Advice... help... reassurance...... UPDATE

[Lee_thefirst]

Hi,

My name is Lee, 31 from Nottingham.

I have just put down a deposit on a X5 E53 2001 4.4 V8, Black, 89,000, LPG converted. Heated front & rear seats, rear blinds, it seems to have it all. The condition is outstanding.
Due to pick it up next Saturday.
Some advice... almost reassurance that hopefully I have done the right thing.
The last owner prior to the owner I am buying from lost the service history. The owner I am buying from has very little history only a full service and a full service of the LPG system in the last 2 months. I believe the mileage to be correct due the super condition of the car both inside and outside. The owner seems very genuine but the lack of service history niggles me a little bit. Looking at the market I have got the car for 800-1000 pounds cheaper.
I noticed a whining noise from the front end when the wheels are turned, it was very cold outside when I had the test drive but the noise was still there at the end. After doing my research I have put this down to the power steering pump..? any ideas of the cost to sort that out?

Any comments, views, advice would be really appreciated.

I plan to keep the car for a good number of years so I hope to become a regular poster.

Thanks

Lee

[thedweeb]

[quote=""Lee_thefirst""]Hi,

My name is Lee, 31 from Nottingham.

I have just put down a deposit on a X5 E53 2001 4.4 V8, Black, 89,000, LPG converted. Heated front & rear seats, rear blinds, it seems to have it all. The condition is outstanding.
Due to pick it up next Saturday.
Some advice... almost reassurance that hopefully I have done the right thing.
The last owner prior to the owner I am buying from lost the service history. The owner I am buying from has very little history only a full service and a full service of the LPG system in the last 2 months. I believe the mileage to be correct due the super condition of the car both inside and outside. The owner seems very genuine but the lack of service history niggles me a little bit. Looking at the market I have got the car for 800-1000 pounds cheaper.
I noticed a whining noise from the front end when the wheels are turned, it was very cold outside when I had the test drive but the noise was still there at the end. After doing my research I have put this down to the power steering pump..? any ideas of the cost to sort that out?

Any comments, views, advice would be really appreciated.

I plan to keep the car for a good number of years so I hope to become a regular poster.

Thanks

Lee[/quote]
Hi Lee welcome to the forum. I see your just up the road from me, anyway on to the car....As for the whining sound it could be anything, does increase in pitch when you rev the engine ? As for the service side of things, its worth a phone call to BMW to find out if they have any record of servicing the car,these things can be very expensive when they go wrong so you do need one thats been looked after. What make of LPG does it have?
Cheers
Thedweeb

[Lee_thefirst]

It is a BRC system. The owner has just spent quite a bit of money on a service for it. The whining sound does not increase when the engine is reved, the sound is noticeable when the wheels are turned.

[thedweeb]

Oh you mean then you turn the steering wheel you get a whine?
Dweeb

[Lee_thefirst]

Yeah, probably not explaining it correctly.... when you turn the steering wheel there is a whining sound.

[CondorX5]

Lee, lack of history with older X5s is a really negative thing, but of course balanced against your "gut feel" and the condition of the car, you have decided to go ahead anyway. BMW UK should be able to give you some service hisotry and its worth a call to find out. I'm always suspicious of "sorry lost the history" esp with BMWs as its very easy to ring and find out what work was done and when, if it was main dealer of course. If the car was not main dealer serviced its a different story, but even then, you'd expect the owner who lost the hisotry to give a buyer details of the indy he used.........

Why is the current owner selling? Youd think a perfect condition LPG converted X would be something he'd hold onto......and he's only owned it a year?? I'd be asking a lot more questions but perhaps I'm just suspicious. As to the whining noise, others are much more mechanically knowledgeable, but I know from past experience that CV joints behave that way when they need attention.......

Best of luck, and welcome on board

[Lee_thefirst]

I have only put a small deposit down so I would walk away if I want/need to. The owner does have a geunine reason for sale so I have no problems with that side of things. But, yes you no make a good point about the owner could/should have chased up the service history or at least made a phone call.

