Where'd you buy these key condoms? :D

Bought a Thule Evolution 1600 on the cheap at the local Surplus store for traveling this year... Looks like my roof racks are going back on. Can anybody reccomend me some low-profile cross bars?

Sent from my VS880PP using Tapatalk

I have a set of Rola cross bar on my X. They are Aero bars and better looking than the factory bar. I use it with a Thule Frontier cargo box, Thule and Yakima bike carriers. They sit flush with the roof rack on the BMW, compare with the BMW factory rack which sits higher up.

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachments/...-dom.-900w.jpg

Make sure you get the cross bars for an E53 and not the E70, since you are posting on the E53 forum I'm assuming you have an E53. The E70 cross bars will not fit an E53. They are both listed as for an X5.

https://www.amazon.com/ROLA-59828-Re...83T93HV2BTGXVZ

Lot cheaper here and it's from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/AndyGo-Silico...cone+key+cover

Yessir, E53... I do like the way those look, thanks for the info... I most likely go with those...

Sent from my VS880PP using Tapatalk

Orange Silicone Case Cover FOR BMW Z3 Z4 X3 X5 E36 325i E65 E46 E39 Remote KEY | eBay

offered $5 each and said I'd buy three different colors and the seller accepted.

You do know that the seller is in Hong Kong and the free shipping is by a slow boat from China.

:bustingup :rofl:

Sorry for the delay, I used E6000. Good seal, very strong but doesn't get super hard so it is much easier to go back in again if need be.

I think we are thinking of different things. I was referring to the clear coat that you placed over your headlight lens to protect the surface after refinishing the lens. I looked up E6000 and it comes up as an adhesive.

Ive heard of guys sanding them down with different grades of sand paper and finishing the headlights I think with 1200grit, and then clear coating them after. I have an old set of tiburon headlights and I might practice on those and see what happens, they are in bad shape. they have deep pits in them too. when I do them I`ll take a pic of the before and after shots. if i`m allowed to post pics of tiburon parts here lol. I`m experimenting before doing the BMW headlights ,and hopefully help someone out at the same time.

What yakima adapter works with these? I cannot tell if they are channel based or if you'd need something that wraps around?

Do they make much noise when you have the bike adapters attached? I have the older roundbar style and with my empty ski rack it makes a terrible whistling noise.

I use Yakima Mighty mounts with the Thule and Yakima bike carriers. I need to go back to the garage to get the size, but I believe they were 24H.

http://www.melcottons.com/prodimages/2142-DEFAULT-L.jpg

They are quiet unless you open the sunroof. I normally don't use the sunroof since we have a working AC.

Those look good! Nice find.

Why are you in such a rush for some key fob skins???
And the package actually came from Germany. Want to see the envelope?


Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Perfect, thank you! I don't normally open mine either as it's usually snowing, raining, or slush is falling off the boards.

I belong to the Generation of instant gratification. :bustingup

I was thinking the same thing. Not like the truck won't start without them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9obgyYB1IU

:nanana:

That's more like the Generation of Whinners. :rofl:

found out rear door woofers were blown when I installed a new factory non-dsp amp. These things were hard to find factory replacements for, so upgrade time!
Pushed out old woofer from housing, shaved almost all the new component woofer mounts off and silicone'd into place.
Solder wires to factory plug and it still retains the stock hook-up!

http://i.imgur.com/Cfy93Ug.jpg

Upgrade time
 

Ordered a Dynavin N6 and it came in today! Time to install

Put my roof rails back on, and was freshly reminded that I don't like them. Installed the Rola crossbars that upallnight recommended me, and love the way it looks. Might just leave the roof rails and cross bars on after our trip. Put the Thule roofbox on top to test fit it, and make sure the cross bars were in the right position, and that the trunk spoiler won't hit when open. Everything looked good, should only take 5 minutes to put it on top and fasten it with the Quick-Fasten sytem...

let us know how the install goes , where did you get it from?

:thumbup:

I leave my crossbars on all the time. In the winter the Thule cargo box is up there to carry our skis and snowboards, in the summer I have bike carriers and a kayak carrier on the roof as well as a Saris ride on bike carrier in the tow hitch. The tow hitch is also used for towing and launching our jet boat.

Our X is indeed a Sport activity vehicle since it is used for carrying all our sport equipment.

Replaced electric cooling fan. Most folks seem to indicate the fan comes from the front... Mine was a push down and remove from the bottom. This should have significant impact on a/c efficiency in traffic.

Today I treated my X5 to a bath, vacuum, and general cleaning. Then a photoshoot.

Uh-oh...yep, she needs to find a new home.

Sorry to see her go but I'll find a good spot for her.

http://i.imgur.com/qc6mI6bh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5LAVBE0h.jpg

Decided we wanted something a little bigger and are going to lease a 2016 X5 40e (the hybrid one). Mineral white over black leather and a gazillion packages. Got a screaming good deal from Greg Poland over at Pacific BMW (I bought my 2011 M3 from him). They need to make room for the 2017s that are in production. BMW added in $3500 lease cash and has the residual set artificially high at 60%! We fly out to pick up the new one on Saturday.

