Greydog

Hi Martin Yes they will keep you alert making certain your always listening to them. The remote key is programmed to the EWS which controls the central locking and alarm, so to a large extent the door lock is irrelevant, as long as the key starts the car. There are three methods of programming the keys providing the fob batteries are good they should recharge while in the ignition. Method 1: 1. Working from within the vehicle and with the doors shut 2. Turn ignition to position 1 and back to off within 5 seconds. 3. Remove the key from ignition and press and hold the unlock button for 15 seconds during this time press the key lock button 3 times within 5 seconds. 4. Release both buttons. 5. Doors will lock and unlock to show correct programming has occurred. Method 2: To do this procedure you need to have one working key and one key that needs to be programmed. 1) Get in and close all doors. 2) Turn on the ignition and turn off quickly. (No more than 5 seconds) to start the process. Next action must take place within 30 seconds. 3) Remove the 1st key. 4) Hold the key up near your left shoulder (this is so it is closer to the remote receiver antenna. 5) Hold down the unlock button and press the lock button 3 times. Release the unlock button and the doors lock which confirms the operation. 6) Quickly repeat steps 4 & 5 for key #2 etc. If it does not work, try doing the keys in opposite order. Key 2 then key 1, vs 1 then 2. Method 3: Alternate if you do not have a working remote 1. Turn key to position 1 five times very quickly 2. Remove key 3. Hold unlock button then press lock button 3 times, release unlock button. 4. If you have another key do the same button pressing within 30 seconds 5. Turn on ignition to finalise. This should program your key to the EWS and let you lock unlock remotely. If not it could be a fault with the antenna in the car or batteries in the key fobs Good Luck Dave

Morning Jake Welcome to the Forum Your car must have headlamp leveling and/or headlamp cleaning systems to be legal when Xenon headlamps are fitted. Your standard lamps can be upgraded with some thing like Osram Nightbreaker which I find are very good in our other cars. The ultimate is Xenon but for this you will need the complete headlamp unit and ballast plus you may need some programming to get your car to recognise them. Check www.realoem.com to see if they were an option for your model. Then check www.newtis.info for installation information. As for the headlamp units the famous Auction site and specialist BMW breakers are your best bet but if money no object your local Dealership will no doubt be willing to lighten your wallet. Dave

Morning Will Welcome to the Forum I am not aware of any changes in the BMW Warranty which was 3 years from first registration this can be extended if you have taken the extended BMW warranty option (expensive) I will also say as with all these things it is going to depend on your Dealership, I had issues with clear coat peeling which was sorted even though the car was well outside the warranty. Write to BMW UK customer services explaining the situation and your disappointment at the poor attitude from the Dealer Good Luck Dave

Morning Ben Welcome to the Forum One mans hard ride is another mans sporty ride BMW think we all like sport? So having owned both 4.4 and 4.6 E53 X5's I have developed a view on ride quality based on my aching back. We have a road locally that is like driving on a tarmac ploughed field which I avoid as much as possible Things that have an effect on ride are: (1) Tyres from the picture it looks like you are running 19" Staggered wheels which should have 255x55x19 Front and 285x45x19 Rear Tyres can have a big influence on comfort due to side wall stiffness as will the pressure they are run at. Plus they should be Non Runflat type, runflats are renowned for their hard ride due to side walls being stiff enough to carry the cars weight. (2) Shock absorber type will make a huge difference your car may be running sport suspension from the factory. If they have stiffened up with age (we all do) then they will jar over lumps and bumps. (3) Springs I would think there are options for sport or comfort but I have never checked. You could look at www.realoem.com to see what is available. (4) Last but not least the seats, two types Sport or Comfort So first thing I would do is put the Vin number into BMW Vin Decoder it should bring up the original build spec, this will allow you to see if you have the "Sport" or "Comfort" suspension Wheels 18" will have tyres with a taller side wall so be a softer ride (my 4.6is runs 20" wheels as standard the winter wheels are 18" so I know the difference) Shock Absorbers the difference just replacing with new makes can be amazing, I did this on the 4.4. Replacing shocks with softer bump and rebound should be a possibility. Bit of a ramble but I hope it helps Dave

