Need some advice, keep it or part it out
 

Hi guys, I am new and very new to owning a BMW X5. I just bought a 2001 x5 with a little over 157000 miles on it. It is in pretty excellent condition estheticly and everything works.

Here is where things get sad. I had the SUVs 2 days and I was getting off the freeway and felt sputtering. I looked down and saw I was overheating (hose blew lost all coolant, no warnings). Long story short, I tried to get it to my mechanic who was right down the street..... You know the rest.... Blow head gasket possible cracked block.

So the question. Do I replace the engine or part the car out and cut my losses. :( I really liked this suv and it hurts to have thrown my money away :bawling:

Any advice would be welcome. Thanks guys... :(

Sorry to hear about your car. ItReally depends if it makes financial sense for you or not. I'm assuming it's a 3.0i. If so, you can pickup a used M54 for under a grand, but the labor $$ is going to suck. I'd ask your mechanic how much the engine job would be if you sourced a used engine, if he would let you do that. You should also do some shopping around to see if you can find an indy who might be cheeper.

They are quoting me $2500-3000 for everything. But because I just bought it, it stings a lot. It is a 3.0i. Is it worth it to keep it? I paid $2800 for her... Ugh this makes me so sad.

Thank you for helping me. Is there anything else I should look out for? My mechanic wants to do a head gasket replacement, but I called a bmw specialist today and he recommended replacing the whole engine to avoid problems down the road.

Sorry to hear that.

I suggest first getting a good idea of the damage. From there you can determine your options, price them out, and see which makes the most sense for you.

Besides the cost of getting her running, it looks like you need to add the cost of a cooling system overhaul. One hose fails, the rest of the system is not far behind on these motors.

I'm sorry. It must be very disappointing. The lesson here is that a $2800 X5 is not street worthy. They should be considered project cars in need of thousands of dollars in deferred maintenance. This repair will be the first of many. Don't kid yourself to think it will be the only repair.

Frankly, you can probably get $1500-$1700 from the people who buy non-running cars to part out (peddle.com, cashforcars, brokenvehicles.com). If you are not the DIY type, I suggest you unload it.

Spend a few more dollars and get a lower mileage engine to place in the X5. Those 6 cylinder engines are plentiful.

The price wasn't to far off from the blue book price for private sellers and I had it checked (mechanic test drove and checked codes). The seller was asking more. Should I just stay away from the bmw?

You are so right. I intended to have an overhaul of the cooling system if I keep it. I don't know why I am having so much trouble determining what makes sense :( my fear is that if I junk this one and buy another I could have a similar or worse problem.

I see you have "part out" as a possible option.

If you are not a DIYer, don't have garage space and/or a carport (in an area that allows for non-operational/torn down vehicles on private property), part out would not be an option.

Also, be aware that just selling a few "easy take offs" will sometimes increase removal costs significantly (sell the wheels for a few hundred, pay it AND MORE for vehicle removal).

Tools and assembly knowledge are both musts too.

Part outs are not for the meek!

That's a lot to be thinking about at this point, I'd have trouble thinking clearly too.

Start with your car, you may not have to junk it. You eliminate a lot of distractions right off if so. It could be a totally destroyed engine, or it could be a head gasket job, or anywhere in between.

Once you know for sure what's broken, let us know. There are lots of knowledgeable people here who will share their experience to help you decide on the best course of action, but only if they know the whole scenario. The less info we have, the more we tend towards the worst case option. :D

Lol you know the worst of it. I can't decide if it is worth another $3000. My brother says that all cars need maintenance and I am just paying mine upfront lol. The x5 is in excellent condition for a 15 year old car. I just don't want more headaches after the engine replacement.

Wrong choice of words. I meant to sell it whole for parts. I want to keep it but I felt like I got an amazing deal when I bought it but now I feel like I am losing money. I could have bought an 04 of 05 for $6000.

Did you get service history of vehicle? Owner history/geographic registration locations? Rusty underside from winter use?

No history and heavily rusted underside, sell!

Selling it "as is/not running" is not part-out, someone with a good engine might be in the market for a non-runner.

If you can not DIY or have someone that will DIY for you for free or a "few bucks" a used e53 or any BMW is not for you. Sorry to say. The m54 x5 has the lowest maintenance costs compared to the m62 or n62 v8 models, but it still is not cheap.

You have cv boots or axles to deal with since it is awd. Cooling systems need to be replaced before failure as a best practice, ccv's on both engines are not quick work. And so on.

Do you have someone that can do work for you cheap/free? The labor charges are what make owning an older BMW a risky venture for those that can not/will not DIY.

Completely agreed. You'll need to keep up with your maintenance on these things (fix whatever that's about to break - almost have to be in tune with the car or psychic :bustingup). Otherwise, it will snowball and things will get expensive real fast as you've seen first hand.

Car fax was clean. No rusty underside.

Isn't this true of all cars or just bmw's? I own a 99 Mercedes and it does not give me a lot of trouble. I was always told German cars had longer lives...it that not true for bmw?