Nice floor! Have you had it long? If so, what would you say are the plus and minuses?

Thanks!

BTW: I said goodbye to her today. Full asking price of $7k, multiple people waiting if the first one fell through. I guess I priced her too low but I'm not playing the craigslist game forever so I'm happy.

The floor is "Race Deck" out of Utah. I've had it ~4 years I think (I'd have to look but I'm too lazy...lol). I went with it when my original epoxy floor started coming up and looking ugly. My choice was to grind down and do it my self (since I paid for crappy work the first time), or take advantage of a discount that Race Deck offered Garage Journal members.

Pros: Easy install. Quick install. Looks fantastic out of the box. Soft under foot. You can drop things on it with no worries (within reason). You can easily do designs (like my ///M stripes). You're not on a cold floor in the winter. Water runs out underneath in channels.

Cons: It is a lot harder to keep clean than I thought it would be. I do heavy maintenance in my garage and the floor isn't nice and shiny anymore, not matter what I clean it with (and I'm using their finish treatment).

It's not terrible and I'm not unhappy, but you need to understand it's probably not for everyone. If you have a garage where you just park cars, it's fine. If you do heavy work, it's fine as long as you understand it'll get dirty-ish looking. It has served me well though. Minor complaints.

Today I did the fuel pump, and found out how to load the X5 onto a flat deck, lol.

Today I did the fuel pump, and found out how to load the X5 onto a flat deck, lol.

Congrats on the quick sale (always nice). I just sold one of my bimmers and it took FOREVER on CL.

Congrats also on the new vehicle acquisition. I was just at the dealer (parts dept and inspection) and poking around the showroom and took notice of the 40e. The wife and I really have our eyes on a diesel X5 to replace her X3... but the 40e could fit the bill as well. Not sure. I can't find any highway efficiency numbers for the 40e, do you have any insight? I know the "e" portion will benefit mostly in city driving. Her X3 (and my X5) gets ~18mpg and we are looking for something more efficient for her.

Nice garage flooring as well. Not sure how it would hold up at my place since I also do HEAVY maintenance (engine pulls/replacements sometimes) and mods every so often. But it sure does look nice. Our bare concrete is spider cracking like crazy and I'm hesitant to do the epoxy route just to have it continue to crack. :(

I looked at the diesel too, but I don't plan on towing anything significant or putting on huge miles until I retire. The 'e' can still tow 6k lbs, though your cargo capacity overall is degraded due to the battery weight.

Highway is supposed to be in the high 20's from what I've read on other forums. The battery capacity is small, but it provides the ooomph when you need it. It's no 4.8iS, but it scoots.

For cracked floors, you're really limited. Doubly so if the concrete is soaked in oil, etc.

The race deck floor structurally and functionally holds up to abuse, but it isn't all nice and shiny like it was out of the box. I've spilled numerous fluids on it and there's no degradation. I drug the X5 subframe with diff, axles, and brakes across the floor and scratched it a bit, but it's serves a useful purpose if you can get past that it won't stay pretty looking. Don't go for a dark color either. You want a light one so light reflects and you can see things on the floor. I think it is a good solution for you. Head over to garagejournal.com and nose around there for ideas too. The discount may still apply.

This morning I looked longingly at the empty space in my garage. :(

Changed driveline fluids again. Noticed a leak coming from either the valve cover or upper timing.. left side of the engine. Hoping it's not the alternator gasket..

http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/...pspxq1xzuy.jpg

^ nice jacks where did you find those?

Refreshed front suspension and replaced navigation DVD drive
 

Front end felt sloppy and would clunk on braking so I brought the X5 to the alignment shop and they told me one of the radius rod bushings had leaked all its fluid and a ball joint was out on the other side.
I just got done putting in a 10 piece Lemförder control arm kit to replace all the normal wear items in the front suspension. Got the kit from FCP Euro and followed the awesome tech guide from Pelican Parts

Been struggling with DVD navigation computer disk read errors, random hangs and reboots since I got the X5. First I replaced the disk with a DVD +R that I burnt and that helped a little. I then replaced the laser in the drive and that worked great for about a week then I got total failure of the drive so I replaced the entire drive assembly with brand new one that I got on eBay. So far, so good with the drive replacement...

nice but not cheap at all over 1000.00 and thats probaly in U.S. dollars too yikes .
thx for the link .

Did the solder fix on the tail light housing. Amazing that 10 minutes of effort and a dab of solder can avoid $170 part replacement!

2002 X5 3.0 306,200 miles
2014 428i 20,200 miles

2004 325i sold at 123,600 miles
2001 325i sold at 66,000 miles

1970 Firebird - under restoration

I did my fix 2 years ago and still no issues ,all it cost me was my time, very easy to do.

Finally got the Dynavin N6 in and I'm loving it! Only issue I'm having is I can't seem to figure out how to get the buttons to light up at night time!

