Help! One Week into X5 Ownership. What Should I Do Next?...

[chubbs]

Okay, she's done 97,000 miles, a Jan 2004 built car (E53), 5-speed Automatic and she's been looked after in a pretty basic way for the past several years (mechanically).

I'd like to prevent any common issues before they occur.


Here are the (very basic) things I've already done...

Rear wiper – overhaul/lubricate, so it works
Front tyres – fit new (Vredestein)
Bodywork – touch up (sterling silver)
Alloy wheel paint - buy
Oil & Filter Change (Castrol Edge Titanium 0-W30)
Exterior trim - de-oxidise & refurb
Headlight Glass - de-oxidise & refurb
Bonnet hinges - lubricate
Witter Towbar keys – buy 2 new ones
Angel Eye, LED ‘Halo’ sidelights – buy & fit
Leather seats – rejuvenate (leather balm & black polish)
Engine bay – clean
Rear wiper blade - buy & fit
Front wiper blades – buy & fit
Air Filter – fit new one

Now I need your help...

Can you lovely people please suggest what I might do next? The more ideas I get, the better. Please bear in mind that I'm of limited mechanical ability, don't have access to a ramp and I take twice as long as most people to do things.

All suggestions gratefully received - especially ones regarding common issues for an X5 of this age.

(ps - she's got newish discs & pads)

[Horizon]

After doing all that in a week, you should have a rest and go for a drive and enjoy the car

[Greydog]

OK tasks for the weekend nip around to my place and give the X5 and the Subaru a good winter detox then if you have time the grass needs cutting??

Or you could do as Horizon rightly suggests and enjoy your car

[fenj66]

You could also add another gear to the auto box as yours should have 6 surely!?  But. Yes, get out and enjoy it..

[Pinewood]

Drive it like you stole it!

[chubbs]

[quote="fenj66"]
You could also add another gear to the auto box as yours should have 6 surely!?  But. Yes, get out and enjoy it..
[/quote]

Thanks for all the replies so far!

Yes, I've been wondering about that. It's definitely got 5 gears (when I put it into 'manual' mode I only get the numbers from 1-5) and it was definitely 'built in Jan 2004', according to the plate in the engine bay. Can anyone shed some light on this?

I'll be around to mow your lawns later.  :hmmm:

[fenj66]

the facelift diesels def moved to 6 speed zf autobox and poss the v8's also.
maybe the 3.0i didn't. its probably a blessing anyhow, as the zf boxes are renowned for lurch issues as mine sadly has. 

[X5Sport]

When I was speccing mine in early 2004 the 3.0i was still a 5-speed.  Not sure when it changed.

[Steamyrotter]

Personally i'd start putting money aside for the gearbox...

The GM 5sp is on par with the reliability of the ZF 6sp..
As in they will most probably cause you issues around the 100k mark..

You could do a gearbox service, but read all about it first as there are many pros and cons of doing it or not!!

[chubbs]

[quote="Steamyrotter"]
Personally i'd start putting money aside for the gearbox...

The GM 5sp is on par with the reliability of the ZF 6sp..
As in they will most probably cause you issues around the 100k mark..

You could do a gearbox service, but read all about it first as there are many pros and cons of doing it or not!!
[/quote]

Thanks - yes a gearbox oil change was high on my list. I even found an autobox specialist locally and he has quoted me £180 + vat, which seems to be a good price.

However, I've read loads and loads of gearbox threads this week and it's left me very unsure of myself. So reluctantly, for the time being I've decided to let sleeping dogs lie and NOT get it done - - - - - unless someone can convince me otherwise.

How much would a gearbox cost me, if this one were to fall apart?

[Horizon]

Some say, get it done at 80 K or leave it alone forever. I had mine done by an Automatic gearbox specialist for that same price. No problems before or after. 90k
Some wait until it's giving trouble and then think a service will sort it out. Usually the damage is done and changing the oil and filters then isn't a magic wand. I'm a service engineer and see it all the time in my field of work.
These boxes are fitted in several makes of cars, they recommend service at 60 or 80k.

[chubbs]

[quote="Horizon"]
Some say, get it done at 80 K or leave it alone forever. I had mine done by an Automatic gearbox specialist for that same price. No problems before or after. 90k
Some wait until it's giving trouble and then think a service will sort it out. Usually the damage is done and changing the oil and filters then isn't a magic wand. I'm a service engineer and see it all the time in my field of work.
These boxes are fitted in several makes of cars, they recommend service at 60 or 80k.
[/quote]

Excellent!  :biggrin:

This is just what I was hoping for - someone making a post that encourages me to do it!

[X5Sport]

But then removing the crud that's holding everything steady could be a bad idea!

You see the problem?  It has to a personal choice, and there are folks in here who have changed it and had a failure soon after.  There are those who have had no problems after a change.  Changing it will always be good for the box, but has an inherent risk - as do many things in life 

A replacement will be anywhere from around £1,200 to around £1,700 depending upon the supplying specialist, quality of rebuild and warranty offered.  There are plenty about so that should help keep prices lower than they were when mine went (that was over £3k on a ZF 6-sp, paid for by Warranty Direct) several years ago.

[fenj66]

i had my 6 speed auto oil and filter changed plus gearbox software update and it was worse after! i am now of the opinion" if it aint broke, leave it alone" ( lurch doesnt mean broke in this instance!!) :-[

[andym3]

I've owned 3 X5's my first one never changed the gearbox oil & 101k miles gearbox went & cost me £1600 to get sorted!
Since then my last x5 & my current x5 I have the gearbox oil & filter changed every 3yrs! The first oil & filter change you really notice how much smoother the gear change is even if you think it's smooth at the moment!

At the end of the day anything on a car that contains moving metal & contains oil needs changing! It's just common sense!