Bimmer Owners' Club

I have personally never heard of anyone advising to keep automatic transmission fluid 'as is'....it is supposed to be replaced periodically, and would certainly benefit the transmission to do so. You should also replace any filters and gaskets that you encounter when replacing the fluid. The only thing I can imagine is that like Mercedes, you would have to drain and refill an exact amount of fluid and/or obtain a dipstick if there is not one present. The braking matter....more than probable that it is warped discs but these can easily be measured for run-out by any reputable garage.

Hi Alan...totally agree with Greydogs advice, definitely the first thing to do. Let us know the result of the scan

Hi Lorraine...welcome to the Forum Good to have you onboard

Thanks for sharing this great video with us....can almost smell the burnt rubber

Hi Jason....welcome to the Forum Nice brace of Bimmers there! Good to have you onboard Cheers Trevor

Hi Keith...welcome to the Forum Welcome also to the wonderful world of BMW Cheers, Trevor

Hi Neil....welcome to the Forum The 2.0 TDi engine is a great engine except it does suffer from a couple of maladies, of which are easily rectifiable at little cost. The only downside for the 2.0 litre in the 5 series is it could be slightly underpowered and therefore could end up being more juicy than a slightly larger capacity engine....worth looking through figures to see what gives the better mpg. Let us know how you get on with your decision Cheers, Trevor

Hi Ben....welcome to the Forum An aftermarket back box would enhance the sound and slightly increase performance with gas flow. Have you got a particular make in mind? Cheers Trevor

Interesting fact, didn't know that about RHD vehicles.... Keep us updated with the mods to the vehicle...would love to see how the preparations for the big trip

Sounds like a great vehicle...how come its in Kilometers? I would definitely carry at least one tyre if the same size all round, if not one of each. Usual stuff, oil filter, engine oil of the correct grade, fuel & air filters, and just about anything else you can get away with taking that you think you may need.

Hi Gerry....welcome to the Forum Great collection of fine cars there! The X5 should be a great choice for a South American trip....as long as spares are available along route, if needed. Sounds like an intriguing road trip ? Cheers Trevor

Glad to see you got it all sorted Mike...great advice from Greydog and Philipp !

Hi Bob...welcome to the Forum Sorry, can't help you with this one...not a paint man myself. Hopefully someone on here can help? Anyone ??? Cheers Trevor

Hi Paul...welcome to the Forum I can only imagine it is a poor electrical connection due to corrosion on the terminals or it is a poor earth connection. You could try running a substitute earth to the bulb connection (earth terminal) to see if that improves the voltage. If not, then check the electrical connections on the N/S Let us know how you get on with it Cheers Trevor

Hi Rick...welcome to the Forum Certainly looks the part....I think the wraps should totally enhance it and look forward to seeing the pics Cheers Trevor

Yes, it shows a small amount of smoke at idle, which as Greydog has stated may be caused by EGR and vacuum hoses, etc but if oil/excess fuel is being burnt then if it's coming out of the exhaust then it should be measurable. Any garage with an MOT station should be able to carry out a 4-gas & Lambda test and give you a print-out of the results. Also, as Greydog has mentioned, running cleaner in the fuel to clean through the engine along with a good blast will almost certainly improved things

It doesn't look it but I would still test the emissions to be sure

lol....also love the justification for the V8 as well

Here are the results from the Survey http://www.drivn.co.uk/tyre-brand-survey/

Love it, never heard it called that before

HI Lauren....welcome to the Forum I think the best bet would be to measure the exhaust emissions to check for HC levels (unburnt fuel/oil particles) and also CO & O2 levels which would show if the oxygen levels are correct and not overfuelling. Any MOT station should be able to do this test (pre-mot emissions test) for you with a print out which you could post up on here. Cheers Trevor

Hi Mike.....welcome to the Forum Not sure where there are handbooks as such but it may be worth scouring through the forum for downloaded copies Cheers Trevor

Hi Steve...welcome to the Forum Sorry, can't help with question number 1 Question number 2 does sound very much like the fluid level is low and that would be a good place to start Keep us updated on how you get on Cheers Trevor

Hi Alastair....welcome to the Forum I would not take any chances especially with steering and take it to a reputable garage who can check it out. Chances are it's just a bush that's broken up and allowing excess play in the steering. Keep us updated on the progress Cheers Trevor

Hi Jerry I would fit NGK plugs but cheap coils are not the best way to go as you may introduce faults with poor quality parts. Best wait for the good weather then...along with the rest of us :-( Cheers Trevor