There may be some confusion as the parts list calls the Guibo a "universal joint" when the joint I'm referring to is actually unlabeled, directly below numbers 11&12 in the diagram. That one is sold as part of the assembly. Make sure you check that piece as well as it can cause vibes on the shaft as it wears!

Gotcha. Thanks for the tip. :) That part of the driveshaft looks good!

Was the guibo bad or did you feel it was time to change it anyway?

I felt slight driveline vibration in the pedal at higher speeds under slight accel. This led me to look at balancing the wheels and inspect the driveshaft. I had already replaced the front guibo a year ago. I have had the replacement rear guibo and center bearing for a year now, hadn't gotten around to replacing it for whatever reason. When I replaced the original (136k miles) rear guibo and center bearing yesterday, the guibo did appear aged and showed cracks if you tried to flex the disk in half. The old center bearing did not show much wear. The wheels were .25 - .50 oz off balance.

There is no vibration now, but I do want to replace that lobro joint at some point soon.

Picked up a set of brand new Bridgestone ecopia to replace the current tires that are warn on the outside fairly bad. I got the Bridgestone cheap on craigslist $300. I did the lower/upper control arm and ball joint this summer but the tires were already warn by then so even an alignment didn't seem to have fixed the uneven wear afterwards. Will get new tires on tomorrow morning and balance them, then take my final and off to chicago for the holidays.

Have a great trip!

bc, have you taken the X out of the garage since the snow/ice here 11 days ago?

Roads here in Coppell are finally clean/dry enough for me to roll the X out.

This morning was the first time out, couldn't stand to wait any longer. As it is I had to start it up over the weekend. I only went to get new contacts about 2 miles away. I'm going to wait until Wednesday to go on any roads where the speed limit is over 50 and will put the bra on the front just in case.

Same here. Fired up & idled to operating temp on Fri. Kept it around town today to avoid the dust.

It wasn't today, however last Friday I had the transmission fluid/filter service done and the transfer case fluid changed. The transmission was doing the 1st gear slam at take off and a little bit of it at the downshift to a stop. I'm not sure if it was low on trans fluid this time, but it was the low first time I had it done at 120k. I did it again at 180k and now at 211k. I was told that the fluid was still clean and no signs of contaminants, etc., but the mechanic was not there when I picked up the X to tell me if it was low on fluid.

The symptoms have since gone away and I have driven the X5 550+ miles North to Ohio. No problems. Even the cold weather here has not caused any problems. There is still a groaning sound coming from the center of the vehicle after initial acceleration. Not sure what that is.

FINALLLLY got around to fixing my "pass. mirror dip when in reverse" problem by cleaning off sensor chips. LOVE LOVE LOVE that it works flawlessly again.
FINALLLY got the 4.8iS exhaust installed/welded. Not muc different from the 4.4i dual tips in my opinion for sound level, but drone is a BIT nicer. Not sure I'd do this upgrade again if I had my time/money back.
FINALLY repaired power folding mirrors (but not sure for how long, as my problems WERE the metal tabs having fallen off the switches but seems my left side power folding motor is slowly dying). The left closes in but not as much and sometimes it takes 3 attempts to get it to stay in.
Installed a brushed aluminum vinyl wrapped Sport heated steering wheel.
felt GREAT to get those small tasks off my plate.

Finally picked up my new water pump yesterday...gonna slap her in tonight!

The GEBA has noticeably less flow up to about 1100 rpm than the factory pump in cold weather. Not being a fan of rebuilt items...this was the only alternative. Comes with a lifetime warranty :).

http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/t...psm78dosml.jpg

Over the past four days I pulled the aftermarket hitch & installed an oem.

Uhaul really made a mess and it was a major pita to undo it.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ps6baeb9b8.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ps59bce7c4.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...pse50df3ef.jpg


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ps1c8c7e7d.jpg

Installed my new interior LEDs. Totally awesome!

Nice job Clockwork, if i got a deal on a pair I'd def like to put on 4.8iS mufflers, i feel the slight change in tone would sound nice on my 3-pedal SAV.

Fourth Window Regulator Replacement in Four Months!
 

I bought a 2003 X5 4.4 with 32,600 miles in October, 2012.

We also have a M3 convert, and a 7er on top of many other Bimmers over the years.

The 7er's rear passenger window regulator broke in August, so I replaced it. Then the E53 rear passenger side window regulator broke in September, so I replaced it. Then the E53 front passenger window regulator broke in October, so I replaced it. Then E53 front driver window regulator broke in November, so I replaced it. Three days ago, the E53 rear driver side window regulator broke, so I replaced it....... get the picture?!?

BMW knew they have a POS design so they finally changed it after five years.

I pinged them with my VINs and twenty five year ownership history of nine BMWs. "Tough shiesse!" was their answer.

I planned on buying a new 7er Alpina BMW next next year, but changed my mind. Merc, Jag or ? instead of BMW for me here on out. BMW doesn't give a shiesse about their customers. Look elsewhere for better customer care.

On the E53 do yourself a favor and solder in a foot of additional interior door handle lighting wiring to make the inevitable interior panel replacement easier on your second or third replacement of the rotten regulator.

Guilden did you escalate to the executive level?

I'd bet they would offer something. I had a semi similar issue on my Daughter's 2006 Mazda 6. They have plastic water pumps which are designed to fail. Ours did at 38k miles. I called customer service and was told it is out of warranty too bad. I asked for a manager and got a woman so obnoxious it cannot be quantified. She literally said I could do something but I wont. I asked for her manager and she told me I could go no higher than her.

I warned her I could & would get above her and she said go ahead. I looked up the Mazda USA executive info and based on the email paradigm of the PR contact emailed from the CEO down.

