Did I just buy a clunker?
 

I pulled out the oil filter today.
I was going to install a new filter, run it for 1000 miles
and then do oil and filter.

I looked at the old filter. It was a Hengst filter and was looking a little wavy.
Oil looked decent enough to keep going.

What alarmed me was particles in between the pleats.
There is absolutely no grit, only a clumped blob.
I can rub it between my fingers and there is no substance to it.
I don't think its sludge because that is very waxy.
This stuff felt like flour.

Is this residue from wearing timing chain guides?
4.6 engine has just over 60K miles.

Allay your concern by dropping the lower pan. You KNOW it's going to need guides at some point. That point may just be sooner rather than later. I wouldn't be overly concerned just yet.

Could just me sludge from a long oil change interval. Did you get a great deal on it with service records?

This is not the case on the final production year of the M62 engines (this is an '03 4.6), BMW revised the chain tensioners (longer). This resolved chain slap on initial start, and the beating the guides took when idiot owners ran them to redline with an oil level low enough to cause starvation.

I'm at 210k miles on OE guides, still going good.

Greg all of these X5's 4.6is will need the timing chain and guide repair regardless of mileage. It does not appear that the one you have has had a stellar service history even though the mileage is low. So what do you do. Just run through the engine and bring it up to par. Put the timing chain and guides in the vehicle and enjoy. By the way you have had this X5 for some months now why did it take you so long to perform and oil change since the purchase?

Good to know. I'll file that in the mental rolodex. Hopefully the card doesn't get lost in there. :D

Shipwrights disease.
 

Hello Jay,
You ask why it took so long?
Lemme tell you. I have only driven this X5 for about a week.
During that week, I had a trifecta. Since January I have had it parked.
While removing the ABS module, I noticed the headlights looked dull.
While refinishing the headlights, I noticed old coolant lines.
While replacing old coolant lines, I noticed ugly valve covers.
While replacing valve covers, I noticed 2 non factory ignition coils.
While replacing ignition coils, I noticed incorrect spark plugs.......

You see where this is going?

I'd run a short oil change interval with a fresh filter and see if that makes things better. Sounds like it just sat for a while more than anything. Does the engine run okay otherwise? If the guides go bad you'll hear them quite obviously— it's a pretty unmistakeable sound!

^Ahhh... the typical roadmap to bringing a neglected BMW back up to spec. "I've grown accustomed to your voice, accustomed to your face." - Rex Harrison

Another example of mileage not being a true indicator of condition when it comes to BMW's. I'll take a 200,000 mile BMW with complete service history over a 50,000 mile example with none.

She's going to be a mighty fine example when you get done with her AV8R... keep plugging away. :thumbup:

Now I know the name for my affliction...Thanks AV8R