New e35 X5 owner

[Effduration]

TheFixer is new to the E53 world, but he has been a regular and valued poster on the E46 fanatics forum. He has solid DIY skills and shares what he knows/finds...His biggest issue might be his Home Owner's Association and their views on folks doing their own car repairs

Welcome!

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by TheFixer

I'll check mine. I have the GM 5L40e....which I am not too familiar with. I am better with the ZF models. Those also get connector issues.

I've had my connection (on gm) get filled with water three times. Once when I wasn't driving for a couple months and twice when getting splashed on the freeway.

On the freeway incidents I drove a wheel up on a curb and climbed under and shook the water out.

I still owe [mention]srmmmm [/mention] a case of beer for cluing me in.

[TheFixer]

Originally Posted by Effduration

TheFixer is new to the E53 world, but he has been a regular and valued poster on the E46 fanatics forum. He has solid DIY skills and shares what he knows/finds...His biggest issue might be his Home Owner's Association and their views on folks doing their own car repairs

Welcome!

Hey Effduration! Thank you. You are too kind! I'm sorry I couldn't swing getting your e53 at this moment. But then maybe it's fate. I wouldn't be having any fun getting a perfect one.

[TheFixer]

Originally Posted by andrewwynn

I've had my connection (on gm) get filled with water three times. Once when I wasn't driving for a couple months and twice when getting splashed on the freeway.

On the freeway incidents I drove a wheel up on a curb and climbed under and shook the water out.

I still owe [mention]srmmmm [/mention] a case of beer for cluing me in.

Good info!

[guntherrex]

welcome! sounds like you'll have fun fixing it

[TheFixer]

Still waiting on my tcu. But I've gone over it a little more.

Both front cv joints will need replaced. They have cracks and I noticed a tiny bit of slop when driving it home. I thought maybe it was bushings, probably as well, but I think the joints are starting to go.

The exhaust....omg... what a cluster of f'ing. I didn't really notice how screwed up of a Frankenstein pieced together exhaust was on there till I had it on jackstands.

I discovered the manifold cats are gutted and two universal cats welded on right after them. Then about a dozen pieces of pipe welded together after that to the mufflers.

Ugh.....ridiculous. Guess I'll run six upturned headers out the hood. Lol..... kidding kidding. Would be cool though. My hoa would love it.

[TheFixer]

Swapped the TCU. Still won't show up in INPA or PA soft.. Trans still in failsafe. However most the weird canbus codes are gone. I get "no can msg egs1" in the kombi and in the vtg I get "no can msg dsc1" along with function error vtg whole system, actuator wiring, incremental encoder supply and oil abrasion.... so, that vtg thing is facked.

I think I'm just going to pull the motor and sell that. The egs/tcu module not showing up has no definitive fix. There's threads where people replaced the abs module, whole transmissions, replaced solenoids, swapped out wiring harnesses... just a bunch of things and still no fix. I'm definatley not going down a money pit trying to chase this problem.

[TheFixer]

Originally Posted by andrewwynn

The egs can come apart to check for bad traces etc but when mine acted like egs was shot it was just the connector on the back of the transmission. Apparently water funnels down the wiring jacket right into the connector.

On the m54b30 with the gm trans where is the connector? The only one I see is the big one to the transfer case solenoid. I must be blind.

[X5chemist]

GM put it on the right side. Normally, it's on the left side. I've replaced a few GM transmission switches for various faults.

If you part it out, I want dibs on a few small items. Yours should have a close build date to mine. April '06

[Effduration]

Do you have to code the TCU (EGS) to the car with NCS or something on the E53 before it will recognize?

Pulling front axles can be a real PITA, but since you are out of the rust belt, maybe you will get lucky. the splines in the hub are tapered (I think) and regardless its a real tight fit getting them out and back in? I made special tooling for both removal and installing.

People rebuild axles, buy Cardone or other rebuilds from rockauto, etc. I have bought my last two X5 driveshafts from CVJ Axles in Denver...and have been happy with them