I am lucky, Arizona has nice smooth roads around Phoenix, very surprised they lasted all these miles. My inner tire was wearing so figured would just do the refresh. ball joints were torn

Glad you realized the wear was likely ball joint related not just alignment. (ball joint on the bottom but also the ball joint on the wishbone arm)

The idea for an impromptu 1,000 miler was conceived in Wednesday, born on Thursday, and both worry or anxiety-free by our return home today. There is simply nothing like being able to hook up your family (and a daughter's boyfriend) for a little drop in the ole mileage bucket. We had a great day, good food, and of course.. reliable service:

(also, special shout out to my current post count.. My lil '02 might be in service before I'm 60. :()

190,000 miles, 2006 x5 6spd, 1/12/2022 while sitting in ski area parking lot, a good day all around.

Extra good day; that's a high miles for all pixels on your dash :-)


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Pretty sure the LCI update sorted the dash pixels issues - it seems to mostly affect pre-LCI cars.

I hope!! :rolleyes:

I had the radio pixel fix done 6/8/2016 @ 122,100 miles

I did have to drop off the x5 today to have driver and passenger
external door handles fixed. Subzero temps and road salt do not
play well with the door handles.

Well there ya go - seems LCI cars can have the issue. :rolleyes:

Seems much rarer though... :confused:

*edit* - Just realised you said *RADIO* (meaning MID) pixels - not dash - so hoping my assumption the LCI dash clusters don't suffer pixel issues is still correct. :thumbup:

MID pixels ARE still an issue in LCI cars - BTDT. :rolleyes:

For some reason the pixels in my 2003 tend to all work when it is sub-freezing out. In the summertime they are mostly unreadable but they work most of the winter. A few times I have seen both displays working perfectly (not a single missing pixel) and every time has been extremely cold out.

237462 K miles on the clock
 

I have a 2002 E53 3.0l Sport all the external BMW emblems are black. 5spd manual. It currently has 237462k. miles on the clock. I am the second owner. I purchased it with 196743K miles. I have replaced the door handles, rebuilt the front and rear suspension components except the struts, shocks and ball joints. I also replaced the oil filter housing gasket, pcv system, valve cover gasket and oil pan gasket.The front left wheel bearing was changed. The auxiliary heat pump took a dump but I'm still getting lots of heat. Those are the major repairs. The regular repairs are brakes, rotors, tires, etc. I love this SUV I have a spare 2003 3.0l with a 5 Spd manual. The engine needs to be rebuilt. It only has 163K miles on it.

What do you mean by "auxiliary heat pump" - the aux water pump?

Easy to replace that... ;)

heat pump
 

The auxiliary heat pump is a pump that comes from the radiator and T's off to the engine and the heater core. If I turned on the Hvac the fuse would blow. It turned out that the pump motor was randomly pulling too much amperage to start. It's easy to replace with only three hose clamps and a wire. Got the replacement from FCP Euro.

So yeah, the auxiliary water pump... on some engines (like mine) it runs all the time, not just when calling for heat.

I thought it ran all the time on all variants. :dunno:

It's impossible to bleed the coolant system without a working aux water pump...

Took a shot south to New Orleans
 

Cause, why not? SHe runs like a damn champ!

500 miles on the headers, no OBD warning.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...23bc88040b.jpg

:)

A revision was made around 2005 that fixed the pixel issue.

Had a new alternator pulley installed to replace the deformed one that came with my FCP Euro rebuilt alternator and was almost certainly the cause of the car eating and barfing out main belts at inopportune times. I have the pulley and will post a pic later.

Since the car was in the shop for the pulley and a once-over by a fresh set of eyes to check my handiwork, I had my two Cardone $40 (each, on sale) “remanufactured OEM” rear axles installed (broken boots both sides), some stainless braided brake lines I have had laying around for a while installed with a flush and bleed, and two new rear ABS sensors installed to hopefully take care of an occasional code I was getting.

She’s back on the road again and ran strong around town all day yesterday. So far I’m not seeing any unexplained coolant loss, so hopefully I dodged a huge bullet and didn’t burn up any head gaskets when it shed the belt and overheated the first time.

I’ve got about 1100 miles on the the new motor so it’s time to change the oil at some point this month.

:dunno: My '04 build still has perfect pixels. I think it's mostly environmental. The pixels never failed in 21 years on my E39, either. And it is an '00 build. :dunno:

OTOH, the 05/01 E38 I just bought with a mere 32k miles was often stored curbside. And yep, the pixels are fading in two lines.

Anybody ever notice that the older we get, the faster the miles add on? :stickpoke We may even see 169 tomorrow. :wow:

https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes...712338_ios.jpg

I still treat 'er right. After all, she's the same age as my lil girl. And ain't nothin too good for my lil daddy's girl. :luv:


And then, there's the X5. I also treat HER well. :thumbup:

https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes...675_ios-1-.jpg

I agree, although I can remember.....

Crap, forgot what I was saying [emoji1787]

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@Propellerhead, you're just slightly ahead of me there, Bruv!
(This is in Kilometers, of course :D)

Good to see you around :thumbup:

After what feels like an inordinate amount of soul searching and arguing with myslef over the last couple years, I will sincerely offer you my thanks and acknowledge that yeah, it IS good to BE around. Thank you, sir. :flex:

What else would we drive, anyway? :rofl::rofl:

We have a much bigger choice of SAVs here in the UAE than I would in the UK and still; either you go cheaper (VW Tuareg, Ford Explorer, Toyota Fortuner, Chevy Traverse etc.) which feel nasty inside, or you're talking Cayenne or one of the Audi Qs which would just be horrific to maintain, from what I've heard.

The E53 4.8 is the legendary mould-breaker of very fast SAVs, and the crash protection and load carrying is still the best. I couldn't get a Christmas tree or a Pottery Barn bookcase into anything as luxurious, and still get 0-60 in 6 seconds on my budget :D

Hey fellas haven't posted in awhile but still rolling with my baby 4.6...gotta say miles are climbing pretty quick I think LOL 😳

!!!! :wow: WOW! WTG! :thumbup:

Wait! :yikes:

Those are miles?:wow:

How much drivetrain is OE? :popcorn:

Mine is not even half of that! :cool:

2006, 3.0L. 99k miles on clock but 75k on engine due to needed it replaced when it hydrolocked one 20 degree below zero day a few years ago and the condensation froze. Not a good day.

Replacement engine
Passenger door replaced (was hit while having engine replaced)
Catch can system installed/PCV delete
Yaw sensor
Steering angle sensor
Both upstream 02 sensors
Passenger seat occupancy sensor
New brakes/pads/ABS sensors
New door handle carrier drivers side
LED interior light upgrade
Apple car play and Bluetooth upgrade

That's all for now....it's a BMW...there's more to come for sure.

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Pretty much everything under the sun I've fixed and updated. I basically rebuilt motor when timing guides went at around 220,000. I'm on second transmission which original broke at 116,000 so already have more miles on second transmission than most ppl have on motor LOL��

You sir, are a hero. :thumbup:

I'm driving it more now; averaging up to 11.7 miles per week!
 

I posted on this thread back in early September 2021
https://xoutpost.com/1209155-post744.html, when I wasn't driving it much, averaging only 2.64 miles per week (14 weeks). Now, after 41 weeks of ownership, I've got 210497 ? miles (I think), that have raised my average weekly to 11.7 mpw.
Attachment 81839

I had been overcoming my fear of an over-heated engine, since I had an about-to-self-destruct viscous fan when I got the X5, and learned that the coolant temperature gauge on the dash wasn't trustworthy; I had to remedy those two problems before I drove it more miles.

The fan was replaced by a high-power electric fan, which took two months (another mod to it was done just last week), and after that there came the "gauge substitute" hunt, which is still ongoing (though I have a working Android/Torque Pro temperature gauge on my dash, now).

Then came the emergency roof rack I built to shield the X5 from falling Oak branches in my parking area behind the house, which was followed by leaking sunroof drains (which I cleared, then deactivated the sunroof after sealing it with Paint Protection Film, so I'd never have to deal with it again). Those sideways trips took me up to late October, before I felt OK to drive it more.

After New Years, I was still struggling with dependable gauge readings, until I finally got the correct combo, as stated above. But meanwhile, I'd been trying to find fixes for four codes and an airbag light, but those haven't kept me from driving the truck...mostly to the stores and my doctors' appts. (just learned I was Diabetic).

And I've been stymied in my repairs of my wife's Cobalt "ABS/Master Cylinder/all discs & drums" overhaul, which she insists takes priority over the X5. So anytime I need to work on the X5, I must put in more time on the Cobalt, even though she has my HHR and her GMC available to drive.

So, though I'm still getting recurring P0171, P0174, P0313 codes every other time I drive the X5, I trust it enough to take it every time I leave the house (though the failed exhaust camshaft sensor and the intermittent (happened 4 times) nocrank/no start mystery problem gave me pause). However, I had originally planned to take the X5 camping, pulling my 2225+ lb trailer, but not on a 500 mile trip.

I'll have another '2nd digit' early tomorrow. :popcorn:

I was in the middle of The Connector in Atlanta when she flipped. It was better to stay alive and get a pic in a few miles. Besides. Tradition.

About 218k miles / 352k km on mine. But it's getting an engine swap at the moment :(

just ticked over 220k km yesterday in a snowstorm

Just got it clean! :(

The only better way to cause snow is to remove the snow brush for the season.

For me it's either taking off the snow tires, or dewinterizing my sprinkler system. Either one will summon a hard freeze or a snowstorm, guaranteed.

I hear ya on the snow tires. Took mine off and on Apr 15: 15" of snow! April 15 being the exact middle of spring in the northern hemisphere so that was interesting.

I did swap them back on for some very fun driving in fresh snow ovwr a foot deep though.

I hear ya too. Loud and clear.
Last sunday me and the X returned home from a couple of weeks work in a neighboring country. And i was thrilled to be met by spring weather and 60 °F.
Same evening i replaced the 17" winter wheels, that makes the X look like a shopping cart, with my summer tires on staggered style 87 rims.
And yesterday i woke up to 2" of snow and 25 °F.
It's not fair. :(



Also, the X passed the 160K miles mark on the return trip.

153905 miles. 334 mile trip from Austin to Ok.
MPG = 24.0 1consum info button.
Best MPG in my fleet right now.

extreme low mileage progression
 

While you take your X5 on long trips, achieving great gas mileage, and PropellerHead shows 1K mile daily updates, my poor X5 only gets to sit, get tested at idle, or take short hops to the store (or Dr.), with only one trip of under 100 miles as its' longest journey (since I've owned it). Not exactly what an "ultimate driving machine" is for.

I looked up my photos of my odometer (dates taken) and it's a story of limited usage, and the resulting poor gas mileage that results from not driving this truck as it should be driven. Why? reasons are here: https://xoutpost.com/1218846-post830.html.
Attachment 81968

I got it on 5-21-21 (with 210008 miles), registered it the next day, and filled the tank the following day. I've only filled it once more, since. Now, at 210548 miles, I've only driven it 540 miles, altogether. 540 miles in 318 days equals 1.698 miles per day, or 11.89 miles per week. I used to drive up to 800 miles every week, just commuting, and up to 1800 miles on weeks where I had an out of town drag race that weekend.

There was a drop in mpg on the dash gauge from 15.2mpg to 14.7mpg, in the last month. Presumably caused by the abyssmal fuel trims I was getting, but also by testing it in the driveway for hours at a time, and/or trips of < 10-15 miles.

Previously, on the single "long" trip I took it on, months back, during that 90-ish mile trip the mpg rose from 14.7mpg to 15.4mpg. Still not good, but still better than my big pickup, which gets <15 mpg. If the "new" fuel trims stay low, as is my hope, and the SES lights stay away for awhile, then I hope to use the X5 on longer trips, that will improve the gas mileage.

Also summer blend gas. I would get 1-2mpg bump with my M54.

It's taken an entire year to make it dependable for me. I didn't drive it up to Ok. I had to make sure it would make the trip. The best MPG improvement was replacing different aged coil packs. Plus, single point iridium plugs. Since I'll have help for suspension work, I may pull the trigger on injectors. How long do those last? I've been running Seafoam once every few months to clean the injectors. With the battery now lasting longer than a week with no drain, once it's back, it's a daily driver.

My 4.8 sits for weeks at a time before I'll drive it once for 20 miles or so. Then every few months I'll take it to Houston and add 500 miles to it. She's coming up on 130000 soon. I'll post a pic when it gets there.

There's a grip of maintenance (long list) that I have queued up for it, but it's been behaving so nicely that other projects keep taking precedence.

an X5 needs to be driven to become reliable?
 

Both summer & winter gasoline formulas in my N.Texas area (DFW Metroplex) are similarly reformulated, so no conventional gasoline is available; I've never noticed much difference season-to-season.

During the 3.5 years that my neighbor was rebuilding/restoring the X5 (in order to trade it to me for my '66 Chevelle), he started in the engine compartment. I know he replaced all the cooling components (excepting the mechanical fan), then the plugs, coils, injectors (using good quality replacement parts, though not the "best"...like Bremi coils, Bosch plugs, etc.), and finally, (at my insistence, just prior to the swap date, replaced the timing chain & guides). He spent a lot of time on the suspension, and it drives perfectly, better than any "new" car I've owned before; considering it has over 210k miles, it drives phenomenally well.

Peripheral equipment was done as-needed, with added aftermarket towing added, a cheap non-Android radio, and adequate Yokohama YK-HTX tires (nothing special, I'll upgrade later), so I've been adding-to and doing my mods around the edges. I've just started to add my StaBil fuel stabilizer to the X5, and will again, if I ever fill the tank for a third time. Lucas injector cleaner, maybe, too.

My EE neighbor never had codes that set SES lights, or he would've fixed them, as a conscientious engineer would (he drove it about 5k miles during the 3.5 years while fixing it), so I figure that my bad luck recently is the direct result of not driving it enough. I've other vehicles that have seemed to start degrading only after sitting awhile. My codes only started after it had been mostly sitting for five months. I expect some items to fail, as a matter of course, but just trying to understand the inter-linked web of BMW codes, modules, sensors is new to me. So I'm slow on the uptake, it seems. Not the mechanic I used to be.

I still had the original injectors in my '02 at 389,000 miles and never used any fuel treatments, just ran Shell premium gasoline. I think too much of that Seaform and you'll be replacing converters too soon.

266,000 miles on my '06. Still running original injectors. Mileage seems to be getting worse. I do a lot of short trips and around town driving, so I expect that, but it used to do better on the freeway than it has been lately.

Just hit 266,666.

My 06 Dinan x5 4.8is has 82k on it [emoji1360]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d1e4fac5f4.jpg


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Man does it feel dialed in!

I just have to say, I'm impressed by the number of working pixels in this thread

The pixels are intact on my 1997 E39 (210k miles) and my 2005 E53 (140k miles). I don't do anything special - maybe it's the Pacific North West and similar climate?

Mine just rolled over 213,000

The 04+ clusters were a different design and did not succumb to the pixel issues which plagued E39's and early E53's

Yep, that's what I just read in the bimmerpost forum.

https://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1917015

"The pixel issues didn’t apply to the low cluster displays. The pixel issue occurred in the 20 digit alpha/numeric display at the bottom of the cluster. The low cluster of that era used the graphic display (image of vehicle w/4 doors). And by 2005…the high cluster’s pixel issues were very rare."

Mine didn't used to look that way. I had it fixed

Well I hit 247247 yesterday on the way home, so I'm sure something else will bite me in the ass this week...[emoji28]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...51a7bee732.jpg

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Mine's an 01, 85,600 miles on the ODO. While young in miles, there begets quite the story:


She was in a frontal collision roughly 11 years ago, and was purchased at an insurance auction by a shadetree guy in CA as a fixer-upper. He bought pretty much all the OEM parts he needed to address the collision, but then life distracted him otherwise and she sat in his garage for 10-ish years. He either gave up ever getting back to the project or passed away, and the car went back to orange-title auction, and my mechanic bought her and finished the rehab. She's tight and quiet, is the rare 5-speed I wanted, and now after a $400 detailing looks brand-new inside and out. I did have a couple demons to chase that are a function of 11 years of sitting...yuck in the fuel, non-functional tank guage, dry-rotted front axle boots, rusted-to-hell brakes, dry-rotted tires (such a shame, they were brand new, still had the little nibs on 'em), and dead remote key. Oh, and the ubiquitous bad pixels in the MID stereo deck. Whackin' the moles as they come up, overall I'm a pretty happy camper.

I just hit 250k yesterday evening (hurrah?[emoji28])

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That's amazing especially since you live on the face of the sun. :D

Funny thing is that we are due a heavy rainstorm this week.... [emoji51]

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I've got an 03 4.6is with about 188,000kms on the body but the LS swap engine has 420,000kms and feels solid. I also just cammed it, and turbo'd it. Pics to follow shortly.

Looking forward to pictures

I think I started a thread awhile back. Turboing it wasn't part of the original plan but my buddy talked me into it as a winter project lol

I need to see that :wow:

Crossed 130k while on the phone w/ Happy last week. She has some oil leaks, and could use a rear suspension refresh, but she's a trooper.

Attachment 82390

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1e2252d212.jpg

99,000… Almost there..

Many Moon’s ago, I had a vision. And I prayed, that vision would be completed by 100,000 miles. I made it with a 1,000 to spare. All glory to my Father in Heaven!


E53 RiPPeR
XOuTPoST jUNkiE
ReVELaTiON 22:21

Amen Brother:thumbup:

Another milestone. :D

That's pretty impressive having that many kms on your vehicle. Great job on keeping it on the road.

Thanks, this one got a factory new engine in 2015 at 384k km's though, so about 60k km's in the current one. Nonetheless, the original one was still pretty well used.

Nice job! Why the engine replacement?

The bill from the garage who replaced the engine says that the chain had snapped and probably broke couple of valves in the process, engine is toast —> ordered a new engine. Saying it like it’s nothing. The new one cost 11000 euros + installation, the owner must have really loved the car. Myself I was suprised it was possible to order a new M62B46 engine from the factory still in 2015, I don’t think they available anymore. Do I recall right that someone from Xoutpost also had a same engine with even more recent built date?

After sitting for 5 months on repairs, it turned 154,000!

After a fill up, 530 mile range. Plus 24.7 MPG at mostly 75 MPG. Actually 73 MPH. My GPS and speedometer are off like 2 MPH. So to cruise at 75 MPH, the cruise is set to 77-78 MPH.

Hi everyone!

Long time BMW owner, first time on this forum.

I got a 2006 3.0L E53 X5. Bought it in early April 2021. Needed a bunch of work. I was going to to try to "flip" it but I ended up keeping it as my daily as I sold my Subaru Forester XT that It was my daily at the time.

I bought it with 65k miles... pretty much rebuilt the top end and took care of some other things and its been my daily since. Currently have 74.5k miles on it.

wonder what mpg mine would get on a sustained highway trip?
 

