Greydog

Morning Clint Welcome to the Forum obviously a man of impeccable taste 😄 I take it you are looking towards a diesel powered model 3.0, 35, 40, they are all based on BMW's 3.0 diesel and it is one of the worlds great engines that are capable of intergalactic mileages with good servicing (my brother inlaw has a 530 that he commutes into Europe weekly 09 plate now at 330k +) With the X5 when buying at around the age/mileage your considering remember the X5 is a big heavy car so suspension bushes will be getting worn and tired. Worn bushes will effect tyre wear look for worn inner rear edges and wayward ride/road holding, I can vouch for the improvement in tyre wear and general handling not a horribly expensive job and DIY if your capable with spanners. Tyres, BMW as do many other 4x4 manufacturers recommend approved * rated tyres this is to ensure front to rear rolling radius is the same (or very close) this is to avoid transmission wind up and in particular damage to the Xdrive transfer box. As cars get older and particularly when people are selling on they often don't want to pay for premium tyres so check for mismatched tyres. Tip I take a piece of chalk and put a small mark on the tyre where it meets the road roll the car forward a couple of revolutions the chalk marks should still be so close you cant see a difference, if not there will be tears and a damaged transfer box coming. Easy fix if caught in time just needs better matched tyres, the problem is exaggerated when the wheels are staggered set up (wider rear). Again BMW say transmissions are sealed for life ?? ZF who make the transmissions say service at 60 to 80k again not horribly expensive even at a ZF specialist and my 4.6 that I use to tow a Horse trailer most summers and light off road shooting in the winters is now at 140+k and just going for its 2nd gearbox service. BMW dealer service is expensive so find a good BMW Specialist or a Trusted Independent I budget for £500 to £600 per year service costs dependent on which service this year it was service plus brake fluid change. I also had a Warranty up to this year (it's 16 now so not covered) just in case well worth it if something big breaks off?? So "Greydog" normal buying advice is before driving make sure the engine is cold (open the bonnet put your hand on it check oil and fluid levels (if it is warm I am all ways suspicious "is it hard to start cold?"). Start it up and check for any smoke or rattles while it's ticking over go inside check that everything works as it should, in a well maintained car it will. Then drive the car you have already driven your bench mark so have the mental comparison. When back let it tick over and check for any noises or leaks. Remember any seller who says "it's an easy fix only ££ from Ebay or the parts in the boot" WHY HAVEN'T THEY DONE IT?? As ever service history and proof of any other work suspension, gearbox etc is paramount, the above information isn't meant to put you off but give you good ammunition in negotiation. Good luck with the hunt keep us up to speed Dave

Morning Chris Selling our older models is always going to be a mix of emotion against practicality as our "buyer" market is either someone looking for that specific model or someone looking for a cheap car. Check all the usual sites to get a feel for whats selling, Ebay, Autotrader, Parkers The specific model hunter will be prepared to pay more as they will understand what they are buying, but may well be fussier about condition and service history. No need to say anything about the other buyer. So what is it worth, I would think in good condition with a service history between £1500 and £2000 to the right buyer, the other bloke will just tell you how old it is kick the tyres and offer as little as possible. Get the polish out make it gleam inside and out clean the engine bay is what I would do then test the market Good Luck Dave

Morning John When I brought my first X5 it suffered from the dreaded lurch (a hard change into 1st when slowing or stopping) the BMW dealer (and I have discovered from other forums they are not alone) at that time was saying "new Gearbox" as they can't be serviced they are sealed for life!! I contacted ZF UK in Crick who first asked what mileage and recommended a service and software update, they gave me the name of a ZF agent near Dorking not far from me who carried out the work. The Agent told me the box should be serviced every 60 to 80000 kilometers, seems "sealed for life for BMW means the end of the Warranty. It rang faultlessly afterwards, current X5 had it's first ZF service at 75k and is now booked in for it's second service 146k I know I could get it done cheaper or even do it myself but I guess I am paying for peace of mind. My advice would be Google ZF services UK and find your closest centre they will have all the right kit to plug in and test all components in the box, cycle all the solenoids in the motronic unit and give a comprehensive analysis plus update all the software. Fingers crossed it is a simple fix and not wallet busting Dave

Morning Peter and Welcome X drive is BMW's version of all wheel drive, it doesn't matter which Marque or manufacturer you chose every 4x4 or all wheel drive can be problematic mainly if odd or wrongly sized tyres are fitted. My X5 (2003 Vintage) has covered 140+k quite a lot towing a horse box and while there have been many "problems" there have been none with the Xdrive system. I did at one tyre change have signs of transmission wind up but with the help of my local tyre fitter we sorted the issue. My car has a staggered wheel set up (wider rear tyres) and the tyres front and rear were from the same manufacturer but had different rolling radius causing the issue. So to answer your point, Xdrive as fitted to 320d your looking at is pretty tough, BMW recommend * rated tyres to ensure transmission wind up doesn't occur. Also the car your looking at has a "Square" set up same size front and rear which reduces the chance of rolling radius issues even if non approved tyres are fitted. Check the tyres are (a) all approved ^ rated on the side wall and (b) wear is even and they have plenty of life in them. I average around 25k on a set of tyres I also have 4 wheel alignment checked/adjusted as part of the annual service/MOT which keeps everything pointing the same way (hopefully) To sum up Xdrive is a 4x4 system that is permanently engaged it sorts out where torque is needed without the driver having to think about it. Great in all weathers and conditions and like most 4x4 systems will last the life of the car if maintained and not abused. Dave