The President of Mazda USA responded that he was out of the office and would have someone get in touch with me. Within the hour I was on the phone with an apologetic senior official who sent me 200.00 in Mazda cash which we used to repair something at a local dealer.

My long winded point is don't give up, speak up.

Drove it to South Beach so wife could do some shopping. This may have been a mistake, but I love cruising along A1A with the exotics.

Yep!
 

e30Cabrio,
Yes I did escalate it.

My career includes a stint heading up the CEO's escalation group for a global transport firm twenty years ago, and fifteen years ago I consulted directly with the CEO of a Japanese auto firm here in the US, so I know the ropes pretty well.

The feedback I received was that due to the X5 being ten years old, it clearly was a case of "buyer beware." But we all know (I didn't before buying it for our son) that the X5 had a bad regulator design. So BMW is telling me that though I've bought many times from them (nearly $1M in BMW revenue) they won't do anything for this 2003 X5. Their decision. My decision is to forever turn my back on the brand.

4.8is mufflers
 

If I decide to install my Dinan mufflers I give you first dibs on them.

I have the same stewart pump on our 528 wagon for few years now .Clean your fins on the clutch fan assembly when installing your new pump.

Flushed Lizzy's power steering fluid, and checked her pulleys. The pulleys are solid, belts look okay. :)

best feeling in the world! sunroof open, windows down & nice tunes....miss it so much :(


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

It's a new clutch...nothing to clean :). I'm insanely OCD about dirt in the engine bay....needless to say there's rarely even dust to be found under my hood! :thumbup:

How do you keep it clean? Also, seems there's some rust on my fan clutch nut... safe to use a rust converter on that, or should I just wd40 and scour it?

My never ending preventative maintenance and always looking under the hood or tossing it up on the hoist is my first line of defense. You can usually spot a potential problem long before it cakes the whole engine bay or subframe with oil/grease. I'll replace things based on age alone...regardless if they're leaking/making noise or not. Next up is regularly washing under the hood/body with a mild degreaser, it gets the road grime off, and will keep surfaces clean making spotting evidence of leaks even easier.

Have my new Dillon M134 gun fresh off of our desert shooting range. Am thinking we should waste this 51,200 mile E53 X5 on video and broadcast it on YouTube to warn everyone not to buy anything from BMW EVER.

To Hell with BMW, they hate their dedicated customers.

I find that calls I make to companies concerning a problem I think they should make right go better if I don't mention that I am multi-tasking, cleaning my pistol and talking to them. :gunner:

Can't understand 4 window regulator failures in four months on a low miles AZ X.

I have an '03 4.4 with over 175k miles, and have yet to see ONE fail.

I agree, I also have found if I am calm, state my case & don't make demands (when asked what I want I say I am not demanding anything, I am asking to be treated as you would like to be were you in my shoes)

Literally with the exception of Nissan, I have always gotten more than I would have asked for.


Mine has nowhere that many miles but has been in Az. it's entire life & (biting tongue, crossing fingers, toes & eyes as I type) has no window or other issues currently.

273,000+ km and the windows work nicely... though the key fob doesn't unlock the doors and the steering column doesn't adjust. Will fix both issues soon. Starting to feel like I lucked out, since it looks like this engine was a rebuild, or a newer engine dropped in the vehicle. There's yellow marker in lots of places that lead me to believe the engine was taken out of the car at the very least, and a lot of parts are new, with barcodes still intact.

Also noticed that I've got a slow seep on the crimped part f the vanos oil pipe... but that's $60 in parts and maybe an hour under the hood, so I won't complain.

One nice thing about Texas is only one window is going up and down and I don't even use drive-throughs that much.

I do miss Texas when winter hits... 91 F in January...

I removed the 3.0i fender emblems and added a can of liqui-moly injector cleaner to the gas... Plasti dipping the peeling chrome kidneys black is next.

Yeah man! We drove down from Hallandale and Counted 4 Ferrari's, 2 Lambos, a few Bentleys, a Rolls, and a bunch of Maserati's.

Changed Oil & Filter on N62
 

This happened on 12/24/13 & I'm just remembering to mention what I learned on my first oil change on the N62 engine (with oil filter below the engine).

Thanks to those that posted the DIY and the tools required (24mm socket for oil filter lid, 6mm hex bit for drain in oil filter lid, and 8 mm hex bit for oil pan drain bolt).

My 85 325e, 91 735iL & 95 525iT had the correct tools in the trunk/tailgate tool kit to do an oil & filter change...and my 97 740iL & 99 540iT had everything too except the 36mm socket to loosen the oil filter lid.

Unfortunately I didn't have a 24mm socket nor did I have a 6mm bit socket...so I went to trusty old Sears. But I discovered that my 15/16 socket works as well as the 24mm socket, and my T50 torx bit socket works as well as an 8mm bit socket, and my T40 torx bit socket works as well as the 6mm bit socket. So I returned the 24mm to Sears...but I kept the 6mm bit socket since I actually used it (wish I had thought about trying out the T40 first :( ).

And I must confess that I do prefer the top side oil filter location that BMW was using in the previous decades. Its so much easier only having to undo one thing on the underside of the car...instead of 3 things (like on the N62)

Again, tools I found that work on the N62 are:

• 15/16 socket or 24mm socket to undo oil filter lid
  • http://greatnecktools.com/upload/pro...ges/SK39_2.jpg-http://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/i/spin/ima...sm=0.9,0.5,0,0
• T40 torx or 6mm hex bit socket to open drain plug in oil filter lid
  • http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pro...5b74d6_300.jpg-http://i.ebayimg.com/t/NEW-CRAFTSMAN...7E%7E60_35.JPG
• T50 torx or 8mm hex bit socket to open oil pan drain plug
  • http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pro...447292_300.jpg-http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Snap-On-FAM8E...7E%7E60_12.JPG

Replaced my drivers side door handle carrier. I had bought one from Amazon and won't ever do that again. The rear hex bolt wouldn't line up with the lock cylinder. I had to take out the plastic sleeve to get more angle on the bolt to make it work.