Hi Keith Welcome to the Forum Limp mode can be caused by a number of issues you need the codes read to be sure. How was it driving before the issue? How many miles has it done? What service history ? When was the gearbox last serviced ? You need either someone with BMW specific software or a Garage with Autologic Dave

Hi Robert 20" wheels sound right quite possibly staggered (wider rear rims) Isnt it just brilliant when a supposedly well trained tyre fitter or worse mechanic uses an air wrench set to well above the required torque to tighten up our wheels !!!😠 Brembo Calipers would point to 360 mm Brake discs, my X5 4.6is runs 360 mm solid discs at the front as well so if they stop a 21/2 ton 4x4 and they certainly do, they should do a cracking job on a 3 series touring 😁 Apart from up grading the discs to cross drilled/perforated there isn't much you can do by way of improvement, even that I believe would be just aesthetics. AP racing did some fancy 6 piston calipers but they would be horribly expensive and for road use not show a great improvement over what you have already. With a good ECU upgrade you should see 280+hp 600nm torque which will make your touring fly, my brother inlaw has a tweeked 530d touring serviced by BMW now on almost 300k (he commutes to Germany) it still gives 45mpg on the motorway 30 if he is hammering it, and he does frequently. This is his 3rd and he will replace this one with a 335d great engines his only deviation from BMW service schedule is oil changes every 5k and Auto box serviced to ZF schedules by a ZF specialist. Enjoy your Beemer Dave

Morning Again Not easy to identify the calipers from the pictures they look like 4 pot which follows the performance upgrade theory. Blue Calipers seem to be a BMW favourite colour at the moment. Standard brakes for your car are Front 348 x 30 solid disc Rear 336 x 22 solid disc Standard BMW calipers front and rear M3 Brakes were Front 360 x 30 perforated disc Rear 350 x 24 perforated disc Calipers could be Brembo or 4 pot BMW M sport Wheel size may restrict going up to full M3 spec in order to clear the calipers. When you get the wheels off look for any part numbers and use those to identify them. Take a look at www.realoem.com you will be able to search both your model (put the last 7 digits of your Vin number in the search box) you should be able to find what was standard and if there were any Msport parts and part numbers. You can also search the M models to check what parts are required if you go that route, if you click on the part numbers you can see which other models they were used on. I hope this helps Good Luck Dave

Morning Robert Welcome to the Forum Dave

Morning Wayne £1200 😲 Ouch I take it that is a BMW Dealer? if not they are charging at least £100/phr Look at www.realoem.com put the last 7 digits of your vin number into the search box it will call up your model then look at the relevant section. You will find a small exploded drawing showing where stuff goes and a parts list with prices, if the valve block is available separately then it will be listed and a price in US $ beside it. Then check a couple of web sites for "How Too's" www.pelicanparts.com an American site but has some great how too descriptions with pictures, or www.newtis.info a BMW Technical site Dealerships use this information for service and repair. For what its worth my brother inlaw's 530d touring's compressor failed a new one from Ebay cost him less than £200 and took us around 3 hours to fit with plenty of refreshment breaks. Tip change the suspension relay at the same time. Dave

