The DIY type...
 

Hey guys...just purchased a 2006 x5 4.8is. This is going to be the family hauler for a while....picked it up from my boss who drove it sparingly. Only 36k miles on the odometer.

I want to do some general maintenance on it and picked up a Bentley manual for it. I am noticing a lot of the maintenance items require some sort of BMW dealer reset or "Tool" for reading info straight from the on board computers.

I searched a few and found GT1 and ICOM? Which one are people using? Can someone PM me a place to pick one up from. I would love to hear from people who already own and use one to chime in if possible. I would hate to go to the dealer to do a simple ATF fluid change for example.


-Ralph

Welcome!

I use the DIS/INPA program that you can get on ebay for roughly $30-50 including the cable.

Ok...just looked that up. Off to ebay I go...

INPA is a diagnostic interpreter program that communicates with your car using BMW's own factory developed Electronic Diagnosis and Information protocol (EDIABAS). INPA is a powerful and comprehensive diagnostic tool but there is no simple handbook available that I know of which will comprehensively explain its operation or functions. The bottom line with INPA is if you do not understand what a particular function does, you are probably better off leaving that function alone, but having said that, the level of diagnostic functionality is truly exceptional.

got a cable for $16 bucks and a software package for 39.99 british pounds. Lets see how this all turns out.

Wow 36k miles, amazing.

Post up some pics and please tell me its Imola or LeMans...

Btw even though your miles are extremely low be aware that many parts may need attention due to the age on them and not the mileage, just my $.02

Welcome on board!

Add a picture or two of the new family vehicle.

Pics up after a good wash. All this snow lately has it looking ugly.


Color is black sapphire I believe....nothing crazy, but I love it.

As per the maintenance comment....yup...well aware of that which is why I am prepping my arsenal. Bentley manual, DIS v57, TIS and reading up on the forums for what usually goes bad. The vehicle never sat for extended periods. It literally went from one heated garage to another for most of its life....about a 3-5miles commute.

Any pointers on what to look for would be appreciated. I checked rubbers and undercarriage for leaks. All looks good so far.

Do a hot oil change, that 5 mile commute has probably built up a decent amount of condensate in the engine. Engine oil probably never got up to proper temp.

Go for a long like 1-2 hour plus drive at 80 mph to burn off any condensation buildup from those short trips, and probably need to change those CCV valves on top of the engine.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...02a510e245.jpg




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Just ordered CCV valve...def a piece of rubber that has aged with time.

Simple swap as displayed on youtube video I found.

I have already put on an aggressive 1k miles or so in past 2-3weeks...will do hot oil change this weekend, but the car was serviced for oil changes every year.