I've had mine 454 days now, and only driven 888 miles, so far (1.95 mpday/714 mpyear). It sits sometimes for two weeks, and once for two months without any usage. The dash display "mpg" has never gotten above 15.7 mpg, since all my drives are short hops in traffic, and only one trip of 40 miles each way (with many stops enroute) on Hwy 377 from Burleson to south of Granbury) to test how it runs (fine, tested up to 90 mph). The wife insists that we take the 30 mpg HHR when we visit her mother (she thinks Premium gas is too much $$).

I've had to reset the board computer several times, setting my mpg back to zero, and now have no idea what my longterm mpg would really be like, and if I were able to get the normal mix of roads that others do, would it be higher? My typical day's drive is 10-15 miles, with 25-30 stopsigns and lights per loop, with posted limits of 45 or so (I'll occasionally get on the highway for about 2 miles, before I have to turn off).

Trips to one doctor's office lets me drive 13 miles continuously on the highway at one time, woohoo!, but the mpg increase I'll get is soon defeated on the shorter return trip, all in congested traffic (detoured to my pharmacy).

The only plus to my "short driving distances/low speed/low mpg figures" cycle is that I'm still on my third tank of gas since I swapped for it, despite the how many extra hours?? I've run the engine in the driveway, while testing and trouble-shooting. Currently, I'm just Biden my time for lower gas prices, so I can drive it more.:tapping:

Bought mine earlier this month, and can't be certain what it was at the time, since the odometer was all dead pixels, but since getting the cluster fixed, it's now showing 141,000 on my 2001 Manual X5!

Did you send it off or repair it yourself?

I sent it off for the repair. I watched one of the youtube videos on it and decided that it was outside of my comfort level.

I hate to predict doom and gloom, but you are murdering that engine with those short trips. Whatever you do, don't drive it like that in the winter or you'll plug up your CCV system. In addition, ethanol will settle out of your gasoline in as little as three weeks causing other fuel system problems. These engines love to run down the highway at 80mph and will do it all day long.


My lifetime fuel average was about 18.9mpg with the highest tank ever close to 27mpg on a trip from San Antonio to Dallas with the A/C off and outdoor temp at 65 degrees. Sold mine looking like this:

it's better to drive short trips, rather than none at all
 

At the present time, it's the best I can do for it. My '04 Chevy 2500HD sits for months, only going on once or twice a year camping trips and occasionally around town, the '98 GMC gets used a bit more, as it is the Home Depot shuttle, and my wife's back-up. My old daily driver, the '09 HHR Panel, was handed-off to my wife when I got the X5 (at the same time I undertook the overhaul of her Cobalt's brakes, still underway), and the X5 was to become my daily driver/project car.

The X5 sat initially for 2+ months while I acquired the parts (slowly, on my limited "retirement" allowance!) to replace the grenading mechanical fan with an electric one. Then there was the leaking sunroof that flooded the interior, so I sealed it up. Then the frustrating P0171 & P0174 codes caused by an under-reporting MAF, that had me limiting my driving, for over six months...then the high gas prices.

Meanwhile, I'm practically forced to remain home, while the wife is constantly gone (since last October, basically) due to:

• 1) my recent health problems: blood clotting DVT, then late onset diabetes making me either tired or always going to DRs,
• 2) my wife's parents' health problems, causing her to be always going 100+ miles to hospitals counties distant,
• 3) recently her sister has had to have several surgeries, again several counties away, and despite having kids, my wife is the support group for her, and
• 4) my wife's "jobs": 4 hours a day as personal assistant to an 88 year-old woman (friend's mother), and as a dog/house sitter (for her affluent friends on vacation)

My usual daily activities also preclude any distant travels:

• 1) the four chickens she built a coop for, need my attention,
• 2) the four dogs she adopted need constant attention (1 cripple, 1 blind),
• 3) the three surviving (out of five) feral cats she brought into the house (they were dying outside), now need supervision (crazy interactions with the house dogs), and
• 4) the remaining neighborhood feral cats are multiplying, but all show up on our property, so I basically herd/feed/water them (she started it, then handed it off to me)

So, while my much-younger wife is busy allover the place "enjoying" my retirement, I'm stuck in a rut. I wanted the X5 years ago (it took my friend 3.5 years to make it a "worthy" trade for my racecar) for a project car and my dedicated camping vehicle (to tow my 2220 lb trailer). But during those 3.5 years, my situation changed drastically, reducing my freedom to camp several times a year to one last year. Sure, the reasons are of our own (mine?) making, and to be expected growing older, but not what I wanted when planning for the X5 swap. So, I drive the X5 whenever I can, hoping for more.
P.S. I use "STA-BIL 360 Protection Ethanol Treatment & Fuel Stabilizer" on all my vehicles.

You've sure got lots going on in your life. Don't worry about short trips in Texas. Humidity is not that high and the week of winter is no big deal. In addition, you can remove condensation by letting engine idle with oil at operating temp for 20-30 minutes after one of your short trips. Hope you get so 'freedom' back soon.

Last Saturday evening...

Back on the way home this morning...

It's truly annoying how badly these X5 SUVs age. I have a 2011 Land Cruiser, now 215,000 miles, only routine service items. Never any failure.

I have a 2008 E70 3.0si at 85,000miles and I can't even list here how many parts I have replaced, how often it has failed on me on the road and as of now, it has persistent Active Steering error, 4x4 and DSC errors, disfunctioning HVAC, name it.



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180kmh and an FTM warning...!! :yikes:

Pshhhh! I don't need no stinkin' BMW faulty TPMS! I got the REAL stuff! This was also the 1st road trip with the new (real internal) TPMS sensors and USB connections for the Android radio. BMW's trashy warning can bite my big blue a$$! :p:

I really think the TPMS error is bc it's a lil too low. :dunno: It'll reset and stay off, but after ab 100 miles on the road, she lights again. But.. ohhh.. that stance! I haven't yet had time to pic out which of the pics I want from these guys on Tail of the Dragon, but I will get the HiRes versions soon!

:confused: I'd say the say about an E70, but they never grew on me the way the E53 did. :dunno: Usually, before moving parts break, they get replaced. Very simple. In the 22 years I have owned 3 E53's, I have been on a wrecker now ONCE. And that was bad fuel away from home. :(

Not bad for nearly 20 yrs and 174k miles! Even if she does show off the dents from hauling bikes around the country. Them are MY dents! ;)

Yeah, it sounds like you have had a lot of BSDs (Breakdown Stranding Driver). I mean I get a lot of problems with my 2003 E53, but it has never failed me on the road. I've owned it for over 6 years and just rolled over 125k. I know the previous owner had one (when a coil spring popped out of its seat just a year or so into the car's life) but that's the only BSD I know of. The previous owner did a very bad job of preventative maintenance too (I have had to bring it up to speed on a lot of things). This being my first German car, I actually have had a very good experience.

