Nothing but problems with my 2005 E53 3.0d

prism · #1 01-04-2011, 04:04 PM

I just wanted to share my nightmarish experience with you guys.
I received my brand new X5 in May 2005. Two weeks after taking delivery one of the interior lighting fuses kept going off. Changing the fuse didnt do much, it just kept blowing. The garage took the car to troubleshoot it for 3 whole days after which they discovered that it was a central command box for the electrical system that needed to be replaced entirely. Fine.
After that, things went well for a while but the honeymoon wasnt to last very long. First came the dashboard, the lighting on the LCD information panel at the bottom suddenly became inconsistent, it was brighter right around the middle. I took it to the garage and they told me that they needed to replace the entire instrument panel to fix it. Wow, ok! There was also some chipping on the plastic part of the steering wheel right below the BMW logo which was also promptly replaced.
Next came the folding system of my left rearview mirror. The motor just started acting strange. I took it to the garage and they told me the motor needed to be replaced. Soon after, the right rearview mirror motor also failed and was replaced.
Then came the ambient light sensor attached to the windshield for the automatic headlight control system. Guess what? It failed and to replace it required that I replace the entire windshield because the damn thing was fused to it!
At this point the car was no longer under warranty (with an extension I was able to stretch it one more year for a total of 3 years but no more). I guess all that was left for me to do is pray that things would be alright and it was alright for at least another year.
And then, out of the blue, the right xenon lamp died on me and had to be replaced promptly. I am not even going to tell you what that cost me!
And now...as if what I have been through is not enough I have been told, after taking the car for servicing that one of the injector's (diesel engine) is not spraying correctly and needs to be replaced along with 6 glow plugs. Oh and as an added bonus he also told me that the starter would also need to be completely replaced. Great!
My X5 has 75,000 km on the clock, I think that is roughly 47,000 miles so I would like to ask you, is what I am going through normal for a 5 year old car with 47,000 miles on the odometer? Am I the unfortunate recipient of a lemon, because frankly it now feels like I am now riding a ticking bomb that will develop even more serious failures down the road! If you dont think this is normal and that I should expect better from a brand like BMW, especially after spending my hard earned cash on it can you tell me what I should do?
Thanks for your help.

JCL · #2 01-04-2011, 04:28 PM

Sell it now. If you like the car, find another.

prism · #3 01-05-2011, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCL

Sell it now. If you like the car, find another.

I see, I guess no one seems to be surprised by what I went through! Ok.

ArmyX5 · #4 01-05-2011, 01:26 AM

I am sorry to hear about your X5 issues. I have a 2005 3.0i. I know that your is a D, but the items that you just mensioned should be the same on both vehicle. I guest I am one of the lucky one because I haven't had any issues with mine except the secondary air valve sticking.

JCL · #5 01-05-2011, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prism

I see, I guess no one seems to be surprised by what I went through! Ok.

A few of the issues you mentioned are known problems that can happen, ie the mirrors, the light sensor, and the chipping on the steering wheel.

The early hour electrical issues aren't common, but they may have been connected, ie one problem with multiple symptoms. They were also covered by your warranty.

A headlight failing is not unusual after several years.

One injector....it is early for one to fail, but it can happen. Don't know about the glow plugs.

So, is this normal for 47,000 miles? I would say no, but it is not unusual for six years of age. Your car has low annual mileage. These items don't depend on miles as much as they depend on age. The car is seveal years out of warranty, and there have been issues that required repair. You asked what you should do. I am not trying to be harsh, but as I said, I think you should consider selling it. It won't suddenly stop costing you money. They are not cheap to fix. I just think you sound like you would be happier in something newer, with a full warranty.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

powers1 · #6 01-05-2011, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prism

I see, I guess no one seems to be surprised by what I went through! Ok.

