Hello! I've had my e53 for a few months now, and I've been lurking on the forum for a while. Here's my '04 4.4i with 81k miles:
I have a few things to do, and I've attached the links to various posts which describe how to DIY:
Driver's front wheel bearing. It does the notorious hum/buzz which gets louder as speed increases, and louder while cornering one direction.
Passenger front half-shaft: The outer boot has been torn for a long time. Seller dropped the price $500 because of that. It isn't making noise yet, but the price difference between a new half-shaft and the outer boot kit is only like $30. Why would anyone just replace the boot? This guide seems to show everything I need except actually getting the half-shaft out:
Replacing outer CV boot
I've replaced the oil and
reset the oil service indicator. I used Mobil 1 0w40. It doesn't leak a drop, but it goes through oil at about 1 qt every 2000 miles. That seems to not be terribly unusual for X5s.
I appreciate all that I've learned so far from everyone here!
I have an aftermarket warranty, but it won't cover things like the half-shaft because it was due to the boot ripping, which isn't covered. It may cover the wheel bearing. If they don't cover it, I'll be doing it myself.
Does anyone have any recommendations or things to watch out for?