X5 4.4i e53 - new to forum

[ScubyG]

Hi, I have recently acquired a BMW X5 4.4i (e53 March 2001) so decided to join this forum.

I have found a few issues with the car but nothing major, it is great fun to drive

I have started searching the forums regarding the issues I have. If anyone can point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated, I have been searching forums about the navigation unit without much success.

Added to my signature are the issues I have discovered.

Thank you.

[Quicksilver]

Time to do some serious reading. Take a look under Articles and How To's. at the top of the site page. If you get stuck try this. http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...ationwide.html

[ScubyG]

Thanks Quicksilver, I've spent most of the day fixing various bits. Sorted out the headlamp with the condensation issue.. Had it failed I would have made it in to an X5 Aquarium.

The Indy Shops will be a little to far for me to travel as I am in the UK however it would be interesting to see what they have on offer so that I can find something similar here.

[admranger]

fuel level sender can get gummed up. You can *try* some fuel system cleaner in the tank, but usually you have to pull the pump/sender, lightly clean the sender with some scotchbrite or very fine abrasive, and if that fails replace it.

How many miles on the beast?

[ScubyG]

Originally Posted by admranger

fuel level sender can get gummed up. You can *try* some fuel system cleaner in the tank, but usually you have to pull the pump/sender, lightly clean the sender with some scotchbrite or very fine abrasive, and if that fails replace it.

How many miles on the beast?

Hi admranger, i will give that a go at somepoint. I had wondered if there were any settings within the OBDII to re-calculate the sender units but reading other forums it apoears not.

It currently has 106k on the clock.

[sew]

Hi
> PDC light flashing
Suggest diagnosis via ODB/DLC to ascertain fault.
> Satnav - No menu
Not quite sure what you mean here, does the button not work, or what?
> CD Changer fault
Ebay is your friend here. They go wrong quite a bit! I think from memory they go for around £40.
> TV fuzzy picture
It's an analogue TV and analogue has been switched off in the UK.
> Rear door card loose
Probably means someone has had it off for a window lift mechanism and broke the clips!
> Rear right speaker fault
Probably not re-assembled correctly.
> Rear right window film scratched
Probably whilst removing the glass to do the window regulator!
> Gear selector not synchronised with dash
OK, there is a strange electical switch thing that's screwed to the gearbox selector shaft and tells the car what gear it's in rather than what gear it thinks it's in. They corrode and go wrong and are horribly expensive from BMW. But you need ODB diagnosis to confirm and you should get TRANS PROG FAIL messages if it's that unit. I managed to find another cheaper source for the exact same part when it failed on mine, if it turns out to be that unit let me know and I'll dig out the details for you.
> Fuel gauge not accurate
I think this has been covered elsewhere.
> Wing mirror light loose
Not sure, I think I'd be tempted to bond it in place carefully if everything else about the mirror is good.
> Vibrating noise from cold engine
Difficult to diagnose remotely.

Re: independents, we have a fairly good one here in Newbury which isn't a million miles from you, but I expect you can find a more local one.

If you come down this way let me know and I'll do what I can to help. However please note I'm away all next week.

[ScubyG]

Originally Posted by sew

Hi
> PDC light flashing
Suggest diagnosis via ODB/DLC to ascertain fault.
> Satnav - No menu
Not quite sure what you mean here, does the button not work, or what?
> CD Changer fault
Ebay is your friend here. They go wrong quite a bit! I think from memory they go for around £40.
> TV fuzzy picture
It's an analogue TV and analogue has been switched off in the UK.
> Rear door card loose
Probably means someone has had it off for a window lift mechanism and broke the clips!
> Rear right speaker fault
Probably not re-assembled correctly.
> Rear right window film scratched
Probably whilst removing the glass to do the window regulator!
> Gear selector not synchronised with dash
OK, there is a strange electical switch thing that's screwed to the gearbox selector shaft and tells the car what gear it's in rather than what gear it thinks it's in. They corrode and go wrong and are horribly expensive from BMW. But you need ODB diagnosis to confirm and you should get TRANS PROG FAIL messages if it's that unit. I managed to find another cheaper source for the exact same part when it failed on mine, if it turns out to be that unit let me know and I'll dig out the details for you.
> Fuel gauge not accurate
I think this has been covered elsewhere.
> Wing mirror light loose
Not sure, I think I'd be tempted to bond it in place carefully if everything else about the mirror is good.
> Vibrating noise from cold engine
Difficult to diagnose remotely.

Re: independents, we have a fairly good one here in Newbury which isn't a million miles from you, but I expect you can find a more local one.

If you come down this way let me know and I'll do what I can to help. However please note I'm away all next week.

Thanks Sew, you have confirmed many of the thoughts I had on many of the issues.