Welcome to the Forum Dave The 5 series are great cars Enjoy Dave

Massive Grin Factor and in "Man Pink" to ENJOY

Morning Woody Sounds like your getting there, as I said my brother inlaws has been (still is) awsome I checked with him he is now on 330k. Faults have been mainly electrical and either earth related or in one instance a component change. Dave

Morning Michael It's that time of year all the little jobs that we have been saying "I'll do that when its warmer" catch up. I have changed gas struts but not on the 5 series F11 I would first look at realoem.com to make sure part numbers matched. I would also look at newtis.info for the remove and install information. I find both a great help. Just a thought didn't some of the F11 have power opening tailgates I wonder if that's a possible upgrade? Dave

Morning David Glad you found the sites useful, with regard to odd tyre wear that showed up at MOT out side edge tyre wear can be a result of worn suspension bushes or wrongly inflated tyres. There is another cause that's not unusual sadly when you look at the state of our roads there is a stretch of "A" road near me that is like a ploughed field because of all the pot holes that have been badly repaired. At my last MOT I needed 3 out of 4 tyre replaced (so that was a full set) due to side wall damage all inside edge due to damn potholes through the winter. A friend with a Toureg who hit a water filled really deep one actually suffered chassis damage that meant it was impossibly to track the vehicle correctly it was found by a really switched on tyre fitter at his 3 rd attempt to track the car, it needed a specialist body shop to put it right. Dave

Yahoo Welcome to the BMW family Woody For your own peace of mind have a look at https://check-mot.service.gov.uk put your reg number in the search box and you can scroll through your cars history, you will also see a search box for checking recalls. If you are a man who likes to understand his car then here are a couple of sites that will help www.realoem.com this is a BMW Parts List site as used by dealers and Factors to ensure you get the correct parts. Put the last 7 digits of your Vin in the search box and it will bring up your model. Also www.newtis.info a BMW Technical Information sight as used by Dealers. With your brake judder there are a few possible causes (1) New Discs were fitted and someone has been the "last of the late braking champs" so overheated and warped them new discs and pads normally need around 500 miles of gentle use to bed in (2) Check for odd tyre wear at the front (3) Last and most likely in my opinion are the front suspension bushes often the first sign of wear is shake/vibration as you slow down. The Idrive computer is a mystery to many BMW owners (me included) my brother inlaw uses Google and Youtube there are just to many functions you can access plus hidden menus !!! I remember in the 1980's buying a VHS machine, the remote had more buttons and functions than the space shuttle and the salesman proudly proclaimed that it had a 30 day timer allowing you to record whole series over a month. My wife asked if they had one with 3 buttons On Off and Record!! some tomes the techies out there forget that just because the micro chip has loads of extra capacity you don't have to use it. Enjoy your new Beemer Dave

Morning David BMW like most manufacturers have had at some time had "batch" issues with timing chains on the small diesel engines there was quite a bit of chatter about it on the internet. How you identify it can't remember but there is a way to protect yourself if the car is in good mechanical condition and has a full history take out a Warranty. The car your looking at looks great and that is normally an indication it has been given some love. As Trevor says History is important also check if there are any recalls outstanding. If you go for a 5 series and you can stretch the budget I would go for a 3.0d my brother inlaw has one which he uses to commute to Holland on a regular basis his is now in excess of 300k mechanically he has had no issues apart from a turbo at about 200k. He has had faults but most of them electrical and we have resolved without expensive Main Dealer intervention. So with good maintenance and a logical approach to issues (all cars all marques have them) I hope you find the right one for you Dave

You sure it isn't DMF related I am told they make horrible noises and vibration when they are on the way out?

Just a thought Danny I had vibration under load at around 3000 rpm my engine viscous fan had a damaged blade don't know how it happened but it caused vibration that eventually destroyed the water pump, the second time my water pump failed I decided to investigate and found the damaged fan. Took it off no vibration so I replaced it with an electric fan, but I could feel the vibration in the car.

