Double check your coolant hoses if 60k plus X
 

i'm just giving heads up, to double check coolant hoses especially if 60k miles are on your car.
the hoses just go bad with time, there's a lot of heat in the engine bay, eventually they need replacement.

i for sure wasn't expecting to have the main upper hose explode on me on the freeway, with absolutely no warning, but it did (a few months ago).
There were no signs of temp going up, or any leaking anywhere. Good thing i check my mirrors often and saw the huge cloud of steam behind me scaring the crap out of cars in the rear.
I quickly pull over, by the time i'm slowing down, low coolant light comes on of course. Quickly i shut off the car, open the hood, let the steam out, watch coolant leak, then finally i see where it happened. Hose was broken about 3 inches cut at the main turn in it.
Towing home time. Bought hose next day, installed myself it's very easy, since it's in the front of the engine right behind the fan, and clamps are plug and play.
Added coolant, toped it off, was good to go. But, since that one busted, i'm sure the other 2 main ones will too since they are same age right?
So next free time i had i got the other hoses changed, so it won't put strain on them next, got a new expansion tank cap, as well along with coolant flush (it was that time anyway).
It happened at 75k, you'd think they'd last more than that.

Thanks for the heads up Eurosport. Will get some new hoses and work on it over Thanksgiving weekend. Will try to do a DIY if I don't get too lazy. My X5 is at 56,000+ so I might as well prevent it from happening.:thumbup:

For a company that liberally uses plastic/rubber in it's engines, you'd think they'd at least use better quality materials.

I have 84k on mine. I should take your advice and go ahead and change my hoses also. I also have knocking around the front axle area. I think it's my controller arms. I understand that they will fail by 80k miles.

Same thing happened to me at 83k. Pulled out to overtake, floored it and steam cleaned the cars behind. When chainging the top hose I cracked the small expansion tank hose as it was very brittle with age. As a precaution I changed all the hoses and flushed the system. I will be happy if I get to 170k before I have to change them again......

Wow, I have found BMW water hoses to be very reliable.

Mine was brittle also, broke this weekend while on vacation. Had to replace with a new rubber. It snapped in my fingers...Cheap plastic crap.

i saved my broken hose for future reference,
here's pic if it's helpful to anyone
(excuse pic it's with cell phone)

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h9...Photo-0066.jpg

So no braided hoses available?

Thanks Eurosport for the pic. I see what needs to be done.:thumbup: