Hello from Forest of Dean

[Timoth27]

Hi, thought it was time to introduce myself I have been lurking around for a few weeks now as I came across xdrivers in my search for info on the x5 as I am hoping to buy soon. All I can say is I have learnt so much from here the site is awesome.

So I think I know what I want but feel free to steer me.

So I am looking at a face lift e53 04-06 (as don't really want to pay the higher tax >:() 3.0D sport with satnav with pref less than 80k but got 12k to spend so should be ok. I just have one question really.

I cannot seem to find much info on the servicing schedule,  it seems its up to the car but is there not any time frames as well? Just so I can check any history.

Also can I get some recommendations for third party warranties as would like the piece of mind as I have read a few horror stories.

I am sure I will be on with loads of question once I have bought as already have a list of things I want to do

Thanks

Tim

[huck]

Hi Tim and welcome to xdrivers!

I'm sure some of our learned members will be able to help out with your query.

[Sanj]

Hi Tim,

Welcome to the forum. 

[quote="Timoth27"]
I cannot seem to find much info on the servicing schedule,  it seems its up to the car but is there not any time frames as well? Just so I can check any history.
[/quote]

The diesels don't get an Inspection 2 (that's just reserved for the petrols). So oil, then insp 1 and then back to oil, etc - don't let the $tealers tell you any different - most don't know, admittedly.

The lights are 5 green, one amber and one red. RAG status, use it - red means get it done. Each bar is 3000 miles and worth using as your gauge. Buy one, get it checked if the paperwork/bars don't tally up.

Brake fluid change is every 2 years or some amount of mileage which I can't remember right now. But if it hasn't boiled it should be fine. Most won't have.

[quote="Timoth27"]
Also can I get some recommendations for third party warranties as would like the piece of mind as I have read a few horror stories.
[/quote]

Not worth the paper they're written on. But if you're up for a fight with each claim - go for it. Getting a BMW one is best but will cost you on renewal - they will never give you one for a car you buy outside of the AUC circle.

Hope that helps.

[Timoth27]

Hi sanj

Thanks for the reply, just a couple of things  :-[

RAG status, AUC circle ??? Sorry for the newbness this will be our first venture into BMW ownership

So 8 years old and 60k the service book should look a bit like oil (20k) + insp.1 (40k) + oil (60k) ish and 4 break fluid changes if its fbmwsh

Thanks

Tim

[huck]

All good advice but I'd have to disagree with the statement that third party warranties are useless. My brothers have always had a Warranty Direct policy in their cars and have saved, literally,  thousands of pounds on repairs to their Mercs in just a few years. I was very skeptical but the process has always been painless for them. Balancing up what one brother has paid out in premiums vs claims, he is up many, many thousands.

Things have become a little less beneficial as one of his cars is now 10 years old (he jus refuses to sell it!) and only half the costs are covered.

I'm sure there are horror stories but I can only give you direct knowledge of multiple claims by someone close to me.

Edited to add: no link at all to the company, just know that my brothers have been delighted with the service they got.

[Raj]

Welcome aboard Tim.

Good advice above so not a lot I can add to that. You've probably already seen the buyers section to help.

Good luck with the search.

Raj

[weirdfish]

The good old Forest of Dean, that makes two of us, which part mate?
As for servicing, yes it is via the lights etc. but not just down to mileage, It also works on time factor as well, so servicing is not written in stone, as long as there are no huge gaps, and it's been stamped or verified by paperwork then that's fine.
But go on gut feeling and what you see in front of you as well, don't just look at the car/servicing, check the owner as well, some owners go overboard on servicing, more oil changes than needed.
As for warranty, I've never bothered, but some do, it's a personal thing, find a good indie garage and you should be ok for any works that need doing, and you won't have you pants taken down when it comes to paying, if you need any info on good indies let me know and I'll give you a couple of names.
Plenty of knowledgeable people on here, I've never had a diesel, but had a few petrol X5's.

[Chompers]

Firstly, Hi Tim and to xDrivers.

[quote="Timoth27"]
Hi sanj

Thanks for the reply, just a couple of things  :-[

RAG status, AUC circle ??? Sorry for the newbness this will be our first venture into BMW ownership

So 8 years old and 60k the service book should look a bit like oil (20k) + insp.1 (40k) + oil (60k) ish and 4 break fluid changes if its fbmwsh

Thanks

Tim
[/quote]

AUC stands for BMW's own Approved Used Car scheme. You can only get a BMW warranty on one of these or extend one if there is still some on a private car for sale. They are expensive, but worth their weight in gold 

3rd party warranties have their +/-'s and can be a real pain  in the ar$e (PITA)  come a non straight forward claim. Weight up if its worth putting the money you would pay monthly to the warranty co. in to something like an ISA and self funding as and when the need arises.

