Potential New X5 Owner

[paulcoles88]

Hi There,

I have been looking at the E53 X5 Sport 2003 4.4i v8

I wondered if there is anything specific to look for when checking used X5's out like any known common issues or got ya's!

I really will be looking to use this forum alot once i have one for help and tips as well as hopefully putting stuff back in what I've learnt and done.

I'm really excited about the thought of owning a power house X5 as i like things that are different.

Thanks in advance

Paul

[X5Sport]

Have a look at the Buyers Guide on the forum.

Basically check all the electrics, look for any sign of oil leaks and check the gearbox very closely.  Any hesitation in the transmission - walk away!  Gearboxes cost £2k to repair.  Check it hot.

Any odd noises in the transmission - walk away!  Could be a bad diff or transfer box.  Both are expensive.

If air suspension fitted, check the vehicle is sitting correctly - not down in one corner.

These cars cost a fortune to fix unless it's a simple item.  Not everything is DIY.

Oh and

There are plenty of experienced folks on here you can ask questions of 

[paulcoles88]

Wow! what a welcome

Thanks for your quick reply, I'll check out the buyers guide then. Didnt see that, my bad

When i get one the 1st job is going to be Engine and Gearbox service as i know it says gearbox should be a life thing but so many say it needs doing.

Thanks again for your warm welcome, i cant wait to absorb some of the X5 knowledge

[Mars]

Hi Paul
I like things that are different too.

The X5 is great choice I loved mine with a passion until going for the (very) different X6.
Welcome to the forum, there is a ton of info and a bit of sauce thrown in on here too.

Mars (aka IceQueenX)

[X5Sport]

[quote="paulcoles88"]
When i get one the 1st job is going to be Engine and Gearbox service as i know it says gearbox should be a life thing but so many say it needs doing.
[/quote]

'Life' in BMW speak means the useful life of the vehicle - 60k miles or 3-years, because they want you to buy another one immediately thereafter.

Not what most people regard as 'life'! 

[Frankie..]

Take your time.. I looked at loads of rough ones before I found mine.. Full Engine and gearbox service is a good start.. As tidy as mine is for year and mileage as soon as I started servicing it I noticed all the filters were hengst ( cheap Ecp crap) the oil was probably of the same quality ... It had all service history from local bmw specialist.. The must of made a fortune on the parts

[paulcoles88]

What oil and gearbox oil should be used for these as the gearbox oil recommendation i havent been able to find as BMW say its a life sealed unit (although we all know that means 3 years and some amount of miles).

I wont be cheaping out on this X5, it will have the best parts money can buy i want to make it last.

I intend to service both Engine and Gearbox regularly

I'm very excited i have already seen 2 which one the steering seems really heavy the 1st time i drove it then the 2nd one seemed to be as well so I'm guessing thats just how the steering is as I'm going from a Leon 2.0 TDI to this. One i got in and an array of warning lights came on so that put me right offf, i mean when a car dealer is trying to sell a car thats saying Check Coolant, Check rear lights and Susp Inactive or something then it's a bad sign.

Going to see one today, which I'm hoping is going to be the one as its nice spec and 4.4 320 BHP

Eventually i would have like to supercharged it but ive emailed a few people and it seems that its no longer made so this might be harder than i thought

What are some basic mods people do or common things people change?

Thanks for all your input people, its nice to be part of a car community again.

[X5Sport]

The oil code is on a label on the gearbox - usually on the bottom plate.  Use nothing else and follow the refill procedure to the letter.  It is done with the engine running and at the correct temp in order to get the levels right.

Filling it to the point of overflow when cold and switched off can leave you around 0.5 litre short with low pressure which can badly upset it even damage the box.

You should be able to find the procedure on line, though a competent BMW Indy (or a Dealer) will know it and do it for you.

We went from a Cupra R 210 to the X5, and yes the steering is heavier in comparison.  It's a tad slower off the line too.... )

[Greydog]

Just take your time the advice has already been given there are lots to chose from.
Servicing I use Mobil 1 5-30 fully synthetic Gearbox was serviced by a ZF specialist (ZF recommend 80k km intervals) I may be teaching Granny to suck eggs but !!! A service history is proof the last owner cared about his car not that the dealer/garage who stamped the book did.
When trying any car I make sure the engine is cold before starting (with the bonnet up check fluids) start the engine, listen for noises. While its running make sure all electrics work as they should and with the X it is essential, there wont be any simple fixes. Check the tyres any inside edge wear could indicate worn suspension if your competent with  spanners the suspension can be re-bushed DIY lots of guides and advice here.
Drive the car and listen and feel how it drives it should be smooth and quiet with plenty of power test the box in all functions gear changes up and down should be smooth hot and cold. test all the electrics again.
If your happy make your offer.

As far as tuning goes a supercharging or turbo charging kit is going to be ££££££ plus you will put a lot of load into the transmission. You could look at an ECU software upgrade though they tend to be more successful on Diesel variants, talk to Jason on here he is well recommended.

What ever you do the X is a big heavy car so will be limited by that fact body mds etc are not my thing but what a boring world it would be if we all had the same taste.
Good hunting and enjoy

[VolvoT5]

I would say take your time and be prepared to wait...... I ended up buying mine mainly because it was the best example locally...... however it probably isn't the best I could have got if I was more patient or willing to travel.

Wear and tear items like brake discs, suspension components and so on are all expensive to replace unless you can DIY or have a friendly mechanic.  I had to do brakes and ball joints after buying mine at considerable cost.

Key thing to check is the gearbox for any issues and the engine for any leaks or rattles...... both will empty your bank account in a hurry.  I believe 2004 onward models have more reliable gearboxes?

2003 X5  can be had for the price of a small family hatchback now but the running costs are still that of a luxury motor.

[AW8]

The facelift 320hp  is 2004 MY but builds commenced late 2003. Most 2003 facelifts I have seen were first registered to BMW or staff.

The exacting specs of oils has been posted before although I can't recall where. If push cons to shove later I think I have info printed somewhere in a box file.

I have heard of a low milage car whose owner insisted on a box fluid change - was done by the book but box went bang as it was reversed off the ramps at main dealer.....source of info - senior tech at local BMW dealership.
Not saying not to do this but it's perhaps something to bear in mind. Also know an ex BMW master tech who allegedly correctly changed his oil on 5HP24 and box later failed.

Valvetronic 320hp cars can occasionally have valley pan coolant pipe leaks too so be careful. There is a modified part stateside but labour time is the issue. Oh and be mindful re valve stem seals on these too.  Both these jobs labour and parts could be 50% of a cars used value !

[paulcoles88]

Well i think i have found the one, as like you say I want it to be at least semi local where i get it from its not the 320BHP model but after checking insurance and tax this one is slightly better on both its a 2002 4.4 v8 it needs a lil work in terms of the seats but based on everything else i have found this is the best. I am not a patient person and I kinda need one fairly quickly after looking at about 8 in total this one is by far the best. It does need the seats redoing but I'm not too bothered about that to start with.

The engine sounded purrfect and the gearbox was smooth and changed up and down smoothly in all modes reverse worked fine and all the electrics worked. I must admit i do love the dual opening boot

It does however need brake pads and disc and the dealer said the rear bushing would probably be beneficial to get changed. I am pretty competent when it comes to DIY so this job looks pretty simple and I have already found the tool required to do that work. I also read online another common one to go is front control arm bushing but tbh I'm thinking as the car is 120k miles its probably not a bad thing to change all of these over for peace of mind.

I think i got a good deal and managed to get a couple of hundred off the asking price. There's also a private plate on there which i could potentially sell if i knew how.

So it'll be a little project but I love working on cars so it won't bother me.

I'm very excited it sounded like such a beast roaring down the road and everyone turning around

[X5Sport]

Welcome to your new project.....

Glad you found something that fits the bill.

[AW8]

Main thing is you being happy & I am not wishing to dampen you enthusiasm.....BUT.....

I hope your maths is right.....dealer cost of fitting discs pads all round, (also check to see if it needs fluid change), plus rear subframe bushes would be in region of £1500 and thats before trimming/seating and any other bits of later found......If your £200 off is for what you mention I suspect seller may be having last laugh unless sale price & cost of work isn't significantly greater than value if you sold soon after all sorted. I would leave thrust bushes unless visually perished &/or symptomatic of early failure, (vibration under braking when wheels are properly balanced).


Do check service history & old mots properly. Mine has 141k on clock and only minor marks - no trim sagging or splits....mine is Dakota leather btw - Nappa may wear more if neglected.

The p/x trade values on these are significantly lower than retail for a reason - because of the costs required to ensure a retailed vehicle is relatively up and together....... Some take advantage of the differences  between trade and retail & do little or nothing over and above marking up. Shot brakes & rear subframe bushes are in my view items a trader should sort unless selling for spares/repairs and priced acccordingly

[paulcoles88]

Thank you for your replies and info, always good to have someone pointing you in the right direction.

I have looked a 8 and this is the best in terms of condition and no visible leaks fluids all looked good.

Other than him saying brake pads and discs need doing and the rear bushings it seemed like it has genuinely been looked after, lots of receipt for servicing and if stuff needed doing its been done.

I guess there will always potentially be something that could go wrong with a used car that's done over 100k

In terms of work, I would do it myself, I have changed many brake discs and pads and I find it a fairly straight forward job, although I will have to find a guide on it for the X5 to learn any needed spanner sizes or tips.

With regards to the bushes i would also do that myself, the X5 had literally come in that week and they don't seem to hang around much here which is why one i looked at was in Manchester but got there and it was potentially sold but it was described as mint and that car was far from it, the exhaust pipes had collapsed inside itself somehow there was a bottle of oil in the boot which made me a bit worried, there was bits of trim off and just sitting in the car and also some sticker on the window mentioning a court case or something lol.

Then the dealer came out and that just sealed the deal... lol wasted trip to Manchester or a valuable lesson if something seems too good to be true it probably is haha!

Anyway I have all the modules in the boot for the X5 do you think they are worth anything? like Theres a Nav unit, TV tuner or something like that, CD Changer if they have some sale value i will do it as I will be putting in an Alpine unit with the Apple Car Play features.

I reckon the number plate based on similar plates is worth £250-300 then you have the DVLA fee of £80 whether or not that is absorbed in to the profit of the plate or the buyer pays it, although i guess I'd have to pay it and get the plate on retention then sell it that way.

On eBay the units from the boot seem to be going for around:

Sat Nav £50-100
The CD changer £30-50
TV Tuner - £30-50

So all in all if i can get around the estimates for things I'm looking at £250 back for those things

I've seen a full mint condition Interior on ebay for around £250 that includes everything, get that changed over and i think the car will look perfect.

Like i say i know its a project and i will probably be relying on people here for quite a bit of help but I'm excited at working on such a beast of a machine.

I have just purchased the BMW Scanner tool as that seems almost invaluable.

Thanks for all your replies.

If i do need help i assume i should just post into the problems section?

Hope everyone has had a great weekend and the week head is looking promising