Tomorrow should be rear airbag suspension and an oil change.

I sent an express envelope of feces to BMW NA's HQ. They think that we're what's in the envelope, so I thought that they should have one of us in their face. /:-{D

Funny enough, my only non-BMW over the last two decades was '95 Nissan Pathfinder. Still have it with 189,600 miles on it. Speedometer died 300 miles after the warranty ran out. Told them I wasn't going to pay for a stealer to install it.They sent a new one to me, and I installed it.

You're extremely lucky, Google E53 windows and you'll see that nearly everyone has replaced ALL of their regulators at least once, if not three times.

I understand stupid designs, but when BMW has them, they stick with it and then blame their customers. I'm done with them. I wish them nothing but a horrible future.

PDC is finally working after 2.5 yrs of ownership.

:wahwah:

I like Toronto. Great city! Like how everything is so green, just can't get enough of Texas heat. It won't hit 91F for a few months but I won't be adjusting my seat to drive with a winter coat either.

I sent an express envelope of tranquilizers to Guilden_NL HG. I think you need what's in the envelope, so I thought you should have a couple of them in your stomach.

Do I read the potential for a New Year's resolution in this?

I fixed mine recently, took me 2 years to care enough to do so. it does emit the occasional false positive which is annoying though. Almost makes me want to just yank the F6 fuse again and live in silence lol.

...And go back to having to (lightly) use your brain to park?!?! Neverrrrr!!:rofl:

Every morning at startup:

Put X in reverse (all 4 sensors are active):

BEEEEEEEEEP - your motorcycle is in front of the car (duh)

Back up 2 feet to the garage door, side rear sensors go BEEEEEP

(The door is off to the sides of the car)

Get out of the garage, turn around in my driveway, there are trees 25 feet away, BEEEEEP (random beep for nothing close in particular, I've read it could be picking up the exhaust smoke LOL!)


And so goes my PDC adventures haha

It could be that it only goes off after you hit something.

Stripped the rear suspension for fitment of new wishbones, guiding suspension links, lower wishbone bushes (thanks to Sundayjumper for doggedly searching for these), integral links, balljoints etc.

But stuck trying to get the handbrake cables out of the wheel carriers. 13 years of salt and aluminium on aluminium-roots have grown! Looks like I'll be taking the centre console out then...:(

Also considering grinding the camber lugs in order to adjust out the camber so that I'm not going through rear tyres constantly.

:rofl:

Emission test done and tab renewed.

Flushed the power steering fluid via the super high tech method (turkey baster). Then I checked my pulleys and belts. Rock solid, so yay. :)

Upper and lower radiator hoses and thermostat look like they'll need to go in the spring, tho. :)

My daughter got her Mom a new one for Christmas. She used it just before Thanksgiving to do the same thing. Turkey tasted funny so she thought it would be a good to replace it before it is used again.

Dangit, bcredliner, why didn't I know you back when I lived in Ft Worth?

:bustingup

Fixed both rear tails. One was flickering one was fine. Fixed the messed up one, board melted and twisted. Ripped it all apart. New epoxy supports. Solder the whole nine, should be a perma fix. Cleaned up, and while I still had the 8mm out, I figured let me pull the second light out. Crap, the second one is almost there in the same shape. Got to do it again, with a hangover. Seemed to take for ever to do both, but was only 2 hours start to finish.

Fueled up at Hess, and the damn car shut itself off while I was loading the trunk. Coincidence? Who gives a shit, I felt it was a mistake considering the dilapidated state of that station. The power seemed off right away, but I figured it was the weather or something. Not going there again.

Got a new power steering reservoir, hood struts, heater hoses last week. Couldn't even imagine being under the good today. Only did the tails cause that damn check brake lights was pissing me off.

Oh and happy new year everyone.

Happy New Year!

Got the Stewart WP all buttoned up the proceeded to order new heater valves, aux water pump, last remaining coolant line which I forgot last time, and ECS aluminum water pump pulley (piece of mind replacement for the factory plastic one!).....now I think my New Years resolution of not having to swing a wrench on the X after this round until at least September should hold!! Lol. Happy New year everyone!

Drove back home to VA. Just got home, unpacked, and sat down. Wife & I are missing that Miami weather!

1740mi round trip, only had to stop for gas.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...B9A7B8326E.jpg

Today's to do list involved Oil change,emblem removal,o-ring replacement on aux fan switch,and installed winter wheel set up .Next week Arnott front right strut and possibly Dinan muffler install .Thanks again Jeff

Got the rear subframe bushings done today...before the subzero cold comes into town. Not real difficult once you get the hang of it, and having the right rental tools helps. It is soooooo nice to not have creaks and groans now when braking, accelerating, turning, going up the driveway - you name it.
All 4 metal inserts pulled right out of the rubber. I don't think it had ever been done in 124k miles.
Also put 1/2 gallon of coolant in the G8 - dealer underfilled after replacing the WP.

Cleaned the engine bay, decided I'll be changing all the cooling hoses, WP, stat, belts and tensioners... hoping it can wait till spring.

Treated my X to January Cars and Coffee. Alway fun to spend time with motorheads.
entertainlng to see the reactions to seeing the bottle..

New BMW club, good share are into performance mods and DIY.

