adventures with my 08 X5 3.0si

[mouncer]

Have been lurking here for a few months, mainly check when I have an issue with my X5. This is my first BMW, and I might add it is also my first luxury car. I purchased it in November of 2015. Flew from Rochester, NY to Long Island to pick it up from a Jeep dealership out that way. Had 63,000 miles when I got it. 5 hours into my trip from Long Island to Rochester, I hit a deer going about 75 on the highway, air bags did not deploy and it was only a shudder in the steering wheel when I hit the darn thing. Happened about 2AM, thankfully I was only about 25 miles away from home so was able to get a tow home and Insurance adjuster came next day. He did not total the car so off to the shop it went. They had it for 5 weeks, took a while for them to get genuine parts and to put it together. All body panels on the front end are brand new, and also everything in the engine compartment from the engine block forward. Total cost to Geico: $14,250!!

Anyway, fast forward a year, and my water pump died, so I am in the process of tacking that job now, the car is currently on jack stands in the driveway waiting for the new water pump, thermostat, and mounting bolts to arrive. I have removed everything in order to access the water pump following a thread that was posted here a few years ago from "it texan". so far everything has gone well, but it is not a task for the faint of heart. Anyway, I replaced the iDrive module a few months ago, that was easy, took 10 minutes but the part was not cheap! Other than that I love the vehicle, but some of the engineering aspects of it leave me scratching my head sometimes. Thankfully I am not afraid of getting dirty and have been a DIY car guy since I was a kid really, watching my Dad and brothers, then doing my own cars. Thus far I am finding the repair work on this vehicle to be the most challenging I have ever faced. And the cost of the parts, even off Ebay are ridiculous. But I do love it though. Definitely a love/hate relationship.