winter tires?

[Ricky Bobby]

Better get replacement Arnott air springs installed now, before your compressor burns out from being overworked. Other than that, all your problems seem fairly normal.

[Tonyfeb14]

I will take that as word to the wise. BTW, also replacing the transmission neutral/position sensor switch to try to eliminate the occassional trans program fault that comes and goes. Apparently, that switch is also a common problem.

My hope it that after the "weakest links" are eliminated, and all parts are now burned in pretty well, I will just focus on normal maintenance and enjoying the ride.. rather then spend more time under it.

Thanks.

[racingbmwm3]

Please list the number of items on your car that haven't failed and compare the two lists.

On your race car, did you leave parts on and only replace after they failed?

Waterpumps, alternators (brushes/regulators), hoses, shocks are all maintenance items, and getting more than 50k out of those parts is good. Not excellent, but good. The CV boots should definitely last longer though. All cars are only designed to last 10 years without any major problems (major engine failures like headgaskets or broken valves, transmission failure, etc). After that its a crap shoot.

All the electronic areas are to locate fuses and wiring terminal blocks as close to the components/modules as possible. Plus weight distribution and space allocation of the large amount of wiring and said electronics/modules was put into consideration. Be glad you don't have an E65 or any newer BMW/Merc/Lexus/etc, as they have even more now. I don't plan on owning any used vehicles of the newer vintages as I foresee lots of fun problems to deal with. Either stick with the older 2006- and continue to repair as necessary, or bite the bullet and only buy new/CPO cars with warranty and sell when the warranty is up.

[TiAgX5]

Originally Posted by Tonyfeb14

.......The germans never went to the moon, so complicated doesn't mean well engineered......

??? WHAT?

What nationality do you think all the SR NASA engineers were that made space flight/moon landing possible? Can you say GERMAN? Google Wernher von Braun.

The US got into space by naturalizing/buying German engineers that developed the V2 rockets! (post WWII)

We had a genius in Robert Goddard but the US was too stupid to fund him. W von Braun looked over Goddards papers and was AMAZED the US government was not supporting his work.

Don't kid yourself, if Germany didn't get all their ball bearing factories bombed, we would ALL be speaking German!

Saying German engineering had nothing to do with the US getting to the moon is like saying Penski, Follmer and Donohue won the '72 Can Am series without mentioning that the German designed Porsche 917 could lap the field in almost EVERY race of the season.

[Tonyfeb14]

Good point on von Braun, he and his team of German scientists were all relocated to Huntsville AL to work on the space program after WWI, so that was the beginning of the US Space program. Plus the jet planes found developed by the Germans and were discovered near the end of WWII by the Allies. All significant technological leaps by a brilliant group of German engineers ( I am also part German, so I a safe in my comments).

But the US was first on the moon (now the Russians and Chinese have also landed craft), we had Edison and Ford and may other brilliant engineers and technical wizards, so I do think the marketing of this German engineering is overblown a bit and we all buy into it. There is a bent towards complexity that can be the undoing, and the more complex, the more likely to fail. That was my point

[TiAgX5]

Originally Posted by Tonyfeb14

Good point on von Braun, he and his team of German scientists were all relocated to Huntsville AL to work on the space program after WWI, so that was the beginning of the US Space program. Plus the jet planes found developed by the Germans and were discovered near the end of WWII by the Allies. All significant technological leaps by a brilliant group of German engineers ( I am also part German, so I a safe in my comments).

But the US was first on the moon (now the Russians and Chinese have also landed craft), we had Edison and Ford and may other brilliant engineers and technical wizards, so I do think the marketing of this German engineering is overblown a bit and we all buy into it. There is a bent towards complexity that can be the undoing, and the more complex, the more likely to fail. That was my point

More complex sometimes equals more failure.

I have an '03 4.4 that has been trouble free (sans common wear items) for over 175k miles. When I DIY, I appriciate the complex designs, having seen numerous half-assed designs on American and Asian vehicles.

Not a fan of Edison, he was the Bill Gates of invention. Hired HUNDREDS of inventors to come work for him, catch was you signed a contract that he OWNS/PATENTS everything you develop/invent at his sprawling compound in Menlo Park, NJ.

[bcredliner]

I think it is unreasonable to expect a ten year old vehicle, regardless of the mileage and brand, will not be wearing out some of the more expensive parts.

More often than not the vehicles compared here to an X5 as being more reliable are not in any way similar. As an example, it makes no sense for me to say my X5 is not as reliable as my lawnmower even though it is a Honda, it dents much easier than my military tank that I take on the freeway as an equalizer for Texas trucks. It doesn't get as good mileage as my bicycle even though it is only a ten speed, or it costs more to fix than my wheelbarrow even though it's a high end beauty from Home Depot. I have never read a Motor Trend or Automobile magazine comparison of two vehicles that were not similar in size, weight, performance, price etc. Which means, I don't even think it reasonable to compare a 3.0 to a 4.4. Nor do I think comparing the reliability of 2002 4.4 to a 2005 4.4. is a good idea unless it is an advantage in a d%$k dance.

I can't remember how many times I have read something like I replaced a bad belt tensioner and while I was in there I replaced all the pulleys, the belts, the water pump the alternator, the hood and both of my pine air fresheners. I could be wrong about the fresheners. I have read so many posts where someone started replacing parts that were fine on the way to the real cause. I think that must feel similar to my premature ej#%$^lations when that is over. When we do that we are inflating the actual maintenance cost. Another thing we don't usually know about someone complaining is if they are a DIY or have to pay someone. What if they go to a dealer-- I would complain to customer service that they don't like me if my advisor didn't come out and tell me at least a grand of other stuff was in need of repair.

