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m5james · #6 10-31-2010, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick-Irish

Well done, looks good. Love the silver mirrors.

I recently did my dead pixels .... came back as new. I did replace the ribbon though, it was a test of patience to do it properly but great results.

The indicator light coming on is a "feature" actually. It's to warn you that the parking light is out. If you replace the parker bulb I bet that will be the end of that issue.

I bought my X5 in Jan'10. Aside from the colour it looks identical to yours in every other way. I discovered a few things too ..... like the rear window wiper being broken and simply laid in place by the dealer in a way you wouldn't notice. It was interesting when I first switched it on .... the thing just fell to the road so new wiper arm. I had a leak inside .... a drip coming from the cluster where the sunroof switch is. A clean out of the drain plug just under the sunroof glass at the front solved that.

There was no window washer fluid cap on the fluid tank in the engine bay. Minor but annoying .... how the hell did that happen ??!

Current issues I have are my auto-adjusting xenon headlights are pointing too much to the road. Am currently investigating to see how to adjust them. Also I'm keeping my transmission under review .... there have been some judders felt while driving and I'm seeing how it develops.

Also my sat nav is shot. Expensive to replace the DVD unit in the boot though so I'm very slow to take the plunge.

My drivers seat has a hole in it from where the heating element burnt through. The heater still works fine, but I'll repair the hole before using it.

I've already done a coolant flush. There are two drain plugs on the engine block for this, but only one of them is accessable. The other is buried behind various things on the side of the engine block and I couldn't reach it.

I've done all filters (air, cabin, oil). Full oil change with Mobil 1. Spark plugs changed. Theres a gasket behind the strip over the rear number plate area, below the BMW badge. It was perished so I replaced it, along with both number plate light units because water had gotten in and corroded them.

What else .....

I've done a few other bits and pieces too. While doing the coolant flush I replaced the thermostat. I've put new tires on, and had it professionally buffed/polished.

It's a lovely car. I also need to replace the tie rod ends ..... the steering has very slight play in it which can be felt sharphy through the steering wheel, especially when going over a speed bump or something.

You'll have hours of fun with yours .... enjoy !

The ribbon is the biggest problem since it's so thin, and then the contacts stick, breaking it from the film. Where did you locate the new ribbon?

The auto adjusting headlights have a sensor that is connected to the control arms via little nipple on the arm and a rod running to a sensor that can be adjusted. I've seen the little ball break from the nipple, giving it slop and not aiming the lights correctly. East fix.

Replace your NAV with one of the Hualigan/Dynavin units talked about on other posts on the forums. For the price, it's far cheaper and a great upgrade as well.

You need to actually replace the heating element in the seat before you can ever use it again. There are threads on here from simple leg burns to whole cars catching on fire from these broken elements. They're a simple mat with wires in them, but when they break, that voltage goes somewhere..usually in the form of an arc that burns you and everything around it. Replacing the mat is your only option, THEN fix your seat.

For your coolant flush, I hope you only used a BMW compatible coolant...stock stuff from the dealership or Zerex G05. The coolant has to be phosphate free, and the "all makes, all models" stuff out there isn't going to work. It'll cause more damage than good by clogging the heater diverter valve and everything else once the aluminum starts reacting. Also, only use distilled water, NO tap water.

As for your suspension, I'd replace it before you start getting steering wobble while braking or at speeds on the freeway...and you can fix you're headlight adjustments while you're down there. When replacing suspension components, FCPGroton on eBay sells lifetime replacement parts, and always make sure the vehicle is sitting on the ground under the vehicles own weight before torquing the bolts to spec.

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