Reliability after 85K?

[Kendall]

Originally Posted by Randman

I am new to the forum and have 85K on an '01 3.0 automatic. Other than keeping up with the factory maintenance schedule, is there anything else I need to be doing to ensure reliability for several more years? Anything to watch out for? Thank you for your help.

Typical maintenance needed on most BMW's of that mileage:

-Check to see if belts were changed, ie. a/c and serpentine, if not, change asap.

-Check for coolant leaks or adnormal behavior in temp. or overheating ie. check water pump, thermostat, thermostat housing, radiator, hoses, and especially fan clutch.

-Check to see if differential fluid has ever been replaced, if not replace asap. (this service is not part of Insp. 2, it is considered optional)

-Good time to replace the lifetime tranny fluid. original transmissions tend to go after 80-120k miles on original fluid.

-Check suspension system for play, clunking sounds, looseness... thrust arms (ball joint, thrust arm and bushing typically sold as one piece) tend to cause 60mph shimmy or vibration when braking at that mileage.. check or replace sway bar link, lower control arm, and further down the road, steering parts such as tie rods etc. if you're unlucky a steering box may need replacing..