First time posting in this thread. Couple weeks ago I changed rear diff fluid and put magnetic drain plugs from goldplug.com High quality stuff, also installed one when I changed my oil around the same time. Planning on changing from diff fluid and transfer case fluid soon (already got the magnetic plugs for those as well).

Installed an AVIN Avant head unit in my X! Check this thread out for photos.
http://www.xoutpost.com/972754-post9.html

Looks good Brian!

Sexy Beast!! Man that thing is clean!

Thanks, I bought it new, have 110,000 miles as a daily driver.

I successfully retrofitted PDC on my '01 3.0i. The car was already equipped fairly heavily with options so wiring was already in place. I purchased all necessary electronic parts from ebay, trim/mounts from Tischer and cut out pre-marked bumper openings. No coding required! Was a fun winter garage project.

Nice work! I wouldn't be without PDC, enjoy.

Thanks man! I have an X6 and after driving that and being used to the PDC, I jump in the X5 and sometimes "forget" about neighbors fence when backing out of garage. Haven't hit it yet but proactively installed PDC to avoid that!:D. Next will be comfort seats; if I can find a set in sand beige.

how much of pre-wiring was there already, if you don't mind?

:thumbup:

All wiring was in place with the exception of the rear bumper sensor harness which connects to the plug just inside the passenger side rear well. The front sensor connectors (2 each side taped up to harness just under headlights) must be pulled into place through the bumper and the module connectors (3 - blk, blu and wht) are taped back to the wiring harness in the battery well. For the dash switch I just purchased a switch console which had the correct buttons and directly swapped out. The front speaker is already wired and connected as it uses the gong and the rear speaker must be added to the right rear fuse/relay block area (plug is 2-wire connector and is taped back to wiring harness). Hope this helps.

thank you

:)

You are welcome. If you need further assistance or advice I'd be more than happy to help! I actually found it to be a fun little project to work on during the recent cold sand snow. The hardest part was stomaching cutting the holes in the plastic bumper covers!

I just needed the info for future reference - based on some other info i had gathered, the E53 is pre-wired in accordance with some other options present in a car... I personally do not need the PDC installation, as the 4.8is had the PDC factory installed... I am in process of installing some other items into the car - i got the factory TV and factory aspheric mirror already installed... other items are just novelties... :) http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...done-list.html

Italian tuneup. Cleared a CEL and several codes, lol.

I replaced the passenger side rear airbag! Easy job, took like 45 minutes.

Now do the other one.

My 3.0L is at UUC Motorwerks today for the clutch delay valve [CDV] delete/replacement and installation of their new-to-this-application Evo-3 Short Shift Kit [SSK], with associated shift linkage joint/bushings replacement. While there on the lift, I'm having them install a replacement fuel filter and drain and fill the manual tranny [with RedLine MTL], diffs [with Redline gear oil], and X-drive transfer case [with BMW fluid]. I'm also close enough to an oil change [close to 6k] and having them do that, too, using Mobil1 0w40 Euro formula, and adding 900ml of Lubro Moly oil treatment to the crankcase. To check wear and establish a baseline, I'm having them pull oil and transmission fluid samples to send Blackstone for analysis. I'm using a little more oil than I like [1.5-2 qts in 6k miles], which, with the 'cheese' under the fill cap and prior CCV replacement, suggests I'm a candidate for the in-the-works aftermarket oil can collector discussed in other threads if the Blackstone doesn't suggest other causes. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay and take pictures of the SSK install, but will file an after-action report next week.

In preparation of my inbound sensors, harnesses & speaker installed PDC module.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...psd0d6d45a.jpg

The light on the switch panel now flashes (without the module nothing happened) and there is a beep from inside the dash, I assume signifying it saying where the f00k are my sensors???

lol

I did the other one tonight. Had a prior commitment to make last night so I didn't have time to do the driver side.

Also, changed the oil and filter with some Redline tonight and replaced the cabin air filter.

Yes the flashing followed by long beep indicates an error in the system (as in you have no friggin sensors attached lol!) If you had a dead sensor you'd get the same sound and flashing. It will go away once everything is hooked up and working correctly.

that reminds me, I need to hook up INPA and configure my sensors, ever since I replaced the 2 dead ones on my X I get random ass false alarms ALL THE TIME

Riggodeaux, are you coming to SoloMotorsport Open House party at their new location in Norcross on Feb 1st? I'd like to meet some more X owners in the ATL area.

Picking up a new CCV kit (cold weather one, ofc). :)

Is there coding I'll need to do?

I'd appreciate if you could document what you do to configure your sensors if it needs to be done to finish my install. (fronts out for delivery today, rears scheduled for tomorrow)

No coding you'll need to do to make it active, just plug and go.

However, I recently replaced 2 dead sensors with 2 aftermarket sensors, and the sensors work fine, however I feel like my PDC is extremely sensitive, and I know there is a setting in INPA that lets you configure the sensititvity per sensor I believe.

my theory is the aftermarket sensors (1 front and 1 rear) I just replaced are for whatever reason a bit more sensitive than the rest of the system which is why i'm getting false alarms all the time. I'll let you know how I do, probably gonna play around this weekend

Cool, thanks. Front sensors came today, hopefully rears & speaker tomorrow.

Anyone needing anything Mile was great I highly suggest getting stuff from him!