You have to tap into another line to get that. I tapped into the ashtray. Check 1d here:

http://www.jandtdistributing.com/pages/faq-links#q1d



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've always been a fan of palindrome mileage figures.

https://3dmmtg-sn3302.files.1drv.com...&cropmode=none

Awesome! Thank you, will attempt this later this week!

Got her new shoes! Contis Extreme Contact... Boy they looked so fat I was afraid I had ordered the wrong the size!! :D

Attachment 69907

Attachment 69908

Attachment 69909

Attachment 69910

Here are a couple more pics of the wheels & tires after being installed. Guess I had a productive weekend? lol Next I think I will refresh the suspension components!

Attachment 69916

Attachment 69917

Attachment 69918

Miltr118, truck is looking good. Those 168's add a nice beefiness to it with all that rubber.

One thing though, your Dynavin should sit in the dash a little further. Our Avin Avant did and should fit in as far as the factory head unit did. Will give it a cleaner look.

Crystalworks, I agree with you however this is the best we could get it after several attempts at getting it flushed with the dash! I'm afraid to try and push it further back as I don't want to break or cause any damage. Thank you and please keep the advise/help coming...

I still don't have my N6 locked in flush either. The Eonon I had before it turned out to be garbage, but it definitely fit better than the N6. But at least the N6 is functional.

Xmas came earlier 😊😊😊

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...d6b2b9df2e.jpg

Will be doing this shortly


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

^The E53 feels so good with a refreshed front end!

Upgrade from loose and sloppy?:bustingup

Not a bad job with the right tools and well worth it when you are done.

fo sho - i just did mine and it made a huge difference in handling. :thumbup::thumbup:

Washed it and installed the Thule box in preparation for our trip we're going on today... PF tire was wearing weird, so I'm sitting at the tire shop waiting on my alignment right now...

Sent from my VS880PP using Tapatalk

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...0d89ffc32a.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...912007129f.jpg

Sent from my VS880PP using Tapatalk

Oh no, Car was almost 2 yrs without seeing the road. When I bought I felt the control arms giving up... So I order complete sets of control arms and bushings....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dropped her off at the Indy to get smoked out, diaged out.

Put it back in the garage after coming home from out trip... Put right at 1K miles on it, and took it like a champ... Need to get some maintenance out of the way before our FL trip now...

Which manufacturer did you choose to use. Thinking about this myself.

Took it , in to get the serious electrical fault she has , hopefully repaired :(

time , will tell I think , I really don't want to scrap it

Nice wash and nice looking cross rails

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...912007129f.jpg

Thanks... Very impressed with the looks of the rails, as well as how little wind noise I hear from them...

Sent from my VS880PP using Tapatalk

Not my parts but I would always recommend Meyle HD strut bushings and a kit from this vendor:
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...-31121096169my

This weekend's work was replacing the OEM halogen halo bulbs with 20w LEDs and having the car recoded to disable the full-time DRLs and make a few other small changes.

https://cpvxmq-sn3302.files.1drv.com...&cropmode=none

Looks great! :wow:
Did you code that the DRLs only light up the rings? How did you do that?

Ha - we tried, but couldn't find a setting that would do it. Instead just disabled the DRLs from running full-time. From what I've read it's possible to tweak the wiring harness to power the halos instead of the DRLs but that's a bit outside my DIY comfort zone.

abs pump module failure , :(

I took some advice from folks in the forum and wrapped my wood trim in 3M's DI-NOC wrap. I'd never done this before and didn't have a heat gun, but overall am pleased with the results. I'd been worried about a plastic/high-gloss look but the 3M product has a comparable texture and matte/gloss effect of real carbon fiber. Not quite the real-deal stitched material in my M3, but definitely a good look.


https://4jmqrg-sn3302.files.1drv.com...&cropmode=none

looks nice :) i was thinking about doing this mod for a while.. never committed though! :dunno:
were you able to remove the center panel? i think that one is tough to remove?

also the panels on the left and right of your nav screen, how easy was it to remove? i know the door panels are easy as i have done it before to replace my door carrier and window regulator.

I bought a toolset for pulling interior panels from Amazon, and getting the dash and door pieces off was super easy. I'd say the dash is about the same difficulty as the door. All said for the dash and doors I spent less than an hour total, and that includes the panel removal, cleaning, cutting, wrap and reinstall.

The center trim requires the entire console be removed, which I have never done before. From what I read it's not that difficult, just a major pain in the boot. Debating whether I want to do CF on that or some other material.

I love that! Looks so much better :thumbup: Would you mind tell me what bulbs you used and are you just using the halos when you tun on the parking lights? Thanks

Sure thing. :) The bulbs are 40w Cree LEDs (2x20w) I picked up on eBay. Lots of options around, but I'm very happy with these. Only drawback, which has been every one of these LED bulb kits I've owned, is a loose plug. I used zip-ties to hold them snug.

The shots were taken with just the parking lights on - my "halo only" mode.

Thanks for the info, this is on my list after the front suspension refresh...

Trim looks great!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Thanks all. :)

I've been debating doing a poor-man's build thread on my various tweaks, upgrades etc - try to be very specific with part numbers, links to stuff found/purchased, in-progress pics. I have a few mid-size things in mind for the car, but given I'm not doing a major rebuild is it worth it, or would a thread just be spam?

