Looking to buy 2008 BMW X5 - Buying Advice

[Joebloggs90]

New to X5's and definitely aware of the risks of buying a used old one:

Car in question: 2008 Black BMW X5 3.0 sd SE SUV 5dr Diesel Auto 4WD Euro 4 with 131k miles on the clock. Currently on sale for 6k (too much)

It has partial service history, new brake pads, callippers, tyres etc, seems to have passed every MOT, had a service in April (not BMW but I think a specialist they did oil and filter changes, cabin filter, air filters, engine oil etc.

Do you think this represents a good deal? I have heard that these cars can be moneypits to maintain - is there anything I need to look out for and how much can i expect to spend maintaining it on a yearly basis? I am a little worried about timing chain related issues.

Please give me any advice from owners of these. Thanks

[Lobster Pot]

I’ve just came into the x5 world and 1 thing I came across was wrong tyres destroying transfer box make sure they star marked just cost me £3500 for the the transfer box it’s going in next week for gearbox service and all fluids again is this documented anywhere any car can be a money pit it luck off draw I’ve just come from a e61 530d in 5 year all it had was clutch and duel mass and the standard service items bmw are great cars they just need looking after

[X5Sport]

Welcome.

As said, tyres are a critical item on xDrive cars and wrong choice means expense! ‘*’ marked is the best. All tyres must be same make/type and no more than 2mm between any tyre. Very often one failing means a full new set. On 20” wheels that’s well north of £1,200. If it’s not currently fitted with ‘*’ marked tyres then be very careful.

A test drive is essential. Drive the car at walking speed on full lock (left & right). Any sign of jerkiness at all and walk away! Transmission should change smoothly in both directions and there should be no odd noises or whines/grumbles from underneath. If there are, walk away!

Timing chain issues are very rare but not unknown. It is however a major job as the engine must come out (the chain on the N57 is at the rear!) At 130k you’re possibly also looking at a new DPF within 30-40k miles (though if it’s been looked after in the past then it should be OK.

If the engine does rattle on start up then yes, walk away.

You need to check all electrics work, no warning lights, no errors on the iDrive.

Check the a/c climate works at all temps. There’s an urban myth that turning a/c off saves fuel. It might on a 1.0L Fiesta but makes almost no difference on a 3.0D. The a/c needs to be run regularly or the seals dry out and gas leaks away.

Ask about fluid changes and when they were done? Transmission fluids should be changed every 8 years or 50,000 miles regardless of BMW stating ‘sealed for life - that’s 3 years - and you should do all of them (diffs, transfer box, gearbox).

Servicing is straightforward as long as the right oil is used (BMW LL04) 100% synthetic. Even a major is just oil & filters (oil, air, cabin, fuel). The fuel filter is often ‘missed’.

I think the ‘08 is in the higher VED tax bracket so worth asking. Also ask whether the battery has been replaced. They usually last about 6 years so it may be close (it’s in the boot). Batteries cannot just be swapped, they must be coded to the car due to the Intelligent Battery System.

Check underneath for any sign of oil leaks. Also make sure everything is where it’s supposed to be! One member on here recently bought an X3 unsuspectingly and too late found the front diff had no prop shaft! It was either transfer box or front diff broken. No comeback on the Seller and a big bill.

Check oil and coolant for any sign of contamination. Brake fluid must be replaced every two years.

If you have a friend with an OBD2 code reader for cars, get a read done. Not all errors throw a warning light.

As long as you go in with your eyes well and truly open you’ll be fine. BMWs are a luxury car with luxury running costs.

Good luck with your hunt

[Leslie]