Based on my BMW experience they have all been very reliable and have not been costly to maintain. If that means anything to anyone I will tell you my secret. I drive them very hard all the time. Always exceed the speed limit. Take lots of curves fast enough to made the tires sing. On the X5, modify the engine and transmission until they scream in agony. Along with that do all normal maintenance at half or less of the recommended intervals. Keep it clean top to bottom at a great carwash on Preston, park inside and you won't have any reason to be negative about your BMW. Then again--perhaps it only happens in Texas.

Oh, and as far as winter or snow tires--I lived in Michigan many years, right on Lake Michigan, lots of lake effect snow. I never bought snow tires and I was certainly not unsafe at any speed-- I say thats' hogwash. My parents always went the snow tire route. They could go in deeper snow than I could but on ice or packed snow that is most often the case. I did not experience any benefit. I don't think it is appropriate to shame someone because they don't buy or can't afford snow tires unless they are also drunk and forgot their bifocals. If you're wondering I don't have a fire extinguisher in my X either, or safety flares, or blankets or a light you can crank to get it going or even a handy dandy first aid kit. I do have duct tape and paper towels and some mints.. I did stop driving my Corvair.

[TiAgX5]

[QUOTE=bcredliner;973733].......I can't remember how many times I have read something like I replaced a bad belt tensioner and while I was in there I replaced all the pulleys, the belts, the water pump the alternator, the hood and both of my pine air fresheners. I could be wrong about the fresheners. I have read so many posts where someone started replacing parts that were fine on the way to the real cause. I think that must feel similar to my premature ej#%$^lations when that is over. When we do that we are inflating the actual maintenance cost. Another thing we don't usually know about someone complaining is if they are a DIY or have to pay someone. What if they go to a dealer-- I would complain to customer service that they don't like me if my advisor didn't come out and tell me at least a grand of other stuff was in need of repair.....[QUOTE]

So true!

The MOST important step of vehicle repair is the first step, proper root cause identification. I've read hundreds of posts stating "these are my general issues.......what did you replace to fix that?". Numerous issues can cause the same symtoms, therefore, what one person replaced may well not fix another X with IDENTICAL issues.

A good example is fuel delivery issues. The fuel rail pressure test takes 10 mins and requires a $20 tool, yet many here continue threads wanting to know "what part needs changing", even after a post explaining the test will verify pumps, filter, regulator and related electricals. This will make for a "parts changer", NOT a DIYer. Repair costs and frustration skyrocket!

Even the indys and dealers have "part changer" techs.

[bcredliner]

[QUOTE=TiAgX5;973842][QUOTE=bcredliner;973733].......I can't remember how many times I have read something like I replaced a bad belt tensioner and while I was in there I replaced all the pulleys, the belts, the water pump the alternator, the hood and both of my pine air fresheners. I could be wrong about the fresheners. I have read so many posts where someone started replacing parts that were fine on the way to the real cause. I think that must feel similar to my premature ej#%$^lations when that is over. When we do that we are inflating the actual maintenance cost. Another thing we don't usually know about someone complaining is if they are a DIY or have to pay someone. What if they go to a dealer-- I would complain to customer service that they don't like me if my advisor didn't come out and tell me at least a grand of other stuff was in need of repair.....

So true!

The MOST important step of vehicle repair is the first step, proper root cause identification. I've read hundreds of posts stating "these are my general issues.......what did you replace to fix that?". Numerous issues can cause the same symtoms, therefore, what one person replaced may well not fix another X with IDENTICAL issues.

A good example is fuel delivery issues. The fuel rail pressure test takes 10 mins and requires a $20 tool, yet many here continue threads wanting to know "what part needs changing", even after a post explaining the test will verify pumps, filter, regulator and related electricals. This will make for a "parts changer", NOT a DIYer. Repair costs and frustration skyrocket!

Even the indys and dealers have "part changer" techs.

Yes, and even here, using your example, there are those that tell OP when several others are still asking about symptoms, or have suggested a pressure test that post---you have a bad fuel pump--replace it. To an OP that sounds like that person certainly knows what there are talking about or they wouldn't be so sure. Sometimes they are reciting what was wrong when they had those symptoms not knowing it could be something else. Or worse yet, their goal seems to be to take a shot in the dark to try to be the first one to get it right.

I recall losing a new forum member because of how much he spent on a wild goose chase prematurely replacing parts that were not the problem. Some of the posts became very rude when he started challenging when someone was still telling him to replace more parts. Paraphrasing the posts----you asked what is wrong because you are a dumb s$%t, I told you, you haven't done what I told you to do so f$#k off.

[racingbmwm3]

[QUOTE=bcredliner]
I do have duct tape and paper towels and some mints..
[QUOTE]

Sounds like a first aid/Macgyver tool kit to me.

Now, probably never needing snow tires in Texas so it doesn't matter, there is a big difference in the snow tires your parents used and the modern studless tires available now. If you ever have a chance to drive the same vehicle back to back on ice/packed snow with snow tires and with all seasons or summer tires. Then get back to us. I definitely agree that old school snow tires aren't any better than all seasons except for more aggressive/deep blocky tread.