I feel like i'm always wanting to do something to the car aha,
as for the thread being spam, I wouldn't consider it; since I always like and enjoy looking at other people's e53s and what they've done to it. :thumbup:

Not bad for first timer.

Thanks. My wife loves cars, but there's no way she'd let me at her hair dryer. Some things are apparently sacred.

Changed fluids in both front & rear difs and changed trans fluid/filter on her as well! :D

Attachment 69977

Attachment 69978

Love the Just cleaned look!:dancing:

Very clean - Did you do transfer case as well? That is often overlooked

Thanks StephenVA trying to get her looking like the rides you boys have on here! :thumbup:

That's on my list to do, ran out of time... ;)

Did the front/rear diff fluid change (Royal Purple 75-90) & TC chain swap with double fill (workbench fill, 1qt) of mineral base ATF (50 mile hwy drive to flush the case). Drained and filled to correct level (.5qt) with Mobil 1 Syn ATF.

Saw an improvement in MPG. Driving a full tank over the past 2 weeks (Coppell, Southlake, Plano area), with temps over 100deg F and the AC running, got to 418 miles traveled before the distance to "E" display read "0".

Gotta love V8 power, ice cold air and non-hwy cruising at almost 18mpg.

Replaced the Michelin Latitudes with a set of Pirelli Scorpions. Boy are these tires quiet.

Ooh Good luck with that. Those Pirelli's are known to get noisy after 10K miles.

+1 on the Pirelli Scorpions being noisy when around 1/3 worn (and they get crazy loud worn down near the wear bars).

Had to remove a set from the ex-wifes Jeep GC at around 15k miles.

Removed my JL Audio Stealthbox and put the stock speakerbox back in. :)

LMK if someone wants to buy the Stealthbox!

https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8782/2...aaa201ba_z.jpgUntitled by D Berner, on Flickr

Mind me asking why did you remove the stealth box and amp? did you not like the outcome of sound?

I have a 2 yr old daughter and no need for that much bass anymore. Loved it, but no longer used it to its potential. :thumbup:

Sent a pm :)

Replaced the two front seats with seats from a later model X. Now the kids can raise and lower the headrest electrically.

Busy weekend in X5 land.

On my 4.8is I tried the Dr. ColorChip system, replaced front control arm bushings (vibration persists), and did a full trans service with mechatronic sleeve replacement. Oof.

On my 4 4, I sent it off to a new home. Kinda sad to see it go but really no need for two E53s. On the upside, I traded it for one of my favorite cars of all time - E38 750il. Hard to argue with a massive luxobarge rockin' a V12.

Saturday drove the 4.6is like i stoled it and sunday took care of it and the E39 525i... Its Summer time (9 months of it)

Took a hacksaw and pliers to the 3.0 and removed these:

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...psmfo0chpp.jpg

And replacing the front passenger window mechanism and overhauling the passenger side power folding side mirror on the 4.6.

was it a straight plug and play install going from the 2001 seats to the later model? what year seats did you retrofit into your X5?

^^This x2 - I want to swap sport seats in

Not quite a straight plug and play. Apparently, the later seat belt receptacle uses a buckle that is slightly thinner than my 2001. Had to swap out the seat belt receptacle from my old seat to the new seat. Other than that the seats went in and everything seems to be working. Got both seats for $80 bucks on Craigslist. The donor car was a 2004 4.4 X5.

would love to see some pics of your new 750 :drool:

Picture of the new seats installed, note the power headrests.

[IMG]http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/p...pskg9uvpjo.jpg[/IMG]

Comfort seats <333

If you ever driven a Lotus or a PORSCHE 911 for 4 hours straight, you would expect a little comfort in driving a BMW.

Nice :)

looks like bi-colour, right?

Yep, they are black and gray.

Nice looking seats!

Thanks Brian.

VERY nice. :thumbup: And what a steal as well. Going to be tough to find matching rears though if that was the game plan.

I could had picked up the rear seat from the seller, but my rear seat is still in excellent condition. That would have been another 40 bucks.

had to buy her a new abs pump, seeing as the one I sent off to get repaired, cannot be fixed :(

not seen her in a week :(

@upallnight: in this case I would get the rear one if it will be only 40 bucks :wow: - so it will match perfectly

What about the doorboards of the donor, where they black or grey?

Yeah I would agree that at $40 its a no brainer. At least the seats would look consistent.

As much as it pains me to admit this, a trip to the dealer is forthcoming. Been chasing a front end noise and haven't been able to diagnose it. Hasn't helped that I've been travelling for the last month or so and wrenching time is tight. Slow speed L+R turns, like a 5mph figure 8 and it clunks like crazy.

I'm learning toward the steering shaft u-joint. Any bets on what that replacement is going to run? I told my wife it's probably a $1500 dealer fix (the part is $320ish online), figure $500 with dealer markup and 6hrs labor, plus an alignment. I have an 01, and the double joint is NLA, so I have to use the upper shaft and the joint from an 02+. Apparently the one I have is a square fitting for the ujoint to shaft, the newer version is a hex. Dealer is probably going to tell me the entire rack is bad, lol.

