Greydog

Morning Donna Did you buy private? or from a Dealer ? The scuttle area is under the bonnet ahead of the wipers. it has the engine main fuse relay and DDE in sealed box above the inside fuse box. The plastic tray/trim that houses it should have drains in the bottom check them. Check the pollen filter housing centre of the same tray/trim that is where fresh air gets in so if drains there are clogged or the filter is clogged/soaked it could be the source. For what it's worth my screen leak was tiny but the amount of water that came in wasn't Dave

How did they take it ? Did they clone the key ? When I had the last AMG there were 2 attempts, guys on the drive woke the dogs who woke us. After the first attempt I got a Faraday pouch to keep the keys in they can't be read and cloned then. When they came back they spent a few minutes but must have realised they had been spotted we gave good footage from the security cameras to the Police including the number of the car they came in but have never heard if anything came of it.

Hi Donna Welcome to the Forum Have you had the windscreen replaced ? I had the screen replaced on my X5 and a few months later first heavy rain and I was in a similar state Windscreen refitted FOC by the same company and no further leaks, just keep your fingers crossed water hasn't got somewhere it shouldn't and caused damage in the electrics Check the scuttle area make sure there is no build up of leaves and debris that could let water build up and get in through the pollen filter if clear I suspect the screen. Dave

Hi Andrew The 2 attached drawings upper and lower tailgate are both from www.realoem.com Put the last 7 digits of your Vin number into the search box it will bring up your model (not sure if the drawings below are for your exact model) the site is a BMW online parts list. The small drawings help identify what goes where in the drawing below on the right you can see the lower tailgate and it's locking mechanism Dave

Hi Craig Don't believe what you are told I have an issue at the moment with my X5 (failed LCM) Two specialists said main dealer only as it has to be registered to the car and you can only do that with a new unit. Guess what after some research I find that it is straight forward to re-code a second hand unit with the software I already have. Price quoted £1350 LCM + coding. Re-cycled unit (latest version) £80, time to remove old unit fit new unit and recode/code 50 mins To register units to your chassis your Vin number needs entering into the register box so I am sure you will find someone who can do it if BMW wont can you get any help from the insurance? Or even your home insurance? Dave

Hi Clive I believe they are backward compatible so you should be OK with 7 unless it is for 64bit I brought mine from a guy on Ebay he was very professional and spent time on the phone and on line to make sure everything was working. He is in the UK but it may be worth contacting him to see if he can help (see the attached link http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=djwwautodiagnostics&iid=203061387937&ssPageName=VIP:feedback&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2560 Hope it helps Dave

Morning Andrew Check realoem the drawings will give clues as to how the trim panels come off, to allow you to get to the lights. with the lower tailgate there are locks each side if water has got into the loom you could well have corrosion on the connections or just a sticking lock one side. Bit of detective work when the weather is warmer and dryer Dave

Hi Again The water shouldn't be there for sure, check there isn't a drain in the area that is blocked but my instinct says you have a leak. Normal suspects are rear light clusters or boot seal possibly sun roof drain blocked and water running from there. Dave

Morning Will Considering the battery prices you had and Dealer hourly rates (my local Dealer is close to £200) that seems a better price. Have you told them you are NHS and need a reliable car see if you can squeeze a bit more 😁 worth a try Dave

Morning Craig Welcome to the Forum Scum bags Short answer is yes, first make sure you buy the correct version for your car. Check www.realoem.com put your vin in the search box it will bring up your model. Then check the section you need for the part number, if you double click the part number it will show alternative numbers that can be used, if any are available. Then you need someone with the diagnostic software to register it to your chassis. BMW Dealers will say it can't be done unless it's a new unit £££ Try a BMW specialist or maybe a helpful soul on here Dave

Morning Andrew First as you have described water ingress finding the cause of the water getting in would be my starting point as any fix is likely to suffer the same fate as soon as it rains again. My 4.4 X5 suffered from water getting in around the rear lamp units took a while to find but the fix was silicon sealant when refitting. I had ha repeated PDC failures plus a Radio failure all due to water damage. Check the roof drains are clear all seals are good. If you are not aware look at www.realoem.com the small exploded drawings will give clues to where stuff is fitted and part numbers if replacement is needed. Good luck Dave

