What did you do to / for your E53 today??

[Happy]

Originally Posted by X5chemist

Yup, a free working pano roof cartridge!

[X5only]

Originally Posted by Fifty150hs

I have a 2006 3.0.

I toggled between oil level and temp and no change - oil temp 0 F. Did you change the oil level sensor or is it factory?

[bcredliner]

Originally Posted by LA02MAX

Yeah, I'd call you pretty lucky then. When I picked mine up with just under 100k on it, there were leaks from:

- Power steering hoses and reservoir (massive leak)
- Alternator bracket gasket (massive leak)
- Valve cover gaskets (driver's side was particularly bad)
- Upper timing cover gaskets
- upper oil pan gasket (albeit small)

From all my experience with this generation BMW and older, it's the same story. My 2002 maxima with over 250k miles on it has oily residue along the edge of the timing cover but it's never had a leak that drips. That's 4 years older and 150k miles greater than my leaky X5.

Not saying BMWs aren't worth the extra effort, but let's call a spade a spade here

Consider an important distinction. I bought mine new. After the warranty expired I have done all the regular and do preemptive maintenance. As an example I change the oil and filter every 5-6,000 miles. I did a complete overhaul of the suspension at 75,000. I change the transmission fluid and filter every 50,000 miles. IMO, ones experience purchasing any vehicle with say over 75,000 miles is heavily weighted by how that vehicle was been maintained.

I have not had to replace power steering hoses, alternator gasket, upper timing cover gaskets or had an oil pan leak. I am suggesting there is a rest of the story out there of experiences better than yours.

[sidneyj]

Got the comfort windshield installed!


Sent from my iPhone using Xoutpost.com

[Themoog]

Comfort windshield..what’s that? Heated?

[Henn28]

Originally Posted by Themoog

Comfort windshield..what’s that? Heated?

Nice. I need a new winshield, again. Huge rock divot at eye level.

Does the comfort glass interfere with GPS signals?

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by Themoog

Comfort windshield..what’s that? Heated?

Kind of the opposite: blocks IR light keeping the car cooler.

https://bmwglass.com/details/f/bmw-c...t-75529cbb9434

[nick325xit 5spd]

Originally Posted by bcredliner

Consider an important distinction. I bought mine new. After the warranty expired I have done all the regular and do preemptive maintenance. As an example I change the oil and filter every 5-6,000 miles. I did a complete overhaul of the suspension at 75,000. I change the transmission fluid and filter every 50,000 miles. IMO, ones experience purchasing any vehicle with say over 75,000 miles is heavily weighted by how that vehicle was been maintained.

I have not had to replace power steering hoses, alternator gasket, upper timing cover gaskets or had an oil pan leak. I am suggesting there is a rest of the story out there of experiences better than yours.

I'm not really clear on what impact maintenance has on gasket leaks.

[Bdc101]

Originally Posted by nick325xit 5spd

I'm not really clear on what impact maintenance has on gasket leaks.

Same question here.

I bought my car from the original owner at 93k miles -- it was always promptly and properly dealer maintained, and I have ten thousand dollars worth of dealership receipts from the original owner (just from the out-of-warranty period from 60k to 93k miles). They didn't maintain it themselves, but they paid a huge sum of money to keep it maintained at the dealership about as good as it could be.

Yet I still have had massive amounts of failures in my ownership (only six years and 30k miles). Five window regulators, one door handle, continuous issues with failing bulb sockets, broken sunroof, all of the power steering hoses, the entire CCV system and all vacuum hoses, failed OFHG, failed VCG, and I am still working on the pan leaks.

I don't know how any maintenance routine would have prevented any of that.

[Happy]

Originally Posted by Bdc101

I don't know how any maintenance routine would have prevented any of that.

When I hit about 16 years on the X, it became very clear that I was going to have to invest some time and money into my E53. If I had not, serious failures could have arisen.

Rod bearings, and a flywheel failure were not planned. These repairs were costly, and time consuming.

Now at 20 years, and almost 99,000 on the clock, and a total refresh, she is running great! Of course minor, or even major repairs that arise, will still have to be addressed.