Well, I enjoy these cars, but they are rolling headaches lol!

Your brother is right, all cars need maintenance and these BMW's are not the cheapest or easiest to do that on.

Only you can decide if the enjoyment and use you get out of your X will be worth the maintenance costs.

Do you guy's have other cars that are as much work? Or is it just the x5.

I own a few bmw's right now and have owned various models (several purchased new) over the past 19 years. The cooling systems and gaskets are the weakest points in general. The cv boots are weak on all of the e53 and e46xi models. I could go on but I think you get the idea.

Yet you continue to buy them, something is redeeming in them. So in your opinion should I keep it or no. I am not afraid of maintenance, but I am deathly afraid of a money pit. I can't figure out which way to go that has the least amount of bleeding.

True to some degree. It's difficult to describe without getting technical. One example is the expansion tank design on the X5 and most BMWs, which is pressurized - so it can achieve a higher maximum operating temperature. BUT the expansion tank is made of a composite materials, which is prone to leak or burst with age. It's also part of the radiator, so when it burst, all the coolant may be lost. On a lot of Japanese cars, this isn't the case - the expansion tank is simply an overflow (not pressurized) and therefore doesn't have this additional point of failure. So, whenever I start to see a weep (or smell coolant) from the expansion tank on the X5, I need to change it out ASAP. But on something like a Honda, I can live with a slight leak on its expansion tank for quite sometimes before needing to replace it. This is just one example.

The MCoupe is more of a fuss than the X5:
1. It needs a valve adjustment every 25K-30K miles.
2. Vanos hub tab(s) that can break - catastrophic if not caught.
3. Vanos hub bolts that can sheared off - catastrophic if not caught.
4. Rod Bearings may wear prematurely - need to do an oil analysis every oil change to monitor this - catastrophic if not caught.
5. Diff that makes noise if not using the BMW unicorn juice
etc...etc...

It's a matter of what you tolerate for the enjoyment of driving it.

This is a tough question. I've owned my X5 for its entire life (over 12 years and 114K+ miles). I won't even try to predict if and when it will become a money pit. It's paid off. So, I'm happy if maintenance runs less than $1.5K or so a year (on average), which is a lot less than a new car payment! I'm doing a lot of the fairly easy stuffs myself and know someone who can do the tougher things so I can keep the cost down.

Oh my, that was it...it was my expansion tank. (I could not remember what my mechanic said...to in shock from the ordeal)

So if I understand what you are saying, the bmw is not a money pit by nature and I could get many years of enjoyment after my new engine lol.

I'm still enjoying mine after 12yrs+ and hoping for many more to come ;)

It seems to need more TLC than other cars :confused:

Around here a sub 3k X5 is salvage territory. Assuming the worst and you pay 3k to have a good used engine put it you'd still be under the average cost for a good condition E53 around here.

I wouldn't expect any car for just a couple a grand to be anywhere near reliable. At that price the previous owner is just giving shit away really, meaning it's probably falling apart.

You can easily find a running m54b30 locally for under a grand as BMW used them in pretty much everything. Swap the oil pan over and you should be good to go.

I continue to buy them because I like "E" BMW's. They are true drivers cars (unlike the watered down F's). I am willing to learn to work on my cars as a hobby and also have a good connection for a 65.00 an hour master tech that can bail me out if need be. If you are going to be PAYING for maintenance you more than likely will end up with a money pit with any BMW. If you DIY it is not bad in most cases.

The cooling system in one thing you want to stay ahead of since that high pressure system will force out most of your coolant in under a minute if you burst a hose or an expansion tank.

After living in PA, MI, OH, OK and TX as a car owner, I'll take mechanical repair requirements any day over rust repairs. Having said that, if the vehicle has a sound body, clean interior and good paint, I'd put an engine in it.

Here's how I've kept an '02 model going for more than 300,000 miles:

On a regular basis:

> Rotate tires, inspect pads & Rotors, CV boots, general lookover every 5000 miles
> Oil / Filter change every 8000 miles
> Brake fluid flush every 30,000 miles
> Replace belts and clean CCV every 100,000 miles
> Replace differential and transfer case fluid every 100,000 miles
> Replace sparkplugs every 120,000 miles
> Replace expansion tank, coolant and hoses every 150,000 miles
> Replace bake pads every 163,000 miles (Akebono ceramics)
> Replace rotors??? (241,000 miles on current Brembos)

My unplanned repairs have included:

