Thoughts on 2003 E53 X5 Three Pdeal

[puddinboo]

It could be me being extra cautious for sure. As of right now I'm using an oil catch can and emptying it out in the winter months about once a month. I have had the catch can on now for over 40000km and still going strong. Also no lights on dash.Ive had it on for about 4 yrs now I think.

Originally Posted by Bdc101

I keep a close eye on mine. I had a lot of sludge under the cap and replaced mine as soon as I bought it in late 2016. I live in the mountains where we get a lot of freezing temps and snow, and drive a very short commute. I don't have significant sludge after 3.5 years. I pull off the vacuum lines and oil cap periodically to check, and even pulled off the valve cover twice to inspect. I think two years is too cautious, unless you drive tons and tons of short trips in cold weather without getting the car warmed up completely. I was prepared to replace mine every 2-4 years but haven't seen the need.


If your car has never had the CCV replaced, it's time to do it ASAP though, and do get the winter version even if your car didn't have it from the factory. Unless you live in Arizona or Florida.

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[Pin It]

Many thanks for all of the responses. Very nice to see an active and engaged community around the e53. Having the support of communities like these is almost reason enough to resurrect this 18 year old X5.

I am still working on posting some images. It appears that I can upload them to the site but can't add them as images to a reply unless I link to a 3rd party host? (Apologies for the noob technical questions.)

A quick inspection of the engine bay didn't reveal much in the way of oil leaks. Certainly some dampness under the oil filter housing and a bit of seepage at the rear passenger side of the valve cover. I'm thinking most of the lost oil is being consumed by the engine. This would likely by CCV issues? I have some pictures of the oil fill cap that I'm trying to upload. Definitely a bit of sludge on/in there but nothing alarming.

Still working on getting records from the PO to confirm some of the maintenance history. But I know that it has always been dealer serviced. Just don't know exactly what has been addressed over the years. Other than what sounds like a brief cam tensioner chain rattle at cold startup, this engine runs very well.

[Happy]

IMHO, that E53 is well worth the time and money for restoration! But as always, after everything thing major checks out.

[e39_touring]

Originally Posted by Pin It

1. Pads and rotors are the most immediate need. I'm seeing the Zimmerman/Akebono set on FCP Euro. Love FCP and have personal experience with Zimmerman rotors but not the Akebono pads. I know they have a strong following amongst German-car enthusiasts. Anyone have a strong opinion on something better for the same price range?

I really like the Zimmerman rotors - good corrosion protection and every one I've ever gotten was balanced to a few grams. As far as pads, I may be in the minority, but I use OEM (Jurid or Textar). They are softer compound with excellent grip and don't trash the rotors, but they are dusty!

Originally Posted by Pin It

2. LED pixels seem to be a reasonable DIY project, and there appear to be rebuild services out there. Any opinions on the best option and/or reputable rebuilders?

I used Bavtek to repair a cluster and radio/MID with excellent results.

Originally Posted by Pin It

3. How rare are E53's with manual transmissions? I've seen a few in the last 20 years, but haven't seen any numbers. Are these generally desirable vehicles? Is it worth "restoring" one to make it a very solid, reliable vehicle for occasional duty? Or is my personal love for three pedals clouding my judgement?

I think I read somewhere that there were 3-3500 or so three-pedal X5's sold in the US. They're not necessarily valuable (yet), but they are desirable! Every time I see one for sale, it's sold within a few days. They are worth restoring as it's easy and parts are still plentiful.

Originally Posted by Pin It

4. After 18 years and 125k, I am assuming the suspension is shot. Shocks, control arm bushings, etc do not usually meet my requirements after more than 10 years / 100k miles max. I haven't been able to thoroughly test the suspension due to the unreliable brakes, so I am wondering how much care and attention will likely be required here.

Time kills the rubber bushings as much as mileage does. You're probably due for a refresh. Again, if you can do the labor, the parts are cheap. See how it drives and go from there.

Originally Posted by Pin It

5. Any particular gating items before pursuing a restoration, like VANOS etc. If given an hour and a lift, what are the most important "PPI" categories to check that are unique to the M54 engines?

As others have mentioned, a full cooling system refresh is in order because failure can cause devastating results (blown head gasket), and all the parts are plastic (expansion tank is a must!). That, and you will find nuisance oil leaks. One final thing that I've had to replace on every X5 I've owned (4 of them) is the CV joint boots. The fronts are probably torn, and I just throw in Cardone reman axles since they're only like $60 a piece.

Welcome to E53 ownership - you got a special one there with three pedals!

[Happy]

Originally Posted by e39_touring

As others have mentioned, a full cooling system refresh is in order because failure can cause devastating results (blown head gasket), and all the parts are plastic (expansion tank is a must!).

And I’ll suggest using all BMW replacement parts as well.

[Pin It]

Here are the oil fill cap pictures. Curious as to thoughts on priority of the CCV mod?

I suppose if I do water pump, t-stat, VCG, oil filter gasket, etc then I might as well do the CCV. I’m a big proponent of “while you are in there” work, especially on 18 year old vehicles.

And I am a big believer in using genuine/OEM parts unless a better aftermarket product exists, which is occasionally the case for older Porsche’s & Audi’s.




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[Pin It]

Also has an interesting brush guard on the grille. Is this OEM/factory?




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[Purplefade]

If it hasn’t already been said, check out FCP Euro for tour replacement parts, they have OE and OEM and offer a lifetime replacement warranty on everything they sell . They are sometimes a bit more than “that other store” but the lifetime replacement makes it worth it completely! Replace a couple of expansion tanks and you’ll know

As for the front push bar, yep, that’s a stock option. I looked for one for a while but then decided against it as I started moding my suspension and moving towards “performance” and handling, those bars can be heavy! (But I still really like the look!)


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[ard206]

A tuned S54 sounds nice! With coil overs of course..... Probably to much work.
But a laptop or tablet and a selfserve garage you guy's shouldn't have any problem getting her back together, I would start with any engine work you need to do, then work your way to the suspension. Suspension is pretty straight forward, just make sure you tighten your control arms with the vehicle on all fours. If you don't have access to a four post lift you can use ramps. Good luck

[ard206]

Flush your crankcase. Lubro Moly has something you do that with.