A very sad day, is this the end of our X5

[JonbmwX5]

Hi guys, last week the wifes bmw x5 e53 3.0p started playing up, it started juddering on idel and lack of power.

I took the x5 to a bmw specialist and to be diagnosed and got the dreaded call that i need to come in and have a look as its not cost effective to repair, once i arrived they got the car up on the ramp and when through how much work the car needs £3k spending and a total of 31 jobs from new wipers, rocker cover gasket, 2x tyres, to front suspension arms, in their opinion its not cost effective to repair with 146k miles. They are a specialist i have used before and they are very good so i respect there opinion, all the work the x5 needs i could do myself over a week. It would cost me just parts totaling £600-£700 so although it needs alot of work the car has been brilliant up untill now and my wife would love to keep it.

So if i can sort the misfire out we will keep the x5 but if its something serious we will have to sell the x5 as spares and repairs.

THE MISFIRE

The specialist hooked the x5 up to their computer and read the fault codes but didn't investigate further as they advised it could have ran into the hundreds and with all the work needed doing they advised i put it towards a new car.

So from codes i know its a misfire on cylinder 5, these are the codes from the sheets given to me copied exactly.

Fault codes
(018) 12 exhaust camshaft position sensor, signal
(037) 25 main relay, switch delay
(031) 1F fuel ignition, cylinder 5, activation

So i have just order a full set of spark plugs, a new camshaft sensor. I was think if this doesn't solve it i will order a new coil and a final last attempt.

while awaiting the plugs, i have taken engine cover off im assuming cylinder 5 is the 5th back standing looking at the engine bay.

what do you guys make of the codes?

could the plugs, coil or camshaft sensor causes a misfire? anything else i could have missed?

Any thoughts, input, advise very much appreciated

thanks Jon