X5 - newbie in suffolk

[babylon x5]

Hi Everyone,
Just recently joined the site and have been looking over a lot of the stuff on the X5 (E53).
I have, and have, a couple of niggles with the car so a lot of the stuff is handy to know.

I havnt done the BMW drivers course yet so not much good at Tailgating Audis, overtaking on blind bends and cutting up old ladies on roundabouts.  Still breaking myself in.  I am a bit of an electronics tech so can handle the electrics etc, not so good with the mechanics of it all.

I have had a 2nd hand  X5 for 3 years, 3.0d Sport, 2003, met green with pastel green leather with wood trim.  We bought this one for the interior mainly but would swap it for a red one with cream interior .
Live out in the sticks so handy to have a 4 x 4 monster occasionally.

It came with a few intermittent alarms (from a dealer) and eventually got them sorted as they turned out to be genuine and not as spurious as I thought.  The most interesting was the occasional 'Self level susp inactive' - intermittent but found by accident when I went to 'fix' the radio.  Someone had been into the boot / Battery area and when reassembling the compressor bell and frame had inadvertently folded over and crushed the air lines (red / blue).  Just straightened them with a little bit of hot air and alarm cured.  I know it works as I discovered when I climbed onto the tailgate while the car ticking over and the compressor kicked into life.

Have also been without a blower for a couple of months, until last week, but I traced this to the hedgehog, changed and now fine.  Funny name that hedgehog - anybody know any BMW jokes ?

Still got a radio problem, it comes on and off when it feels like it and occasionally we get a loud bang in the speakers and I have to reset it at the fuse on the radio box.  That's only every month or two.  I believe the long term cure is to redo the internal connector mountings.
Had a digital display problem on the dash, missing pixels, but this has magically cured itself.

My mobile phone broke last week as well, and I am unable to connect the replacement to the BT.  It looks like I have a problem with the button on the centre console.  Unfortunately I flattened the battery while I was trying to connect to the BTooth and only found out the next day when I tried to start it.  Wife not happy. (Is she ever, I here you say !).

Otherwise it just needs a service, the car not the wife (?).  There is always something to do on it though.  Maybe they are over complicated ?

Anyway, had some good help from you guys and look forward to taking part in the forums.  It seems to be a bit more active than the last one I was on.

Cheers
babylon X5 (Not an ex police car !)

[lezmtaylor]

Welcome.

Lez

[Sanj]

Good intro.

[X5Sport]

Welcome.

With the Bluetooth you may find it could be the fact that only so many pairings are allowed and you need to 'clear' any old ones first.

Richard

[Raj]

Welcome aboard and nice little read.

[tyzer]

Welcome, I will be very interested in your results with the bluetooth, pairing is not coming up on mine, im getting the flashing lights but text only says activate phone not pairing.

cheers

Tyzer

[babylon x5]

Hi'

I am not even getting as far as the flashing lights and it looks like the button has a problem.
I am not even able to 'wipe' the old ones as I cant even get into the mode.

Babylon X5

[sid10]

Hi try the BMW dealers first for a service as they now do a good deal on them . As for the tailgating & overtaking on blind bends those boys buy Audis now !
Enjoy your car , bought a roof box for mine for the wife muffles the whinging .

[babylon x5]

A bit poor to go to a main dealer, at the mo, was looking to do it myself.
Mostly only oil and filters.

But be honest, it would be you in the box !

B X5

[AW8]

Hi and welcome ...good intro and nice to see you have a pulse

Particularly like the comments re the BMW drivers course

Comments re straightening air lines out may be useful to some.