I am looking a purchasing an OBD however unsure which one as there are many types. I want to be able to programme codes as well as diagnose BMW errors, id like to set the mirrors to auto fold, alarm activation confirmation, DLR etc.

I had the same CD changer in an Audi and VW i once owned, both had issues but managed to fix them by taking apart and cleaning the mechanisms. I doubt i would be keeping it though as CD is rarely used anymore.

The Satnav is in the boot, it powers on, has two connectors and the small round connector that I believe is the GPS aerial, strangely this also fits in to the rear of the CD changer? There is a disc for UK maps in the unit. On the main console at the front there is no option for navigation even though all the connetors appear to be plugged in.


The TV i guessed wouldnt no longer work due to the digital switch over, i have been thinking about some sort of adaptor for a freeview box to the AV input.

I had a quick look at the door panel this morning, there are a few squashed clips, the underlight was hanging off. I will remove the panel over the weekend if i can get some replacement door clips, i should be able to sort the speaker at the same time, the tint looks like it is aftermarket and its not sprayed so will at somepoint get the steamer out and remove it.

With the gear selector it would be great if you have the part no, i have seen that error on the dash a couple of times

With the engine i suspect this may be a pre-tensioner needing replacing although the noise is intermittent.

Im moving house this week (still in MK) but hopfully the week after i will have time to play with my x5, i have lots of plans once the issues are sorted and i know i have not brought myself a lemon.

[sew]

Re: ODB/DLC I have Carly for Android; you're welcome to test on yours to see if it does what you need it to, but I think it will. I also have INPA but it's horrible to use and I haven't fathomed it out yet!

The Satnav issue is strange, maybe it's not plugged in to the monitor unit up front so the monitor doesn't recognise you have it? I'm no expert on that, I'm afraid...

Re: transmission selector lever switch make sure that's what it is before purchase! I repaired mine temporarily to confirm, you can drill out the rivets and replace with screws once you'd de-corroded it, but I then replaced it as my "fix" clearly wasn't going to hold for long. It was a bugger to find, but I located one at Sussex Autoparts (Automatic Transmission Parts Distributors and Torque Converter Remanufacturers - Sussex Auto Parts, phone 01323 848886), part No. ZF524-35-01, "Inhibitor Switch, ZF5HP24", cost was £120.26 delivered, about half of what BMW wanted, IIRC.

Have fun moving house!

[ScubyG]

Originally Posted by sew

Re: ODB/DLC I have Carly for Android; you're welcome to test on yours to see if it does what you need it to, but I think it will. I also have INPA but it's horrible to use and I haven't fathomed it out yet!

The Satnav issue is strange, maybe it's not plugged in to the monitor unit up front so the monitor doesn't recognise you have it? I'm no expert on that, I'm afraid...

Re: transmission selector lever switch make sure that's what it is before purchase! I repaired mine temporarily to confirm, you can drill out the rivets and replace with screws once you'd de-corroded it, but I then replaced it as my "fix" clearly wasn't going to hold for long. It was a bugger to find, but I located one at Sussex Autoparts (Automatic Transmission Parts Distributors and Torque Converter Remanufacturers - Sussex Auto Parts, phone 01323 848886), part No. ZF524-35-01, "Inhibitor Switch, ZF5HP24", cost was £120.26 delivered, about half of what BMW wanted, IIRC.

Have fun moving house!

Thanks sew, i looked at Carly and it does look nice and easy. I Have just purchased a genuine cable from Amazon for 27 quid. I take it i can use other software with it, i will hopfully be able to see if it is the inhibitor switch that needs replacing but by the sounds of it that is the exact issue, would you recomend buying the Bentley Manual for repairs?

As with the satnav i have checked all the cables back of head unit and nav but they are all firmly connected unless a previous owner has butchered some cables somewhere... I found behind the headunit an inline 4 pin molex connector that suspiciously looks like a connector for an aftermarket stereo... There were also two wood screws holding the headunit in!

[sew]

I think the cables are fairly specific, sadly. I tried my old Carsoft cable with INPA and it didn't work. I have the Carly cable for Carly and the VAG cable with pins 7 & 8 shorted for INPA. With Carly and that age I think you need the cable rather than the bluetooth adapter: either way it's likely to be more reliable anyway, to be honest.

Re: Bentley, yes, worth every penny. No idea what the oil burners do for a manual, the Bentley only covers petrol cars because it's American.

The SatNav sounds a bit bodged, to be honest. There are all sorts of wierd and wonderful replacment head units running Android/Windows with what is probably massively better navigation and bluetooth phones than the 15 year old BMW unit, I think I wish I had gone down that route before fitting a wired-in Parrot kit for the phone and replacing my old CD NAV and 4:3 head unit with DVD and 16:9, but it's too late for that now! But if you're starting from a clean slate with bits not working you might like to look for alternatives to the whole BMW set-up...?