Hi Martin For every Yay there will be a Nay. The simple fact today is modern/new Diesel engines are very complicated mainly by the emission control systems which are where short journeys take their toll. The same is true of modern petrol engines which today have similar emission controls they just clog less as they produce less soot. Not opinion just science and fact, think about it the air filter on the engine, it is there to make sure the air entering the engine is as clean as possible. The filter is changed at service because it clogs, for an efficient engine keep it clean. Inside the engine after the fuel is burnt it carries all sorts bits into the exhaust some carbon some soot some unburnt fuel and oily deposits, the EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) recycles some of these gasses so they are re-burnt. Helping to reduce emissions in Petrol and Diesel engines, diesel by the nature of the fuel also produces soot and oily deposits which at low operating temperatures tend to start to clog the system over time giving issues. The DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) is there to further clean the emissions (new petrol engines also have a DPF system) due to the amount of particulates that escape the EGR system. The DPF is a filter so like the air filter eventually becomes clogged, unlike the air filter changing it is not practical. The DPF therefore has a regeneration cycle where it reaches incredibly high temperatures to burn the particles trapped in it. Short journeys don't allow the engine or DPF to reach temperatures where it can regenerate. Not opinion not hearsay but scientific fact. All modern engines will produce excellent MPG figures combined with low emissions but only if the emission control systems are working correctly and maintained at a high standard. Me I stick with my big V8 it will see me out and my neighbours will never think I came home in a Taxi 😁

Hi Will The prices you have sound high side I would check www.realoem.com for the correct battery for your car then check out Halfords among others. I brought a new AGM battery 800cca 90a/hr for my X5 for £112 last year so the deals are there any garage with decent software can register the battery plus the AA/RAC Dave

Morning Brian The last mini I had was in the 1960's but here goes ?? What made you think there were "fumes" in the header tank if you have a head gasket issue I am not sure whether the additives will work. As for the temp gauge it would appear that there is a dead short so I would back track through what has been removed to see if a cable is pinched damaged (check all insulation) or in the wrong place. Check www.realoem.com put the last 7 digits of your Vin number in the search box it will bring up your model. Search the relevant sections for information there are small exploded drawings which will help to understand what goes where, plus the correct part numbers for replacements Dave

Morning Will Welcome to the Forum If your battery is original it could well be the source of your issues. When you used the power pack I hope it was on the Charge points under the bonnet to avoid any damage to electrics. Remember when fitted your new battery will need registering to your car to ensure correct charging, Dave

Morning Clive Sorry old head on yesterday, yours is the USA spec N54 so you have 2 cat's so 4 lambda sensors. Some welly and letting the car clear it's throat seems to have helped a little, watch out for the Mounties 😈 Smooth at that pace aren't they 😁

Morning Karl Welcome to the Forum Carried out this job on my brother inlaws 535d touring and his previous 530d which I assume will be the same as your motor. The inlet manifold has to come off to give access to the control unit so in your that far in you may as well change the Glow plugs as well (if you haven't already) plenty of release agent on the glow plugs and give them time to soak. When we did his 535 we also changed the Glow plug relay to be sure the whole job took us about 4 hrs with coffee biscuits and beer. Dave

Morning David Glow plugs and Glow plug controller Dave

Morning Clive She isn't giving you much rest is she !!! The main warning and the probable cause of the CEL is the O2 sensor one. I would spend a while checking the inlet side for leaks Vac lines and pressure side plus test the sensors and their wiring. If I recall you have 3 sensors, 2 pre-cat and one post cat, check the wiring hasn't been damaged and the correct resistance on each sensor. If one is out personally I would change all 3. With INPA when I brought mine I purchased from a guy in Banbury UK who gave excellent support and spent some time on the phone with me getting it running. As far as the missing DLL if you have a windows disc you should be able find and load it from there. We have had a sprinkle of snow here and 10 days of freezing temps and my LCM has gone on the blink, damn and its only 17 years old !! These things never go wonky on a pleasant sunny day do they. Take Care Dave