Re-bled and burped the cooling system after changing the t-stat. 60/40 mix. Heat is back to blowing good and hot, engine at normal temp, and no more mayo on the crankcase cap. :thumbup:

git er done

Done 9 January: Install of UUC Motorwerks SSK [short shift kit] and CDV [delete Clutch Delay Valve]. Change differential, X-Drive transfer case, and manual transmission fluids. Oil change from 5w30 to Mobil1 0w40 Euro, add a bottle of Lubro Moly oil treatment. Replace fuel filter. Samples pulled for Blackstone analysis of oil and tranny fluid. Today: replace air and cabin air filters. Pending: install OEM trailer hitch. Hopefully, nothing more til next oil change [7500 miles] and then spark plugs at 100k.

Restored oem intake with the hose that came yesterday. The damn clips that close the air cleaner cover fell into the abyss of the engine bay so I had to lift the X & open the plastic tray.

PDC sensors & speaker came, installed the speaker. Now the beeping comes from the back.

Took her for a drive with some seafoam in the tank, and bought an OEM oil filter for the upcoming oil change. Haven't decided what oil to go with yet... torn between Rotella and LubroMoly.

BMW suggests Castrol & I don't think anything is better than Edge Synthetic:
Castrol 06249 EDGE 5W-40 SPT Synthetic Motor Oil - 1 Quart Bottle, (Pack of 6) : Amazon.com : Automotive

+1,
Castrol Edge Is the way to go.

I am using the 5-40 because it does not get below 40 here & gets up to 120. FWIW.

I've got castrol edge 5w40 in it at the moment. ;) I keep hearing good things about Rotella and the local BMW specialist here uses lubro-moly 5w40 and sings its praises.

I'm looking to do a few short interval oil changes to clean the engine out. She's got a lot of miles on her, and I want to make sure I get some mileage out of her before I trade up for a 4.4 or 4.6 in a year or two. :)

Front O2 sensors.

Ive done a lot to the truck over the few moths ive had it...but today

new rear pads and rotor.
new steering reservoir.
aux jack secured,

New front windshield washer pump. Bye Bye leaking pump! $6.95 shipped off eBay.

Same here but on my E39

Replaced my oil canister cap, fresh mahle filter and 8 quarts of Rotella T6 in my oil change yesterday, happy to report no mayo under my oil cap after 14 months and 6k miles on my oil, looks like my CCV is doing well for the time being.

2 year NJ inspection passed as well yesterday (emissions only), best thing our governor did so far in Jersey was get rid of "safety inspection", no more finding a shady shop that you pay for a passing inspection with tinted windows.

Dealer supplied OE filter and 8 qts of M1 0-40 formula (meets the BMW LL spec, unlike the Castrol Edge swill).

Installed new rear struts for the hatch and test drove a Honda ridgeline this weekend .Thinking of trading in the 99 528 wagon w/ 199k on her.

completed repairing the compressor with the repair kit.

Changed my stock side markers to smoked LEDs.

looking to do some crazy brake and intake mods
 

im a former e39 fanatic and i want to use their big brake OEM on my 04' e53 3.0..

i also wanna retrofit an e46 m3 ram air CAI but i need a guy who custom fabricates CF parts..

^Should be interesting.
Drop off my iS to have front and rear pumper replaced.

The oem calipers are the same as e39 but the carriers are not .I also contacted ecs tuning about this swap and no dice . But that being said i'm sure its possible w/ some fab work

Stared at the X in dismay after the right front pass door carrier failed right after the right rear pass door.
That's in a matter of 5 seconds.

Picked up the upper and lower rad hoses... may save them until spring when I'm going to do a truckload of work on her.

Picked up the upper and lower rad hoses... may save them until spring when I'm going to do a truckload of work on her.

Oil change couple days ago.
By the way, how much do you guys pay around for an oil change?
do you go dealer or DIY?
I've seen some videos online for DIY oil changes..

DIY everything I can't do myself. Dealers could give a shit about our 10 year old SAV's. Everytime I hear a thread about getting work done at the dealer there is always a follow up thread of what they fucked up.

Find a trusted well respected and experienced Indy for the jobs you can't DIY.

i get filters from a dealer. get recommended oil elsewhere... pay jiffy lube or even wal-mart to do oil change with my oil and my filter - i just don't llike getting that dirty with oil... I stand there with them at all the times to stop them from touching my filters, washing my windshield and other "value-added" services - just hot oil change, that IS IT...

still, a risk of somebody fucking something up....

I do everything I can myself.

:D I do agree with RB on not bringing it to the $tealer.
Oil change is one of the first thing I learnt how to do on a car (not counting driving of course)

Last time I checked, I think a Standard oil change from the dealer is anywhere from $80 to $120. Depending on the dealer. I know around here, Circle charges $80 I believe and Freehold BMW charges $110. I actually just found an awesome deal on oil yesterday from a local Honda Dealer. They were doing an oil change special "5-20 or 5-30 Synthetic for $16.99... So I go in an ask them... can you just charge me for a carry out? I don't want you to do a change, I just want to buy the oil. I have clean 5qt's ready to go. They said sure. I asked if they had a filter for an X5, they said it was an extra $20.00. I said nevermind, just the oil. I'd say thats a pretty good deal on the oil alone. I asked to see the drum it was coming from and the label said Castrol Edge and the barrel looked new, so I doubt they reused it. The cheapest I've ever seen oil was $19.00 from Walmart for a 1 Gal jug of Rotella 5-40 synthetic and thats if you pay online and pick up in store.

I had just recently bought my SAV few months ago, and finally decided it was time for an oil change. Seeing as it'd be my first time, thought I might as well let dealership do the work then possibly for future oil changes, find a good place to let someone else do it. Or possibly learn how to do it myself.

&& @TerminatorX5, I like that idea of watching over them so they don't do extra jobs on the vehicle.