Current mileage when I parked it at home this morning after work.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2aefe394_c.jpg

No BSDs so far, but I have only owned it for two months.

Oh, there are bad parts in there for sure. Just nothing you notice or care to fix. No car on the planet lasts 215k with no part failures. They'll keep getting you from A to B though, which is all a lot of drivers care about. I wish I was one of them... I'd have a lot more money in my bank acct.

:thumbup: TotD pics look great. I got some nice shots from one of the corner photogs on the 3 Sisters in the Hill Country last year. Amazing how well one of these on aftermarket suspension and a mild drop can hold the road.

Thanks!

I've had the Eibach sways now for over a decade. I removed them from the '04 3.0 when I sold it.

This was the 1st (real) twisty drive since installing the Turner solid core bits up front AND the rear poly carrier bushings. After 173k and 18yrs on the stock ones, the thing behaves completely differently! No more of that ass wiggle at transition! :thumbup: I even got those 315's to slide a little- But I felt the entire thing. It was really, really nice.

Still running on air suspension cause, well. It's fun to raise and lower. :dunno: Somewhere around here I have my original TotD shots from 2013. In fact, my avatar is one of them! I'll need to change it!

I picked the hiRes photos and got the 17MB rear pic :wow:. The front shot is taking some time I guess.

Edit: Got the HiRes file from front! Wheee! I even changed the 10yr old avatar!

Well, you may be right, that "No car on the planet lasts 215k with no part failures." As a user, I consider it a failure when the failure evidently presents itself and the car is either undrivable or too dangerous to use. But fact, the Land Cruiser has only been service plus usual wear and tear items.

On the other hand, the E70 has had many, many major issues at a third the mileage of the Land Cruiser, many leaving me stranded, and with no apparent warning. To list but a few:

- Failed starter motor, twice.
- Failed alternator.
- Failed brake master cylinder, car rolled backwards and hit other cars.
- Water ingress into rear fuses, causing myriad of issues out of nowhere.
- Failed fuel pump relay, in traffic (was very, very difficult to diagnose)

Others not stranding me but failures nonetheless:

- EPB (twice, replaced)
- Front wheel bearings
- Pretty much entire front suspension items (from control arms, etc)
- Rear air springs, both, twice.
- Engine motor mounts (all)
- Water valve, various HVAC sensors and items

Currently ignored:

- 4x4 failure, DSC failure, Active steering failure, EPB failed again.

Now you can see my frustration and why I have to, perhaps unfairly, compare the two vehicles, and wonder why the X5 is this unreliable - its mind boggling.







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@05:15 this morning on my way to work. :bmw:
1600 miles since the suspension rebuild, alignment, and GMIII module replacement. It's running great. We drove it to San Marcos yesterday to have lunch. Great run at 70-75 MPH. Getting it ready for a 1000 mile run during Thanksgiving week. :thumbup:

Holy smokes! That is the sort of thing that terrifies me -- should not ever happen in this day and age.

Yeah, another milestone....[emoji28]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1348cd8a43.jpg

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2006 3.0i - 186,000
2002 4.6is - 112,800

*soon the 3.0i will be on to its next owner.

Just rolled over.

Gosh, I would kill just to be able to read my odometer

Had mine fixed. It had a ton of dead pixels. My OCD made me crazy until I had it fixed.

I'd be right there with you if it didn't cost $150 + and require my car to be down for two weeks.

Fortunately I live about 30 minutes from a place that does it. They did it while I waited.

Really? Which one is that? I actually make it to your area once or twice a year for work (Belmont/Redwood City actually)


If I could drop it off and pick it up the next day man, that would be perfect.

They're in Fremont, just across the bay. I'll have to check and see if they're still there, it's been about four years.

If you could send me the website or name of the shop I would be immensely grateful. I usually visit both sides of the bay when I come.

These guys: https://www.yellowpages.com/fremont-...-com-470790857

They did a nice job. I think I only waited about 30 minutes while they did it.

FWIW, I did a mail-in for the E38 cluster repair- missing a single pixel drove me nuts. It turned around in less than a day.

The white one. Seems so low, but we've heard lines from the front that suggest she's smoking at idle. And so it is. We double the purchase price and move her on to age 30. Nothing else out there will do it for less. :nanana:

10,700 ish.


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That’s really surprising at that mileage. VSS already?






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A garage queen?

For sure!


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114000 bought it in 2006 now


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110,000 since nov 2004

A tad over 76,000 now.

high mileage X5, low mileage (driven) lately
 

So, you've got 110k (miles or kilometers?) in 18 years; that's considerably more than the 990 miles I've driven mine, from May 22, 2021 to November 22, 2022, after 18 months of ownership. My odometer reads 210999 miles today.


I'll cross 1000 miles driven, on Thanksgiving, when I actually get to drive it 80 miles (mostly on highways at 60 mph and above, instead of to shopping malls at low speeds in stop & go traffic). The combination of a year of low speed operation along with many, many hours of engine running in the driveway, while testing for vacuum leaks & trying out various data-gathering Android apps (on several devices) has kept my avg.mpg fuel consumption reading between 14.5 and 15.2 mpg. Instant mpg is much better, according to the data, but driving in traffic makes it highly inconsistent. I'd like to see what it can achieve, after a long continuous stretch of highway (and show my wife that it isn't all that bad, since the pickups we have get similar or better, using 5.7 and 6.0 liter V8's).

I will hit 260k before the end of the month or 10 days max.[emoji28]

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longest trip yet, showing better mpg despite taffic & weather
 

As I had hoped, I drove the X5 south to the in-laws ranch (beyond Granbury, Tx. from Arlington area); the trip started out with the avg.mpg reading at 13.8 (after many hours experimenting with my data displays).

