List of repairs needed - this the tip of an iceberg?

[wagner.a.charles]

Please look over the attached quotes. I've had this X5 for about a year now and it's got...160k miles. I need some advice as to wether I should just cut my losses and sell it or should I repair this. The tech said that once he fixes my leaking oil problem, it's likely that I'll have problems down the road.

What do the awesome people of Xoutpost think?

Thanks in advance,
Charles

[Kristophe]

Really nothing out of the ordinary for a vehicle with 162K. All are very DIFable. Spark plugs/coils are 1-2-3 easy just be careful not to cross thread the new plugs since they're in the aluminum head fairly deep. I'm planning on replacing my oil filter housing gasket during the Christmas break; granted it will likey be an all day endeavor.

I say keep her.

[BMWX5CHI]

If you are capable of fixing those issues yourself I would keep it.

[TiAgX5]

The question can only be answered by you. Is the overall condition of the X good? If the X is rusted and the interior looks like a godzillas playpen then ditch it. If overall condition is acceptable fix it and drive it.

It comes down to the old saying, If you put a lot of repair money into a raggety ass car, you end up with a good running raggety ass car.

DIY it and save about 3/4 of the repair $s.

[e30cabrio]

What they said.

As an aside, I'd not make my info public if I were you.

What is the socket in invoice 2? Are they making you pay for a tool?

[Doru]

For window regulators & stuff:
The regulators go out, but I am surprised to see 2 (two) failed motors for the regulators. The motors usually don't go out. You need 2 regulators, and could DIY it. You will save a ton of $$.
The 2nd bill has the light bulb socket? usually this fault is related to bad bulbs which fail to make good contact with the socket. I would try a different bulb (OEM from dealer, or an equivalent stainless steel coated socket) and clean the inside of the socket with fine grit sandpaper.
The 3d bill for sparkplugs - that's a trivial job, and I am surprised to see 3 coils (one bank?) go out. If this is the case, then you should find the root of the problem first. This might be due to a leaking VCG with oil in the sparkplug well, which you be able to see only after you remove the sparkplugs. I am very skeptical on the bust coils.
The 4th bill is a more labor intensive project, but not hard to do. It's the oil filter housing gasket and the CCV. The parts should bring you to around 120-150 bux for that one (the better ones - OEM, which you should use). The rest is mark-up & labor. In S Carolina you might not need the winterized version, but if you plan on driving for skiing trips, it won't hurt to have the insulated CCV.

This whole project you have if you DIY should take you 4-500$ tops and 1 day of work at the most. There are other areas of concern while in there, and I would check them out to be on the safe side (PS hoses, pulleys & belts, clean ICV, check DISA, inspect ALL rubber hoses and rubber caps, check thoroughly the cooling system to name a few).

BTW, if the O2 sensors were not changed, I would look into that as well. A bust O2 sensor might give some strange readings and combined with fouled up sparkplugs (oiled) could make you believe you have 3 coils busted.

just sayin'

[Ricky Bobby]

Window regulators and clips are very easy to DIY, so are spark plugs and coils.

The only somewhat daunting task is the OFHG and CCV job, but even that is DIY able.

I'd do the rest myself and if you aren't mechanically inclined have the indy do the CCV and OFHG.


That's not a bad repair list at your mileage by any means.

[TiAgX5]

And only pre-cat O2 sensors. Gotta love the shops that do post-cat O2s when they are not throwing codes!

[tmv]

All the regular stuffs. Parts are relatively cheap. Labor is what really hurt there. Shop usually charge by the hour quoted in the book, not the actual hours on repair. Plus they might have some mark-up on the parts too.
If you want to bring it to Atlanta, I can help you out.

Originally Posted by e30cabrio

What is the socket in invoice 2? Are they making you pay for a tool?

I wonder the same thing and Google the part#. They are bulb sockets. Look like he has some issue with the taillights.

Originally Posted by Doru

The 2nd bill has the light bulb socket? usually this fault is related to bad bulbs which fail to make good contact with the socket. I would try a different bulb (OEM from dealer, or an equivalent stainless steel coated socket) and clean the inside of the socket with fine grit sandpaper.

Usually the problem is the contact between the bulb socket and the metal housing. This is a well-documented issue with all E53.

[ukrcan]

Originally Posted by TiAgX5

The question can only be answered by you. Is the overall condition of the X good? If the X is rusted and the interior looks like a godzillas playpen then ditch it. If overall condition is acceptable fix it and drive it.

It comes down to the old saying, If you put a lot of repair money into a raggety ass car, you end up with a good running raggety ass car.

DIY it and save about 3/4 of the repair $s.

+1