I believe I did an Inspection I for the X5 before I ever did my first oil change on a car, which was probably 2 years ago. Before then, the parents would also send it to the indy for oil changes. I don't know how to do some obvious things, like timing a car, but have learned to solder VANOS boards and play around with diodes...

I have to get mine done for warranty purposes so I get the oil for 80.00, filter for 20.00 and they charge 20.00 to do it plus hst canadian dollars

Misc PDC mounting hardware and guibo/nuts bolts came. I have a pretty bad flu so nothing will be done for a while.

Hi, changed the 4 Rubber Mounting of the rear axle carrier, damn what a mess! But the Ball joint with the right tool was easy going.
Have some challenges with the GM-5l40e transmission. Did an oil-change the other day, but it is still not working properly. Have to do some final fine adjustment I think.

I fixed the Passenger side door carrier , but in the process the exterior handle broke, so one more project for next week end i guess

broke--as in snap in two?

No i stripped the small tabs that are supposed to hold the handle in the carrier. The handle still works and opens the door but only the part that bolts onto the carrier is holding. The other side is not holding snymore, good thing its an easy fix ($17 ebay) and a 15 min swap

ok. so the door handle is 17 bucks? im surprised because a new hood roundel cost way more than that.

Yea, here is the link for it in case ur interested 00 06 BMW x5 x 5 Outside Door Handle Right RH Passenger Side Exterior Outer | eBay

Of course it seems like the X5 has decided to keep me busy for the next couple of weeks now since i just noticed a reddish oil leak which i think is the power-steering fluid.

On my 3.0D.Removed and cleaned all 6 injectors,after injector nº.4 was overfuelling and showing 6,when it should be 0,at idling!Easy job as injectors are easy to remove :)

Been there, done that. I noted in another thread how easy it is to strip that plastic tab on the front of the door handle. The key is to 'work' the installed, new carrier from the inside, compressing the spring, so that the hole in the front of the carrier where the handle connects is angled. I think I inserted a screwdriver from the inside of the tour to lever the carrier 'open.' You then gently install the front pin on the handle; turn the handle up to align with the back of the carrier [near where the lock goes ....], and gently press the back of the handle into the carrier. Easy to understand once you have done it once ......

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...andle-fix.html

Fwiw.

Replaced the key fob battery since it stopped working only to figure out later that the battery was good and all I had to do was simply reprogram the key:thud:

Oh well. I guess now I have a battery that will last a long time. I can tell the range is better now too. I ordered the new batt from Mouser. I just had to cut the terminals a little so I could bend them and solder them in properly.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9...+Replace+1.jpg
I ended up getting a bad battery from them that would only charge to .47v but they sent me another one right away, no questions asked.

I also took my Max for a car wash this a.m. not such a good idea in -15F weather....oh well it needed it bad!

Hard core. I should see what I can do about mine.

Priced CCV labor. Got a quote for $270, getting the part myself for $198 from exoparts. Got a quote for replacing the lower door trim that my co-worker dinged. He's gotta fork over $300. Cameras ftw.

i recieved my new rotors in the mail. (brembo gold plated, cross drilled).. i wanna spray my calipers glossy black yo slightly offset the factory look. i see alot of ppl use either VHT or G2 caliper paint as choice of product. im deliberating still

^G2 is easier to use. Brush on and it has epoxy in the mixing. Very smooth and hard when dried. It should last longer too. I painted the calipers on both of my Z32s. I will use it to paint the calipers black on my 540i when it gets warmer.
TIP: you only need half of the kit for all 4 calipers. Do not mix the whole kit and throw away half. It has the shelf life of 6 mos, so I make sure to use the remaining half to touch up just before it expired.

VHT is spray on. A little messier and no hardening in it. There are much more works. I used it on my iS since the G2 doesn't come with the gold I like.

The first time I did mine using caliper paint. There were few color choices. I found it didn't patch well, it took a several coats to make it look good and it was hard to keep looking good. I went to VHT spray---much better in all respects. Only downside is having to mask off areas you don't want to spray or have some lacquer thinner handy.

Took a bit of a gamble yesterday.

My 2005 X5 4.4 has 100000 miles on it. I bought it with 60000 on it and as far as I know, the tranny fluid has never been changed. My indie, and several other people, have recommended that if the truck has over 100000 miles and the fluid is original to not change it. However, many other people have opined that no fluid is lifetime and that I should change it every 50000 miles.

Well, I trust my indie, but I also know that no auto fluid is lifetime. The PM bird on my shoulder won the battle.

So ....... I gambled and went with a transmission fluid drain and refill with a filter change. I do feel better about the tranny now, but am a little nervous and anticipating the 'TRANS FAILSAFE' message every time I hear a chime.

Woooo Figured out my NAV!!! got reallly lucky with finding the right modded version as its hardly available online and you have to do stupid sms text pay for the file.. Some guy on Drive2.ru had it and gave it to me!
I have almost what i want from it..
RUSSIAN interface and Nav girl
POI with sound notification POISoN
NIGHT MODE
Perspective

The negative from this version is that Theres 2 color modes NIght and the other blue one, but i want the other to be the brown one:(

SPlash screen says POI and i dont want to change it but i probably will.

Need to change the clouds in perspective

Not a fan of the night mode map colors.

ANyway took this pic accidentally as the splash screen went away and the menu fired up, but you can kinda see both now:
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/...pse5cdv0qi.jpg

ALso there isnt pixel repair is ther? i need to get new screen right?

Yeah you need new nav screen, about 200 or so.

Bought a new 164 piece ratchet set for 70% off. Will break it in when the DISA arrives. :)

Bought a new 164 piece ratchet set for 70% off. Will break it in when the DISA arrives. :)

Didnt someone on here install some Phillips or some screen? it was like 60%

I think you can get from the manufacturer. Google the forums for a replacement navigation screen thread the guy lists where you get it from.