Despite half the trip being in Thanksgiving stop & go traffic, and the whole trip driving on congested state roads in heavy rain (and up and down many hills), my avg.mpg rose to 15.7 before it fell back to 15.5 as I got home from the 101 mile round-trip. And since my wife was not along on the trip (already at the ranch), I drove as much as I could at 10 mph above posted (up to 85 at times, in the rain). Always felt in control...I love this vehicle! Now my X5 has 211100 total miles, 1091 under my ownership.
Attachment 82815

This trip was the first time I've driven it in heavy rain or fog, used headlights and/or fog lights, and used the front and rear defrosters. They all work fine. I also re-configured my dashboard data display, prior to this drive, moving my 8" map-reading tablet to the dash (using a CD slot holder in front/to the side of my cheap stereo) and it works much better than the old 5.5" cellphone screen.
Attachment 82816

It is rock-steady, easy to read, and I can easily use the stereo behind it. And, unlike the Samsung J3 phone, the Lenovo tablet doesn't lose connection with the OBDLink LX dongle I'm using. I don't need the CD slot, as I've moved most of my music to flash drives (one of which you can see plugged-in below the screen). Torque Pro for driving, and Foxwell for diagnoses, at least for awhile. I was hoping to go Android radio + I-bus app & adapter before now, but I'm not ready yet, with other projects going on (getting a laptop + INPA/ISTA, newer vehicle for the wife, switching out our internet and phone services, caring for ill mom-in-law, all taking precedence...in reverse order).

The march slows, but we continue fwd!

Almost there!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...69c80ba1aa.jpg


E53 RiPPeR
XOuTPoST jUNkiE
ReVELaTiON 22:21

My 01 4.4 is running at 180 ish thousand miles here in the UK. I’ve had it 8 years and it had 145,000 on it when I bought it.
Timing chain guides have been repaired, suspension links replaced and transmission rebuilt last year. Should be be good for another 100,000 I reckon..

And so another.. heheheh.. milestone...

On the way to work today....
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...231e18e104.jpg

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Well, you are in "hell". :rofl:

That definitely true [emoji1787]

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Approx. 45,300. 1,300 of which I've added since buying it in December.

Is yours the sterling grey one that was just on BaT?

No, it's a one-owner car I stumbled upon locally.

178,000 and running smooth as butter. I did VST, Alternator, Battery, Head Gaskets, Coolant tank, oil cooler gasket, booster gasket, timing cover + vanos gaskets, valley pan, bimmerfix coolant exchange, booster pump gasket, CCV's, and custom 90c Thermostat.



For three years, my X5 has been bone dry, with the exception of a tiny bit of oil vapor around the oil cap and the FCP Euro booster gasket, which I'll replace again. It used to guzzle a quart of oil every 3-4 weeks, but I've not lost a single bar over the course of three oil changes.


Only complaint I have is on the 90C thermostat, which was advertised as a premium grade modded utilizing a new BMW genuine part. It's BMW genuine, but has consistently opened at 98C from the start.


Next I'll probably do a valvetronic service and full front control arm replacement. Just hoping to get a few more years out of it before I possibly go electric. Love the X, but the California gas prices have absolutely destroyed the joy I used to get from the performance aspects. Now I get depressed at every unnecessary red light.

E53 4.6is 51k original owner miles
 

I ordered my E53 4.6is new over 20 years ago and only have 51k miles

1000 miles to the next oil change.

Darn I’m getting alerts intermittently. Just now seeing your reply. You have the sport pkg?

2011 X5 4.4L 50i 84362 miles

A quick trip for college orientation flips the bits...

Another milestone! One year and 6000+ miles since an oil pan gasket fix. Plus all the driveline and suspension rebuild.

Every guy in the world [emoji1787][emoji1787][emoji1787]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3ff914718e.jpg

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Turned over 190K mi after this pic from this morning before I drove home from a week at my camper.

I was also presented with a "Service Engine Soon"before driving almost 400 miles, but didn't notice any change in behavior. Ehh... mañana. Hope the Bimmerlink app works on this old beast.

110k, 2004 model 4.8iS.

Don't think BL or BC work on E53. They are bwey good on E70 and excellent on wife's F10

Yep, checked the website, only E70+ https://www.bimmerlink.app

I have an app called Auto Doctor that only works with certain BT adapters, and I have one, SOMEWHERE.

Switched to a wired ethernet + lightning adapter which works great with BC/BL in my F30; the BT connection was glacially slow, and I might have pitched the BT dongle.

What is the mileage of your X5?
 

Veepeak OBDCheck BLE Bluetooth... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073XKQQQW...p_mob_ap_share

That's the dongle I use. It's plenty fast enough but works better on F10 than E70. (many of the data points won't load on e70 but do on F10).

I have a couple wifi dongles and a few apps that do generic scanning (but do include O₂ voltages). Never was a fan of using WiFi as interferes with internet

So this happened today, on the way out to Canyon Lake, Texas. Nothing malevolent as far as I can tell, but I hesitate to tempt fate. ;-)

And yes, the tailgate was open. #haulinstuff

Best regard,
Chris
Lockhart, Texas

Wait.

True enough, sooner or later. :-)

Chris

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ffeb55e678.jpg

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We hook up a trailer and take away my *other* 2004 model year to school on Monday. Time moves so fast.

Picked up my holy grail this week, an e83 HEATED Motorsport steering wheel. Leather looks ok-ish, not great though. Will give it a re-condition and see what happens. The trim panel, airbag (those stickers, ugh), and control buttons are all pretty poor, but I have mostly-new replacement parts for all of that.

A quick trip for parents weekend..

Highest mileage one I've seen (not mine)
 

craigslist Vancouver, BC


2001 X5 3.0 claimed 560,000km Approx 350,000miles. That is WAAAAY better than any of the four Lexus's we've owned (they all lost transmissions at 300,00km plus or minus 30k)

Sorry in advance if Im not supposed to post links, but I think the durability of this one is worth noting.

https://vancouver.craigslist.org/nvn...665653145.html


cheers

I just hit 280k this week!! [emoji854]

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Wow! Big milestone. Mine is only half way on catching that one!

I am just glad for the wood trim because that's what I knock on every time I get in the Witch...[emoji1787][emoji1787][emoji1787]

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M54 with the 5 speed are long haul machines.

I just passed 275,000 miles on mine. 350,000 is my goal. Maybe longer. We'll see when we get there.

Yesterday my 04 4.4i hit 44,444 original miles, caught here doing ~44.4 mph, approaching the 44 mpg reading :thumbup:

https://i.imgur.com/0fQHpAA.png

Fun.

Should have reset trip odometer at 44444-44.4=44399.6.

I thought ahead when my e53 was about to hit 200,000. I also managed to get the avg mph to hit 20

Yes, would have been :cool: for it to read 044.4, Andrew!

44444-444.4=43999.6

Just realized 3.1 digits. The trick is getting the decimal when main odo doesn't have.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...617c610aea.jpg
I clearly forgot to do the trip but with all zeros looked better. Mpg missed by .1!

I reset and drove another mile attempting to hit 20.0 mpg.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3b6b7532f2.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0e6aa84767.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9242cf12ed.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d56811d79f.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7bd2186490.jpg


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...fd46990553.jpg
The hysterical laughter that followed was absolutely worth the time attempting to get 20.0!

