4.8iS faults and warnings

[Razor0368]

Hi, i am interested in getting 4.8iS e53 and so i want to know bad sides of it, like what is their problem and what can i expect to be broke? And when to buy one (i mean with how many miles/kms to be peaceful with their know chain problem). Thanx

[SlickGT1]

Search. There are like a million threads on this. Records and ppi are your friend.

[StephenVA]

SPEND A FEW DOLLARS UP FRONT.
Get a Pre-purchased Inspection done at a competent BMW independent shop or by a dealer tech who is familiar with E53 X5. Have them pull all the fault and pending fault codes. This $200-500 will be the BEST money you can spend ,as it will tell you when NOT to buy a vehicle. Anyone who is selling with service records, owner history, and not trying to push off a problem car, is open to allow a second knowledgeable independent opinion to review the vehicle being sold. Third tier corner used car lots are a BIG red flag. Ask the question: "How did these idiots get the car?" Auction? Another used dealer who could not hide the problems? Insurance write off? and many other questions as these cars are 10+ years old and the used car guys find the profit of buying junk and selling high to unsuspecting novices too un-resistible.

Now back to your question: The X5 4.8is are the same as all the other models and have the same electrical, suspension, tire wear, misc part failures. The BIG difference is we get the monster motors, that when driven hard make all these little items wear out at an astonishing rapid pace. Example, rear tires 12~25K miles. If the one you find is the 3rd or 4th car in someone's garage and the mileage is low (under 60K) look for records to show the money was spent on keeping it at 100%. These things were $70K+ in 2004,5,6. People who had money and wanted a fast SAV chose the V8.
It is the third and fourth owners who brought it cheap, thinking they could purchase and drive a expensive car on the cheap are the ones to watch out for, as NO ONE did any preventive maintenance. This is the killer of high end cars. Past owners in over their financial heads and a total lack understanding of what it really takes to maintain race horses. It not just oats that bring on the big bills.....

Good luck on your search. I found a 48K one that was a one owner in a garage of 4 other BMW's. It was a small IT business owner's weekend car. Came with a few "kid marks" but well maintained with all records.

[randiwood]

hello, get as low miles you can that must have service records or done the maintenance and size up who drove it. like with any used vehicle.
my '04 4.8is is a real thrill to drive with each shift. mostly in manual, obtained with only 28k for $18k, woman driven, had a slight wobble on front wheels and brake rotors were gouged so replaced front pads/rotors, front control arms,-they were weak, upper and lower, replaced front bushings with urethane, really stiffened compared to rubber lemfoerders, had air issues, after a few days idle, she sagged left, rear bags got replaced but then pump failed because the bags must have leaked a long time, read on site to replace compressor seal, buy on ebay for $40 or so..no big deal, the seal is phenolic, a relatively soft material, likely to keep the compressor noise at minimum, cut out the exhaust resonator and mufflers, replaced with magnaflow x-pipe and 10 inch body muffler, think #13462 for about $600 labor included.-Summit Racing, find a good muffler shop.. opened it up...it smokes a bit on long idle and take off..(can't be valve seals,) plugs looked too good. so going for vac leak drawing oil into combustion...oil leaks visible above alternator, going towards vc gaskets and all rubber rings on solenoids, eccentric shafts, cam position sensors, vacuum pump o ring, timing cover gaskets..put one of those KN type air filter in, replaced oil lots of times to clean it out. use 10-40 mobil, wallmart $26 for 5 qts. she requires 8.5 qts BMW genuine oil filter is hengst found at sites for $6 each..pour the new oil in filter cup before screwing back on so it isn't starved for oil on start up. life in California is easy on cars. for reasons questionable, BMW runs these engines real hot.- the temperature guage is dumber than dumb, it does not indicate the current temperature, more like an on/off switch. flushed cooling system-read about leaky valley pan and cross engine pipes leaking, did the transmission filter and pan change twice-not too hard, trick is to pour several qts lifeguard 6 fluid in bucket for final fill, get a 90 degree plastic fitting for the fill hose that goes into the pan fill hole, weird re-fill on 6HP26 transmission. Re-fill with engine cold, start engine, open plug and fill/pump until it drips out., transfer case-no way the one quart fill will properly lubricate this gear box for long, at 30k miles, mine was black. the new BMW fluid is tea colored. and expensive. did the differentials, power steering, brakes, all the right moves to keep it purring like a new girlfriend..she really humms when giving it the gaz..the sunroof locked open, found the fix here, cut the two plastic ramps and removed corresponding wire, did the re-set and works great, poor bugger that got smacked for $4k from the stealer. only the front glass operates but who cares about the rear one not venting..she is stuck closed. have a great Indy, I get the parts I don't want to get messy on for him and do what I feel like. These 4'8is are a beast but warning... they require more maintenance than a wife but not nearly as expensive when things fail. The BMW Gods created these wonderful forums. Found Importec to be very competitive, this site compares several online dealers at once..Furiousmethod.com - BMW Parts Price Comparison Lastly, if you get the 4.8is, plan on spending frequently and seemingly excessively on tires, she eats them. think the Bridgestone Dueler run-flats are best for the rear and Michelins on front.

[Razor0368]

Oh man, that sounds like a lot...as far as i can see, you kinda replaced the whole car haha thx for warning and tips