Just spent aloooooot of time making alot of Splash screen CDS...
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/...psxfurdlsf.jpg

Range Rover one going in first :) Itll make people take a seciong though at first haha.

Tomorrow ill read through posion thread and try to make a new Nav disc. Software is already POISoNed. IS there a place to download free nav maps? like torrent? i found alot for europe and russia... but i need NA

I love this:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...82680480_n.jpg

Ugh lol you need a new screen so bad!

I highly recommend testing your battery first with a voltage meter before you yank it out but yeah it was actually fun to see the circuit board and the design. Take your time and be careful when cutting it open. GL

I remember it used to be like 5 spots, didnt notice all the new ones till just this week when i began paying more attention.

the screen is a Sharp... there is a huge thread here about that screen, do a search, you will find it... read through as much as you can, the submodels of screen are good for different cars, because of the viewing angle... you need to buy the correct submodel of the Sharp screen... if you search on ebay for bmw sharp, you should find the sellers with the screen for about a $100...

Upgraded my NAVI with iGO Primo 2.4. :thumbup:

http://junger12.home.comcast.net/~ju.../199/200/2.jpg

http://junger12.home.comcast.net/~ju.../199/200/3.jpg

http://junger12.home.comcast.net/~ju.../199/200/4.jpg

http://junger12.home.comcast.net/~ju.../199/200/5.jpg

From your sig, I see you have a facelift X. I have a pre-facelift 03, and am wanting to upgrade my Nav to something a bit simpler than what I have now, which is an MKIV unit, with BMW maps. Can I fit a NAV unit from a facelift X into mine? I like the upgraded button layout better. And How did you install IGO?

It should swap straight in. This looks like an aftermarket unit though kinda like the Dynavin

Oh, so this isn't the OEM unit out of a facelift? Is it possible to upgrade to IGO on an MKIV, or would I have to install Dinavin, something similiar, etc..?

Yeah its the same as it is in pre and post facelifts. I think the max you can do is buy a 2014 Maps DVD (if its available yet, 2013 for sure) I actually still have the 2003-2 DVD in mine....
You can also a software mod, adding your own picture..night mode, Points of intersts and camera alerts, but its alot of CD burning and learnign to use the software..

Heres mine, facelift, with custom splash screen
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...82680480_n.jpg

Had the %#!! thing towed to the BMW dealer in South Bend. The check coolant light came on when my son was driving to judge a debate meet, and after it was over I told him to pour some water into the radiator - it went right through to the ground! I change coolant with Zerex G-05 mixed 50/50 w/distilled water over a month ago, and it's been driven maybe 1K miles since. It checked to 50 below on the hydrometer, but maybe it did freeze.

I'm getting close to getting rid of this truck. It's just one thing after another.

Bill

So I guess I need to source some LED AE ballasts. 3 years old. Can't complain.

LEDs don't need ballasts, though? Capacitors are all I thought they would ever need since not all LEDs run off 12V.

JB you'll need new LED rings from fishcake, LED rings don't take ballasts like the CCFL ones, and your Depo's take a special sizing of rings, $190:

USA UHP LED Angel Eye Halo Ring Kit Depo 00 03 BMW E53 P53 Projector Headlight | eBay

DERP

Caps. Or rings themselves. Thank you MINIz & RB!

Just changed oil in my X, using Pentosin 5w30, and a Hengst oil filter. Also took off oil pan, just to check for "little plastic gremlins."Changing at the 3000 mile mark for the first time after putting in a used engine which had 95,000 miles on it. The original blew at 134000, due to previous owner changing guides, and not cleaning out oil pan, thus the little filter in the pan becoming clogged and oil circulation being cut-off. Everything looks nice and clean, but I'm planning a timing chain, guides, vanos lines, and total reseal toward the middle of this summer sometime, for preventative maintenance's sake...

Sweet, leep that estroil 4.6 running good! maybe one day illl end up looking for one and buying yours

Matt, I replied to your PM.

Checked the tire pressure, and gave the engine bay a once over. Stared hard at the DISA, silently cursing Autopartsway for delivering to the wrong address since I'd meant to replace it by now.

Worked some more on the leather, and wondering if the Dakota leather was ever soft and subtle in the first place. It's never taken me this long to restore leather in a car before. :P

What products were you using on your leather sam?

Meguiar's leather conditioner and cleaner. It seems to clean well, but hasn't done much for conditioning. The leather seems kind of hard. I'm open to suggestions :)

Welllllllllllllllllllllllllll. first of meguars that you can get from the generic auto stores sucks..

Try the griots conditioner, i think advamce auto has a small stand of griots stuff.

Ive heard mixed things about lexol.

Currently using Autofinesse Hide as conditioner. i havent had much experiemce with it yet. But my leather never had that "soft feeling" it just seemed normal. my drivers seat is not normal though, its lost alot of its texture.

however i liked griots

Changed my door lock barrel. Now I can lock my X again! Yae:)

I installed a new washer pump....

I just did of one the others not to long ago :rolleyes:

Will check out griots. Thanks!

I'm looking forward to years of service out of my X, and hopefully will get that by keeping up with preventatives. I kinda have this feeling that if I ever move on to another vehicle, I'd kinda like to keep my 4.6 as a pet in the garage..! :) I LOVE my truck...

Took him out for a prance...........and a gallop.......poor boy don't get out as much as he used too.
Always impresses though+++ :thumbup:

C

FWIW, I've found the Dakota leather is VERY durable in the X, and even when conditioned with my current favorite, 1Z Einzett Lederpledge, it just conditions the leather and keeps it smooth and supple, but I have never had ultra soft leather in the X even after its conditioned. It has a heck of a good coating on it, and the backseat gets a bit more supple than the front, but compared to say Audi leather, Audi's is a bit "softer" when conditioned.