I would have liked 044.4, since it's an 04 4.4i :)

If I had reset it when it turned 44,400, I just would have had to have taken the picture 0.4 miles after the 44,444 change :thumbup:

A couple of months back, my 2005 X5 3.0 hit 66666. Today the older sister (2002 X5 3.0) hit this landmark.

Chris
Lockhart, TX

You guys need to trade to even up those numbers


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I see you shiver with antici


...



...



...



...


pation.

Gonna be there soon @ 192K.

@117,000 miles. Bought at 72K 10.5 yrs ago

268,000kms, 2005 MY, 4.4i
looks great still.

Lol, I was going to screenshot my Duolingo XP when it hit 544,444 a few days ago. But I overshot it by doing a legendary lesson :p:

Just running around

I've been watching this thread since I sold my 2002 e53 in Jan of 2021 with 388,000 miles. Looks like it may still be the record holder. As far as I know, the new owner replaced the failed reverse gear solenoid in the valve body and it's still on the road in Wichita Falls, TX.


My 2016 F15 is racking up the miles as well, but not quite at the same pace with 110,000 showing on it.

Nice. You are one of the reasons I kept my E53. I figure is people can get over 300,000 miles on theirs, I can to. I'm at 276,000 miles.

I just hit 184K on the dot yesterday LMFAO nice!

On my drive to work this morning...

https://i.ibb.co/Xbk0jR8/20231011-073907.jpg

What is the mileage of your X5?
 

Well… The time has come! And boy has there been some good days, as well as some tough ones. But it finally happened, I hit the big 100,000 mark.

I am thankful to God that my prayers were answered and the project was completed right on time! ;)

I was hoping to get it all done by 100,000. It’s pretty much a completed project..! There are a few more things that could be added, but it’s not really a necessity. Big brakes, sway bars, and cams would be about all I think that could be added. But like is said, not a necessity.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e72f5e245d.jpg

I am super thankful to all those that had patience, and helped me over the numerous years with this project. But most of all thank you Yeshua for hearing my prayers..! :D

Now, it’s time to ride..!! :driver:


E53 RiPPeR
XOuTPoST jUNkiE
ReVELaTiON 22:21

96k miles for me, aiming to get everything mint before 100k!

2001 BMW X5 3.0i 144K

200k miles
 

Hit 200,000 miles today on the way to the ski slopes and it was snowing

2006 x5 6spd manual, Born 10/12/2005

Treat that car nicely! Lovely specimen


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No work means not many miles. Which oughta mean fewer repair bills. But no. :rolleyes:

Lemme guess? Many trips to the little ones college?


E53 RiPPeR
XOuTPoST jUNkiE
ReVELaTiON 22:21

That's a solid guess, but my little girl has been rackin' 'em up on the little 128 to and fro. So far, no troubles for her happy little i6. I caught white smoke out of mine this afternoon. If refreshed seals only last for 90-100k miles, we're ab to have a come to Jesus with 2 E53 N62s. We just did the white one last month. !ouch:

Another seals job is a healthy start to an LS conversion. Screw XDrive. There. I said it. :wow:

Awe man! Sorry to hear that.

I’ve been the one racking them up on my end. It starts adding up real quick. But it’s tough to complain when you see your babies thriving.

The way I see it, it doesn’t matter what’s under the hood.. As long as it is running right! LoL..


E53 RiPPeR
XOuTPoST jUNkiE
ReVELaTiON 22:21

same verse, same as the first
 

from this same thread, posted over a year ago
https://xoutpost.com/1225838-post914.htmlWell, it's been just over 13 months since I posted the "single post" above, saying I'd bring my total mileage on the X5 up to, and over, 1000 miles since getting it (a period of 18 months, miles added to the 210008 miles it already had), and now, I've only added 500 more miles.

Total mileage now stands at 211524 miles, or 1518 miles added in 31 months (roughly averaging 1.63 miles/day, or 595 miles/year); the tires will rot from old age, long before there's any treadwear!

Once again, I drove it down to a family gathering at the "ranch", south of Granbury Texas, because the wife didn't want her (new-to-her) white, 2014 Lexus ES350, to get dirty on the rough hardpan and chalk rock road leading downhill to the house, from the County Road. Especially after a couple of days of rain...the old X5 suddenly becomes OK to use, after all (she says it rides too harsh, and the seats are too hard...I think the opposite applies to her Lexus, though). The ground clearance of the X5 is about 2" more, though only listed as 1" difference on the web, and even she admits that AWD is better on the loose road material than FWD.

Well, anyhow, the drive was great as usual, and the data gathered was practically identical to last year's posted data, so same old same old, as it goes. I welcome any chance to drive the X5, but when there's no reason to take it out amongst the great unwashed (read that as "the lousy drivers on local roads near shopping centers"), I prefer to keep the X5 safe at home.

'02 with 82k here! Only had the babe a couple of months but have already redone the cooling system, a front axle, had a fog light go out, and am just about to fix the rear passenger window that randomly fell down last night, haha! Still have a stubborn oil leak to track down and fix, but that's the charm, right? ;)

I hit 170,000 on the 4.4iS today. He’s running as smooth as buttah..! :D


E53 RiPPeR
XOuTPoST jUNkiE
ReVELaTiON 22:21

oh hell yeah, this year my goal is to hit 200k then let her go, I'm at 186k now lol

Windiw fell down? I just delt with a driver window falling down. There are two small black clips that hold the window up. I’d bet they both broke.


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155k miles!


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Had this happen on a work road trip last summer. Put the windows down to let the hot out and the driver glass stayed up. Aroo? WTF? Thought maybe it was stuck due to heat expansion. Opened and slammed the door closed and it fell right into the door. Oh shit!

I happened to have two new clips in my toolbox — I never road-trip the X5 without it — but I didn't need them. The two bolts that hold the clips to the regulator carrier were both loose and the carrier had gone down without the glass. Re-seated the glass, tightened the screws, and it's been fine since then.

Broke half the door panel clips and one of the mount pads came off. I still haven't fixed that, but it's not urgent. I want to replace the water barrier at some point because it was completely missing, obvs someone had been in there several times before me, but I have not had any water intrusion.

I had the same with mine nothing broken just the bolt/nut rattling at the bottom of the door


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Good idea about keeping clips in the glove box. It seems like an almost certainty that every year as we pull out of the driveway with the trailer all loaded up for a week of camping that somebody rolls down the window and it never comes back up.

