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  #1  
Old 01-10-2015, 02:11 PM
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Do I just have a bad X5d?

I purchased my '11 X5d as a CPO car with 42K on the clock.

When I got the car, it had a couple issues the dealer needed to fix off the bat. One was a scratch on a fender (not a mechanical issue) and the infamous cracked EGR cooler (known issue on 2011 and earlier X5ds).

Everything was fine for a while, then 1800 miles out of the full, factory warranty, the passenger-side headlight had a stepper motor failure. It was fixed as a Good-Faith repair but would have cost $2400 in parts alone if I had to foot the bill. BMW doesn't want their dealers replacing a $40 motor when they can charge 60 times more.

Well, forward to a couple months ago, and I started to smell toasted motor oil, a smell I'm quite familiar with having owned several air-cooled Volkswagens in the past. I suspected it was one of the turbos, but the dealer found the front diff to be leaking. Again, BMW opted to replaced the entire unit rather than the seals. A $40 repair on my 2010 Jeep Wrangler would have been $1800 in parts on the BMW as the seals are not replaceable...talk about a flawed design.

About 2 weeks before Christmas, the throttle valve actuator died. Another flawed design. The seal on the servo seeps allowing oil from PCV blow-by to fry the circuit board that controls it. Allegedly, that part was redesigned, but only time will tell.

So, 2 weeks ago, we're leaving my inlaws in the Sierras and the windshield squirters die. The pumps hum, but only a flacid spurt of windshield fluid hits the front and rear windscreens. And as of today, the toasted oil smell is back. And guess what? some nice, glistening oil can be seen on the low-pressure turbo through the gap between the heat shield and high-pressure turbo.

I'm dropping it off today expecting it to be fixed next week sometime. There's no reason a car that stickered for $63K should have these types of issues.

Is my X5d just a bad seed? Or par for the course? I absolutely love driving it and we're also on our 3rd MINI (also a BMW product) and have never had any issues on any of those cars...


Last edited by Wolfgang Gullich; 01-10-2015 at 02:46 PM.
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  #2  
Old 01-10-2015, 03:43 PM
ard ard is offline
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Any reason you are using a BMW dealer?

Pray that it is a turbo- you have a California warranty that should cover the turbo.


Oh, you DID use Winterized washer fluid, right?
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Old 01-10-2015, 04:59 PM
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The charge pipe connections always leak a tiny bit and the oil from the CCV is blown past them along with the compressed air making some unpleasant mess.I am pretty sure that is the problem.I didnt even hear for a blown turbos at such a low mileage.
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Old 01-10-2015, 10:40 PM
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@ard: Using the dealer since it's still under the CPO warranty...otherwise I'd take it to the great local private shop where I get my oil changed (he's a Bimmer specialist). As to the washer fluid, no need to use the low-temp stuff where I live. It doesn't go into the 30s very often and my garage never gets colder than 50.

@bawareca: I looked at the charge pipes as I originally suspected that, but the oil has been deposited right between the exhaust and charging side of the turbo visible next to the heat shield and is leading me to think an oil line fitting it loose
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Old 01-11-2015, 03:14 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfgang Gullich View Post
As to the washer fluid, no need to use the low-temp stuff where I live. It doesn't go into the 30s very often and my garage never gets colder than 50.
You said you visited the inlaws IN THE SIERRAS, so I just figured freezing the fluid might be an issue.

Was it freezing at the inlaws?

Its a classic issue here where people get their car serviced in Sacto, and head up the hill to ski and parts freeze solid....
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Old 01-12-2015, 01:01 PM
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Yeah, it went into the 20s, but the fluid didn't freeze. Was fine when we were driving back (I cleaned the windshield when we started off for home), then about halfway across the valley, the issue started.

X is at the dealer now...they tried telling me they couldn't look at it till Tuesday as my normal SA is on vacation till then. I was like, seriously? You can't start looking at it in the meantime? They didn't have a good answer for that one and said another SA would be covering for mine while he was out.
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Old 01-12-2015, 01:32 PM
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JCL JCL is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfgang Gullich View Post
Yeah, it went into the 20s, but the fluid didn't freeze. Was fine when we were driving back (I cleaned the windshield when we started off for home), then about halfway across the valley, the issue started.
So, you used summer windshield washer fluid, you went to the mountains where it was in the 20's, the pump stopped working, and you say that it is BMW's fault? Seriously?
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Old 01-12-2015, 07:02 PM
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Originally Posted by JCL View Post
So, you used summer windshield washer fluid, you went to the mountains where it was in the 20's, the pump stopped working, and you say that it is BMW's fault? Seriously?
The pump was working when it was cold out. It ceased to function on the way home where it was in the 50s. The pumps hum, but only squirt a little.

The point is, I've had early 80s VWs that didn't have gunk build up in the tank to clog the inlets and this 3 year old car did.

Far more pressing is the oil-leaking turbo...an issue that could sieze the turbo. Added to the fact this vehicle seems to be in the shop at the dealer at least once a month now for the past 4 months for a new problem. Do not focus on the windshield washer pumps...there are more serious things going on with this X
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Old 01-12-2015, 11:58 PM
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Don't worry OP you're not the only one, my 2008 E70 was a piece of trash. There was something wrong with it once a month whether it be a failed part or some leak in places that shouldn't leak. I spent thousands in parts alone fixing it. (My current e71 works beautifully though.)
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Old 01-13-2015, 05:44 PM
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I've read in places that a lot of the issues I've had to deal with in relation to the engine were fixed for the '12 model year. I love this X to death and can't really see myself driving anything but an X5d.
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