Swap or Rebuild!!!

[fmazam]

Hey Guys,

Although I had been a member on here for a decent amount of time & must admit I'm a silent browser hence not many or any contributions will be seen as in my 4 years and 100K miles of owning a 4.4l M62 upgraded to look like a 4.6ls, I never had any issues with the car that any of us had never had... and solved.. Infact, someone had done a thread recently about the E53s most common problems & crankcase ventilation was the only thing I never had issues with. I stil have my X5 even though almost everyone wonders why I put up with it. I'm sure I dont need to explain that here. So sadly enough, its sitting outsde my apt in Grand Prairie, TX looking all nice outside but almost dead inside. Following is my story. Suggestions on what to do, how to get past this one & where to seek help in or around my area would be highly appreciated as getting rid of it is NOT an option.

I have a 2002 BMW X5 4.4l with almost 200K on the odo which was running fine til it came out of the shop after a valve cover gasket n vanos seals replaced. One day after pushing the car past 120mph (frequented on my car), very prominent tapping noise was heard n calmly driven home. Oil sludge showed all around the motor under engine bay. Oil level dangerously low. Refilling it muffled the noise but didnt erase it. Next time I drove was on my way to the shop who changed the gaskets but STOP ENGINE OIL PRESSURE warning came up in the middle of the highway. Stopped, let it cool & then started. Light was gone, tried driving back home. Noticed the light on again w warning when lost power on a climb abt a mile b4 reached home. The last mile was tortorous & almost n0t making it. The car seemed to run better once its on a higher gear. The shifting was extremely rough. I finally glided to a stop as hydraulic brakes seemed inactive. I dont know what to do or where to take it or what to replace. Rebuilt kit seems the way as my car had never had any engine issues & wud alwax drive like a much newer engine than it had on ita odo, no significant leaks, no tapping, no excessive oil consumption before this. Plz advise in the right direction as I'm absolutely clueless & I know there r more ppl trying to con in the name of help than who actually help & I truly dont have a loaded pocket.

[fmazam]

PS: Plz xcuse the crazy volume of typos...

[epdarks]

It sounds like your oil pump went south. Generally driving just about any car with no oil will lead to complete engine failure. I would drain the oil and see how many qts come out, confirm you don't have a leak. If you're burning oil you can check your plugs or exhaust system. Do a compression test to see if you have indeed fried anything. Also, check coolant for oil mixed in.

Good luck.

[ake53]

That's what happens when you push a car to its limits.
May I ask why you were going 120?
I'm 19, and never took my X past 80.
I was told to wear my seat belt by members on this forum, and you know they're right. I keep my seat up, proper driving position and buckled up. Feels like i'm an F1 driver sometimes.

I would say engine swap. Find a low mileage motor from a scrap yard off a wrecked X5 for upto 1,500 and than pay someone another 1,000-1,500 to swap the motor.

[frozenwaffles]

120 is fine!!! The X5s love speed! They are German at heart

[upallnight]

Better to buy a used or re-manufactured engine with a WARRANTY then to go and rebuild the existing engine. With the lack of oil pressure, you could have scored the crank, which would require machine work and oversize bearings.

[tmv]

I agree to swap a low mileage engine instead of rebuilding the old one. There might be too much damage. Budget around $5K.

[fmazam]

Thanks a lot for a ur input guys.

@epdarks: I came across the bit that the oil pump does fail in dis car after I made too much damage, I think. The ppl who fixed it was the last ppl i wanted to go back to as I felt they wud have given me some kinda warning if they noticed whn changing gaskets. I had alwaz done any kinda work they ever suggested I do and it was harsh on the pocket every time. When u asked me to check amt of oil & oil in plugs, r they gonna help in salvaging this motor in any way or just getting to the reason it happened. How do I check for oil leaks or burnt in exhaust? Also, check oil & coolant mixed or not?? I doubt the shop who worked on it wud help in any way.

@alex77ae: I don't know abt u but i personally alwaz felt that if the X wasent pushed around that speed at times, it felt offended. My worst one was when I got pulled over doing 140 on a stretch of highway where I never saw cops b4 that day. I exited as soon as I saw the lights but b4 I cud get to the next available open spot to pull in, there was cops coming in head on to cage me in. Was sh** scared thinking I was going to jail but he let me off with a ticket of 120 on a 60 coz that's wat he had clocked. I was glad, felt lucky that he let me go bt never went bck to court in fear... Jst paid it off online. Having said a dat, the X never even twitched or groaned whenever it was pushed like dat ever in my 120k of ownership & I must say I had never felt more comfortable or in control pulling any car i ever owned to anywhere near such speeds b4. Btw, I am 30 and this wasent in any way suggestion to go faster than u do normally.. Although ashamed of the nmbr of tickets I have, i jst can't keep it off the gas. Lol!!

@ frozenwafes: thank u for the support & I totally agree. It just loves.. Loved speed.

@upallnight & tmv: thank u. I am very unfamiliar with the process of rebuilding an engine bt I was only suggesting it as it seems many feels a stronger engine is born & I was hoping the engine cud be rebuilt w/o being taken out hence saving sme labor time. But dats prolly not possible, rgt or wrong? The bearings seems totally surfaced as oil cap is full of glittery metal flakes. Why do U think the brake hydraulics quit on me? The cheapest engine w warranty I cud find was $2600 shipped frm da same car w 94K.

I understand there r various factors to look for when shopping for an engine in terms of compatibility to ensure no problems in a smooth swap n car running again. I know I have a M62. Bt can I get any m62 engine & not worry abt facing prblm in a smooth swap?

Placed a generic obd to check codes n it gave bunch of errors including knock sensor & bth camshafts.

Any suggestions to a honest n reliable shop in DFW area wud be highly appreciated and also thngs to look out for when deciding on the engine

[upallnight]

Four years and only 7 posts? Doing 120 with the X on a public road? This is what I call Karma, ain't it a bitch.