My BMW X5 just hit 250,000 miles today!

tomgtv · #1 01-14-2011, 07:51 PM

I wonder if anyone has driven an X5 longer??
It burns very little oil. I use 15/50 Mobil 1 and change every 15,000 miles.
23.5/gal mpg on road using regular gas.........never put premium in it!

Repairs............now that's a story! But the motor and transmission are
running strong! Never touched the transmission.

Hope to see 500K?? This has turned out to be a science experiment for
me......never ever ran a car this long. Previous record for me was 107,000
miles in a BMW 3.0 sedan.

Think BMW would use this in an ad campaign?? I'll take a new one as payment!

JCL · #2 01-14-2011, 08:01 PM

Congratulations! Looks good.

WallyX5 is just out in front of you:

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...es-i-made.html

Jordo · #3 01-14-2011, 08:15 PM

Wow!!! Congrats! If you had to ball park the $$$$ you spent on repar bills.......

(just curious)

tomgtv · #4 01-14-2011, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jordo

Wow!!! Congrats! If you had to ball park the $$$$ you spent on repar bills.......

(just curious)

I was pretty mad at this car around the 150K mark. About $15,000 in repairs
with me and a couple of friends doing most of the work. BMW would have easily been $25K worth at shop rates.

The biggies were 3 CV axles at about $750 each, transfer case (I got a rebuilt one, still $1100 installed compared to dealer $3K), 5 window regulators before I learned how to permanently fix them, idler pulleys, camshaft sensors, valve cover gasket, Oil Separator (what a nightmare to almost have to take the engine apart for a $5 gasket where the Oil filter connects to block), etc. There's more but I tired of typing!

JCL · #5 01-14-2011, 08:31 PM

But you are still on the original transmission?

tomgtv · #6 01-14-2011, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCL

But you are still on the original transmission?

I listened to BMW and have never touched the transmission. I once asked a high end tranny shop in Miami and they quoted $750 for a fluid change and wouldn't guarantee they could get it all out.

Dan Fowler · #7 01-14-2011, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomgtv

I was pretty mad at this car around the 150K mark. About $15,000 in repairs
with me and a couple of friends doing most of the work. BMW would have easily been $25K worth at shop rates.

The biggies were 3 CV axles at about $750 each, transfer case (I got a rebuilt one, still $1100 installed compared to dealer $3K), 5 window regulators before I learned how to permanently fix them, idler pulleys, camshaft sensors, valve cover gasket, Oil Separator (what a nightmare to almost have to take the engine apart for a $5 gasket where the Oil filter connects to block), etc. There's more but I tired of typing!

$15k for 200k miles is not too shabby. Note the pic was taken while driving.....uh oh- are those warning lights I see on the display?

tomgtv · #8 01-14-2011, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Fowler

$15k for 200k miles is not too shabby. Note the pic was taken while driving.....uh oh- are those warning lights I see on the display?

Now you have discovered my soon to be patented way to deal with check engine lights........black electrical tape!

I've got three on now: Check Engine - came on about 4 years ago, used to come on and off. Code says problem with gas cap. Replaced, no go. When I fill it entirely I do smell gas a little. I think the filler neck to tank has small leak. I put in 18 gallons if it is not going to run a lot, but do fill all the way on trips. I have replaced the fuel filter.....that one is a monster and tricky. I had a shop do that one.......didn't want to go boom!

Airbag Light - There is some weird things that go on with those airbag sensors, so rather than spend a fortune chasing ghosts....black tape!

ABS center triangle - ABS went crazy on several occasions. The wheel sensors can and do go bad. Real easy to pull and replace. I had one almost wear through so I just opened it up and resoldered it, been running for years like that! When the ABS module failed I found a great rebuild service in Moscow, Idaho. Some old military electronics guy takes your bad ABS module (real easy to pull from vehicle, you lose speedo and see Xmas lights but car runs) by mail. Rebuilds it for $300 and sends it back. New ones are north of $1200 plus you'll get hosed for what is really pretty simple labor. All ABS lights were off for some amount of time. Then that yellow one came on about a year ago......heck, I got used to it.....ABS seems to work well.

I'm looking at a new Audi A5 with the 2.0TT........and all lights will be off for some amount of time!!

Isambard · #9 01-15-2011, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Fowler

uh oh- are those warning lights I see on the display?

No, he's turned his DSC off.

Anyway, the other money lights are all covered up with black insulation tape. So 'there is nothing to see here, nothing to see here, folks'....easier than taking the bulbs out, yes Tom?

With that mileage, it looks very clean Tom, a credit to its owner.

X5Dawg · #10 01-15-2011, 11:24 AM

Congrats!! Good to see another 200K+ X5.

I was in the same boat with the repairs at around 150K - spent $12-15K over a two-year period. Since then I think I have only replaced an alternator. Seems like the less I take it to the BMW repair shops (dealer and indies), the less things break or need replacing.