What to look for / service around 75k miles

[4.8isX5]

One more thing whats your thoughts on this, my cap says ATF for P/S fluid, you think i would be fine using this as i have about 3-4 new quarts sitting in garage,

Valvoline.com > Products > MaxLife > Power Steering Fluid with Stop Leak MaxLife > MaxLife® Power Steering Fluid w/ Stop Leak

If not i'll just use the same brand ATF i have, by any chance know capacity on it?

Is the turkey baster method and lock to lock procedure go for the X as well?

[JCL]

BMW used Pentosin CHF11s and ATF. They are not compatible. The caps are marked. As long as it says ATF, you can use any ATF. The differences in ATFs (Dexron, Mercon, etc) are for the clutches in the automatic, and none of that matters in a PS system. Use any clean fresh ATF. I would use a Dexron just because it is easy to find.

You can use the turkey baster to change the reservoir fluid, but I am not a fan of that. You don't get the old fluid out of the steering gear at the bottom, and that is where all the crap collects. I would take off a return line. It is messier. If you want to use the turkey baster method, do it sufficient times to get the fluid mostly changed, with lock to lock cycling to move the old fluid along.

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by 4.8isX5

One more thing whats your thoughts on this, my cap says ATF for P/S fluid, you think i would be fine using this as i have about 3-4 new quarts sitting in garage,

Valvoline.com > Products > MaxLife > Power Steering Fluid with Stop Leak MaxLife > MaxLife® Power Steering Fluid w/ Stop Leak

If not i'll just use the same brand ATF i have, by any chance know capacity on it?

Is the turkey baster method and lock to lock procedure go for the X as well?

Looks like everyone came in here already to give the input I would give, you need a quart of Xdrive transfer case fluid, and use the fluid type on your cap. I did the turkey baster, fluid exchanging method a few times on my X and even if the fluid is not all totally new its probably 85% new which is fine by me. I used Mobil 1 ATF since my cap says ATF, if yours does too and you already have synthetic ATF, just use that.

Although, I don't recommend using anything with stop leak in it if you aren't exhibiting leaking symptoms because the additives cause seals to swell and could cause potentially other problems down the line. A quart of Mobil 1 ATF is like 8 bucks and that should be plenty to exchange the fluid in the reservoir 4-5 times.


You already did plugs, cabin filter, etc, JCL made a good point to flush brake fluid.

If you are doing coolant flush buy BMW coolant (1 gal) and mix 1 gal of distilled water. That will give you 2 gallons of coolant, should be enough to flush the system.


If you aren't exhibiting wear/symptoms of worn suspension components that is good, but be sure to check the thrust arms up front and visually get under the car and check for wear on ball joints etc, you said you were going for an alignment and it would suck to pay $150 for an alignment then 2 months later find out you have a shot control arm and have to replace and redo them.


Other than that, checking belts for wear and tensioners for noise is a good thing, I'd say fuel filter but your mileage is low, probably could wait till 100k, and you probably always run good gas in it. A can of Techron in the tank would probably do you well.



You take good care of your iS and it shows, other than all the above just drive her and enjoy her!

[4.8isX5]

Thanks Ricky, don't know about other places but where im going to go ( take other cars there ), they use hunter machine and $150 gets me 5 year "warranty" type thing, so i can go back at anytime and they will redo it /adjust stuff etc. For like $100 is just the one valid for like 6months or something, well worth $150 lol.

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by 4.8isX5

Thanks Ricky, don't know about other places but where im going to go ( take other cars there ), they use hunter machine and $150 gets me 5 year "warranty" type thing, so i can go back at anytime and they will redo it /adjust stuff etc. For like $100 is just the one valid for like 6months or something, well worth $150 lol.

if you can go to a place that does Hunter Hawkeye alignments for $150 and you can get free "redo's" for 5 years that's an effing STEAL! I paid $120 for my alignment on the hawkeye 5 months ago

[4.8isX5]

Just looked, i guess it changed a little over the past years, its $194 now for 3 years and includes:

Alignments every 6 months or whenever you need one
Tire rotation every 6 months or 6,000 miles
Tire inspection and tire pressure check any time
Maintenance inspection with your alignment
One-time transfer to another car, if needed


(not that i care for anything else other than alignment but some people might, i want my car touched as least as possible by shops)

$234 now is 5 year one.

And yes they use the hawkeye machine.


Look up NTB - national tire and battery, maybe theres some around you.

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by 4.8isX5

Just looked, i guess it changed a little over the past years, its $194 now for 3 years and includes:

Alignments every 6 months or whenever you need one
Tire rotation every 6 months or 6,000 miles
Tire inspection and tire pressure check any time
Maintenance inspection with your alignment
One-time transfer to another car, if needed


(not that i care for anything else other than alignment but some people might, i want my car touched as least as possible by shops)

$234 now is 5 year one.

And yes they use the hawkeye machine.


Look up NTB - national tire and battery, maybe theres some around you.

Thanks man I for sure will check it out. Even if you use it solely for alignments and nothing else, if you get 2 alignments done in 5 years it's still cheaper than most shops! Hell I would get an alignment every 18 months to make it worth my while (bout 85 bucks per alignment, on a Hawkeye? so awesome)

[kevinkay]

Dealer suggests NOT to change lifetime transmission fluid, that it causes more harm than good?? I haven't done mine at 140k

[4.8isX5]

Please dont listen to that junk,

The rules of car maintenance have been pretty set in from that past, and its been tried and tested what works well.

Prime example- 15k oil change intervals? Anything over 6-7k max with full syn is due. Its been said thats one of the reasons the 4.8 engine developes smoke issue.


I wouldnt let a 1990 honda civic go past 5-6k on synthetic oil cause you have to remember ours have a large capacity 8+ qt vs other cars 4-5, let alone running a 75k bimmer on old oil, if you can afford it you can afford to change oil quicker too.

Same goes for trans fluid, fill your bathtub with water and soap, bathe in it for 2 months, kind of the same concept with transmission fluid in a way, dont believe the lifetime fluid stuff.

Sorry for the rant but it tweaks me a little cause those kind of phrases and intervals makes cars alot more worn if you buy used in future cause of mal maintainence.

[kevinkay]

Superstition sets in, you do it, something goes wrong.....ahhhh I should have left it alone.

To the original post - change your gas filter