To recap, all front suspension bits are new (Lemforder), including the outer tierod ends/boots. CV axles have maybe 500miles on them. Everything was torqued to spec with the suspension preloaded. Dealer did a 4whl alignment and it was perfect for a few months. Someone mentioned strut bearings... struts are original but don't seem to have any play when I grab them and try and push/pull as hard as humanly possible with wheel removed; not sure how else to check the bush/bearing without disassembly.

Daughter turns 16 in October, and she'll learn to drive on this like one, like her brother did a couple of years ago. I don't want to spook her with any funny noises.

Wish me luck...

Steering joint noise is common on other BMW models of the era.
Re-torquing u-joint clamp bolts often cures it.

Thanks; tried that, top and bottom. Also squirted it with some Tri-flow/Teflon lube.

I'll check again though.

Loose sway bar bushings or links will make lots of noise when turning.

Links are new and tight. Bushings are original though @155k, I'll have a look at those, they're cheap enough to replace.

You should be able to feel steering wheel noise in your hands.

The steering doesn't feel "rough", or what I'd call notchy. I'll see if I can isolate the noise and determine if its occurring when steering lock to lock in parked/static mode or only when moving.

Back from some body shop dings and dents. Just did the E70 front wiper blad retrofit, and installed black chrome front grills. Ooooh Ha she (X53) is looking sweet.

Replaced the AC compressor/condensor, bled the brakes, got rid of the CDV, and installed delrin clutch pedal bushings. Should have done these long ago.

^why change out the condenser, josh? Why not just the filter/dessicant insert?

Most people change out a condenser because it has a slow leak. UV dye will confirm the location of the leak. It's not feasible to repair a leaky condenser. Cheaper to replace it with new.

Installed a smoke side marker, dipped grille and emblems. Thinking led interior and new speakers next.
https://imgur.com/JgMhByk.jpeg
https://imgur.com/BPkenk4.jpeg
https://imgur.com/iwqiJqn.jpeg
https://imgur.com/7mSp5nr.jpeg

Also any tips for blacking the chrome around front and back rondel?

What do you mean "dipped"? They look great!

I used plastidip

What part are you referring to?
Do you mean the grille? What I did was, I took the grille pieces out and dipped the chrome parts. They come out and go back in early easy

What did you use to blacken your wheels?

I'm talking about the chrome trim on the rondel/bmw emblem. More noticeable on the rear compared to front

The compressor malfunctioned and there was some light debris in the lines. I read that you cant really flush these style condensers thoroughly so I opted to replace it. I went with a Behr unit and it was only $150ish.

Sold it. My love for it could no longer balance out of the exorbitant cost of keeping it running.

http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/v...psi5zwdoho.jpg

Put about 40k on it in just two years. Of course it couldn't let 190k pass by very long before having something break. Looks like I'm headed to the dealer tomorrow to get a new brake light switch.

Gotcha Josh.

During my last AC work there was some debris in the valve. Replaced it and flushed the condenser. The drier insert was pretty filthy and lotsa black stuff came out. And while the AC is now more than cold enough, the 4.6 beats it easily.

The way those laminated multiflow lines run from tank to tank, looks to be accurate that a really good flush may not be possible.

Ok, now I'm thinking about replacing the condenser lol!

ETA: No freeloading!

Just replaced my driver's side door handle carrier.

It's sad that the first time took me almost a day and this one took me about an hour because I've done it 3 times already.

:worthless:

New front pads, rotors and brake lines, new rubber bushings and guide pins in the caliper/carrier. Brake fluid flush and bleed. Beautified the calipers while it was all apart too.

Left side of the instrument cluster multifunction display on the 3.0 got brighter than the rest of the cluster. Google says it's the bulb, even though it's not dead. So I replace the bulb.

Yeah, it was the bulb.

What kind of mileage was on it?

According to your posts, a module, FSR, cam pos sensor, and some frayed wires were repaired. These would cost under $500 to DIY.

I'm under $20k all in, purchase price (with TTL, in 2010 w/100k miles), plus DIYing ALL repair and wear items (brakes (Cool Carbon/Brakelabs drilled & slotted), tires (Vredestein), bulbs, rad (Behr/Hella), waterpump & T'stat (Genuine BMW) , hoses (Genuine BMW), Belts (Genuine BMW), TC chain, Viton VCGs (Genuine BMW), FSR (Genuine BMW), Powerflex bushings, door handle carrier (Genuine BMW), window regulator (Genuine BMW), alignments) to 200k miles.

Good luck finding anything worth driving with an "all in" cost (purchase price + 100k miles of repair & wear item costs) for under $20k.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY0WxgSXdEE

Now I'm curious what my costs are, per year and per mile. Bought my 01 new and it currently has 155k miles on it.

