Do I have AWD?
 

Question: I have an X5 2002 3.0i 6 Cylinder Automatic, but how do I know if it is all wheel drive... I read some where that all X5's are AWD is this true? Is there a place where I can check to see if mine is all wheel drive?

Arian

Pretty safe to say all x5's are AWD.

Yes, 'AWD'...
the usual power split is ~38/62 from front to rear, from fading memory.
When the crap hits the fan, DSC takes over. For really deep stuff, I have had luck turning off DSC, in low speed climbs to allow for some wheel spin.
GL, mD

Although your 02 X5 doesn't have the current xDrive AWD system...it indeed is an AWD system that BMW used prior to the current VARIABLE front/rear torque split system. See the information below that briefly explains all the X5 models sold in the USA from the 2000-2006 model years:


http://bimmerboard.com/members/q/ori...02000-2006.jpg

Why do people buy cars that they know nothing about them? Is it because they buy it for the "Name"?

Mate - a bit harsh. Yes perhaps a reasonably simple question that should have been known but the point of these forums is to help and educate. If you think this question is too obvious or simple, don't read it or reply to it and put your obviously vast knowledge to good use on other threads.

I wish my X5 was not AWD
as do others

Unplug the harness from the actuator on the transfer case, and boom, rear wheel drive.

I wasn't trying to be harsh, I'm just curious as to why people would buy a car that they have very little knowledge of.

I brought my X because I needed a vehicle to tow my boat and jetski during the summer, haul the bikes when we go biking and carry all the skis and snowboard when the family takes a winter vacation. I had other BMW and Quattro before the X so I knew that I wanted an AWD for the winter and a SUV or in this case a SAV to carry all the gear and equipment the family uses.

I always loved the inline 6 engine, which is why I didn't buy an Audi again.

I agree that the point of these forums are to educate and get people the answers they look for, however, questions that can be easily answered through a basic search only serve to clutter the forum up; Making it more difficult to actually find the useful info.

Lately, it seems many of the new members opt to just start a new thread instead of searching for an answer to their question that's already been answered already, many times.

I don't mean this to come across as scornful or condescending.... people just really need to start reading and searching before they smash the new thread button......there's a "tips and tricks" AND "articles" section for a reason....:)

Why would you even considered a SUV/SAV without AWD? What's the point?

Better handling. Less weight, and thus better mileage and performance.

I was going to buy a 530 touring in 2003, but I couldn't special order one without the sunroof. So I bought the E53 essentially for greater headroom. It was a great car, but I replaced it with a 535 for the reasons listed above. Also, the replacement was more fun to drive.

You're absolutely right and that was my point. If you don't need or want AWD, a RWD wagon would be a much better choice for your stated reasons. Why would you want a high clearance/high center of gravity vehicle with 2WD? Sure it weighs slightly less and gets better mileage, but I'm not sure that it will perform better as it still have that high center of gravity. The E53 wouldn't be my first choice if I didn't want or need the AWD capability of it.

I think, it's not that easy, not to mention the transfer case of the threadstarter is the NV125, which is a full mechanical unit, so there's no actuator at all.

The X5s transfercases are planetary gears, so it's like an open diff between the axles - putting the fron driveshaft off would mean no torque at all will be transfered to the rear axle at all, because the rear axle will always have 100% traction - so my understanding, which may be wrong.

The ATC500 has the same basic architecture exept for torque vectoring, so in case of electronical faliure, it would act as the older NV125 with 62/38 torque split - so the putting off the actuator wiring would turn the ATC500 in to NV125 - just in my suggestion, I'm not sure.

So for me the only way to turn the X5 into RWD seems to be the install of regular RWD gearbox and custom propshaft.

I even barely think, a RWD X5 would get really much better gas mileage, because the AWD on E53 is very light and easy.

I know for sure that when my actator died, I was doing drifts. I was peeling out rear tires with minimum forward movement. As soon as I flipped the actuator gear and put it back on, no more peel outs. I can still drift, but in snow and wet only.

Yes you are correct, NV125, you can't do that at all.

On mine, if you unplug it, the a whole bunch of other errors come up, including ABS. So not exactly a solution for rwd. It was more of a joke.

Yes this
As long as it has LSD RWD Im fine. I don't go crazy at turns.