Hit another milestone today....

[X5SND]

Well, after ~7 years of ownership and 113k miles on the clock the X appears to have its first oil leak ever! Had it up on the hoist the other day while changing the outer CV boot (again), and noticed there was a bit of oil on the bell housing. Sure enough, upon further inspection, my valve cover gasket is toast.

You see plenty of threads regarding the problems with these trucks, and IMO, not enough about how rewarding they can be if properly maintained. I should point out here that I live in a climate where it goes from -30*C in the winter to +30*C in the summer...and I don't cheat by parking it on rainy days-- the X is my daily driver! So, trust me when I say.....I KNOW cold starts!

It's obviously been a long road with my X as I got it when I was 19, and over the years have definitely been through trials and tribulations with it. I'll be the first to admit that I'm extremely fortunate for not only having the means, tools and know-how (**insert shout-out to X5World/Xoutpost and everyone who has helped along the way**) but a close family friend also owns a local transmission shop, and his son has also been a huge part of my X journey as well....providing me access to facilities that would normally require a trip to the $tealer. Alongside my lengthy list of mods, I also have every dealer invoice (for warranty work/parts) and off warranty parts invoices.....and trust me when I say it's no short stack O'paper (it's in a binder to be exact ). That being said however, despite it's increasing age.....it's just as much a pleasure to drive and I still enjoy it as much as the day I brought it home----actually that's a lie; I enjoy it wayyyyy more!!!

I know, these trucks aren't exactly cheap to maintain....and luckily don't have to deal with some of the big problems of the V8's (intermediate levers, timing chain guides or blowing up transmissions, etc)....but if you invest both the time and money (regardless of which model you own/ are after), you'll hopefully be rewarded like I have with an X that has not only been consistently reliable, but just as much fun over the years.

If you're still reading this, at this point you're probably expecting me to say something like "the time has come to part ways with it" as there have been a number of members jumping ship as of late-----not a chance! I'll admit that I'm currently on the lookout for a 06-08 M6...you know, something with a tad more power----but my X5 will more than likely always remain part of the stable!

If I dare to offer any advice to any of the newcomers it's this: Take the time to SEARCH! Read the articles and info on this site as much as possible. XOUTPOST truly is a WEALTH of information!

Anyways, for those who are new to an X, or looking to get one....hopefully this thread can provide a bit of perspective. Yes, E53's require a fair bit of up-keep and regular maintenance....but as a 'long time' owner, in my opinion has been worth every penny!!

[motordavid]

Good post, cool car & Titz wheels...good luck with fix, and glad you are keeping it for a while longer.
BR, mD