I've got a two inch stack of receipts for maintenance/repair stuff, probably 95% of it was DIY. Tire mounting/balancing/alignment and state inspection are probably the other 5%. I think I had one window regulator replaced by the dealer as I was travelling and wife needed if fixed ASAP.

Maybe start an "Official cost of E53 ownership" thread... don't want to steal your idea. Something like purchase price-estimated resale, plus cost of maintenance and repair.

Being over anal about cars and records, I built a spreadsheet that has a complete accounting of each vehicle. Makes for an interesting read to only myself, as no one cares but yourself.

Attached are the Parts order form and the maintenance record for the X5 for viewing yuks and grins.

No, I do not have a column for the bar code, nor the part images on incoming and out going parts. You can do all of that if you wish :rofl:

Josh did you DIY the compressor? I get some slight cricket/whistle from it sometimes when its started cold, and although my AC is cool, I know its more age at this point than mileage for me.

At $150 its not bad cost for the part and if its easy access for the most part I would consider it, or just pay an indy.


EDIT: Also to add, finally changed my fuel filter this weekend after dreading the big ass cover under the car for months - what a pain in the ass to drop that thing -

Fuel filter was replaced in 5 mins once it was dropped, but took an hour each time to get the cover off and on.

Not sure why people break the clips in the fuel lines, you just press in the quick connectors and the lines pop off, no tools needed - I also replaced the little piece of vaccuum hose which was pretty dry and brittle.


Next up is to get my passenger carrier replaced (aftermarket sometimes sticks so I bought a Genuine one) and do my window regulator slider clips and black window clips while its open - worked beautifully on the drivers side a few weeks ago.

^Doing the exact same thing before winter - debating whether I want to get a pair of new ATE front calipers which have all new everything out of the box (sourced for $90 apiece, not the rebuilt junk) - and then just do bushings and guide pins on the rear calipers.

Scott did you go with OE, Stoptech or ECS lines?

And obviously all getting a nice fresh coat of G2 :)

I did the compressor and condenser myself. It took about two hours. You only need to remove the mech fan/shroud/cover, a ground strap, the plastic splash shield, and the Sai hose. Then you just unbolt the rad so you can get a couple more inches of wiggle room. All in it's stupid easy.

My Indy wanted $2500. Granted that's including parts from the dealer. I replaced it for 600 including recharge plus I have a fcp lifetime warranty.

You can use Plastidip on the chrome around the rear emblem. I taped it off. I tried just removing the tape twice-can be done but it is hard to pull the tape at an angle. The third time, I sprayed the entire emblem. I used an Exacto knife to scribe the dip and I got a clean edge.

I did my wheels and emblems to match the color of the wheel well trim. That was about 3 years ago. I have done some small repairs which is easy to do but otherwise all of it still looks great and I always use a they-do-it carwash.

Your X5 looks great by the way!

Went with OE hoses. Came in Meyle bag, actually made by Semperit. Exact duplicate of original hose. Didn't want to mess with the pedal feel by converting to SS/teflon hoses, daughter is learning to drive on this X5. My hoses had a notch in them from chafing against the strut; I think that's what lead to the SIB to fit the stainless clips to the strut.

I used boring VHT silver caliper paint; been using it forever and it actually holds up pretty well.

Most of the 'regulars' know my cost of ownership has not been high (purchased new). Regardless, I think the cost of ownership should be balanced with the reasons you liked the X5. It should be weighed againt the purchase price and cost of ownership of a vehicle that will deliver as much or more of what you liked about the X5. At 116,000 miles I suspect I will experience more of the costs that others have incurred. I have been looking at buying something different for several months, something over 700HP. I, for one, can't find anything I think I would like as much as what I have. Even if I did I can only imagine it would be in addition to rather than in place of.

Turns out I bumped the brake light switch out of alignment. Easy fix. Also all my local dealers want a ridiculous price (including mini) for the switch.

Well shoot I didn't know it was that sensitive - when I did mine yes it was overpriced at around $30 I believe, but I did talk to Gary (luvmyE5303) who works in Spartanburg and he said those switches went bad on the early models quite frequently and there were newer superseded parts so I feel better having a new switch.

Cured an annoying random intermittent trifecta.

I would gladly pay $30. All of my local dealers were around $70, including mini.

The switch isn't a typical plunger which is weird. It's an adjustable plastic piece that senses the metal pedal arm. Super easy to knock out of adjustment if not careful.

Oil change and washer fluid refill. Time to get ready for the Labor Day Weekend trip to the lake :wavey:

2002 X5 3.0 307,800 miles
2014 428i 21,200 miles

2004 325i sold at 123,600 miles
2001 325i sold at 66,000 miles

1970 Firebird - Under restoration

Update: clunk in front end is resolved. It was due for state inspection, so I asked the dealer tech to roadtest it. He immediately confirmed the noise. He put it up on the alignment rack and checked/retorqued all suspension, subframe and subframe fasteners for 1/2hr labor. Pass side control arm had worked a bit loose. Noise gone and double joint (which I suspected initially) is fine.

Rookie mistake on my part I guess. An alignment rack makes access easy with the suspension preloaded. At least it's sorted and noise free.