Morning Danny With Trevor on this a puzzle but puzzles are a challenge and we love a challenge. When the vibration is there do you feel it through the steering or through the seat of your pants? Just trying to get a feel for which end of the car, put your hand on the gear stick do you feel it more? You have changed engine mounts did you change the gear box mounts? Prop Centre bearing? Or could it be DMF related just my thoughts. Dave

Morning Danny With Trevor on this a puzzle but puzzles are a challenge and we love a challenge. When the vibration is there do you feel it through the steering or through the seat of your pants? Just trying to get a feel for which end of the car, put your hand on the gear stick do you feel it more? You have changed engine mounts did you change the gear box mounts? Prop Centre bearing? Or could it be DPF related just my thoughts. Dave

Morning Jim The black and grey unit in the picture is your power steering pump (Electronic Power Steering or EPS) it is part of your steering rack (viewed from the front underneath of your car.Under the front of your car there is a splash guard that is attached to your front bumper and the engine sub frame it is held on with screws and plastic clips. Once that is out of the way you will see the EPS and the plugs the small plug (2) is the plug that connects to the steering torque sensor, I don't have a 3 series I have taken this information from the websites I have given you but it still seems logical that one of these plugs has been dislodged or is damaged after your kerb incident. Dave

Hi Jim Is the power steering back or are you able to drive without it? Looking at www.newtis.info I can see a steering torque sensor but no steering angle sensor? Looking at the drawings there are 3 connectors that are plugged into the back of the EPS (electronic Power Steering) 1 small and 2 larger connectors I still think one of these has been pulled off or damaged. The small connector from the diagrams seems to be connected to the steering torque sensor. Have a look at the attached picture from Newtis connectors 1 & 2 can be safely unplugged but if 3 is unplugged it seems the rack has to be re-calibrated. So did they put it on a ramp and take off the under guard and check? Or did they just plug in and give the diagnostic? If the steering torque sensor is disconnected it would show as a fault but not necessarily be faulty. I would be checking myself before trusting someone who may tell me it needs changing at £xxx when all it needs is plugging back in or maybe an electrical connection repair. I hope the information helps Dave Structure and inner electrical connection Depending on the series, the steering-torque sensor is connected via a plug connection or a direct connection to the EPS control unit. The EPS control unit also provides the earth connection for the steering-torque sensor. Depending on the model series, the plug connection has 6 pins (2 pins assigned) or 5 pins (5 pins or 3 pins assigned). The current pin assignment is located in the wiring diagrams in the ISTA diagnosis system.

Morning Jim That will build your muscles up !! I don't have electric power steering but being logical the steering rack is mounted low down at the front so I would say your bumper issue and the lack of steering input are quite probably related. I would check underneath to see if any connectors have been damaged or pulled out. Your rack will have a small electrically driven pump built in when you turn the wheel the pump is triggered and provides assistance. Have a look at www.realoem.com put the last 7 digits of your Vin in the search box it will bring up your model then look in the steering file. You can also look at www.newtis.info (I just did) There is an electrical connector there that may well have been knocked or damaged. Fingers crossed it is that simple and a few fixing screws and expanding plastic rivets for the trim underneath and you will be OK Dave

Morning Tim Looking at www.realoem.com you have 3 chains 1 lower and 2 upper. Have a look put the last 7 digits of your Vin in the search box and it will bring up your model. If you are going to DIY then www.newtis.info may be a help Dave

Morning Eric Has the Snow meted yet? I did wonder if Clarence's car was one that had suffered a stretched timing chain and the Dealer was ducking any warranty responsibility ?? Dave

Morning Seb Just had a play with our neighbours 5 series in the idrive menu look for "my Car" the "settings" then scroll through the functions and explore. Yes we found auto fold and enabled it now his mirrors fold on lock and unfold on unlock. His car is 4 years old and the Sales Manager had told him it was an extra so for the last 4 years he has been folding his mirrors with the button on the window control he sends his thanks if you hadn't asked the question he still would be. My X5 E53 doesn't have iDrive so I need to access through the diagnostic program there may even be additional stuff hidden that needs to be activated through the diagnostics and it isn't coding it is "tick Box" stuff, turn it On or Off. Dave

Morning Seb My old X5 has a whole page of functions which can be turned on or off from Alarm Chirp or Flash on lock or unlock to Auto Lock (the speed it activates) about 20 or 30 items from memory if I get time today I will plug in and get a screen shot for you. They are all just tick boxes and if they are greyed out then obviously that function isnt available or the module isn't fitted on your car. I would think your model will be similar in that there are so in there will be a host of stuff that the dealer can turn on or off for a handsome fee !! Dave Just a thought Seb but your model will have iDrive so you should have functions like autofold mirrors available in settings in the iDrve,

Hi Tom Welcome to the Forum 7 series to 3 series well the first thing I think you will notice is ride comfort, compared to the 7 the D3 will be rock hard. From memory the power plant is the tried and tested 3.0 straight six twin turbo diesel these motors are pretty bullet proof as long as they are maintained properly and capable of Mega miles. If the service history is all BMW then at 98k I would find a ZF specialist and get the Gearbox serviced as BMW insist on telling us it is sealed for life!! The next thing you should notice is power again from memory around 350 hp and 500+ ft/lbs of torque the thing is an M3 muncher and rare. If it comes off Pictures Pictures Pictures Dave

Hi Just like your Octavia there menu's that will allow the turning on or off of functions Carly for BMW is an App for your smart phone which will allow code reading resetting and activation of stuff for INPA you will need a lap top more complicated (in my view especially getting it running) but very comprehensive, well it is a BMW program after all. Of course it will depend on what you have paid for to be activated at purchase as to what is left to activate. ENJOY Dave.

Morning Seb Welcome to the Forum remember to post some Pic's when you have the beasty home. Dave