X5 e70 Towing

[sheep1903]

Hi Guys,

Can somebody please advise on the X5 E70 towing and cooling upgrade. I’ve searched for months and cannot really find any definitive answers.

I’ve a 2011, 40d, 8 speed auto towing a Swift twin axle at approx. 1600kgs I had a witter towbar installed when I picked the car up from John Clark. I currently tow with no problems whatsoever, longest tow to-date is 4hours.

I am about to tow from Scotland to France -  16hours. So this has rejigged my memory about the cooling issues.

As I said I have read mixed reports if its needed or not.

When I bought the car, they sales guy knew I was towing and failed to mention anything, when I asked him he said that as I am towing 1.6te I should be fine, but if I was towing over the 2te spec then I’d need the 3.5te cooling upgrade.

Can anyone offer advice?

[X5Sport]

The 'standard' towing limit is 2.4T and the only thing changed to cope with that was the main electric cooling fan was changed from a 600W unit to an 830W unit.  The 3.5T upgrade added extra radiators as well, and is a significant piece of work.

As long as you are only pulling 1600kgs I can't see there being any issues, unless you are in the Alps all the time.  Most owners with tow bars fitted after 'build' have no trouble at all.

[Steamyrotter]

The only bit I would add, and I dont know how hard it would be on the E70, is that it may be worth getting a gearbox fluid cooler fitted.

I know there is a heat exchanger in the radiator for the fluid, but if you can get extra cooling on there it will help protect the gearbox a bit more..

I fitted one to my E53 (May not be the ideal endorsement following my tribulations) and it does keep the box temperature in a better zone when towing.

[Huxsta]

I'm going to fit a westfalia to my 4.0d. I looked on google etc for info and came to the conclusion that it's a belt and braces approach from BMW. I don't however tow for that long but given the opportunity to want to then I would happily connect up and go. Its not like you won't have a break in your journey (ferry etc) to help matters.

[acarty]

I’ve just put a westfalia on my 30d XDrive and use it to tow a 2Te ish boat for several hours at a time with no issues at all, I am looking at taking it to Italy next year and would have no worries with it…. I guess if it was being used daily for long haul journeys then it would be different.

[sheep1903]

Thanks guys, much appreciated!!

Seems like there are many of us towing without the upgrade, it's a pretty mad situation to be in after spending all this money on a car. I have always towed for a few hours and thought sod it, bit different this time going to France.

What is the max towing time that anyone has done with an after market set up without cooling upgrade? As I pointed out I am at 4 hours without problem.

[sid10]

hi don't forget a full size spare as if you get a puncture you wont be able to tow anything with a toy spare wheel , although most haven't got a spare due to runflats . I read a few reports last year before we went to France about a shortage of runflat tyres especially for larger SUVs .
    I think you still need the breathalisers aswell ! 
  Six hours none stop with a 2 ton Superstorm twin axle plus car filled to the limit , after market witter tow bar no problems . I  think it is more when the car is at its maximum as I had a big twin axle trailer with about 3 ton of soil on , car was struggling but my brand new Hilux wouldn't even pull it !

[sheep1903]

I called another branch of BMW,

They told me that to tow anything they have to advise that the fan is upgraded from 600w to 850w, price to pay is £800.

One thing I have noticed that when I tow just now my fan is always on when my car is moving on the road as soon as I stop, slow down near a junction I can hear it slowing down and switching off.

[gmc15]

I tow with the same car as yours. My van is 1500kgs and my longest tow has only been a couple of hours. My fan also cuts in and out as I slow for junctions. The trouble is that these cars don't have a temp gauge so it is difficult to know how hot the car is running!
I will be towing around France in a couple of months time so I'll see how it gets on towing in hof conditions.
I towed with an E53 3.0d all over France and with a E53 4.6is in France and neither had any upgrades and both were fine. Just hope the E70 is OK

[Steve p]

Hi, I've recently got a 2013 30d x5 I have had a wesfalia detachable towbar fitted
In August I'm doing 1250 miles from the North East to the south of France with a twin axle sterling , my car has no fan upgrade
Fingers crossed nothing goes wrong. I did the same trip last year in my old 2006 x5 with no problems at all ,hope this performs as good cheers Ste

[gmc15]

[quote="Steve p"]
Hi, I've recently got a 2013 30d x5 I have had a wesfalia detachable towbar fitted
In August I'm doing 1250 miles from the North East to the south of France with a twin axle sterling , my car has no fan upgrade
Fingers crossed nothing goes wrong. I did the same trip last year in my old 2006 x5 with no problems at all ,hope this performs as good cheers Ste
[/quote]

We are also going to France in August. Going from Durham to do the Hull to Zeebrugge crossing and then towing down to Alsace for a few days. Then going further South to the Auvergne near Clermont-Ferrand for a week. We have towed many miles in France with our other X5's so hopefully this one will be as good if not better

[Graeme]

Good morning,

My car is an ex management 2007 E70 3.0d 7 seater (uprated rear suspension) that I've had since 2008. BMW fitted a towbar when I bought it from them but nothing has been added to the cooling system.  I've towed a 1600kg caravan for thousands of miles with it, including many trips from the north of England to the Swiss Bernese Oberland in high summer where the temperature in Germany reached 30 degC, and to the Isle of Lewis, without any overheating problems at all - never had a warning message.  Following a blow-out on a van tyre years ago, I followed the ADAC advice and keep the speed to 56mph which is the most economical and allows the van tyres to run without them overheating and risking a blow-out - on many 2 lane German autobahns you have to stick behind the lorries all doing 56mph during the day as overtaking with a van is prohibited. In hilly areas I use the gearbox manually to use lower gears that maximise the torque.  It is the best tow car I've had (previous ones were a Volvo 265 estate, five Merc 300d estates and an E53 3.0d).

Hope this helps,

Graeme

[gmc15]

Thanks Graeme, that's what I like to hear to put my mind at rest
Do you have run flats on the X5? I am debating what to do about getting a spare as the 20" tyres are supposed to be hard to get in France, and I wouldn't like to get stuck on an Autoroute with a punctured car tyre and a van on the back

[BullyB]

Good point about the spare wheel, I have never thought about that before.

I have towed my car about with my standard 35d. I had a removable Westfalia tow hitch fitted.

I'm taking this to wales tomorrow

[sheep1903]

[quote="gmc15"]
I tow with the same car as yours. My van is 1500kgs and my longest tow has only been a couple of hours. My fan also cuts in and out as I slow for junctions. The trouble is that these cars don't have a temp gauge so it is difficult to know how hot the car is running!
I will be towing around France in a couple of months time so I'll see how it gets on towing in hof conditions.
I towed with an E53 3.0d all over France and with a E53 4.6is in France and neither had any upgrades and both were fine. Just hope the E70 is OK
[/quote]

Hi GMC, yeah the fan thing is odd. BMW told me today that's not right and to speak to witter. I met a guy with a 40d a few weeks back and he had the same issue with the fan.