WARNING....SPLASH SHIELD CAUSES RUST TO SUB-FRAME!

[TiAgX5]

Quicker/cheaper/fewer labor hrs grafting the subframe vs replacement.

[craigsx5]

Thanks for your interest, guys. Looks like I'm the only one with this problem, so far.

For further information on my X5 sub-frame issue.......

The car was purchased new by me in January 2005. It has never been immersed in salt water or been used for beach driving.......although there is sometimes salt in the air due to ocean breezes.

The car has spent half it's life parked outside the garage on a flat concrete driveway, and is only used 2-3 times a week. The splash shield had never been off in 11 years.

The water definitely pools in the splash shield, around the sub-frame components.......just look at the rust stains on the top of the splash shield (which I couldn't remove).

And yes, as far as the repair goes.........it was much cheaper to do the 'cut and paste', as it was relatively easy to access.

A mechanic, after scratching his head, quoted 15-20 labour hours to do a complete swap. Bonnet off, support engine from top, engine protection plate off, steering out, suspension components, sway bar and struts off, engine mounts off, replace everything, fix anything that breaks in the process, new wheel alignment. It probably would have cost me over $2,000.

Anyway, now it's all good....the repair is neat and tidy and strong. The car also handles better, no vibration when braking at 80-100kph, and most of all, I have peace of mind that the control arm is not going to fall off and cause a serious accident.

Of course, in my case, all this could have been avoided if only the splash shield had drain holes in the relevant places.

Lesson learnt for me...........occasionally check the complete underside of the car, particularly under shields/covers etc.

[David.X5]

I noticed a little rust there last year on mine. Just getting started. So, being OC about it, cleaned the rust off, Por-15 the subframe, and drilled a dozen weep holes so the splash pan couldn't hold water.

[wpoll]

Adding another minor task to my Easter weekend task list (and putting my drill on charge.)!!

[4.8isX5]

Do you know if the car has been in any front end accidents before you owned it?

Seems weird, unless in your particular area has a very high salt concentration from ocean breeze/waters etc even then doesnt add up too much as im sure people on this board that live close to the coast would have same issues..

Me and a few other e53s drove our cars through some salt water a long time ago and everyones frames and undercarriage parts are black as the night- no rust. Adding to that we live in the northeast and the stuff they put on the roads in the winter is probably 20x worse then some ocean salt water.

I know they dont however me being anal i jack my car up in spring and pressure wash it all underneath- during the winter stages i do run it through a touchless wash that sprays the undercarriage down as well however thats a quick spray and not thorough.

[craigsx5]

Hello 4.8isX5,

Mine is a 2004 3.0i with a sports pack. I've owned the car since new, and it has never been in any accidents. It has done 160,000 klm and it is in very good order (no signs of rust anywhere else). I must admit, I have never bothered to wash down the underside, though. It's always been a 'good driver'.

Thankfully, I haven't had much go wrong with it to date..... only 2 wheel bearings; front door handles stuck; panoramic sunroof broken caused by sun and heat on cheap plastic fasteners; one parking sensor broken; MAF sensor failure.........Mmm, they all add up, don't they.

All these issues have been fixed with the help of this forum!

FYI, I attach a photo of the repaired sub-frame, for those interested.

[TiAgX5]

Is there a "nose down" slope of the concrete pad where the X is parked?

A slight (or excessive) "nose down" parking attitude would pool water.

[craigsx5]

Hello TiAgX5,

The driveway has a very slight (2-3deg.) slope. When I park the car, it actually sits "nose up".

I think it has been slowly rusting away for around 4-5 years. Once the rust starts at the bottom of the frame, the rust draws the water up higher and higher above the pools........sort of like a 'wicking' action.

The slight front-end vibration when high-speed braking, started around 1 year ago. It wasn't bad enough to cause me to investigate. I suspect, in hindsight, that that is when the front control arm bracket actually fully disintegrated! Thank goodness the rear bracket was still untouched and is very robust.

Just as well I accidentally dropped that hose clamp down into the engine bay a few weeks ago. Otherwise, I would not have discovered the problem!

[admranger]

Wow! That was a scary pic. Thanks for the alert. Too bad your X didn't come with the *feature* of automatic power steering fluid rust proofing like mine...

Repair looks nice. Glad you were able to get it sorted.

[cn90]

craig,

You probably live next to the ocean in Australia.