NEW TO GROUP...HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.

[Gen X5R]

Greetings fellow X5 aficionados!

I am the owner of a black saphirre X5 4.6is born in 08/03 with just over 86,000. It was purchased in 2006 as a certified pre-owned with 28,836 miles and for the last 6 years has been somewhat of a love/hate relationship. There has not been a day that I get behind the wheel and not feel elated to be driving such an AWESOME piece of German engineering and yet, the recent and pending repair bills are starting to sour my sentiment.

Having moved from Santa Monica, CA to Overland Park, KS in March 2012, I have had to have the following repairs done to the tune of over 10K:

water pump, thermostat and belts +inspection 1
right rear window regulator and clip
new transmission, valley pan, valve cover & upper timing gaskets

Prior to having found this forum, I was somewhat flabbergasted as to how a 2003 with less than 86K miles would need a new transmission, but after having read several threads regarding transmission failures, I didn't feel so bad. It was disappointing though, to have to come to terms with the fact that a vehicle that offered SO much in being such a well rounded capable mode of transportation, would not have a transmission built to go at least 100K On a side note, I also owned a 1995 e36 convertible that needed a transmission repalcement at around 90K miles.

My wife, who took the car to work for the first time on Friday, called me 30 minutes later to tell me that the stop engine light had come on while driving on the highway. After having the car towed to the same indy service center who completed the above-mentioned repairs, I was informed that worst-case scenario I was looking at a timing chain failure and other related components to the tune of around 3K, another financial blow of shock and awe.

So here is my first question: would improperly replaced timing cover gaskets have anything to do with the timing belt failure? In the week or so after I got the car back from the shop, the was some leakage of fluid that was coming from the front on vehicle. It did not look or smell like oil as it was more reddish in color and after about 7-10 days, it stopped. I was planning on getting it back to indy to have it looked at when I encountered my most recent mishap. When speaking to the mechanic today, he assured me that the two would not be related in any way...hmmm.

In looking at a potential total of over 12K in repairs in the last 12 months, I understand that I am creeping up on having spent close to what the vehicle is worth. That being the case, I feel that I am financially vested to continuing to drive the vehicle towards the next decade. I haven't averaged more than 10K miles a year since I bought the vehicle and still love driving it every day. Am I thinking rationally or should I consider getting rid of my beloved beast before it takes me further down "money pit" road?

Thanks for any and all input...LUV the forum!!

[upallnight]

Unless you are going to sell it as is and take a humongous financial hit, you will end up getting it fix and with the trans fixed most of your problems with the X should be behind you for the next 5 years. Keep it once you get it fix and the next time you buy a car don't buy a BMW. Perhaps BMW will start improving their cars like the Japanese and Americans if people suddenly realize that a BMW is worthless at trade in time because they are unreliable and cost so much to fix.

[TwinTurboGTR]

We need pics. We are all pic whores!

As for the repairs, I will tell you, you have a lot more patience than others on the forum. As for the leaking ruby fluid, that would be power steering fluid since it uses standard ATF. But... Since you had the trans replaced; depending on where, a different fluid could have been used. OE BMW fluid is gold/amber in color.

As for the warning message, I have never encountered or read of the "Timing Guides Failure" in conjunction with the error message on the dash. Normally people just hear the failure. You also mentioned that the upper timing gaskets were replaced and would this be related to the timing guide failure... No. They are two separate components and I see it hard fit for the two to be related. Now if you said he replaced the timing chain and then you found out the guides failed, then I would question it.

Yes, the costs are staggering, but at the point you are at now, there is no return. Seems like the only other major thing to fail would be the Transfer case and the diffs. Sure the cost of the repairs will soon surpass the value of the vehicle but you need to ask yourself this. Lets say you can get $15k for the 4.6is, are you able to find another vehicle of the same caliber for that much money? If this were my situation, I would run it until the door panels came off or until the window regulator broke again because you shut the door with the windows down. Either or.

Have fun and post some pics!

[Bulk]

I believe you have the M62 on that beast which there is a very good timing chain guide replacement write up on this forum for that. The chain is exposed when taking off the valve covers but i highly doubt it is the chain that has failed, it's not a belt its a toothed chain so not normally the failure point on the timing. The timing guides (which are a poly product) maybe but that would not have been affected by them replacing the upper timing gaskets (but they should've had a look at the guides while they had it open to see if they needed replacing). Any fluid leaking straight after taking it to a mechanic (which I haven't done in years) is a sure sign to get another mechanic IMO.........

Sounds like you got pretty much the majority of failure items done in the first 12 months. You should be pretty right now. You have to remember that you have a 10 year old vehicle, the fact that it cost you just as much as a 3 year old japanese vehicle is irrelevant. BMW design their cars to be at the top end of the performance envelope not a daily drive so if you want to drive a nice car then I'd stick with it knowing that things are going to fail. Remember as well that we buy these cars after people have been driving them around for 6-7 years so who knows whether they could afford the car initially but not the maintenance and drove it until it broke and then we buy it thinking it's going to be great.......

[Bulk]

I believe you have the M62 on that beast which there is a very good timing chain guide replacement write up on this forum for that. The chain is exposed when taking off the valve covers but i highly doubt it is the chain that has failed, it's not a belt its a toothed chain so not normally the failure point on the timing. The timing guides (which are a poly product) maybe but that would not have been affected by them replacing the upper timing gaskets (but they should've had a look at the guides while they had it open to see if they needed replacing). Any fluid leaking straight after taking it to a mechanic (which I haven't done in years) is a sure sign to get another mechanic IMO.........

Sounds like you got pretty much the majority of failure items done in the first 12 months. You should be pretty right now. You have to remember that you have a 10 year old vehicle, the fact that it cost you just as much as a 3 year old japanese vehicle is irrelevant. BMW design their cars to be at the top end of the performance envelope not a daily drive so if you want to drive a nice car then I'd stick with it knowing that things are going to fail. Remember as well that we buy these cars after people have been driving them around for 6-7 years so who knows whether they could afford the car initially but not the maintenance and drove it until it broke and then we buy it thinking it's going to be great.......