200k Miles- What Should I Service?
 

My 2004 3.0 6 speed MT has reached 200,000 miles. She is running great, but I want to take some time this year for thorough preventive maintenance. It has zero rust, exterior and interior look great. Engine will consume 1 quart of oil in approximately 4-5k miles, and has its original clutch. Cooling system was refreshed about 6 or 7 years ago, and the M54 has a few oil leaks.


I would like to replace the clutch, and have oil leaks addressed. What else should I be looking at?


Thanks!

How old is the cooling system? If you have 100k or more, I might replacing it..
In particular the hard cooling pipes under the intake.

New CCV

How are intake boots ? If there is any cracking, replace them
New belts

I would bet that you have an oil/PS leak...Oil filter housing gasket, oil pan gasket, oil level sensor gasket, power steering hoses,

Brake fluid flush
Inspect pads and rotors.
inspect the brake lines under the plastic under the Driver's door - near the fuel filter

New fuel filter.

What is the age of the suspension? E53 suspension component life generally ranges between 50 to 80k miles before it has significant wear.

My suspension lasted to 200K miles, but between 200K and 215K all of the bushings and ball joints went bad. I'd look at all of them and check for torn ball joint boots, cracked bushing rubber and excessive play. If you want to keep the car a long time replace with Lemsforder (best) or Febi parts. Prices vary wildly depending on where you shop.

Other things that needed attention in that span were the ABS control module (replaced with a rebuilt unit) and several of the ABS wheel speed sensors. And clean your sunroof drains.

Hope this helps.

I'm not the original owner- Although I have some records, nothing in there on suspension. That said, it sits well, handles great and doesn't make any funny noises. I did note a torn front axle boot at the last oil change, and haven't driven it since then. That will be included in my overhaul.

do you have any vibration when you lightly brake in the 40-60 range?

Nope, no vibration. Front brakes are fine, rear is ready for new rotors and pads, maybe calipers. New rear shocks will be installed too.


My X5 drives beautifully- handling and ride are better than an SUV (SAV!) should be. There is really nothing in the current market I want, and IMO my E53 is worth a little investment for more years of reliable use.


Since the trans and transfer case will be coming out, I want to address anything I can during that time. I have read about driveshaft issues, and will be looking into that too.

A little brake vibration in that scenario is the early warning sign of a failed tension strut bushing. yours have clearly been done (probably multiple times).

And yeah, the 6MT X5 is irreplaceable. That's why I picked one up.

You should do a cooling system overhaul. A 7 year's old cooling system is a time bomb. Buy the parts from FCPEuro and the next overhaul would be essentially free other than labor! Heck, buy your parts from FCPEuro and it would be a moot point what parts to replace :D.

At 7 years I would want to replace some of the cooling system parts, like the expansion tank, but if the radiator is only 7 years old, I'd bet it would be fine.

The CCV, you should inspect first to see if you have a lot of sludge. Pop off some vacuum lines to inspect. CT is pretty cold weather, so depending on your use, it would probably be time to change it.

You should also get under the car, remove the stiffener plate, and look for oil leaks. There are a lot of places that could be leaking and it's impossible to know for sure without taking off the plate. Power steering leaks are also super common and can be hard to distinguish from oil leaks, if the fluid is old and dirty. Inspect all eight of the CV axle boots from under the car as well.

Probably a good time for plugs, and change all the various fluids (front and rear diffs, transmission, and transfer case). If you haven't changed brake fluid in a few years, it's definitely time to do that too.


Have you ever replaced or repaired the DISA valve? It's probably bad if not. Get a GAS kit to repair it permanently.

Lastly, whatever records you have, turn them into a spreadsheet so you can track everything. I have a spreadsheet that I built from records the PO gave me, detailing every service ever done on the car, and it has helped save a lot of money by not doing things twice.