Goes with DIY, rookie or not. Another one is finding a bolt or screw on the floor when you complete a project and having no idea where it belongs.

I actually looked up every torque value, wrote it down, and marked each bolt/nut with a Sharpie to make sure I had tightened them all... new locking nuts too. Maybe I need a new torque wrench, lol.

As far as mystery hardware goes ... I use Ziplock bags. I took most of my Spitfire apart about 6 years ago for restoration and I'm slowly re-assembling it. I have a couple hundred Ziplock bags all labeled with what the hardware is inside and where it goes. Probably overkill for one or two day duration DIY jobs.

I use a similar process when I do the big projects.

Hey there is no substitute for great strategy in the organization of parts as you dismantle or repair a vehicle.:D

Thats not a bad price for peace of mind and an easy fix!

I thought so too. Wife didn't want to drive it until noise was resolved; don't really blame her. Now I get to do control arms and control arm bushings on my E46; let's hope I don't eff that up. :D

I'll have to check mine. Has developed a clunk when going from reverse to forward and vice versa. I did the bushings, ball joints, and tie rods only this spring. I suppose it could be the rear arms now as I didn't replace those. Will have a good poke around with the X5 on ramps so the suspension is loaded (everything was torqued with suspension loaded).

Proper procedure is to retorque everything after road testing... lol but I never do unless there is a noise.

Could be suspension, could also be worn front driveshaft splines;although that usually has a ring/ping noise to it as well.

Driveline clunk between forward/reverse could be the TC chain.

Check sub frame bushings and guido

Gave her a wash. That 14 year old paint though lol. Can't wait to get her professionally detailed. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...71fe4ade1d.jpg


2002 BMW X5 E53 3.0i

200,xxx miles and counting

"If you ain't first, you're last"

It all starts AFTER you paid the X off.......

Nothing is ever easy with a BMW.....but extremely worth it when it's done.....correctly

I hope it's the suspension. I have always had a pinging noise(s) on acceleration. Another member posted the same sound prior to purchasing and said it was cured by a shop by "lubing" the rear driveshaft.

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...ml#post1061635

Hope it's not that.

Guibo's appeared okay when last under there. Not sure how I could verify the sub frame bushings visually.

I was also thinking it could be motor mounts? The clunk is similar to that which exhibits itself when an E46 rear differential mount bushing completely goes. Except that I "feel" it coming from the front. I've got the truck in the garage and will be under it this weekend. I'll have a poke around with the pry bar and see what I can find.

Is the transmission/Transfer case mount in good shape?

Nothing to fancy, just had a chance to wash it and try and get it shiny.

I'm really liking the spacers I added earlier this week, looks good.... TO ME.

The spacers are spot on.!!!!

Looks good to me, too!
keep it up :thumbup::thumbup:

what do you dress your tires with?

Looks great!

this week i got an alignment and ordered a side mirror cover/trim, ecs trans service kit & gasket kit. wonderful

New steering wheel install today. Followed by a long overdue major exterior detail: wash, light clay, Menzerna P400 followed by Menzerna P3800, then Sonax polymer netshield. I cannot remember the last time it was detailed. probably been 5 years.

Probably feels amazing - pics - and what steering wheel did you get!

Menz 400 is an amazing compound! Almost finishes last step ready every time.

Same 4 spoke wheel that came with it, but recovered in smooth/perforated and with M tri-stitch. I wanted to keep the rectangular airbag, it's not subject to the Takata recall. Bought the wheel from a UK seller, the craftsmanship is as good as the original.

And I'm sure the paint *will* feel great, as soon as I get out in the garage and start, lol.

What wheel did you go with?

Same 4-spoke wheel it came with. Here are a couple of pics; the quality of the leather and stitchwork is superb. I got a quote from Dallas Custom Steering wheel for the same thing, and it was about $425. This cost me half of that and I didn't need to send mine as a core.

^^^I did the same thing about 3 years ago - it was half the cost to half my wheel redone (standard 3 sport E46 - thickened, perforated sides, black stitching, leather) that Dallas Custom, shipped from I believe a seller in Germany with a Polish name, and no core needed - Still looks and feels great - sadly I have a Takata wheel :(

Looks good.

jljljl,

Funny you should ask about the tire dressing and being shiny...............

So over the years I've used ALOT of the tire dressings out there, I mean alot of them...... some pretty good some not so good. ALL ranging from 4.00 to 7.00........................

I have a little sports car that I like to have nice clean rims and tires on, so I have always looked for tire dressing that works well. over all unimpressed with whats out there.

Soooooooooooooooooo last year I was out at the local Dollar Tree getting some little knick knacks and I remembered I needed to get some tire dressing....... I see that they sell some off brand tire dressing for 1.00 and it was a big container... so I figured why not. If its water and doesnt work I only spent a dollar.

So I use it with VERY low expectations.........

havnt used anything since....

Probably the same outfit; wheel was redone in Poland. I think the seller is globalparts-uk.

I have a rare factory Mota-lita wheel for my Spitfire that needs to be recovered; it was only used for about 8 mos in 78. I'm half tempted to ask the seller if they can redo it. Even with shipping both ways, it would still be much less than Dallas.