Hi I bought an 09 sd 4 years ago with 128k now on 163k
Timing chains on there generally not an issue
Within a month the air suspension compressor siezed , it had already had a cheap replacement which dont last I put a decent one on cost 300 and been fine since.
Front calipers are twin piston on the sd and ive had to replace both in that time .
Discs and pads about 250 front and same rear so not too bad and that was brembo and after 30k says 50k left on pads
This year I've had more issues :Rad sprung a leak and cost 200 (parts only) changed water pump to 40 for part , the 2 months ago the rear diff went , this is quite common the diff was underrated for the car and these are very hard to find in the right ratio a bearing kit for one is 300 but you need someone who knows what they are doing to fit it plus its a big job to fit the diff too. Used diffs can be up to a grand as the 2.64 ratio I need was very scarse .
After about 150k the dpf will tell you its end of life 10 mins into every drive like mine does now although it is often still working bmw would say you need a new one and ask about 5k !!!!!!!! really its needs someone clever to reset the dpf life . Id check the rear pipes too if they are black to the touch inside your dpf is broken or worse gutted out (common)
All tyres need to be the same brand and within 2mm thread depth ignore this at your peril but as I have found star marked tyres and not strictly needed or this need is avoided by using 4 tyres of the same brand .I don't use runflat tyres as they are a silly price and ordinary tyres need a higher pressure or the fronts outers are scrubbed off in 5k I found , I run 38 front 40 rear and my front have done 12k and still have 6mm tread , runflat pressure is only 32psi
They are quite rust resistant bar the rear subframe which can corrode really badly and go unnoticed till its too late so it needs waxoyl to help preserve it .
My 09 is £360 a year to tax beware some earlier ones are 630 now has been a great car and does an average of 29 mpg but will regularly get 34 on a run if you are careful. They are certainly more durable than the engines that came after 40d etc as those had weak fuel pumps and timing chain issues as mentioned .
There are 2 thermostats and Id near guarantee one is faulty , you can unlock hidden menu to see running temp which needs to be over 80c or the dpf will not regen they cost about 90 quid for the 2 for parts
I highly rate the sd and mine has been ok till this year where age and miles are creeping upon it
Also there is a piece of plastic trim on the bulkhead to funnel rain if this cracks it fills the rear 2 injectors with water and then they fail ,anew one is surprisingly expensive at over 100 quid but i couldn't get a unbroken used one anywhere still a lot cheaper than an injector though

[entropyfl]

How’s you get on Joe? I’m just joining the hunt for one. Must admit the DPF stuff is a bit off putting. I’d prefer a petrol to be honest but there isn’t as much choice on the market

[X5Sport]

The DPF should last well into the 160k miles mark, often more, and as long as it’s not used for lots of short journeys should be fine. The killer is repeated short runs which don’t allow the regen process to happen. They can be cleaned out and reset so new isn’t always needed.

Petrol version are much rarer due to their fuel operating costs. The V8 engine also suffers oil leaks (on top) and timing chain guide/tensioner issues at high mileages. This requires major engine surgery.

I noticed when at my local dealer a week ago that all of their larger X model (x5,6,7) demos were petrol now. OK it only affects those looking for new, but until recently they were always diesel. At less than 20mpg I still couldn’t run one

[entropyfl]

Thanks - the ones in my budget are all around the 130k mark. How much is a new DPF installed on these?

[Leslie]

I couldn't get one with less than 130k over here 4 years ago ,most here are now are 160k and probably have no dpf fitted the first time it gives bother
You can get a dpf for less than £400(part only will be a lot of work to fit) but not from bmw who will be looking more like £4000 all in .I wouldn't be too worried they are generally very reliable and should be fine at 130k mine is fine at 163k its just bmw has put an annoying counter in the software which has now timed out , the DPF is still working fine there was a case I read in america with the same warning and it was still going at 230k and had never been off.
They are though a major job to fit as they are up the side of the engine which means dropping the subframe down a bit and removing an engine mount to get it out but essentially they don't really wear out ,they do slowly fill with ash but by that time the car will be scrap anyway
Very very few petrols about and they tend to be fragile at high miles as mentioned and will be £630 tax and very thirsty and very difficult to resell as buyers are wary of them.
Don't even think about a diesel to do short runs only though , they need a run out every week , what I do is 5 mile warmup and then 5 miles above 2k in sport to hold the revs then another 10 miles ( last bit is just my journey and not important the 2k bit after warmup is the main bit) and I've never had any dpf bother despite many 4 mile runs in between .

[X5Sport]

And for those looking at newer petrol models they now have the evil twin of the DPF, the Gasoline Particulate Filter! Same problem as with the DPF. I think they appeared around 2018 and for the last gasp of ICE powered cars, will be needed for most petrol vehicles in order to meet EU7 regs.

For the UK having the warning light on is an automatic MOT failure. There must be a way of resetting it though surely? If a new DPF is fitted then part of the car gets told that so a cleaned and refitted ‘used’ one just gets told the same coding? Unless BMW have done something unusually evil.

Added - according to the TI, it says reset the adaptions in the BMW diagnostic system. That means it’s buried in INPA/ISTA somewhere.

Changing it does seem to need a bit of surgery on the car so main dealer labour prices will be a large chunk of the charge.

[Leslie]

Petrol filters what next

There will be a way to reset it , inpa can but its not easy to get setup if you are not an IT guru I believe a foxwell 510 can/could but it appears to be obsolete now according to foxwell , Carly cannot so that's it out. I'm not in a mad panic as my mot is months away plus I got more pressing bills at the minute , I'm sure any of the remappers about could sort it with out mapping it out which i don't want
There is a uk seller for foxwell i just need to ask the right questions battery coding was something I wanted too but the foxwell 530 cannot currently do that which i thought would have been fairly basic stuff