I edited my previous post, adding the last paragraph, which maybe you missed. It would be a way to do a simple test before buying that Lisle tester.

The Lisle tester is about $40 and your local PepBoys, etc. might have them. I paid more for mine there, vs. waiting a couple of days from Amazon (which was cheaper).

In my post on the pressure tester, there is a link to my warped head problem and solution.

If you've got a warped head or head gasket, I doubt you're going to hurt it too much by driving it until you eventually fix it. But you can at least save yourself from diagnosing and replacing a ton of other parts you don't actually need to replace. In fact, if you do have that problem, you may have had it for a while and not known it.

BTW, I don't know if this is what happened to you, but I tell you, from going through this experience on my car, I now look at used car ads for the X5's much differently. MANY of them are offered as needing a new radiator, coolant leak, etc., passing off a possibly major issue as a minor one. That's not what happened to me - I've owned for 4 years now. And actually, I think that most of my warped head was probably caused when the PO had a major problem at 158k a year or so before I bought it ... and then a recent problem put it over the edge.

So maybe everyone should buy that Lisle kit and take it with them whenever they go used car shopping.

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2001 X5 3.0i, 203k miles, AT, owned since 2014