Nothing but problems with my 2005 E53 3.0d

[X5Sport]

Unfortunately a lot of what you have suffered is not unusual. From the description of the white smoke and a longer crank time that certainly points at injectors and even more so glowplugs as it's probably unburnt fuel. Your plugs will be getting more use because of the colder climate

I haven't had the inject/glowplug issues, but have had both mirrors, tailgate lock mechanism, steering hoses, starter, fuel pump relay, and the entire auto transmission rebuilt, along with a new transmission computer, and I haven't done 47,000 miles yet!! My E53 is a March 05 like yours and I've had it from new.

If you get a bad one, then this happens but it is rare to all of these problems though as I said not unusual. My car was actually built at Xmas 2004 though whether that was significant is questionable. I now have an extended warranty which though expensive is much cheaper than a new gearbox would have been!!

It's also just had a new battery (about the right time) and now needs new brake linings (again about the right time).

I now run an E71 as well and am hoping that will be a lot better - even if someone did reverse into me in a Supermarket car park on Xmas Eve meaning I am now having to have a new rear bumper at 6 weeks and 900 miles of ownership!!!

[prism]

I did realize you were trying to see if I was being ripped off, and I appreciate your concern.
To answer your questions: the starter worked all the time, I could hear it when turning the key, its just that the engine would not ignite?
About the white smoke, now that I think about it, in both occasions it occured after the sun had risen and the ice that had formed on the body had melted, so I guess it could be condensation, no?
Anyways, FYI, the dealer quoted me a price equivalent to $1400 to change 1 injector and 6 glow plugs. Is that reasonable?

Originally Posted by powers1

My intention is asking you if you had those symptons ,was to ensure that someone wasnt fooling you in replacing parts ,you dont need!Unfortunately ,it happens!
From your answer ,I can say that the injector issue is genuine as your symptons are typical of injector or Rail pressure sensor failure.
When you say you had problems starting,do you mean the starter doesnt turn over and you hear a clunk noise or it does turn over but just doesnt start?
With regards to the white smoke,I just need to know if its from condensation or from unburnt fuel!Its perfectly normal for it to smoke from cold due to condensation but you will be able to smell the difference.
Although you car has relatively low mileage for glow plugs replacing,what matters is the times you started the car ..and taking into account the common below freezing temperatures (when glow plugs come on) in your country,I would say that they stood up pretty well.Mine are still the original but I do live in a warmer client where the glow plugs are rarely activated.

[powers1]

Originally Posted by prism

I did realize you were trying to see if I was being ripped off, and I appreciate your concern.
To answer your questions: the starter worked all the time, I could hear it when turning the key, its just that the engine would not ignite?
About the white smoke, now that I think about it, in both occasions it occured after the sun had risen and the ice that had formed on the body had melted, so I guess it could be condensation, no?
Anyways, FYI, the dealer quoted me a price equivalent to $1400 to change 1 injector and 6 glow plugs. Is that reasonable?

Dealer prices here are €480.00 for each injector and 2 "o"rings" and €28.00 for each glow plug,Total €648.00.Add to this 5.5 hours labour to replace all parts and coding @65.00/hr=€358.00.Add the parts cost to this + 20% local Vat and the final total would €1005.00,,so not too far off the usd 1400.00,if this is the currency you referred to.

[prism]

Wow and I thought for a moment that my E53 was one of a kind! I cannot imagine what it must have cost to replace an entire transmission system. I feel spooked, I will sell the damn thing as soon as I get it repaired. That's it for me!

Originally Posted by X5Sport

Unfortunately a lot of what you have suffered is not unusual. From the description of the white smoke and a longer crank time that certainly points at injectors and even more so glowplugs as it's probably unburnt fuel. Your plugs will be getting more use because of the colder climate

I haven't had the inject/glowplug issues, but have had both mirrors, tailgate lock mechanism, steering hoses, starter, fuel pump relay, and the entire auto transmission rebuilt, along with a new transmission computer, and I haven't done 47,000 miles yet!! My E53 is a March 05 like yours and I've had it from new.

If you get a bad one, then this happens but it is rare to all of these problems though as I said not unusual. My car was actually built at Xmas 2004 though whether that was significant is questionable. I now have an extended warranty which though expensive is much cheaper than a new gearbox would have been!!

It's also just had a new battery (about the right time) and now needs new brake linings (again about the right time).

I now run an E71 as well and am hoping that will be a lot better - even if someone did reverse into me in a Supermarket car park on Xmas Eve meaning I am now having to have a new rear bumper at 6 weeks and 900 miles of ownership!!!

[prism]

Powers1, I have another question for you:
As I mentioned earlier, I feel the vibrations when I start the engine from cold, however, as the engine heats up to normal temperature, the vibration pretty much goes away. If this is an injector issue, is it normal that the vibrations go away as the engine gets warmer?
Thanks again.

[powers1]

Originally Posted by prism

Powers1, I have another question for you:
As I mentioned earlier, I feel the vibrations when I start the engine from cold, however, as the engine heats up to normal temperature, the vibration pretty much goes away. If this is an injector issue, is it normal that the vibrations go away as the engine gets warmer?
Thanks again.

