more reliable, so this applies to the early engines from before that revision.

What to check

  • Ask whether the swirl flaps have already been removed (many M57 owners do it preventively): if so, ask for the job sheet
  • Ask for an endoscope inspection, or at least a visual check of the flaps from the intake side
  • Listen to the engine under load: irregular running, loss of power and a warning light are suspect
2 more steps in the write-up

Engine code

Factory data

Factory data

Engine family
M57
Fuel
diesel
Displacement
2926 cc
Power
135 kW (184 HP)
Production
1998–

Generations

Which models it is fitted to

3 generations.

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms