2005 X5 4.4i: How bad?

[pdx2flg]

Hey all,

I've recently come into possession of a 2005 X5 4.4i from my grandfather. The car was single owner and has around 70k miles on it. All maintenance and repairs where done through the BMW service department. My main question is this; how much is this thing going to cost me to drive constantly?

I'm currently a college student in need of a decent AWD vehicle for the snow up here in Northern Arizona. I drove the car for a few months back home when we had a pretty good snow storm and was pretty impressed with it's snow capability, so I think it'd fit my needs in that way. I'm just worried about how bad its going to screw me in parts. Right now, it needs a new power steering pump and some hoses. I'd probably be willing to drop the cash on that but that is obviously just the beginning of what will need to be done if I decide to put real mileage on this thing. So, what big risks or maintenance items do I need to know about, and what should I budget for repairs to keep this thing on the road, assuming I do maintenance myself?

Ultimately, I'm trying to decide if this trying to limp this car along for a few years is cheaper then buying something else with equivalent power and snow capability. Thanks.

[getty150]

Well, at any rate the car is yours, your the owner no matter what.
BMWs can give you the sudden surprise. These cars at this age must be monitored and maintained.
You can achieve your primary goal and make your granddad happy.
Honestly, seeing you are a student it's unlikely you'll have the required resources... sorry.
Here comes the hard part...
Sell it!
And used the money for a Rav-4.

[X5chemist]

My 3.0 is from former students. Yeah, it was in bad shape. It had the cheapest tires on it according to Discount Tire. I found a lot of neglected maintenance. They were the third owners. I got it in time to save it. Took a considerable pocket and time too. Nearly two years to make a daily driver. It still needs a coolant system update. After that, I could drive it across Texas anywhere. Time and resources like a garage are necessary. Two vehicles would be too much too. Sell it and find something dependable until you finish school. School first.

[Henn28]

Throw a rebuilt pump in it from rock auto (dirt cheap), and get driving! I don’t normally recommend rock auto parts for our cars, but the pump is reasonably accessible if it fails again. I used one on mine from Rock and it’s still ticking. The E53 will be a beggar and always want something, but so did any car I owned as a student.

If you have the time and money, and can confirm it wasn’t done at some point in the last 10 years, do a slow motion belt and full cooling system refresh. Drive the rest to failure if you don’t have money to throw at it.

In general though, I’d expect an alternator to go at some point soon, and a fuel pump too if these weren’t replaced by gramps. And if you’ve got a rattle on startup, maybe throw a timing chain tensioner too, which is cheap and easy to do.

If it isn’t leaking from every crevice yet, he either did all the seals and gaskets at some point, or I’d check all the fluids ASAP! A valley pan job, when needed, opens up a lot of room to address some other aging parts and seals. You’ll know the valley is leaking because generally the coolant will be dripping from the bell housing. A lot of leaks can be addressed with new crush washers, etc. when you’ve got the stiffener plate off, so don’t miss these opportunities.

The big job is the timing chain guides on the 4.4, but a tensioner could be all that’s needed if you are lucky. Maybe grandpa had the guides done already, if you are very lucky?

[andrewwynn]

At 70, very very low chance chain guides would be a worry but definitely put in an OE chain tensioner or you'll be at high risk of guides failing. They are as brittle as rock candy at this point.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[x5Alpine]

"limping" a BMW along is a bad idea. If you can't maintain It properly then sell it to someone who will take care of it.

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by x5Alpine

"limping" a BMW along is a bad idea. If you can't maintain It properly then sell it to someone who will take care of it.

+1.

Def budget $100@ month if you can DIY the labor but our two e53 cost average of $75 @ for six years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Henn28]

Originally Posted by x5Alpine

"limping" a BMW along is a bad idea. If you can't maintain It properly then sell it to someone who will take care of it.

I say drive the wheels off of it until it falls apart, or the college degree pays off and the money is there to refresh it. It’s the perfect car for where he is at: safe, good in bad weather and fun to drive.

I utterly neglected mine (really my wife’s at that point) for a decade while my kids learned to drive in it, used it daily and learned how to handle the occasional break-down. Beyond normal parent anxiety, I never seriously worried about their safety while they were driving it. It was headed to NPR as a donation until the pandemic hit and I needed a project.

OP’s has 70k on it and likely lots of miles left on it before it needs real money thrown at it. A little money and time occasionally spent on it will keep that thing running for many years, or as long as the parts hold out.

Of course it could blow up spectacularly tomorrow, but that is the case with any car OP is likely to own at this point.

[X5chemist]

Any decision?
Out of curiosity, I ran the numbers.
In fuel, it cost me about $0.45 per mile (17,599 miles) Mostly city miles. Average 15.65 MPG.
Parts: $231.67 per month (to include parts about to be installed - coolant pipes and hoses) for 34 months of ownership. The price will keep going down the longer I own it. Expenses included: tires, one shop diagnosis for a parasitic drain, transmission/transfer case maintenance. Not included: one full alignment, one GMIII module clone (free of charge).

[crystalworks]

N62's really shouldn't need timing chain guides. A tensioner maybe. Their big "gotcha" is the valve stem seals and valve covers. But if you're the type who doesn't mind a little neglect... both of those can be kicked down the road with some AT205 and avoiding long periods of idling. So go inside for your fast food if there is a line at the drive through.

But it will nickel and dime you if you aren't a fan of check engine lights, electrical niggles, and oil leaks. So, do your cost calculations. The vehicle is only worth ~$7000 to the right buyer if the body is in great shape. If not... maybe 4-5k.