Home Forums Articles How To's FAQ Register
Go Back   Xoutpost.com > BMW SAV Forums > X5 (E53) Forum
Arnott
User Name
Password
Member List Premier Membership Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Xoutpost server transfer and maintenance is occurring....
Xoutpost is currently undergoing a planned server migration.... stay tuned for new developments.... sincerely, the management


Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 03-13-2019, 12:59 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 48
petebert is on a distinguished road
what maintenance items while core support/radiator are out?

Picked up a 05 X5 3.0 with 120k miles. I do all my own repairs but am coming from the VW/Audi world. This is my first BMW. I acquired it with some front end damage so I've already pulled the bumper and core support off. Going to replace the a/c condenser and probably the radiator.


What type of things should I do while I've got easy access to the front of the engine?



The obvious are the accessory belt, tensioner, etc.. Figured I'd do the water pump. I'm highly tempted to do the a/c compressor because the condenser got a hole in the accident so I don't know if the compressor works. I've got a guy who does compressor rebuilds for good prices and I'd hate to put everything back together and later find out it doesn't work. The plastic engine fan took some damage so I'll be doing the fan and I figure I should replace the fan clutch too.



The power steering reservoir is covered in crud, I've heard this is common? Should I just replace the reservoir and clamps?


Headlights- they appear to be self leveling, does that mean Xenon?


Do you guys have anything like the VCDS/Vagcom software we have for VWs?


I will be buying a Bentley manual.
Reply With Quote

Sponsored Links

  #2  
Old 03-13-2019, 01:06 PM
andrewwynn's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Racine, WI
Posts: 10,817
andrewwynn will become famous soon enough
If it doesn’t look newish the thermostat. Many people will replace all the coolant hoses when doing a coolant system refresh.

INPA is the bmw software you are looking for. I hate windows i hate old shitty dos software so I bought a Foxwell NT510 which has done everything I’ve needed that INPA is used for but can’t code convenience functions.

Unless the AC was running at the time of the accident I doubt the compressor was damaged however if the system was open read up on what needs to be done with the dryer and expansion valve especially if it’s a variable one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
__________________
2011 E70 • N55 (me)
2012 E70 • N63 (wife)
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-13-2019, 01:15 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Menlo Park, CA
Posts: 2,311
Fifty150hs is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by andrewwynn View Post
If it doesn’t look newish the thermostat. Many people will replace all the coolant hoses when doing a coolant system refresh.

INPA is the bmw software you are looking for. I hate windows i hate old shitty dos software so I bought a Foxwell NT510 which has done everything I’ve needed that INPA is used for but can’t code convenience functions.

Unless the AC was running at the time of the accident I doubt the compressor was damaged however if the system was open read up on what needs to be done with the dryer and expansion valve especially if it’s a variable one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
+1 and your hoses.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-13-2019, 01:27 PM
Member
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 425
Attacking Mid is on a distinguished road
I wouldn't replace the wp and thermostat strictly due to having the radiator off. Access to both is very good with the radiator in place (simply unscrew/remove the fan). The fact that the coolant is already drained would be a stronger argument for me, but I would only replace them if I was confident they were original or they were replaced with cheap aftermarket parts.

ISTA-D is a newer version of INPA that functions well on modern Windows operating systems. I use mine on a Win10 Pro laptop. I find it much more intuitive than INPA. There's a whole forum on bimmerfest dedicated to software/coding.

I have come to the conclusion that BMW hoses are of very high quality, so I no longer replace them preemptively. In fact, you can buy o-ring kits from a guy on ebay and simply replace the sealing o-rings to prevent leaks. My '99 e46 still has mostly original hoses in place and they feel/look fine.

AM.
__________________
E70 2010 3.0 M57 AT Titanium Silver with Black Leather
E53 2004 3.0 M54 AT Toledo Blue with Gray Leather
E83 2008 3.0 N52 AT Silver Gray Metallic with Black Vinyl
E46 1999 2.8 M52TU 5MT Black with Tan Leather 250K+ miles (Sold, but not forgotten)
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-13-2019, 02:20 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 1,423
oldskewel is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by Attacking Mid View Post
I wouldn't replace the wp and thermostat strictly due to having the radiator off. Access to both is very good with the radiator in place (simply unscrew/remove the fan). The fact that the coolant is already drained would be a stronger argument for me, but I would only replace them if I was confident they were original or they were replaced with cheap aftermarket parts...
I agree with this. Some things that appear to be buried deep are actually only hidden by 10 plastic pieces that can be removed in about 5 minutes total.

And the fan may appear to be a big blockage / difficulty. And it kind of was for me the first time I took mine off. Bought a special tool, etc. on eBay. But now that I've figured it out, I use only my 1-1/4" open end wrench and rubber mallet to remove it. I use antiseize on the threads and reinstall using only the wrench (nothing but the belt to resist, limiting torque); that way it comes off easily the next time. The only tough part is re-starting the threads for reinstallation, but even that is a skill that can be learned and improved.

So in general, I would evaluate replacement using careful consideration of how difficult it is to get to things. And some are easier to get to than you might first think. Even coolant drain and refill is pretty easy, using the radiator drain plug and after removing the temp sender in the lower radiator hose.