> Front axles at 60,000 miles (Prior owner didn't maintain CV boots)
> FSR at 78,000 miles
> Two sparkplug coils at 124,000 miles
> Alternator at 126,000 miles
> Front driveshaft at 136,000 (used a salvage transfer case for cost savings)
> FSR (again) at 159,000 miles
> Thermostat at 176,000 miles
> Rear differential seal at 200,000 miles
> Secondary air pump at 224,000 miles
> Rear suspension bushings and upper control arms at 242,000 miles
> Thermostat (again) at 245,000 miles - at least it was warranty this time
> Steering column double U-Joint shaft at 245,000 miles
> Valve cover gasket at 245,000 miles
> Both fuel tank sending units, fuel pump and canister at 245,000 miles
> Aux fan when the harness got chewed up in the mechanical fan and shorted out at 259,000 miles
> Pre-cat O2 sensors at 260,400 miles
> Water pump at 262,800 miles
> DISA Valve and MAF at 263,800 miles
> Thermostat (again) at 299,00 miles (don’t know what’s going on with these)

The "Expected" replacements have been:

> All four window regulators
> Driver door handle carrier
> Front axle outer CV boots (each side one time)
> Front tension struts

All in all, except for the front driveshaft job that cost $4200, I have really been happy with the vehicle. It doesn't get babied, but I do monitor and maintain it. I think a lot of my good fortune is due to four things: I live in Texas with short winters so I don't have a lot of the CCV condensation problems, my daily commute is 60 miles so the engine oil always reaches full operating temperature, I run the "M" series viscosity engine oil from May through September when I my driving includes 3000 miles of towing a 1400 pound Waverunner and trailer, and I stick with Shell gasoline.

Additionally, I don't change the transmission fluid! I'm a firm believer in leaving it alone and simply installing a full re-manufactured transmission if it ever becomes necessary.

With that, I'm off towards 500,000 miles!

2002 X5 3.0 304,150 miles
2014 428i 19,000 miles

2004 325i sold at 123,600 miles
2001 325i sold at 66,000 miles

1970 Firebird - Under restoration

I'm with srmmmm on "I'll take mechanical repair requirements any day over rust repairs". Having seen a few Audis, a Trans Am, a CRX and a Jeep "rust away" in NY/NJ.

The $4500 I've put into my X to get from 100k miles to 200k miles (all repair parts/mods/tires/brakes), would have cost around 5X that amount for a non-DIYer.

My X has not rolled into a service/repair shop in the 6 yrs of ownership. Even wheel alignments are done in my garage (Bosch construction lasers and basic trig).

Hey OP sorry to hear about your X5. I can only imagine the headache you have to deal with right now. Regarding BMW's being money pit, I think Srmmmm and others have said it. How well the car was maintained in the past makes a huge difference. So if you look at Srmmm example of $4200 over the life of the car vs Tiag's $4500 over the 100k miles vs mine which is about $6500 over 100k miles. Now i try to do most of my maintenance but I've been caught off guard where the x5 broke down (Powersteering pump ($800) and Alternator and other stuff ($900). But this also includes Tires, rotors, pads, CCV, Electric fan, cooling system overhaul, axles to name a few. Rookie mistake i made was buying the car without any maintenance record, it was 1 owner and had 95k miles on it. So as someone said it earlier, i typical put aside $1-1.5k/ year. There has been years i spent it and other times i didn't have to do anything more than an oil change.

A $3k E53 is going to cost half that a year to maintain on average. I spent probably more than that per year on average to get 120k miles out of a car I got with 65k. And that one had few options and a manual transmission--but was a Gen1.

Like others said, some years I just changed oil, but other years I had to rewire the engine, replace the accelerator and R&R all the half shafts.

Statistically speaking, you are better off spending the least amount of money to get the lowest mile E53 you can find. If that means putting 3k into an engine swap on a 120k mile chassis...then there it is. But remember, at 120k, your suspension is probably all approaching end of life if it has not been changed, and nearly every piece of the suspension outside the K member is a wear part.

As others also mentioned, the cooling system is garbage, and I keep spares of all the hoses and a spare expansion tank on hand constantly. The motor itself is awesome...BMW has been making inline 6 for literally 100 years.

But they cut costs in other places, relying on people getting a new car every 2-3 years as their prime buyer base. A part life of 65k is fine if you only own the thing for 3 years from zero miles and trade it in for a new model before warranty runs out.

As for German cars generally, they are over-engineered to emphasize performance/ride quality at the cost of part life and simplicity of repair/parts.

My E53 is not a daily driver anymore and is just a hobby. Otherwise, it would have been a money pit years ago.

BMW is the number 1 car that cost the most to own.

The Car Brands With the Highest Maintenance Costs Over Time!!! - MCarsMagazine

Yeah, but how they drive when sorted out? Worth every dollar! :D

And after 200k miles/13yrs looking this clean underneath, I'm looking forward to the next 100k at a MINIMUM!

^^^ WOW

Maybe the M series cars or the Z cars but hardly X series cars. I enjoy the acceleration and handling of my Lotus, Porsche or G35 to that of the X.

The E53 is no Lotus, but handles better then almost all other SUVs, with exception of the Porsche.

The sport pkg V8 E53 feels like your driving an E39 with higher seats.

I've tracked the sig pic ZR-1 & Viper several times at Sebring. The E53 can't run with them on track, but does a respectable lap. I took an M6 owner from Europe as a passenger during the last track session, he was amazed at the E53s track performance.