[AW8]

The PS does make some noise & can make increased noise on hard full lock. Easiest way to see if the one you are hoping to get is noisier than the norm is to go try another 4.4i & compare. I can assure you the cost of a new steering rack is expensive and far in excess of your quoted saving when fitted. The High pressure PAS hose is a known weak item on these. If leaking and fluyid low or lack of pressure thayt can also cause problems. If the PAS reservoir is dry or the noise remins unexplained than be prepared to walk away if you still can. if seller confident no issues ask them to allow you to get it checked over at a BMW independent saying you will pay if it gets the all clear.

Failed CV joints will give a clicking noise on full lock not whirring/groaning.

Lack of history likely to shave 1500 off value IMO.

Call BMW customer services tomorrow the history check number is in the site buyers guide at top of this forum section. You can buy a service book & with some cunning send or take it to various historic dealers to get stamps retro added though you may struggle back to 2001. Check old MOT's too.


Check to see if its had PCV hoses, both rocker gaskets, both outer front CV boots, rear bushes & hesader tank changed. If not I near guarantee you will end up paying for same if you keep it for significant time rather than selling after a few bills.

Shame you asked q's after placing a deposit but hope it works out.

Good Luck

[Lee_thefirst]

Thank you for that....... the deposit is very small so it would not be a great lossat all if I needed to walk away.

I think I will be honest and say that I am going (well maybe) paying 7900 pounds for the car.... 2001 black, 4.4V8, 89,000 miles, BRC LPG system, Comms pack, black leather, heated front & rear seats, rare blinds, stunning 5 spoke alloys. Condition inside & out is amazing. However no service history from pervious owners only the current one.

I know that I have no doubt done things backwards but what do you guys think to the price etc??

[AW8]

Used market in freefall especially for cars that are plentiful on used market &/or costly to run. In some sectors we are seeing a return to 2008 drops.

A year ago I would have said £8.5 or even £9k.

Reckon if absent of history its a no more than a £7k car.

if it has a knackered rack its no more than a £5k car as cost of a new rack not far shy of £1200 plus the labour no idea how many hours to do the job- £300 will buy you maybe 4- 5 hrs labour at an indy taking the bill to £2k.( 7k less 2k =5k). In USA you can get recon racks from ZF not sure what situation is over here - salvage would be a cheaper option but more risk.

Being more positive assuming PAS all good - even if you sourced at £7k & assuming it was absent of LPG you would have to pay over £2k for LPG so car would cost you over £9k LPG'd.

it's so difficult to talk numbers as many semingly bargain cars as well as advertised as in great condition can still need a couple of grand to sort.

With Christmas approaching many bail out and pass on costly bills to nbext keeper but on flipside the snow may push demand albeit through ignorence of many who feel 4WD is the best solution to snow rather than winter tyres though the word os slowly filtering thgrough that tyre choices in winter are important so there may not a bounce back on residuals in this years big freeze especially as may fear double dip on doorstep.

Of course above is only my opinion I am but one voice on here. I dont talk down values for forum kudos - indeed I wish prices were firmer........remember I have one too.

As said by CondorX5 ask more q's re that history - folk dont loose it & near everyone knows prescence of same is intrumental in commanding a firm sale.....................Even in most disorganised of homes it would he hard to not be able to find a great big black document folder !


Good Luck

[Waka]

If you've got access to an MOT certificate this site will give you some confirmation on mileage and warnings mentioned on previous MOTs:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Ow ... G_10020539

[Lee_thefirst]

Thank you for that...... I am asking for that information from the seller and will use that link to trace the old MOT's

[Lee_thefirst]

UPDATE:

Taking advice from the previous posts.... I tracked down old MOT's and started to track down the service history..... I did my HPI check today to find that the car was registered as a CAT D (from May 2004).
Contacted the seller straight away to discuss this matter and he "claimed he did not have a clue".... I told him that this changes the value of the car etc etc... but he insisted that his car (the details of the car above) with no service history and a CAT D is still worth the asking price of 7900 pounds.
Safe to say I have walked away from this with my deposit back.... I guess things happen for a reason!

Sooooooo I am now back on the look out for a Black X5...

[gmc15]

Think you made the right decision
I am sure a better one will turn up soon

Graeme.

[Waka]

Definitely the right decision.
There are plenty of clean X5s out there without risking one with a dubious history and definitely not a Cat D!