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.