I thought you given up and just selling it!If you want to sell it ,then you dont need to repair it,since your issues are all when engine is cold and the car is fine after warming up(if I understood right)
I could answer you better if I knew what error code is registered in the ECU!
The injector issue maybe an intermmitent error(doesnt happen all the time)
The vibrations from cold maybe because of the glow plugs not igniting sufficiently.Do me a favour WAIT 20 seconds and then crank the engine and tell me if it starts better.
Since you now say that the you dont have vibrations when the engine is warm ,I am now seriously beginning to think that you dont have an injector problem (why I asked you for an error code!).
Please carry out the 20 secs glow plug test I asked first ,but It seems that your problem is all related to glow plugs,which in this case ,if I was was you ,I would just buy myself 6 glow plugs (€100-€150) and get a independent capable mechanic to fit them .
To summarize then.Since you say that your car cranks fine ,it just fails to ignite sometimes,then this puts the STARTER out of the equation and raises questions why the dealer wanted to replace it!Since the car has no vibrations when warm and performs normally with no white /black smoke(correct me if I am wrong!),then its just a glow plug issue,which is perfectly acceptable.
What X5Sport says maybe only 1/2 right!Even after all the bad luck he had ,he still bought an E71!There are loads of 3.0D owners(a lot here) that HAVE NOT suffered the problems you have ,and transmissions issues are in the first 150-200,000 kms are also very rare.
Let me have feedback for the glow plug test....

[Sketcheddd]

I have 2002 3.0d with sport packet and 142 000km on the clock.. But I've just had only few issues so far... Changing the power steering pump and re-programing the passenger's airbag sensor being the "biggest" issues.

I guess I'm lucky.

[imola38]

To the OP: Thank you for joining our forums (A place for fellow owners to HELP eachother) just to tell how much you hate your X5. We are now all aware of your displeasure with the product. As previously suggested, sell it and move on. Maybe purchase a nice Lexus SUV? Good luck with the sale! Ohh, just be sure to tell the prospective buyer what a horrible vehicle that your selling! Good luck.


P.S. The passionate owners who know there vehicle for the beautiful, quirky machine that it is are what make this forums great. Also, the DIY'ers here who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty to save a few bucks and get to know they're vehicle are people I fully relate to and respect. Wouldn't it be great if we could ALL share these sentiments?! (A man can dream can't he?) *Stepping off soapbox*


-Ben

[prism]

Hmmm, unforutnately I dont have the error code but I also dont think the dealer was making it up when he told me that the spray pattern of injector # 4 was not working within specs. Would their be a difference between an injector that is not spraying correctly and an injector that is just out of order?
One thing for sure, the vibrations I get when the engine starts cold is something new, I didnt have it before.
I dont get any black smoke unless I really accelerate hard in which case I notice a black plume. Also I do sense a strong fuel smell when after switching off the engine and getting out of the car.
I will do the 20 second test and get back to you.

Originally Posted by powers1

I thought you given up and just selling it!If you want to sell it ,then you dont need to repair it,since your issues are all when engine is cold and the car is fine after warming up(if I understood right)
I could answer you better if I knew what error code is registered in the ECU!
The injector issue maybe an intermmitent error(doesnt happen all the time)
The vibrations from cold maybe because of the glow plugs not igniting sufficiently.Do me a favour WAIT 20 seconds and then crank the engine and tell me if it starts better.
Since you now say that the you dont have vibrations when the engine is warm ,I am now seriously beginning to think that you dont have an injector problem (why I asked you for an error code!).
Please carry out the 20 secs glow plug test I asked first ,but It seems that your problem is all related to glow plugs,which in this case ,if I was was you ,I would just buy myself 6 glow plugs (€100-€150) and get a independent capable mechanic to fit them .
To summarize then.Since you say that your car cranks fine ,it just fails to ignite sometimes,then this puts the STARTER out of the equation and raises questions why the dealer wanted to replace it!Since the car has no vibrations when warm and performs normally with no white /black smoke(correct me if I am wrong!),then its just a glow plug issue,which is perfectly acceptable.
What X5Sport says maybe only 1/2 right!Even after all the bad luck he had ,he still bought an E71!There are loads of 3.0D owners(a lot here) that HAVE NOT suffered the problems you have ,and transmissions issues are in the first 150-200,000 kms are also very rare.
Let me have feedback for the glow plug test....

[prism]

Excuse me fanboy but you are borderline rude unless you have trouble processing?
Yes I am complaining about my horrible experience and I think that given what I went through, I have a right to vent about it. At the same time I was seeking the good advice of members in this forum who probably know much more than I do with this car. Powers1, for example, has been extremely helpful with the troublshooting. In the end I will probably fix the problem and sell the car.
No one is forcing you to read my threads, if you dont like its content then please move on, but for me I am clearly getting some very helpful advice.

Originally Posted by imola38

To the OP: Thank you for joining our forums (A place for fellow owners to HELP eachother) just to tell how much you hate your X5. We are now all aware of your displeasure with the product. As previously suggested, sell it and move on. Maybe purchase a nice Lexus SUV? Good luck with the sale! Ohh, just be sure to tell the prospective buyer what a horrible vehicle that your selling! Good luck.


P.S. The passionate owners who know there vehicle for the beautiful, quirky, sexy machine that it is are what make this forums great. Also, the DIY'ers here who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty to save a few bucks and get to know they're vehicle are people I fully relate to and respect. Wouldn't it be great if we could ALL share these sentiments?! (A man can dream can't he?) *Stepping off soapbox*


-Ben