I replaced my original radiator at about 186k miles, and it was still working fine. My upper radiator hose blew (a hole wore through in the upper plastic fitting) around that time. BTW, one big issue I had was that I had many service records, but some repairs were not actually done (poor PO was ripped off time and time again by dealer and indy alike), and sometimes things were replaced and others not replaced, making no sense - i.e., no honest logical person would choose to replace part A and not part B, yet they would do that. The PO had the dealer replace the whole CCV system, lower radiator hose, reservoir, etc. as part of a huge service, not long before I bought the car, yet they left the original upper radiator hose in there.
__________________
2001 X5 3.0i, 203k miles, AT, owned since 2014
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-13-2019, 04:31 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 48
petebert is on a distinguished road
I liked the idea of doing the thermostat housing since on the VWs that's an item that always cracks and breaks. That being said the one on this on looks to be in really good shape.

Here's how the power steering reservoir looks.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 03-14-2019, 04:24 AM
EODguy's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Saudi Arabia/Philippines/USA
Posts: 3,830
EODguy is on a distinguished road
Since you're back in the land of the big PX get oil eater as it's nontoxic and biodegradable and will remove all oil/grease without scrubbing. Just keep it off glass, hot aluminum and asphalt unless you want bare rocks. A clean bay is the best way to start and keep an eye on things.

Sent from my SM-A730F using Tapatalk
__________________
"When the Team Chief said.... You're trapped in a hole with nothing but a goat and a slinky, what do you do? Stubby said, I'm not sure but it won't end well for the goat...." ~(Overheard) Last day, Phase 3, Q Course
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 03-14-2019, 07:57 AM
Member
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 425
Attacking Mid is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by petebert View Post
Here's how the power steering reservoir looks.
A lot of people replace them - they're not expensive. I replaced one once, but it still weeped. Yours looks like th accumulation of many years of having no one ever wash it or wipe it down. Most any time I'm under the hood, I'll wipe off the little bit of weepage, so it never gets anything like yours.

If that was mine, I'd hit it with the power washer at the car wash, then wipe it off with a rag and see how it does going forward. You may want to do a few drain/fills to (mostly) change out the PS fluid anyway.

AM.
__________________
E70 2010 3.0 M57 AT Titanium Silver with Black Leather
E53 2004 3.0 M54 AT Toledo Blue with Gray Leather
E83 2008 3.0 N52 AT Silver Gray Metallic with Black Vinyl
E46 1999 2.8 M52TU 5MT Black with Tan Leather 250K+ miles (Sold, but not forgotten)
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 03-14-2019, 08:46 AM
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Virigina, USA
Posts: 2,573
StephenVA is on a distinguished road
On the Power Steering
Replace both hoses (they provided their full life by now). Replace the reservoir with a ZF branded one. You will need three new clamps as well (two at the reservoir and one down by the pump) Flush out all the old fluid and add in new. Fluid color tells you what you need. Green or red stuff! Red= ATF+4 for example. I personally use Valvoline Syn ATF+4 from Auto Zone. When your new reservoir gets a few years on it, you can just replace the seal on the lid.

Like what has been posted before, this reservoir has a "weep hole" in the spin on lid and vents the mist on the side. A quick wipe every time your under the hood solves the issue. Your vehicle looks like it operated under a closed hood policy, "What happen there is not important". Kinda like a coffin...once in closed forever. Typical lack of maintenance and interest by a previous owner. Normal.

On the cooling system

I would disagree with others if you plan on long term ownership. Do it all now once and you will have peace of mind that all is well. Rad, upper and lower hoses, water pump, Thermostat, expansion tank, check the other heater hoses while you are in there too. Belts, w/p pulley (cracks) idler, and tensioners. All go bye bye.

Tip: Check the block under the pump/thermostat for pitting BEFORE reinstalling the pump. clean all areas with sand paper. Flush block when open. Lots of examples on this pitting issue posted. All from poor maintenance and improper coolants being used. Use BMW anti freeze only is recommended.
__________________

2005 X5 4.8IS
The Blue ones are always FASTER....

Current Garage:
2005 X5 4.8is
2002 M5 TiSilver
2003 525iT
1998 528i
Former Garage Stable Highlights
2004 325XiT Sport
1973 De Tomaso Pantera, L Model
1970 Dodge Challenger T/A 4 sp Alpine White
1970 Dodge Challenger T/A 4 sp GoManGo Green
1971 Dart Sport, “Dart Light” package
1969 Road Runner 383
1968 Ply Barracuda 340S FB Sea-foam Green

Last edited by StephenVA; 03-14-2019 at 08:56 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 03-14-2019, 12:00 PM
andrewwynn's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Racine, WI
Posts: 10,817
andrewwynn will become famous soon enough
One disagreement with above; use green scotch brite "scrubbie" pad vs sandpaper to clean all sealing surfaces, it has a finer abrasive so will make for a smoother surface.

As others have noted, it's not difficult to pull the fan and shroud to get in to replace the thermostat or water pump, if you have an alternative car to drive when those parts fail, I would personally wait to replace them. If they appear to be original, I would maybe buy the thermostat to have on hand, I'd even keep it in the trunk next to the spare tire and bring a 1-1/4" wrench with me on long trips (to remove the fan): only "snug" the fan nut and you can remove with 1-1/4" wrench and a hammer.
__________________
2011 E70 • N55 (me)
2012 E70 • N63 (wife)
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:40 AM.
vBulletin, Copyright 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. SEO by vBSEO 3.6.0
© 2017 Xoutpost.com. All rights reserved. Xoutpost.com is a private enthusiast site not associated with BMW AG.
The BMW name, marks, M stripe logo, and Roundel logo as well as X3, X5 and X6 designations used in the pages of this Web Site are the property of BMW AG.
This web site is not sponsored or affiliated in any way with BMW AG or any of its subsidiaries.