Installed a new alternator today. It stranded me yesterday. Was only showing 11.3 while running. New one is showing 14.0 while running.

^cool

Installed new driver's side inside cv joint boot (OE).

Also installed new front and rear flex discs and the center support bearing.

Here's a tip on the center support bearing, when you reinstall the bolt that bolts the two sections of the driveshaft together, use a 18mm gear wrench. Hold the bolt with your index finger and then crank away on the gear wrench. Oddly, trying to put it in with my fingers could not get it started. Very frustrating until I tried the wrench out of frustration and it worked!

thanks for the tip. hopefully I don`t have to do it but you never know.

You'll have to if you replace your center support bearing. :thumbup:

^so far everything is good there though.

The X decided that being on top of a multi story parking garage is a great place to crack the expansion tank in half, had a very fun time towing it out of there then replacing the tank...

http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/a...psqfrjvy4a.jpg

Try parking on a lower level - no doubt the lower atmospheric pressure at the higher altitude of the top level affected the expansion tank integrity. :D

Point taken :thumbup:

Simple new battery install
 

Well...after needing to jump the X twice this winter...and not being able to use the REST feature during the cold days of Jan/Feb when doing short errands in fear that I'd come back to a dead X5...I bit the bullet and dug into the cargo area to replace the battery.

Interestingly...the battery wasn't as old as I thought. I guess a previous owner replaced it (with a BMW/Exide battery) somewhere between 6/2011 & 11/2012 when I purchased the X5...and I'm sure they paid a pretty penny for the BMW label on it...and it only lasted 3-4 years. :yikes:


I usually go with Autozone's Duralast battery (which I actually replaced in my e38 this same weekend with a Duralast H8 DLG)...but Sam's Club had an East Penn's Duracell 49 H8 battery for $114.87.

(The only reason the e38 got the Duralast H8 DLG battery is because the old battery purchased in Jan/2010 still had part of the pro-rated warranty left (the warranty back then was 2 yr free replacement with 5 yr pro-rated warranty which was good up to Jan/2017)...and Autozone priced matched the Duracell...so the e38's battery ended up only costing approx $85)

http://bimmerboard.com/members/q/ori...0H9%20Info.jpg[/CENTER]