Morning Daniel Simple things first is always my approach, you now have 2 separate inspections that point to a leaky gasket plus a failing oil cap. Simplest first step is to get a new oil cap and gasket, fit it clean thoroughly around the area then run the engine for a few days and see if the leak has gone. Often there is spillage around this area due to clumsy topping up of the oil level (tip: buy a small funnel to keep in the boot and use it when topping up) If the leak is still there then the gaskets are next, I just took a quick look at www.realoem.com and the gasket set for your engine shows gaskets for sealing the cover and around the spark plugs but no VVT so that's confusing here is the complete parts list with cost in US Dollars so roughly the same in £ Part No.DescriptionSupp. Qty From Up To Part NumberPriceNotes01Cylinder head cover111127552281$378.13 02Profile-gasket111127582245 $29.77 03Gasket111127559699 $11.81 05Torx screwM7X33.51511127558448$2.3809Ignition coil covering111127575032$96.9810Fillister head with washerM6X20-ZNNID SW407119906086$0.4711BMW emblem111147788967$11.2612Cap for oil filler101/201511127560482$16.16ENDED 12Cap for oil filler111128655331 13Profile-gasket111127565165 $6.02 14Vent hose111157559528$40.0215Torx screwM7X33.5111127558449$4.8216Torx screwM7X35111127558450$4.3717Hex boltM7X46111127558453$0.7818Torx screwM7X36211127558454$0.7819Threaded boltM7X75211127558451$5.4220Sleeve611127575422$3.1421Metal bracket111127556145$3.0022Clip nut111127565497$1.0723Screw60X14211127556161$1.5325Covering cap111617547229$1.1229C-clip nutM6-ZNS3351127070202$1.00 I have highlighted in Red the parts (Total parts cost about £60 ) I also had a quick look at www.newtis.info there is no mention in the technical repair section about replacing the VVT or it being part of the kit? Another reason to use a BMW Specialist not just an Independent mechanic if you are unable to DIY. It really is worth using these sites as a little knowledge when talking with these guys can protect your wallet. Good Luck Dave

Hi Francesco The Marelli starter motors would start the cars OK it is just that they would draw massive amounts of amps starving all the other stuff of power and draining batteries causing all sorts of strange issues until the battery is recharged which could take 10 to 15mins Regarding the Battery fitting an oversize/rated battery is a myth, often the alternator can't fully charge the battery this can result in the battery failing early. Large capacity/fast recovery batteries are often specified for cars with stop/start facility, these cars also have a beefier charging circuit yours doesn't have that. Your battery should be something like 12v/85 to 90Ah/800 to 900 cca (Cold Cranking Amps) ECP had an offer on over Easter Bosche Battery's were less than £100 delivered even Halfords should be around £120. As an example my X5 E53 4.6is needed a new battery in November last year I brought a Yuasa 12v/110Ah/900CCA battery from a local motor factors £129. FYI a fully charged battery should read 12.8 v engine off, around 14.8v engine running, anything below 12v indicates a discharged or dying battery or suspect charging system. Dave

Hi Francesco Welcome to the Forum From your description I would guess at 2 possible culprits (1) Starter Motor there was a well documented issue with Magnetti starters some time ago. Apparently they start to draw massive current as they begin to fail (2) Battery X5's are well known for their hunger for amps so a battery that isn't in tip top condition can show all sorts of spurious faults. Good Luck Dave

Hi Liam What a disaster !!! Appalling service by the Dealership who supplied the car 12 weeks to investigate a noise !!! Then supply a car that from your description has clearly not been fixed. BMW UK will be open even if the Dealership isn't try to get some assistance there. With regard to the Dealership you purchased from the sale of goods act is on your side, even though they are closed I would email them outlining the issues, don't be soft with them you purchased what you believed was a fully working well maintained car that is not what was supplied. Ask for (1) a time to repair (2) what form of recompense will they offer for the distress and suffering caused. Basically they have a legal responsibility to either fix it in a timely manner, replace it or refund ALL your money. All emails I would copy to the Dealership MD and BMW UK Customer services plus make sure they are sent by snail mail as well Good Luck Dave

Hi Daniel He is probably referring to the Vanos solenoid seals While playing with Google look at BMW Specialist Register there is bound to be one in your area they are usually ex BMW technicians and know what they are doing.and probably wont be any more expensive. Take a look at www.realoem.com you will find information on your model including the engine put the last 7 digits of your Vin number in the search box it will bring up your model it is a BMW online parts list so you will also see parts cost on US $ as a guide. If you want to know how to DIY use www.newtis.info as John has said Good Luck Dave

