Questions you thought were too dumb to ask E53 edition

[THE VEIN]

i've been seeing more and more posts around here telling people to search when they ask questions. well, in response to that, i'm starting a type of thread that existed in every section of audizine back when i had my Audi

This whole thread is dedicated to questions about your E53 X5 you simply thought were too dumb to ask. so here is the place to feel free to ask anything you want about your car. there is no question too dumb. I know not all questions are deserving of starting a new thread so if you read on here and see a question you know the answer to, go ahead and answer it, even if that means posting a link to another thread. sometimes searching just doesn't pull up information that really offers good answers, and straight up asking someone else ends up being better in the long run. may it be a wealth of information for us all.

I'll go first... If I'm topping off my coolant, do I need to bleed the system every time or just fill up and go?

[luvmy03E53]

In my experience, if you need to top up the coolant, you'd be best to bleed it. It only takes a few more minutes, requires only a screwdriver, and it'll give you piece of mind that the system is filled correctly. Just my $0.02 worth...



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[THE VEIN]

Originally Posted by luvmy03E53

In my experience, if you need to top up the coolant, you'd be best to bleed it. It only takes a few more minutes, requires only a screwdriver, and it'll give you piece of mind that the system is filled correctly. Just my $0.02 worth...



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I have a small leak so about every week or 2 I check the level but when I loosen the bleeder screw the level rises to full and doesn't allow me to add any

[pezho405]

Originally Posted by luvmy03E53

In my experience, if you need to top up the coolant, you'd be best to bleed it. It only takes a few more minutes, requires only a screwdriver, and it'll give you piece of mind that the system is filled correctly. Just my $0.02 worth...



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Those plastic bleeder screws are known to break easily fiy. Upgrade to a brass one

[Junkycosmos]

Good thread!
Here is my Q for the day: what is this hose about ? Looks like a vacuum line made of ridged plastic. Comes up in a loop and just ends (open) between the motor and the fan.

Anyone know what this is ?

Thx
J

2005 4.8is 88k miles

[X5SND]

^^iirc that's the front diff vent tube.

[upallnight]

This is one that always pop up during the start of winter, The center vents doesn't seems to be working, there is no warm/hot air coming from it.

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...9-heating.html

[ExpensiveTaste]

Originally Posted by upallnight

This is one that always pop up during the start of winter, The center vents doesn't seems to be working, there is no warm/hot air coming from it.

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...9-heating.html

Here's one for you that I think is a stupid question but I'm puzzled why both of the family BMW's have this....why, if you have automatic climate control, do you need that hot to cold vent setting? Why did BMW feel the need to have two different areas of controlling the temperature?...during the spring and fall, I find it annoying to have to change both the front and back settings depending on what time of day it is.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by ExpensiveTaste

Here's one for you that I think is a stupid question but I'm puzzled why both of the family BMW's have this....why, if you have automatic climate control, do you need that hot to cold vent setting? Why did BMW feel the need to have two different areas of controlling the temperature?...during the spring and fall, I find it annoying to have to change both the front and back settings depending on what time of day it is.

If you find adjusting the stratified air temp dials...then just leave the dial in the center half way between the red & blue zones (aka the neutral zone).

BMW has had a stratified air dial on the front center vent for decades. The rear vent used to just be fresh air or "conditioned" air...but then in the mid 90s, BMW started giving rear passengers the same option to warm or cool the air coming from the air vent at the rear of the center console.

An example for the front stratified air dial is to give the driver the choice to send cooler air toward their face so they can stay alert on long journeys...while the passengers in the cabin can stay warm and toasty.

The same choice is given to the rear passengers now...if the sun is on their side of the car or at the rear of the car...their area of the car may be warmer or cooler than other areas of the car...the rear stratified air dial gives the rear passengers the choice to direct fresh, cooled, or warmed air toward them without having to ask the driver or the front passengers to adjust the temperature of the entire cabin to accommodate them...only due to the sun being or not being on their side of the car.

Again, if you don't want to adjust this temperature...move the dial to the center...the temperature of the air will be the same from every vent.

[THE VEIN]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

If you find adjusting the stratified air temp dials...then just leave the dial in the center half way between the red & blue zones (aka the neutral zone).

BMW has had a stratified air dial on the front center vent for decades. The rear vent used to just be fresh air or "conditioned" air...but then in the mid 90s, BMW started giving rear passengers the same option to warm or cool the air coming from the air vent at the rear of the center console.

An example for the front stratified air dial is to give the driver the choice to send cooler air toward their face so they can stay alert on long journeys...while the passengers in the cabin can stay warm and toasty.

The same choice is given to the rear passengers now...if the sun is on their side of the car or at the rear of the car...their area of the car may be warmer or cooler than other areas of the car...the rear stratified air dial gives the rear passengers the choice to direct fresh, cooled, or warmed air toward them without having to ask the driver or the front passengers to adjust the temperature of the entire cabin to accommodate them...only due to the sun being or not being on their side of the car.

Again, if you don't want to adjust this temperature...move the dial to the center...the temperature of the air will be the same from every vent.

My 1990 honda civic had this but it was only the left most vent that allowed cold air