Disappointed and very surprised

[Leslie]

You are maybe getting a discount on parts for older cars as its rare for a dealer to be even remotely competitive on price . You really need to hold onto this if you go to Greece permanently as its far too nice to give it away for all you will get with it being old now , get shot of the x5 instead and keep this

[sapphireblack]

You have read my mind. And i recall BMW did offer discounted maintenance on older cars like my E53, but i'm not aware if that still applies?

I bought the E70 as a "knockabout and not precious", unfussy car for a place where cars are very much secondary. The relocation plans took another hit last week, so are once again on hold pending some clarification.

And I think, having spent far to much money bringing the E70 up to par i wouldnt want to sell it either, but one must go, though maybe not immediately.

Just today on both cars, i fitted the panels inside the armrest box that include the factory 12v socket as well as the AUX-USB connections. Cable was run along the console, behind trim of course, to tap off of the original 12v socket wiring. A budget job having spent about £30 total for all the bits n pieces, including the correct T plugs for the 12v sockets.

Quite a rewarding task

The actual expenditure was £34.26. I did use some in stock connectors valued only in pence. And the reason for this was more connection options. The front 12v socket powers a phone charging mat so it's lost to anything else. I have an iPod connected in the armrest box so not much facility to charge anything else like a tablet while on the move. And i hate leads trailing everywhere, like from the rear 12v socket. But i am of course only justifying my own efforts

[sapphireblack]

Yesterday was springs replacement day. Car delivered to the dealeship for 8am as requested. I got the #72 bus for a ride home.

Some three hours later i received a phone call to apologise that the work couldn't be done as someone had ordered rear springs. There followed a pretty heated discussion, in part because no loan car was available. I collected my car as i didn't want it in their compound for possibly two weeks. No eta on front springs as yet but a new 2 series was delivered last night to keep me mobile.

I have yet to return to my car today but i was aware of some odd messages popping up in the binnacle. One looked like a camera but that was working . I am going to take my phone with me for image taking.

And btw i sold the E70 on Monday night. I actually would have made a profit, were it not for my indulgent spending on it.

[Leslie]

Best shot of the e70 you would never make a decent cat out of it , some can live with niggles if its cheap enough which is the only way it makes sence , trying to fic its many faults is far too costly and too much hassle
Bit slack of them on the parts order but mistakes do happen and id image they dont sell many parts for 16 year old cars these days , more annoying as most rear is air suspension anyway on these so not coils lol

[X5Sport]

Not ordering the right springs is a serious lack of attention to detail. That’s a real rookie error!

Although rear air was almost standard on the E70, the E71 was made with coil springs which was one of the reasons I bought mine. My wife suffers from motion sickness and the rear air fitted to the E53 caused havoc with her. There was an option for adaptive suspension but that was only available for a limited time and certain models. The 40d never had it - possibly as BMW marketed as a Sports Activity Vehicle rather than an SUV. What the actual difference is other than marketing speak I know not. The E71 also had the X5M/X6M torque distribution rear diff, so maybe that’s another reason for coils rather than airbags.

Our i4 also has rear air and all round adaptive and my wife is fine with it.

[Leslie]

Oops didnt know the e71 had rear coils ,did know the diff was different though possibly to shift more units and get the cost down for the diff by using it in more cars

[IanP]

My e71 x6m comes with rear air bag suspension...

[X5Sport]

You have the M, which did get them.

I also believe that the F16 and onwards also got them as standard. Quite what BMWs rationale across the models to determine what did and what didn’t, and why certain models they couldn’t even be optioned was I haven’t found yet.