Flywheel/flexplate

Worn or broken flywheels/flexplates are not a common issue in BMWs, but they do occur.

The main issue we’ve seen with flywheels/flexplates is that they can crack or warp, resulting in noticeable vibrations & noise whilst driving and idling.

Additionally, the teeth that connect with the starter motor can wear out with age.

The primary role of a flexplate/flywheel is to store rotational energy, assisting with smoothing out the power delivery of the engine. Additionally, the flywheel/flexplate assists with engine starting—the outer rim of a flywheel/flexplate has teeth that connect with the starter motor gear.

These two videos give a good explanation of how manual clutches and torque converters work, which is important to understanding the role of flywheels & flexplates:

• Manual clutch video explanation
• Torque converter video explanation

There are usually multiple, non-exchangeable types of flywheel/flexplate within any given model generation. This is to account for different engines.

The best way to determine fitment compatibility of a flexplate or flywheel is to match the BMW part numbers from the catalogue. This can be done by decoding your vehicle’s VIN in a BMW EPC (electronic part catalogue.)

If you don’t have access to an EPC, provide our team with your vehicle’s 17-digit VIN—and we’ll check our stock for a compatible match.

Flywheels/flexplate are highly-interchangeable between both models and different engine types.