Service intervals are more around the 15/18k mark and is calculated on fuel used and time. Iddeally you would want to find a car with at leasr 3 green lights showing. Anything less and you should factor the cost of the relevant sevice into the final agreed purchase price.

Most people buying X5's go straight to the 3.0d option, but don't rule out the V8 unless you are doing in exxcess of 15k+ a year. They will often be quite a bit cheaper and petrol in also cheaper.

Good luck in your search and keep firing the questions in

[X Box]

Welcome to the forum.

[Chompers]

[quote="X5Sport"]
[quote="Timoth27"]


RAG status, AUC circle ??? Sorry for the newbness this will be our first venture into BMW ownership

So 8 years old and 60k the service book should look a bit like oil (20k) + insp.1 (40k) + oil (60k) ish and 4 break fluid changes if its fbmwsh

Thanks

Tim
[/quote]

RAG Status = Red, Amber, Green - it's a Project Manager Term too.  On the BMW they go G. A. R.

AUC = BMW Approved Used Car

Service stamps sound about right.  The Services will depend upon fuel consumption and driving style so they could be closer together.  The 2 year brake fluid change will appear as an orange square with a clock in it (aka Time Based Servicing) whereas the RAG LEDs are Condition Based Servicing.

Oh and Welcome

Richard
[/quote]

Anyone hear an echo, echo, echo  )

[X5Sport]

Hmmmm.....seems the 'New posts' button didn't bring up the whole message list so yours wasn't there.  I've removed mine now as yours just about covered it.......

[Timoth27]

Hi all sorry for the delay in responding as have been away with work. Well I spent Friday trying to look at cars after tralling autotrader I had a few I wanted to look at only to find the first 4 where sold gutted as I was sort of set on a lemans blue but any how's, first one didn't have the nav so next was actually not bad and had a drive, was impressed (if not a bit noisy) but decided there was one more I wanted to look at so thought I will have a look and choose. So second one was in excellent condition lower mileage and a year younger but what sold it was how much quieter it drove so I bought it     , spent more than planned and ended up with the higher tax but well chuffed. 56 with 47k fbmwsh in black, cannot pick it up till next w/e so now making lists of what to mods to do ::)

@ weirdfish, just outside Mitcheldean mate how about you, although technically I'm in Herefordshire now (by about 1/4 mile) I still think of myself as a forester as lived here all my life. Would appreciate a recommendation for an Indy close by if you have one.

Thanks for all the info and tips guys cannot wait to actually collect it and have the weekend fiddling.

Thanks

Tim

[weirdfish]

[quote="Timoth27"]
Hi all sorry for the delay in responding as have been away with work. Well I spent Friday trying to look at cars after tralling autotrader I had a few I wanted to look at only to find the first 4 where sold gutted as I was sort of set on a lemans blue but any how's, first one didn't have the nav so next was actually not bad and had a drive, was impressed (if not a bit noisy) but decided there was one more I wanted to look at so thought I will have a look and choose. So second one was in excellent condition lower mileage and a year younger but what sold it was how much quieter it drove so I bought it     , spent more than planned and ended up with the higher tax but well chuffed. 56 with 47k fbmwsh in black, cannot pick it up till next w/e so now making lists of what to mods to do ::)

@ weirdfish, just outside Mitcheldean mate how about you, although technically I'm in Herefordshire now (by about 1/4 mile) I still think of myself as a forester as lived here all my life. Would appreciate a recommendation for an Indy close by if you have one.

Thanks for all the info and tips guys cannot wait to actually collect it and have the weekend fiddling.

Thanks

Tim
[/quote]

Tim,
      Glad you've found one, now the fun begins, I'm in Blakeney.
I've used a couple of indies for my cars, bmw's as well as other marques, one is in Chepstow and the other in parkend, if either of these areas  are good for you drop me a PM and I'll give you more details.

[Timoth27]

[quote="weirdfish"]


Tim,
      Glad you've found one, now the fun begins, I'm in Blakeney.
I've used a couple of indies for my cars, bmw's as well as other marques, one is in Chepstow and the other in parkend, if either of these areas  are good for you drop me a PM and I'll give you more details.
[/quote]

The in laws are in parkend so yeah sounds good, racking my brain and I cannot think who the Indy could be though

[Timoth27]

So first noob question how can I tell if it has HIDs/zenons dose the lense look different or is it just down to bulbs. It does have the ae's if that make a difference :-[

Thanks

Tim