Hi Eli Welcome to the Forum Does it connect through bluetooth? I remember reading sometime ago that there is something in settings that lets you stream music etc Dave

Morning Irfan Welcome to the Forum Quite a list !! First thing to try is to clear the fault codes and see what returns. The misfire codes and MAP codes are the important ones, Alarm and AUC sensor less so. Things to be sure of 1. Make sure your Battery is fully charged and in good condition 2. Swap the coil pack from 1 to two and see if the misfire moves with it 3 Check the MAP sensor Take a look at www.newtis.info it is a BMW Technical site the same information that Dealers use for service and repair, you should be able to use newtis with your ISTA codes Good Luck Dave

That's 2 out of how many ??? Come on the rest

Morning Mohammad BMW fit 2 coolant temperature senders, 1 in the bottom hose and the 2nd in the upper hose from the rad. The DME (engine management) uses signals from both to control the fan and other stuff. I would suspect one of the sensors has failed possibly both. As you will have to dig down to get to them I would change both and the thermostat to be sure. The water pump on your car is electric I believe but I haven't read of many failures, doesn't mean it cant happen. Take a look at www.newtis.info for some "How Too" help Hope this helps Dave

Morning Vince Welcome to the Forum As far as I know in some of their later models fitted with runflat tyres BMW made no provision for a spare wheel, not even a space saver type ??? I would check www.realoem.com it is a BMW online parts list, put the last 7 digits of your Vin number in the search box and it will bring up your model then check if a spare was available get the part number and search the well known auction sites and BMW specialist breakers. If there was no spare wheel then like my car you could get a small compressor and tyre sealant. Hope this helps Dave

Morning Sam Welcome to the Forum I remember reading somewhere that fuse 30 needs checking, worth a try Also have a look at www.pelicanparts.com for some "how too's" also www.newtis.info this is a BMW Technical site that may help with diagnosis. Hope this helps Dave

Morning Daniel BMW straight 6 engines are pretty tough beasts and gasket failure while not impossible are rare Difficult to diagnose from pictures however here are my thoughts. First what tests were done to diagnose the Head Gasket ? A compression Test ? A sniff test to detect exhaust gas in the Header Tank ? Any sign of water in the oil ? Oil weeps from the rocker cover gasket are not uncommon and could well cause the weep you show. Clogged CVR (crankcase ventilation) pipes and filter could be a source of oil in the exhaust. The coolant loss you describe doesn't sound significant though any loss needs investigation, is the car used daily and does it run at full operating temperature ? I would take it to a BMW Specialist if you haven't already, I would ask them to investigate the oil weep and see what they come up with Good Luck Dave

Just received an Email from Admiral Insurance telling us that we have a refund of £25 on my wifes car due to reduced use and traffic during the current C19 crisis. WELL DONE ADMIRAL Where are the rest of the insurers??? The situation is the same for them also Dave

Morning Oneel Sounds like win win with the new springs (1) you get the stance you wanted (2) your ride comfort is improved 😁 Run flats by the nature of the beast and their construction have incredibly stiff side walls to carry the cars weight if they are punctured. So replacing them with non-runflat tyres when the time comes will only help the ride further, my X5 runs 20" rims with non-runflat tyres the ride improves drastically when the 18" Winter tyres are on due to the higher softer sidewall.The 20's look better though and it hasn't snowed in Sussex for years !! Enjoy your Beemer Dave

Today, well for the last couple of "VE" days Glen Miller damaged my shoulder jiving with my wife !! Self inflicted at my age I should know better 😂 great social street party though.

Morning Steve Not come across that one before so I am of little help BMW may be the only route so that may be a costly minefield. It may be that as you entered a code the ECU thought you were malicious and shut everything down then the Battery reset let it recover it's self The bluetooth unit in the boot has the bluetooth pass code on it if that is what you need. Dave