What is the mileage of your X5? - Page 100

andrewwynn · #**991** 02-05-2024, 12:55 PM

I'm told that you can get the blower motor though the radio/HVAC hole in the dash also the 5 series the e53 is based on. Look for a YouTube video. I was planning to do with one of ours I think I still have the blower but we sold the car before I got to it.

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X5chemist · #**992** 02-05-2024, 01:24 PM

I'll prove or disprove the myth! My blower motor will bite the dust sooner or later. It makes a screeching noise sometimes. A blower motor purchase is on my maintenance spreadsheet.

andrewwynn · #**993** 02-05-2024, 01:42 PM

Send me DM I have a spare. No longer have e53

Bdc101 · #**994** 02-05-2024, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henn28

A friend was asking about the X5 the other day and said "you've really saved a lot of money, compared to a new car, by keeping that X5 on the road." My wife almost blew her drink through her nose laughing.

Now that I have a third car I've been wondering if I should just put the X up in the garage for the next 3-4 months and tackle a bunch of those things: clutch, front driveaxles (a couple of my boots are starting to leak too), transfer case chain, both giubos, front driveshaft R&R (using the spacer X5Chemist sold me) and maybe even the rear subframe bushings.

Per your wife's point though: when I bought the X I was debating buying it or buying a 4Runner or similar reliable Japanese SUV that could carry family and tow a small trailer (mid-late 2000s). We were budgeting $10-15k at the time (2015-2016). According to my maintenance spreadsheet, I still only have about $10k in this car (not counting consumables, only repairs and preventative maintenance) and not a single breakdown-stranding-driver situation. So even my wife has to agree that despite the time it takes me to keep it up, for a car that's really nice and that we actually like to drive (we are stick shift snobs) our first German car has been a financial success as well.

We're only at 135k now though, and there's no signs of having to rebuild or replace the M54. Doesn't drink oil, doesn't have any running issues at all.

Henn28 · #**995** 02-05-2024, 06:16 PM

My wife and I are manual transmission lovers too...just don't happen to have one right now unfortunately. I'm trying to talk her into an M2, but its a tough sell with two big dogs.

In truth, I wonder how the numbers would look over the life of our X5. I keep good records of maintenance performed, just not money spent. We've owned it since 2002 and until 2014 it was my wife's daily. The usual maintenance was performed, and at some point I started doing the big stuff myself. My kids then drove it exclusively for at least 5 years, during which I did almost nothing to it aside from oil changes. The only big ticket thing I recall was a "new transmission" (remanufactured).

Only when it turned into a project did I really start throwing money at it. But given that it had languished, un-cared for for so long, and needed all the stuff a 20 year old BMW would need (in addition to the other stuff I've done to it), I wonder how the total cost of ownership would look over its life?

Bdc101 · #**996** 02-05-2024, 06:29 PM

Honestly the list of things I've had to fix on it is very long -- much longer than any other car I've ever owned. But the total cost of all the repairs, having done all of them myself, is only around maybe $4k over 7.5 years of ownership. I was surprised by how low that was.

Salty B. · #**997** 02-05-2024, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henn28

A friend was asking about the X5 the other day and said "you've really saved a lot of money, compared to a new car, by keeping that X5 on the road." My wife almost blew her drink through her nose laughing.

Snort.

The way I avoided the big bills was to buy one that someone else had already blown about $8,000 on it in the four years he had it. I have his spreadsheet. Subtracting non-essentials, I think I've put maybe $500 into it since I bought it last May.

It looks like shit with the clearcoat peeling off and plenty of dings and scratches, but mechanically it's probably the nicest one in Georgia. Suits my purpose: something I can park at the airport or train station for weeks and not give any fscks about dings etc (except the asshole who crunched the rear bumper, grrr) given I travel about 80% for work while the F30 garage queen is safe and sound.

PropellerHead · #**998** 02-05-2024, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salty B.

Subtracting non-essentials, I think I've put maybe $500 into it since I bought it last May.

Your time is coming, young padawan. The very purpose of an E53 is to outrun the nature of a beloved but broken child who also struggles with addiction, complete mental breakdown, and/or a combination. We as owners end up after all of that with so many maintenance-dependent grandbabies that we become the enablers. We're really just waiting for the sunshine that comes from 6 months of nothing going wrong.

Either years of therapy or owning 2 N62's will influence any owner's journey toward peace. (but that peace will never- EVER- be available while maintaining an E53)

Salty B. · #**999** 02-06-2024, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PropellerHead

Your time is coming, young padawan. The very purpose of an E53 is to outrun the nature of a beloved but broken child who also struggles with addiction, complete mental breakdown, and/or a combination. We as owners end up after all of that with so many maintenance-dependent grandbabies that we become the enablers. We're really just waiting for the sunshine that comes from 6 months of nothing going wrong.

Either years of therapy or owning 2 N62's will influence any owner's journey toward peace. (but that peace will never- EVER- be available while maintaining an E53)

🤣😂

At least I'm only dealing with an M47, which IMO is the Volvo Red Block of BMW engines (I'm sure there are others but the N55 in my F30 is not a candidate), and a graunchy-shifting manual vs that GM hydraulic mess. But you're right, my gloatiness could vanish in a trice.

She was a salty bitch for the first few months, I think because PO had several other, less-cranky cars, and rarely drove old Frau Blücher despite his investments in money and time. But after a few shakedown road trips she woke up and shook off the glitchies.

So far.

I've now done numerous 900-mile round trips from Atlanta to my camper in rural Indiana, in blazing hot/humid and freezing weather. The first two trips were OBD-scanner limp-mode hell every 90-150 miles, but she hasn't thrown a CEL since early last summer. Almost at 200,000 miles with no indication that the engine has been out/opened for anything. Blows no smoke, starts instantly, understandably drips a little bit of oil every other day or two. I've got a bottle of AT-205 at the ready.

I do seek a working nav "wide screen" head unit if anyone has a spare. I replaced the screen with an ebay part but neither it nor the original work anymore so I must have borked something in the process.

Pray for Salty, if that's in your religious obligations...