Morning Al Not aware of any here in the UK have you thought of M2 parts ? Dave

Hi John Welcome to the Forum Runflats is a can of worms, and while originally sold as safer due to the ability to drive on them. It doesn't stop them getting punctures and once punctured, as the tyre does its job and it gets driven on it generally needs replacement rather than repair. The tyres construction means stiffer sidewall so harsher ride and an increase in road noise. However all low profile tyres can be noisy or give a harsh ride generally non-runflats are cheaper with a wider choice available. It should also be noted that runflats have a special rim design. Non runflat tyres will fit but you cant fit runflats to a non-runflat rim. My brother linlaw runs 5 series touring (last 2 have been 535d flavour) once the runflats fitted have reached change he goes to non-runflat due to greater choice. His car runs 245x40x19 front and 275x35x19 rear and currently on Bridgestones My old X5 has always been on non runflats so no issue for me. Dave

Morning Kevin Like all rubber parts the airbags have a life (a pretty tough one under the back of an X5) There are many folks who have changed the air suspension to springs and many kits available from Motor Factors or the well known auction site, The replacement spring kits are about the same cost as replacement air bags and the air bags are really easy to change. My air bags failed, well one did and I replaced them both with Arnott air bags same cost as springs but I retain the self levelling for towing. Stay away from the cheap Chinese stuff springs and air bags. The old saying "buy cheap, buy twice" it isn't worth gambling with the bits that keep your car on the road (my opinion) So I would jack it up and listen for where the leak is, check the pipework but my bet is air bag split and as they have lasted 16 years why not replace them. Two clips one top and bottom and an air connection bit of lube sprayed on the knee joint of the sensors job done for another 16 years??? Plus it keeps my X5 original which I prefer. If you change to springs you could strip out the compressor and sell it to recover some cost but you will still get the Sus Inactive message unless you code it out Dave

Morning Alan Can't help much with parts outlets but are you aware that BMW do offer pretty good support system and discounts for the older models plus of course the BMW specialist breakers. Are you aware of www.realoem.com it is an online BMW parts list put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box, obviously your model will be in the classic section. Once you find the relevant part number if you double click on it it will show you equivalent's and other models it may be in. Good luck with your classic Dave

Morning Antonio Try using the Idrive selector to show Radio or Nav, what does the Handbook say? Dave

Morning Thomas Welcome to the Forum I went through the same dilemma a long time ago, my X5 4.6is was reaching the end of it's extended Warranty what to do?? Well after trying new X5's (E70's at the time) and a few other Marques F Pace Jag, ML Etc, I decided to keep the 4.6. As an Engineer I have always carried out a lot of work on my cars myself driven by a need to know and a mistrust of some dealers (that's another story). I found a local BMW Specialist who I use for annual service/MOT and of course keeps the service history up to date. I also took out an after market Warranty in case something major went wrong 1/3rd of the cost of the BMW cover and when needed were excellent. My X5 is now 18 years old and still going well I inspect the car once a month under and over plus a diagnostic check to make sure it's in good health. If anything shows up I make a decision on whether I will fix it or get the garage involved. My original decision to keep the car was based as an Old retired bloke on the cost of replacement against the cost of running on a car I really liked. Long term did I make a good decision ? I think I did for two reasons if I had stuck with my (up to the 4.6) 5 year upgrade I would have born the cost of 2 upgrades by now were as all I have had is fuel and running costs. Another plus is the fact that the X5 4.6is was rare in 2003 only around 800 registered total in the UK the last time I checked it was below 300 so maybe one day I will have a classic with 156k on the clock and it still leaves hot hatches dead if needed. Only you can make the final choice but if you really like the car I would consider after market Warranty to protect your wallet and run it on. Dave