ABS Break lights ON

[Vincent Gheller]

2001 3.0 with manual transmission, ~170K miles: ~5K miles ago, DSC and ABS lights came on, speedo and odo stopped functioning; cruise control finally stopped functioning, so I checked the RR wheel speed sensor. Broke it in the process, so replaced it. Cruise control functioning again, but still no speedo or odo. Sensor swap (right to left) next.

[lion2000]

To wrap up the posting, I got my car back. With instrument cluster and DSC replace, it is like new again, I am happy.

At almost 110K miles, what would be the next to go down. I checked some complaints website, I hope it will not be the transmission!!! Any comment there?

[tomgtv]

Originally Posted by lion2000

To wrap up the posting, I got my car back. With instrument cluster and DSC replace, it is like new again, I am happy.

At almost 110K miles, what would be the next to go down. I checked some complaints website, I hope it will not be the transmission!!! Any comment there?

You will undoubtedly have your oil separator and oil filter housing gasket go bad. You'll see oil leaks as symptom and start putting oil in. My hose from separator to oil dipstick tube literally rotted off......... Oil filter gasket is
a $5 part but you just about have to disassemble the motor to get to it.
It is where the oil filter housing mates to the block. It was super brittle just like the valve cover gaskets I did at 187,000 miles. Yeah, they're going to go too.

If you haven't switched out your water pump and thermostat I would consider putting that on a PM list. My Indy did the first one at 100K and we found the bearing about to go. We did Tstat and water pump at 200K after radiator reservoir went and found the Tstat looking bad seal wise.

If your car starts to stall off the line do the intake cam shaft sensor. Mine was bad for 1.5 years before I figured that one out. When I replaced it cleared up fault and I got my power back. The VANOS was not working and the motor was in a default mode.

I also had wheel bearing go in left rear, 3 CV joints and the transfer case.

The transfer case will make a mechanical click sound as you start off. Go the rebuild route for $800 or so rather than the $2000 the dealer wants just for the part. My Indy rolled his eyes when I did this with non OEM part, but 2 years later it's running fine. These are simple devices, just gears and bearings that go. I think they got rid of them on later models.

Of course you will be dealing with window regulators, AC resistor fuses, brakes and rotors, etc.

Your belts along with the idler pulleys will also go. You have to buy the whole assembly just to get the gear for both tensioners......thanks BMW.

Plenty of plastic parts break, sun visor, center console latch, window shade holders, back cup holder, etc.

My newest expenditure is $300 rebuild of ABS module by module master in Moscow, ID. Their website is very informative. My DSC, ABS and Brake lights are on and my Speedo/ODO/Cruise is out.

I would not own a BMW out of warranty again. I have become somewhat of an expert (I think) on the I6 3.0L, but it fails too much for me in comparison to the multiple makes of Japanese cars that I've had. None of them experienced this level of failure in basic components.

BMW IMHO has a very slick mkt strategy - they sell to the 3 year lease crowd and those who trade before warranty expires. They are super happy customers. The 2nd set who keeps the car or buys them used get to deal with $$$ of repairs and gives them tremendous service/parts revenue flow.

If you love wrenching and buying expensive German parts this is the car for you!

[lion2000]

Thanks for the extensive write up. I got "long way" to go ...... Wrenching is not for me.

Some recommended Lexus LX470 or Acura MDX to me for reliability. I have not test driven them, just from the look of these, they are different bread.

[tomgtv]

I bought an LS 400 Lexus when they first came out in 1989. My factory was in Torrance just down the street from Toyota.
I paid $39,995 for that car, drove it for 77,000 miles and only replaced the
tires. That car had ZERO issues. None of the crap I've experienced with BMW.

BTW I also had a 1990 BMW 3.0 convertible, traded it at 40,000 miles, just a few problems. I had a 1996 BWM 3.0L sedan. Lots of issues. Got rid of it at 107,000 miles before it got out of hand.

Like I mentioned above, BMW has a satisfied customer group that it markets new cars to. The rest are on their own!!

The Japanese and German mentalities are very far apart in philosophy. The US is somewhere in between. The Japanese will strive for perfection even if they don't get an immediate return. Look at the numbers over the last 30 years and it tells the story...........

[tomgtv]

Oh, I forgot the best one of all! I got suckered into replacing the $425 air mass sensor plus $85 one hr svc. You can switch it out in under 2 min!!

The symptoms are rough idle and it throws fault codes. There are some platinum wires in there close together. They get dirty from dust and soot.
One of my jetski buddies heard me complaining cause the car was doing it again after the sensor had been replaced a year or so ago.

He said go to auto parts store and buy CRC air mass sensor cleaner for $3.00.
It WORKED perfectly! Every time it starts to act up you literally open the sucker up and give it shot and it fixes it!

[lion2000]

Here is my story. At 90k miles, my Indy changed bunch of intake parts before identified the mass air flow sensor. I bought it online for $350 and he put it in at no charge, after some $500 unnecessary replacements!

Thanks for the feedback. It is time to give up the "pride" and performance. Even the new X5s, there are reports of excessive battery leakage (due to electronics), engine stalls, sudden acceleration, etc. The percentage may be less than the earlier X5, but still. My 2001 X5 the first year, I took in 6 times, second year 4 times, ..... Very inconvenient, even under the warrenty.

[tomgtv]

Very impressive factory, over 500 robots. The components made in Germany are definitely more reliable, ie motor and transmission. Even so they do fail more often than competition. Just like those stupid graffite brake pads that dust up. You might get 10% more performance in repeated panic stops. Otherwise you clean wheels your whole life. I went for metallic pads early on and never washed brake dust off again, NON BMW pads by the way.

I would get rid of your car and save yourself countless hours and $$$. I wish I had of done so.........I kinda got sucked in to just one more fix and it will be good........Once I get a little money together I'm parting this mother out. Got to be worth $25K! Just think about all the body parts! Can you imagine the bill from a head on at say 25mph?? forget about it!!

[lion2000]

Take a different spin on "You might get 10% more performance in repeated panic stops", that applies to much more beyond the break pads! Right after I got the X5 out of the shop, my wife's 330ci traction warning light came on. It has 80K miles, and I am afraid the DSC module, again, on 330ci. My wife does not know much about the car, and she had a "panic stop" on the warning light!

[matt1mike1]

The ABS sensors work using the "Halls Effect". It was a big hassle trying to diagnose which one of mine went bad, therefore I changed them all out.