X5 bucking like a bronco

[roym01]

No problem guys. We could all use each others help with our finicky babies.

Another thing my mechanic said was that this situation could have been a lot worse if I didn't add some MOLYSLIP with each oil change.

[asecertified]

Just FYI, the MIL will only flash if it is a misfire that can cause catalyst damage.
If it is flashing, it should not be driven. This is for any make and any model.

[JCL]

I found my X5 to be a great cold weather car, down to -30, which it saw several times. Only problem I had was the inside rear windows icing up at those temperatures, as there wasn't enough heat getting to the luggage compartment.

When it is really cold, the air is usually drier. The problems mentioned above are from temperatures closer to freezing, and condensation related to continuous heat/cold cycles. That comes from short trips.

The issue isn't cold weather, it is that BMW designed these cars to be driven. They need to get hot, and be run hard, regularly. If not, you pay the price.

And warming it up in a driveway is the absolutely worst thing you can do for them. That doesn't warm the vehicle up at all, as there is no load on the engine. What it does is just prolong the cold engine operation, accelerate engine wear, and contribute to further problems.

[SlickGT1]

+1 what JCL said. These cars are all over Russia. Lots more cold weather than most of us in America ever experience.

[Dupersenior]

My X5 ('04 4.4i) does the exact same thing under the exact same conditions, thanks for posting the cause of the problem. Any details on what is actually involved in blowing out the intake and MAF? I'd like to do it myself if it's reasonably easy.

[roym01]

Not exactly sure, but he did say he took off the throttle body.

Just thought I'd add .............. I bought my X5 just over a year ago. I was impressed with its power then. It has never run better than it does now.

[roym01]

I was wondering if drivng the X in sport mode would help drive it a little 'harder' without really trying. It shifts much more agressively which will keep the revs up and help flush out any condensation. Anybody with a 4.4 X5 in a cold climate have any experiences to share?

Also wondering if not having the cold climate package is part of the problem. Are there 4.4 X5'ers out there with the cold climate package who have experiencd the 'bucking bronco' syndrome?

[Dupersenior]

I have the Cold Weather Package, I don't think that has any impact though. As far as I know, the Cold Weather Package is just additional features like the heated front seats, headlight washers, ski bag, and other stuff. Nothing mechanical.

[upallnight]

BMW did come out with a revised CCV which is basically the same design except that it is now wrap with insulation. How is that suppose to help is beyond me since it is not heat trace.

[killcrap]

The original posters most likely cause of misfires when cold start will be due to tolerance issues with intermediate levers. All E53 2004-2006 X5's 4.4 and 4.8is will develop this problem. Most common mileage is around 60,000miles depending on driving habbits. What happens is the intermedite levers become worn out, and during cold start, uneven cylinder filling will cause misfiring. When the misfiring occurs, and engine is running rough, the engine becomes warmer. The driver can then turn off the car, and restart it and the engine will run fine.

The correct repair will be to remove both valve covers and both timing covers. You can leave bank 2 timing cover on to do the repair, but since the timing covers are known to start leaking at 80-90k miles anyway, you might as well remove it now and replace them.

Once the valve covers are off, you will be able to use a mirror to check which classification levers you will need to order. There will be 2 different sets of 8 levers or just 1 set of 16 levers to order. Both cylinder heads may use the same class, or one may be different.

BMW's repair procedure when this first occured on 2002 E65/66 745i's was to replace the levers only. During trial and error, it is now advisable to replace the eccentric shafts during this time with the levers. I have attached a parts list, and tool list.