What are the odds...? :confused:

https://i.ibb.co/2grNLbt/20240203-084329.jpg

About 10 to 1.....[emoji1787]

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Car is at 166,933 miles this morning when I looked. I've been meaning to do the math to see how many miles are on the 2 year old motor now so I can update my maintenance log: 13,854.

Its been in for 2 years now and has been largely trouble free, as one would hope for a new motor getting roughly 7k/year miles. The obvious exception is the large coolant tube leak I had to fix a few months ago. I think, however, that can be attributed to the mechanic who built the motor and used ebay coolant tubes. Its mostly oil leak-free, with the exception of a slight right bank vanos weep that I noticed when doing the coolant tube job. I gave the vanos unit bolts a very slight torque, but I think they are seated on collars that won't allow for the actual unit to be over-torqued?

I'm staring at a few larger maintenance jobs at some point when I get motivated: Left front axle boots are failing and spraying grease (right outer is still intact, but is showing cracking), blower motor is squealing in cold weather and in (mostly) left hand turns for some odd reason, the transfer case chain is showing signs of being overly stretched out, and the front diff has a slow oil weep from the casing joint. This last job will be a nightmare but fortunately it isn't enough to even drip on the stiffener plate yet. I'm going to save it, the transfer case and pulling the dash apart to replace the blower motor for after we get my wife a new car this summer/fall and her 2015 jeep graduates to being the on-call X5 rescue vehicle and back-up daily driver. I wonder if Quaife makes a diff that will fill the front carrier in the X5. Worth a look, but likely not as it is a smaller unit than the rear diff and may have only been used in the x5, unlike the "medium" 188 size diff in the rear of our cars.

A friend was asking about the X5 the other day and said "you've really saved a lot of money, compared to a new car, by keeping that X5 on the road." My wife almost blew her drink through her nose laughing.

I'm told that you can get the blower motor though the radio/HVAC hole in the dash also the 5 series the e53 is based on. Look for a YouTube video. I was planning to do with one of ours I think I still have the blower but we sold the car before I got to it.

I'll prove or disprove the myth! My blower motor will bite the dust sooner or later. It makes a screeching noise sometimes. A blower motor purchase is on my maintenance spreadsheet.

Send me DM I have a spare. No longer have e53

Now that I have a third car I've been wondering if I should just put the X up in the garage for the next 3-4 months and tackle a bunch of those things: clutch, front driveaxles (a couple of my boots are starting to leak too), transfer case chain, both giubos, front driveshaft R&R (using the spacer X5Chemist sold me) and maybe even the rear subframe bushings.

Per your wife's point though: when I bought the X I was debating buying it or buying a 4Runner or similar reliable Japanese SUV that could carry family and tow a small trailer (mid-late 2000s). We were budgeting $10-15k at the time (2015-2016). According to my maintenance spreadsheet, I still only have about $10k in this car (not counting consumables, only repairs and preventative maintenance) and not a single breakdown-stranding-driver situation. So even my wife has to agree that despite the time it takes me to keep it up, for a car that's really nice and that we actually like to drive (we are stick shift snobs) our first German car has been a financial success as well.


We're only at 135k now though, and there's no signs of having to rebuild or replace the M54. Doesn't drink oil, doesn't have any running issues at all.

My wife and I are manual transmission lovers too...just don't happen to have one right now unfortunately. I'm trying to talk her into an M2, but its a tough sell with two big dogs.

In truth, I wonder how the numbers would look over the life of our X5. I keep good records of maintenance performed, just not money spent. We've owned it since 2002 and until 2014 it was my wife's daily. The usual maintenance was performed, and at some point I started doing the big stuff myself. My kids then drove it exclusively for at least 5 years, during which I did almost nothing to it aside from oil changes. The only big ticket thing I recall was a "new transmission" (remanufactured).

Only when it turned into a project did I really start throwing money at it. But given that it had languished, un-cared for for so long, and needed all the stuff a 20 year old BMW would need (in addition to the other stuff I've done to it), I wonder how the total cost of ownership would look over its life?

Honestly the list of things I've had to fix on it is very long -- much longer than any other car I've ever owned. But the total cost of all the repairs, having done all of them myself, is only around maybe $4k over 7.5 years of ownership. I was surprised by how low that was.

Snort.

The way I avoided the big bills was to buy one that someone else had already blown about $8,000 on it in the four years he had it. I have his spreadsheet. Subtracting non-essentials, I think I've put maybe $500 into it since I bought it last May.

It looks like shit with the clearcoat peeling off and plenty of dings and scratches, but mechanically it's probably the nicest one in Georgia. Suits my purpose: something I can park at the airport or train station for weeks and not give any fscks about dings etc (except the asshole who crunched the rear bumper, grrr) given I travel about 80% for work while the F30 garage queen is safe and sound.

Your time is coming, young padawan. The very purpose of an E53 is to outrun the nature of a beloved but broken child who also struggles with addiction, complete mental breakdown, and/or a combination. We as owners end up after all of that with so many maintenance-dependent grandbabies that we become the enablers. We're really just waiting for the sunshine that comes from 6 months of nothing going wrong.

Either years of therapy or owning 2 N62's will influence any owner's journey toward peace. (but that peace will never- EVER- be available while maintaining an E53)

🤣😂

At least I'm only dealing with an M47, which IMO is the Volvo Red Block of BMW engines (I'm sure there are others but the N55 in my F30 is not a candidate), and a graunchy-shifting manual vs that GM hydraulic mess. But you're right, my gloatiness could vanish in a trice.

She was a salty bitch for the first few months, I think because PO had several other, less-cranky cars, and rarely drove old Frau Blücher despite his investments in money and time. But after a few shakedown road trips she woke up and shook off the glitchies.

So far.

I've now done numerous 900-mile round trips from Atlanta to my camper in rural Indiana, in blazing hot/humid and freezing weather. The first two trips were OBD-scanner limp-mode hell every 90-150 miles, but she hasn't thrown a CEL since early last summer. Almost at 200,000 miles with no indication that the engine has been out/opened for anything. Blows no smoke, starts instantly, understandably drips a little bit of oil every other day or two. I've got a bottle of AT-205 at the ready.

I do seek a working nav "wide screen" head unit if anyone has a spare. I replaced the screen with an ebay part but neither it nor the original work anymore so I must have borked something in the process.

Pray for Salty, if that's in your religious obligations...

Ouch. This being out of work BS is seriously limiting my quest to a quarter mil. Also. It was 76 degrees today. That pic is like last week. :rolleyes: