X3...help!

[Horizon]

BMW recommend using star rated tyres on their staggered wheel set up, by staggered I mean when the front and rear tyres are the same wheel diameter but different widths, as withe the Sports versions etc. as the rolling diameter is not quite the same this can cause transmission wind up. Star marked tyres from the same manufacturer are made to be a near perfect match in rolling circumference , so no transmission wind up on permanent 4 wheel drive cars. If you have the same width front and rear then it's not usually an issue.
As for the turbo issue, it's the 2.0 Diesels that have the problem. Not the 3 ltr diesels.
As for the Toy comment, If I bought an X3 I would kick myself everytime I passed an X5. The X 5 in my opinion is what I think of as a  Chelsea tractor, ( note I didn't say 4x4 or 535d boy would be on my case then )
As is a RR sport, full fat RR, Land cruiser etc. The. X3, freelander, Rav4 and the rest , to me seem like wannabe little brothers.

[X5Sport]

If you can stretch to a Facelifted X3 as they look better and have better trim materials used inside.  The very early ones used very 'cheap' feeling and hard plastics.  I can't remember what year it was Facelifted though.

All the diesels have turbos regardless of engine size, but the 2.0 litre seems to suffer more problems than the 3.0 litre.  How much of that is down to mechanical design issues or poor driver care is hard to say, but there are drivers who are shall we say 'mechanically unsympathetic' to the drivetrain and either use full power straight away, or fail to let the turbo cool down before switching off.  Nothing like a bit of cooked oil in the bearings to shag a turbo!

I looked very hard at both the E53 X5 and 1st Gen X3 and there will so little difference in price (in 2004) that I went with the X5 and never regretted it.

I have always used '*' marked tyres on the 4WD BMWs and not had any problems with wind up etc.

All IMHO of course...

Richard

[iiyama]

Good information peeps, thank you.

Transmission wind up. What is it and how do I know any former owner hasnt fitted the right type of tyre? Is there any tell tails to this effect? What damage can be done to the transmission by it?

So the 3.0d are FI as well?

[X5Sport]

FI?  Fuel injected, or summat else?

Transmission wind up is caused when there is sufficient difference in the rolling diameter of a set of tyres - usually front to back - to cause a twisting or torsional load to be put into the drivetrain.  This in the worst cases can over stress the differentials or transfer box and cause a failure such as a case cracking or gear wheel getting damaged teeth.  It usually does not happen overnight, and may not happen at all.

There does not seem to be any hard and fast data that says that tyre brand/type/size A is any more likely to cause it than brand 'B', but to be certain that you minimise any risks you should only fit the types and sizes that BMW recommend.  Tyres that are specific to BMW for their cars are all marked with a '*' on the sidewall.

It can happen if say a part worn set are fitted on the front and a new set on the rear.  It does not affect everyone as it depends upon the type of driving, distances involved and even surface type.  A good/dry surface is more likely to cause it as a bad/loose/wet surface allows the stresses to dissipate as the wheels slip.

All you can do as a buyer is ask about what tyres are fitted with size, type, rating and any manufacturer marking.

Usually the E53 came with Michelin Diamaris as OEM but suitable tyres can also be had from Dunlop, Bridgestone, Pirelli etc.  In other words the 'premium' brands  and of course people fit cheaper tyres with the same ratings and economy labels for 75% or less of the OEM price.  You can't blame them.

Richard

[AW8]

OP thanks for clarifying  - no problem

I cant slag the E83 off on a technical or dynamic level as I haven't driven one........even if I prefer the look of the E53. 2007 facelift cars have colour coded bumpers btw.

F25 - Well I would be happily own one..........Not in budget here but IMO a very good vehicle & one that copes with enthusiastic driving/cornering on bumpy B roads with ease.

[iiyama]

FI = Forced Induction, ie turbo!

Don't get the argument for cheap tyres to be honest. They are the only point of contact that any car has with the road so why compromise? And yes there can be a huge difference between a decent tyre and a cheap ditch finder! However I do understand that there are plenty of people out there that don't understand and more to the point don't care. Interesting reading non the less.

E53 = X5? E83 and F25??

[X5Sport]

[quote="iiyama"]
FI = Forced Induction, ie turbo!
[/quote]

Ah.  Yes all diesels are FI and have been for many years.  Some current BMW models have up to 3 turbos.

E53 is 1st gen X5, E70 = 2nd Gen, F15 = latest version.

E83 is 1st gen X3, F25 = 2nd Gen.

Richard

[iiyama]

Ta muchly Sir.

Three? I thought the RX7 I had was reasonably complicated with two!

Well I'll keep looking and keep asking. No doubt Ill have some more questions shortly....

[jagr]

Here are a few facelift 2.0d X3 cars:

https://www.vcars.co.uk/used-cars/carde ... k&u=415012

https://www.vcars.co.uk/used-cars/carde ... na&u=46525

https://www.vcars.co.uk/used-cars/carde ... r&u=694156

https://www.vcars.co.uk/used-cars/carde ... r&u=693812



3.0d auto:

https://www.vcars.co.uk/used-cars/carde ... oup&u=1378

[iiyama]

All of those cars are at the other end of the country to me, and only one is an auto which we are after!

Im not really having difficulty finding cars per se, but I am finding it hard to find anything close.

Thanks for the post though!