I have a 7 year old 3.0D and very few problems.However,I work at the dealer and I can say that some of your in warranty issues are not common ,but then again as bigwave255 said thats what warranty is for.Count yourself lucky that these didnt occur outside the warranty!
You were very unlucky to have to fork out for a new windscreen because of the light sensor failure.
Coming to the issues you have been told you now have ,I need to ask you if you car has been having problems cranking and starting problems and if you have white smoke with an unburnt raw diesel smell when you start the car?
Does your car start first time?
I ask this because ,if they want to replace your starter motor and your glow plugs ,these are the obvious symptons you should have !If you dont have these,then you have to ask why they are wanting to change these parts?
Do you have an injector error code registered?Did you notice any performance drop in your car lately or excessive smoke when car is hot?
In my experience,with your mileage and age,its far too soon to be replacing start motor,glow plugs and injector....but you have to,then you know that these wont be a problem for the coming years.
Had you had any major engine,transmission issues ,then I would say,sell the car but if you like the car,just get a second opinion on the issues the dealer recently pointed out before you authorize the work and if its confirmed that they need replacing ,I would do them and enjoy the car for many more years.

prism · #7 01-05-2011, 06:17 AM

First of all, I would like to thank you all for chippin in with your thoughts on this.
To answer your question, powers1:
I have been noticing problems starting the engine, it just doesnt happen all the time. I also did experience white smoke right after the engine started in two occasions but both were in freezing mountain conditions after the car was left overnight outside.
As for the injector problem, the only real symptoms I get is the excessive vibrations when I cold start and a strong smell of fuel (not all the time).

Quote:

Originally Posted by powers1

I have a 7 year old 3.0D and very few problems.However,I work at the dealer and I can say that some of your in warranty issues are not common ,but then again as bigwave255 said thats what warranty is for.Count yourself lucky that these didnt occur outside the warranty!
You were very unlucky to have to fork out for a new windscreen because of the light sensor failure.
Coming to the issues you have been told you now have ,I need to ask you if you car has been having problems cranking and starting problems and if you have white smoke with an unburnt raw diesel smell when you start the car?
Does your car start first time?
I ask this because ,if they want to replace your starter motor and your glow plugs ,these are the obvious symptons you should have !If you dont have these,then you have to ask why they are wanting to change these parts?
Do you have an injector error code registered?Did you notice any performance drop in your car lately or excessive smoke when car is hot?
In my experience,with your mileage and age,its far too soon to be replacing start motor,glow plugs and injector....but you have to,then you know that these wont be a problem for the coming years.
Had you had any major engine,transmission issues ,then I would say,sell the car but if you like the car,just get a second opinion on the issues the dealer recently pointed out before you authorize the work and if its confirmed that they need replacing ,I would do them and enjoy the car for many more years.

powers1 · #8 01-05-2011, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prism

First of all, I would like to thank you all for chippin in with your thoughts on this.
To answer your question, powers1:
I have been noticing problems starting the engine, it just doesnt happen all the time. I also did experience white smoke right after the engine started in two occasions but both were in freezing mountain conditions after the car was left overnight outside.
As for the injector problem, the only real symptoms I get is the excessive vibrations when I cold start and a strong smell of fuel (not all the time).

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.

Fraser · #9 01-07-2011, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prism

I see, I guess no one seems to be surprised by what I went through! Ok.

I have a 2005 3.0d that's done 70,000km or so and it's been the picture of reliability and has only been back to the dealer for routine servicing. All this despite being driven on rough gravel/dirt roads as much as on sealed roads. And most sealed roads that it covers are very poorly maintained. For me, the 3.0d offers a fantastic trade-off between effortless performance and low fuel use (average 8.6 litres/100km).

prism · #10 01-13-2011, 07:35 AM

Ok, just to update you on the latest, I gave my E53 for repairs and, as mentioned, they replaced the faulty injector and all 6 glow plugs. I also extended the warranty (non BMW) for another 12 months.
Total cost (parts, labor & tax) came to the equivalent of $1500. Extending the warranty 1 year (full coverage) set me back an additional $900.
I can really feel the difference, the vibrations at cold start are gone and there is no strange smell. The ignition problem is also gone (I guess it was the glow plugs). So now I guess I am somewhat a happy camper although I still dont think it is normal to experience a whole series of problems for a car that a bit more than 5 yrs old.
Thanks again to all, especially powers1 for your guidance.