Nice looking steering wheel.

So Scott where did you get this wheel recovered? meaning who is the vendor? By the way it does look great.

Yes! Inquiring minds (and wallets) want to know! My steering wheel will need recovering before too long as the stitching is coming undone and the leather has some serious wear. I was thinking of calling Dallas Custom Steering, but not after hearing how much they charge.

I looked at the various options for recovering. I ended up purchasing an M3 SMG paddle shift wheel. Steering wheel cost $200 on Ebay.

I bought the wheel on eBay. Here's a link:

BMW x5 Series E53 New Leather Steering Wheel Black with III M Tricolored Threads | eBay

When I searched for wheels, I include the international sellers. Sometimes you can find interesting steering wheels by searching for "bmw lenkrad".

sooooooooo, what's the brand? Your tires look great. :thumbup:

Had the "Check Brake Pad" light come on, so I guess I needed to do a brake job. Took out the front pad, they were worn, but the sensor was still intact. Might as well change them since I had the caliper off. Replace the pads and sensor. Took it out for a drive and checked the instrument cluster. Pad warning light was still on. Perhaps the rear pads are worn, so I went and removed the calipers. They still had 80% of the pad life. Checked the sensor and notice that it was a URO sensor, so I decided to keep the pads, but replace the sensor. Put everything back together and the minute I started the truck, there wasn't a "Check Pad" light on. Moral of this repair, don't buy cheap parts, not unless you intend to flip the X.

Yes this is a well known strategy when it comes to parts replacement. Stick to the good stuff. Most URO parts are junk anyway.

Brake job was done by a previous owner that probably bought the cheapest part available. I normally buy OE BMW genuine parts or OEM parts

Put 1k miles on it yesterday... Ohio to Florida... Got to drive thru the tropical storm in SC, quite a few hydro planing accidents while it was storming... Uneventful except for my wipers stopping in the middle of the windshield... After some research I'm confident it's the bolts binding... Definitely not a burnt up motor, because if I try to activate them, (after the 3 hour reset), I can see them move a fraction of an inch, then quit trying... Luckily I had just sealed the windshield, and didn't really need the wipers... I'll be checking those bolts out next week sometime...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I have precisely one URO part on my E53. The alloy water pump pulley; it was surprisingly well made. Actually, I might have two, I think I bought the alloy power steering pump pulley too.

Yes those two parts are probably the exception. Most of their other parts are pretty cheap.

I have a URO part, the Vanos Oil Pipe. After I first got my X5 in early 2012 I thought the oil pipe that was the source of a small oil leak but instead determined it was the infamous OFHG. When i changed the gasket I also decided to replace the oil pipe I purchased "while i was I was in there". THe URO version seemed comparable and heavy duty to the one I removed. And its been over two years ago with no leaking. Not to trumpet URO but I'll give credit where credit is due.

Okay I didn't say all things URo are bad, but they do have a higher frequency of failure then other aftermarket parts plus their pricing is noticeably cheaper than many of the others. Common failures that I have witnessed in the repair shop world: bad valve cover gaskets, bearings, suspension parts, timing cover gaskets,tensioners, etc.) I'll admit the aluminum water pump pulley is a decent part and even have one on the power steering pump of my X5. Its kind of hard to mess up a pulley.

Correct, URO does have a higher ratio of hate to love regarding user feedback. Aftermarket is after all, aftermarket. You could get an OE comparable part or likely not. I'll give Rein good marks for an aftermarket supplier. I'm impressed with their radiator hoses. I thought i was purchasing Continental but I received Rein and I saw where a logo had been lightly sanded away, likely the BMW roundel. I also bought Rein sway bar bushings and CVC hoses. But otherwise I try to purchase the OEM version i.e Lemforder for my suspension parts and Behr for radiator and thermostat.

Washed it, cause it needed it badly from driving thru the storm on Saturday, and thru some scattered showers over the weekend... Washed, wiped down, and waiting to go somewhere...

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...1f9e719be5.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...60b4a7b4af.jpg





Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

it looks amazing ! :popcorn::thumbup:

Thank you, sir!! I did sit down and look at it for awhile after I finished!!!
👌🏼😅


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Polished out a wheel I inadvertently etched while cleaning. To anyone that uses Malco Brake Off, don't mix it with GUNK. It seems to make an acid or something. And no, I didn't mix them and then use them. I put GUNK on the inside of the wheel becasue of some grease. Hosed it off and then used the Brake Off. Obviously the GUNK wasn't completely rinsed. I haven't had this problem on any of the other wheels with the Brake Off, just this one. The only thing different was the GUNK. For anyone that hasn't used Brake Off, I highly recommend it. The stuff easily removed ten years of baked on brake dust with only a little scrubbing in the corners where it was built up. I've started using it every time before I take it to the car wash. Car wash does a lousy job with wheels. Spray it on and hose it off and then off to the car wash.

That really does look amazing. Very nice X5. I've see it before and it strikes me every time. :thumbup: