Planning to get an X5 - need help

[sheran]

Hello All,

It's great to see X5World with its brand new forum. This is my first post to the forum (or any X5 forum for that matter). I am shopping around for a 2002 X5 4.6is and need some advice. I live in the United Arab Emirates and I have been told that most of the natives who own vehicles, do not treat them well. As the story goes, they will run their vehicles with little attention to routine maintenance such as oil changes or the like.

As I'm not all that car savvy, I wondered if you guys could recommend any checks I can perform myself on the X5 before I buy it. I understand from the FAQ that the CV joints are expensive and was wondering if any of you have experienced problems with them. Is there any possibility of inspecting the CV joint boots without jacking the X5

I would like to know of any other important points to look for when inspecting the X5. Is there any way to spot an abused engine? (Constant red lining, high revs before the engine warms up, etc)

I have also noticed some X5's with milky or cloudy looking headlights. It does not appear to be condensation. Is there any way this can be removed or rectified without swapping out the entire headlight assembly?

Go easy on the newbie and thanks in advance for your help.

Bye,
Sheran