The Dakota leather softens up after a few applications of Lexol 2 step products. The cleaner actually etches and opens the leather pores, this allow the conditioner to absorb into the surface.

The leather needs a minimum of 2 treatments per year from new. Several used Xs I looked at had hard/cracked leather from neglect. Some people use all purpose cleaner/window cleaner on leather and NEVER condition!

Welcome to the forum BTW

Ordered a new screen for my nav unit, ordered a Bavsound C-II Soundplicity unit to tie in a SpecDock 2.5 i have coming from a fellow XOUTPOSTER. Does anybody know if the speaker upgrades from BavSound are any good?

Naz24 has them, as do some other members. For the money they are a nice upgrade Matt. If I ever "blew" my speakers I'd probably get BSW replacements, with DSP my options are limited.

tranny filter, valvebody oil sleave, new oil
new brakes 2 weeks ago
goin to install poly bushings in my front forward lower control arms this weekend

Grazie :2thumbs:

C

I purchased an upgrade kit a few years ago. I an not a nut case about audio but many people mention it sounds great without me saying anything. The speakers were all plug and play. I have the sub turned way down so it won't make the gas door vibrate. I purchased their amp also. It came with instructions. I had a couple of questions during the install and they were extremely helpful.

Their site says that subs are all custom fitted to each vehicle application? Where do the sub and amp get installed in an E53?

A little bit of silicone sealant (think caulk) on the "green plug" on the door and some sticky felt on the metal clip of the gas door solved my rattling problems :thumbup:

Called UPS about my DISA which was sent to the wrong address, to find that one week later, they still hadn't sent the driver to pick up the package for re-delivery. Supposedly will be able to go to their hub and pick it up myself tomorrow.

Do you have DSP?

The location of the amp is your call. The sub goes in the compartment in the back right side behind the door and under the fuse box.

I fixed the rattle shortly after I got it with a wee bit of adhesive foam. Silicone is a good idea. I don't like seeing the white foam when I get gas.

Ordered these all the way from China today for $51:

4pcs Xenon White LED SMD Angel Eyes Halo Rings Lights for BMW E53 x5 1999 2003 | eBay


Will be swapping my '03 permasealed headlights for 2002 bakeable lights off an '02 4.6iS, one of our members MOM's whips, so that I will have a set of headlights able to be baked open.

Going to install those, some EvoX-R projectors, remove the waffle lenses, and trim the turn signal to look like facelift shape and wrap it in 3M 1080 brushed aluminum film to remove amber. Should be clean when done, and look one of a kind.http://thmb.inkfrog.com/rsz.php?user...size=520&gap=0

Got my e30 radiator cap. MMM, so far so good.

Why do you use an e30 cap?

Max allowed pressure before venting is 1.4 bar as opposed to 2.0 bar. It does not lower the normal operating pressure of the system. Just the max pressure before venting as the expansion tank cap acts as a safety valve. I will be putting one in soon myself.

I have never heard that, but with that being said I'll be ordering one soon.

So doing this would possibly extend the life of system components like the etank, then?

It has not been proven but since the normal operating pressures is about 1.0/1.2 bar or so, I'd feel better knowing the max pressure isn't 2.0 bar, basically at that pressure your system is boiling and you better be pulling over, your needle pegged into the red, etc.

If the system is venting you know the pressure is getting too high and you have other problems in the cooling system, I'd prefer the system let me know that at 1.4 bar instead of 2.

There's a reason that the E90 is back to 1.4 bar max venting pressure, and the E30 I think started at 2 bar but switched to 1.4 bar.

Long discussion about this on bimmerforums etc pertaining to E39 and E46, regardless, your cooling system should be maintained regularly but no negative effects of swapping to a 1.4 bar cap.

Hey, Jason, looking forward to seeing your project progress! Definitely wanna see pics of it all, especially your opinion of the projectors once installed. Are you going with the same projector/bowl setup that I have?

Yep EvoX-R's Matt just like you :)

The Spyders never came back in stock so I luckily found a set of stock lights to retrofit. Won't be as crisp as your housings but I'm sure I can make them look pretty good, I'll do a headlight build thread when I start working :thumbup:

Hope all is well with your gorgeous Estoril!

I've been thinking about dremeling open my stock lights, installing LED AE's, and upgrading projectors. Kinda need something to do in the house while it's this cold. Not sure if I want to cut open a good set of lights tho. What do you think?

Well, considering you could upgrade the projectors and to LED AE's on the stock lights for about 200 bucks or so, up to you if you want a "winter project" LOL!

I would have experimented with cutting open lights and resealing with some good epoxy, etc, if I had a set of lights already on my X like you do. My problem is that I don't have a spare set to have on the car, so I'd be rushing getting them open, etc so I could drive it. If I had a set kicking around the basement and wasn't worried about messing them up I'd totally do some experimentation haha.

Got snow in charlotte, spent the evening driving around. I LOVE IT!
Tires did well, even though rears are racing slicks but fronts are good.
In this shot looks like i have some cool Aerokit:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...13361478_n.jpg

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hpho...00229368_n.jpg

Cool!

What have you been THINKING of doing to your X today.
Hmmmmm. That could be an interesting thread of it's own right there :rofl:
I can tell you right now, my thoughts are much darker than just drilling holes in it.

Hey, I love ur russian plates, LOL. :thumbup::thumbup: To bad we have to have front plates installed here in Ohio, or I'd have so UA plates!!!