40d or M50d?

[centurion]

Afternoon chaps,

and hope all is well... i'm back on this forum after couple of years (yeah i know, RS bugged me badly and i was totally hooked up by it).

I'm looking at couple 40d vs M50d's at the moment. I was wondering do you have any tips / hints re what i should be aware of?

I'm aware of chain issues, steering / suspension etc etc but i really like the design / practicality of the LCI model . Hence your insights would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

[sid10]

I bought a 40d M sport a couple of weeks ago , tried the 50d but thought it was a bit overkill for what I needed . I suppose it is up to you what you need it for , I havent found the 40d lacking in power 5.9 seconds to 60 , 147 mph , 30 mpg .
Tyres are the first thing I usually check if they are miss matched or budget brand I walk away as it can be a good indication if it is a well cared for example or skinflint owner . 20" are 1k a set , 21" 1500 so barter if near limits .
Service history is kept on the idrive so you can check it plus when the pads , oil , etc will give you mileage or a date when they will need to be replaced . If you buy from a main dealer they will replace pads if car says they are less than 4000 miles until they need changed , oil service is conditional so can fluctuate a bit . But again main dealer will service if you push them hard enough , they also offer a 12 month warranty that covers everything apart from consumables which can be extended after the 12 months which is worth while continuing for peace of mind .
My car also came with a 5 year service pack which the first owner put on the car so check with the dealer if it has one , I dont think BMW management cars could have them on .
The car should look still fresh , paint good , interiors hold up well but check for creaks and damage again bartering tool .
Good luck
Sid10

[centurion]

thanks Sid - that's very useful.

both 40d and/or M50d's come well equipped... other than decent stereo (which i know BMW is not renowned for unless one has H&K), Comfort seats and folding mirrors, i'm fine. The rest is / would be a bonus!

Do you mind me asking how are they mechanically? Anything to be aware of or to look out for?

I know some earlier models had issues with electric handbrake and rear air bags. I've also seen quite a few in AT with 'new chains', transfer boxes etc. Some of that rings an alarm for me and i wonder if anyone can share their views/experiences?

ps. i'm aware that these cars are now 8/9y plus and that some of the things will eventually go wrong!

thanks

[Leslie]

A new chain would rule any car I was looking at straight away unless bmw did it but that would be unlikely due to the silly cost

[centurion]

Agreed... i bet parts alone are close to 4 figures.

[henrym3]

I am amazed at some of the comments regarding the chains. So we’re saying ignore a vehicle at say 100k that’s had new chains and buy a vehicle say at 80/120k that hasn’t. We come on here and moan about main dealers but want the chains done by them. There are plenty of top notch indies who are capable of that sort of work and more at half the price. Apart from the fortunate few who can change their vehicle when the warranty is up most of us look for a good indie or specialist to do work at a reasonable cost. A prime example of this is kkkX5 our resident man to go to with a reputation. Just a different opinion.

[centurion]

Fully agree. With all due respect i always approach it with who is best capable / knowledgeable to address certain issue.

For wear and tear items i don't mind going to my local garage and will always use them irrespective of what vehicle i drive / have... convenience, reputation and being keen to help / learn etc are some of the reason i use them.

When we step into med/high complexity challenges (engine / air suspension / vacuum etc), specialists are the only way in my opinion. It is not question of money (yes to a degree) but more of is one capable to address an issue at hand or not. I'm sure we've all been there before but at the end it always pays off to bring the vehicle to a reputable garage than try and cut corners .

Irrespective of the above... and back to the topic. I was wondering had any one of you had or heard of any major issues with 40d or M50d engines / trannies or g'boxes?

[mr angry]

I have a high mileage 40d and have had a catastrophic failure of the high-pressure fuel pump. As the pump failed, swarf was pumped throughout the entire fuel system requiring new pumps, injectors, filter/heater and removal and cleaning of the fuel tank and lines.

I don't think this issue is limited to the two models you are looking at though and is seen in many other models/manufacturers. It was just bad luck and possibly just due to the mileage.

[X5Sport]

Transfer box issue cars will almost certainly be down to fitting the wrong rubber. All xDrive cars in the X-series apart from the very latest models are sensitive to tyres. Lots of info on here, some have never had an issue whilst others have had a disaster. No ‘*’, MO, MOE or AO mark would make me look harder, more so if the tread depth front/rear was more than 1.5mm different. These cars should have all tyres changed as a set. RFTs are not mandated but you need to either fit a spare (not possible on the 7-seater) or have a reinflation kit to something like Puncturesafe installed in all tyres.

If you are worried about a timing chain change, all N57 units need to come out of the car as the chain is at the back. That makes it expensive to do because of the level of disassembly required.

[centurion]

Cheers... that's very useful.

Do you mind me asking what tyre type should be fitted on them (BMW specific variant of say Potenza RFT's) or?

[Leslie]

I am amazed at some of the comments regarding the chains. So we’re saying ignore a vehicle at say 100k that’s had new chains and buy a vehicle say at 80/120k that hasn’t.

I was saying If a car is for sale and just had a "chain" fitted I would immediately think rightly or wrongly they are just trying to offload it,just like a car that just had a new turbo but I do think chain problems on the x5 are quite rare and I do wonder have some of the cars that needed them at lowish miles been clocked as the 6 cylinder engines are not really highly stressed.
Everything is a gamble I bought mine at 128k