Xoutpost.com - new to x5

Xoutpost.com (https://xoutpost.com/forums.php)

- X5 (E53) Forum (https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/x5-e53-forum/)

- - new to x5 (https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/x5-e53-forum/104173-new-x5.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by upallnight (Post 1082520)

These cars are no longer under warranty so when the owner feels the trans slipping but the car is still moving they think nothing of it because they know that if they took it in just to have a BMW mechanic look at it, it's going to cost them some big bucks.

The SES or MIL lights come on but they search the internet for forums like this and post their problem because they know that if they bring the car into a BMW mechanic it going to cost them some Big Bucks just to get the car scanned. The advive on this forum is FREE which is what they like.

They buy the cheapest parts on eBay or Amazon because they know if they buy the parts from a BMW dealer it's going to cost them some Big Bucks.

They like to drive around in a Big Buck car but don't want to spend the Big Bucks to fix or maintain it. Champagne taste on a beer budget.

End of Rant.

Ou, +1.I haven't heard of this before, i like it!:thumbup:
With that being said, what everyone is saying is spot on.
All in all, welcome and congrats on the new x5. Treat her well and enjoy!

Quote:

Originally Posted by upallnight (Post 1082545)

British

Yeah!...How did I forget the "pommies!":bustingup

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanE53 (Post 1082508)

hello,
I just recently got my hands on a 2005 X5 3.0i black sapphire with 117000k on it. so far I have only changed the oil (Castrol 5W30 full synthetic+mann filter) and I am going to replace the intake boot on the throttle body (part gets here tomorrow) which looks to be fun. the X5 seems to have a bad reputation for being unreliable and expensive but so far this is one of my favorite vehicles I've owned. is there any validity to the claims that the X5 is a mess or is this just chatter from people who don't know any more about cars than "right pedal=go and left pedal=stop" or am I missing something? I have owned lots of German cars VWs and Audis and I found them all super easy to work on and I didn't think the parts were all that much more. this M54 in my X5 is a beautiful engine you just have to take care of it. I'm glad to be a BMW owner and look forward to being part of this community.

My take on this ( I have 3 x5's right now) is that it will be hit or miss. A failing cooling system can mean your entire engine, door carriers are weak on this model, CV boots are about as bad as the e46 Xi models, if you live in an area where it gets very cold in the winter you will want to read up what could happen to the CCV if you do not get the oil hot enough after you start the car. Those are the big things, and there would be others if you bought a v8 model (n62 or m62).

Since you are DIY'er for most things I think you will be fine, if you were someone that planned on paying an indy or the dealer for every little thing you will pay dearly if things go south for you.

If you have never owned an m54 bmw before, between this site and e46fanatics, you will have access to pretty much everything you will ever need to know to take care of that engine and its cooling , fuel and vacuum systems.

Your geographic location will force more attention to your CCV system. Remember that it takes about 20 minutes of highway driving to really get all that oil up to operating temperature and able to burn off crankcase moisture. I would also make sure the cooling system is in good shape, including possible replacement of the expansion tank and hoses. Try to obtain the repair history on the vehicle and that will tell you a lot. Here is my maintenance and repair experience as of 305,400 miles - just make sure to recognize I'm in Texas where there is no road salt and mild winters.

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!

305k miles is impressive, thank you for the detailed information, I will be doing a CCV replacement next because of what seems to me to be excessive oil consumption. I some say it is normal to burn 1qt every 1000 to 1500 miles but that just seems high to me. also because of the fact I'm not sure when or if it has been replaced before. I just did the intake boot this weekend (dreaded cracked elbow whistling noise). I drive 37 miles to work one way 45mins or so 5 days a week so I'm sure the oil temp is reaching the proper levels and so far she seems to be rock solid running and shifting very nice. looking forward to keeping her on the road for a long time.:thumbup: