2002 X5 3.0i Sport
 

Hey Guys,

New guy here. My name is Kevin and I have an '02 3.0i that I picked up February of 2012. Been in BMWs for the last 10 years or so and love them, this is my third one and most likely not the last. I didn't put too many kilometers on it for the first year, but we just moved from Victoria, BC to Winnipeg, MB and we drove this one out and shipped our other car. It was a beautiful drive out in April, hardly any snow and lots of hours behind the wheel :cool: I didn't let my wife drive because I didn't want to miss out. The extra power of the V8s would have been nice, but the I6 performed flawlessly, so I can't complain.

So far it's been good to me, only a few things, mostly from not driving it for a year (I think I put 1000kms on it over 14 months). Before the drive out here I put a new battery in and replaced a seized driver's front caliper. The rear hatch is making some clunks (expecially with some of these terrible roads here in Winnipeg!) but I don't want to fork out the dough at the local dealership for new rubber stoppers. I'll probably end up getting them out the states for half the price...

I got it with about 128k kms on the clock, sits at about 132k now. I'm the third owner, the first one was the one that painted all the lower moldings and the second added the wheels and a hitch. I've got one picture that I took and the ones from the for-sale add. Also, I'll put one of my 330Ci in for fun too. Great car, just not good for a family!

Cheers,

Kevin

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Arrg, mods could you move this to the e53 forum?? Not sure how I did that!

How do I transfer this one?

Go to the E53 forum and open thread that says new member--it is all there

:beerchug: hey hey alright, thanks to the mods for moving this!

here's how the X is sitting as of this afternoon - totally filthy...We bought our place in a new development so there is dust and dirt and mud everywhere and then we just had our cement driveway poured last week. That meant it had to stay outside for last 8 days, poor thing. It's Ok though, it will get a nice bath tomorrow to celebrate the new driveway :D

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Welcome aboard!

Aren't they great?! Not to worry, our streets will have you doing full suspension rebuilds every 3 years in no time!! :rofl:

Well now I know who to go to for help chaising down weird clunks and rattles when they start showing up! :stickpoke

Actually here's a question for you - do you use a oil pan warming pad? I've needed anything like that before, but it gets pretty darn cold here and I understand that there is no provision in the block for a block heater... :dunno:

My diagnostic fee is a flat rate of 1 double double from Tims!:rofl:

As for the block heater....My X has the cold weather package, so it does have a block heater, and thus, no heating pad on the pan needed. I would assume there's a space for a block heater you could put in. It usually jsut requires removal of a plug on the side of the block and in goes the heater. A block heater is the sort of item you should bundle in with a cooling system flush/refresh as it's going to require at least some of the coolant be drained.

Do you have a dealer-installed block heater? BMW doesn't recommend or offer them, and the cold weather package didn't include an immersion heater AFAIK. That is why some have gone to the stick-on silicon pad heaters. I have used them on larger engines, but never installed one on a BMW. All of my 3.0 engines were fine starting at -30C when I was travelling north of Vancouver, but I didn't have to do it day after day.

Interesting! I didn't know that....Just always assumed it to be part of the Cold climate package! My truck was leased for a year by an elderly Chinese couple who had the dealer do everything on it before I got it. It may very well be an aftermarket/after sale item then....but will have been installed by the dealer.

A double-double - that I can afford!

That's very interesting, when I called the dealer in Victoria before we left, they told me there was nothing available for the X5 (at least the 3.0i, I don't know about the others) and advised that I call the dealer in Winnipeg to see "what the locals do". I called them a few weeks ago and was advised that the only option was the heating pad...I wonder if I have the cold weather package - what else is included in it? I just had the cooling system cleaned and flushed to ensure it was good to go for the drive out here so I don't really want to open it up again...

That was also what I had read, that the 3.0i didn't actually need anything just a strong battery (which I just replaced at the end of March)

lol, you can disregard my previous post now...:rofl:

here's a picture from this winter of the X with Elbrus I02 wheels in case anyone wanted a reference picture...I know I had trouble finding any when I was searching.

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Im running a square setup of Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT 255/55 R18s and they have been fantastic in the snow and ice. :cool:

Picture is spooky. Footprints appear to be going toward the vehicle but no driver is visible. If they are going away from the X, why aren't there two footprints near the door where driver stood up before walking away?

We do strange things up here in Canada :) ...we'll just relate it to the ACTUAL cold weather!! Lol

haha, it was a really cold night so I jumped from the X took a couple of steps, took my pictures and jumped back in! Word to the wise, a suit and tie does nothing in this kind of weather!

Sure it does....gives you frostbite real quick! Lol

haha, I stand corrected, you're absolutely right! :thumbup:

I have fond memories of those days--10 inches of snow on my car, 30 mph wind blowing the snow sideways, kicking myself for not zipping in the topcoat winter liner because I can't stand how uncomfortable it is while driving, most of the snow I clear off my car is going up my sleeves or blowing back in my face , no boots-not cool, forgot my gloves, slipping around or falling because my shoes are leather soled, snow over my shoes soaking my socks, having to kick the plowed snow barrier behind me so I won't get stuck backing out, high anxiety that the car might not start, starting the car and watching the windshield frost on the inside while snow covers the outside, watching the little hole grow as the defrosters start to blow warm air, worrying defrosters won't clear the inside before I have to clear the outside again, wondering if I am going to get stuck in my driveway this time, feet still cold when I get there, knowing I will have to go back out in the storm with the snowblower and I will have to do it again before I leave in the morning. Do I zip in the lining and wear rubber boots tomorrow? No, but I do remember my gloves.

Yes, fond memories. Just thinking about it hot coffee just went down the wrong tube, I spat it on my desk and went in to a coughing fit.

Not being sure whether to zip in a coat liner or not, not wearing boots because they are not stylish, having to remember gloves, having to use the snowblower twice a day.... First world problems.

I have similar unpleasant memories of hot climates. Air conditioning taking some time to cool the vehicle down, blowing dust, having to have the car washed every day, having to wear a suit in 30 C. Glad all that is over.

Yes, first world problems as are yours, not real problems like hunger or being homeless.

Counterpoint--No salt equals no rust.

Are you telling me that spring is a downer, you don't enjoy your 2 weeks of summer and you can't wait for winter to come again? FYI- in the 60s today and gradually warming to the mid 70s over the next seven sunny days.

I was agreeing that my problems are in exactly the same category.

I like spring. It started in the first week of January here this year;
we got 7 bike rides in during January. Today it is 12 C and sunny, (mid fifties). I just didn't like the time I spent in the south when it was too hot. Houston sticks out in my memory, as does Miami.

A summer in Houston at BMW factory training (July and August) have given me a negative bias towards Texas. I know the rest of the state is supposed to be nicer, but Houston was that bad.

Oops, one of my too sensitive days.

Houston and Miami are hard to like, less humidity here. It does get very hot. My palm is branded--13mm Craftsman-- from when I was working in the sun last year.

With spring finally here I was able to put some time into cleaning up the X. Took two washes and lots of dirt running down my driveway. I need to take off the rear license plate and wash it again and then get to cleaning the interior. A few things to take care of after the long cold winter, a couple of the clips holding the seal across the bottom of the passenger door have borken and a few new scratches in the paint.

Also need to get the summer wheels on there, once it warms up just a little bit more...:thumbup:

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Looking nice and clean! Jealous of the running boards!

I noticed I have a few new rear bumper scratches after winter as well, I'll have to break out the buffer.

Like the color!

What season is it when there are no leaves on the trees and piles of snow still around?

I'm not sure, I'm new here! We just got out of a major 6 month deep freeze, so maybe stuff will start to turn green soon? :dunno:

Break up. Refers to the river melting. Leads right into flooding season. Followed by several months of poor skiing and sledding. Then it starts again.

wow, you should work for the Winnipeg Tourism board :rofl:

So what's the story with the houses across the street? No garages?

They have detached garages at the back with a back lane...

My mom came from Winnipeg. Some family still there. I lived in Edmonton, and further north in Alberta, for five years. Daughter is in Calgary, and got evacuated during the recent floods (house wasn't damaged). Same conditions. I know we are all considered slacker hippies in Vancouver by much of the rest of Canada, but when the cherry blossoms are out, and it is still snowing in Toronto, we don't mind so much.

I'm gald your daughter was ok in Calgary and that she didn't lose her house, that was a terrible flood.

Living here now, I certainly have a different perspective on my time in Victoria - I just keep telling myself that it hardly rains here and is nearly always sunny!