XSeries-forum

Owning these cars must cause for some niggles to come up, they are very expensive cars with very complicated electronic/mechanical systems after all.

Some niggles on ours is that the rear heated seat controls are mixed up i.e. the left heated seat button turns the right heated seat on and vice versa. Also, it seems to be using a lot of screen wash and keeps asking for more. It's also managed to lose a M-sport badge at the hand car wash, so I think the dealer will ask for approx £50 for one badge, obviously. Finally, it is very, very smelly on a cold startup.

Anyone else have any niggles with their X5?

When you say it's using a lot of screenwash... are you using it or have you got a leak?

The smell on start up, what sort of smell is it? Unburnt Fuel?

In the current weather all my cars are using large quantities of screen wash!  If you have HID Xenons then your headlight washers are firing too....

I'm not sure of the capacity of the E70/71 but it is not as great as the E53 was at 7.8 litres.  Mind you that had four headlight washers!

Are your glowplugs all working?  That could result in extra smoke and smell on start-up with a very cold engine.  Failure will lead to DPF issues too, so a check would be a good preventative move.

MSport badge going walkies in a hand car wash huh?...

[quote="X5Sport"]
In the current weather all my cars are using large quantities of screen wash!  If you have HID Xenons then your headlight washers are firing too....

I'm not sure of the capacity if the E70/71 but it is not as great as the E53 was at 7.8 litres.  Mind you that had four headlight washers!
[/quote]

That's what I was thinking bud, I am forever using my washers. I don't think these cars are unique in their thirst for screenwash

I've put 8-litres in the Škoda just in the last two weeks!

[quote="grumpywurzel"]
When you say it's using a lot of screenwash... are you using it or have you got a leak?

The smell on start up, what sort of smell is it? Unburnt Fuel?
[/quote]

I think it just consumes a lot, I put a bottle in and after a week or two it's thrown up the low screen wash warning.
It smells quite bad, probably unburnt fuel. It's only on a cold start though, it's fine when warm. I do see a bit of white smoke though, only briefly.

[quote="X5Sport"]
In the current weather all my cars are using large quantities of screen wash!  If you have HID Xenons then your headlight washers are firing too....

I'm not sure of the capacity of the E70/71 but it is not as great as the E53 was at 7.8 litres.  Mind you that had four headlight washers!

Are your glowplugs all working?  That could result in extra smoke and smell on start-up with a very cold engine.  Failure will lead to DPF issues too, so a check would be a good preventative move.

MSport badge going walkies in a hand car wash huh?...
[/quote]

Glow plugs were throwing codes when we bought the car and was having it checked over by a mechanic. However the codes disappeared when BMW took a look I.e. it wasn't giving fault codes for it.

Niggles aside, it runs as sweet as can be!

[quote="NehalX5"]
[quote="grumpywurzel"]
When you say it's using a lot of screenwash... are you using it or have you got a leak?

The smell on start up, what sort of smell is it? Unburnt Fuel?
[/quote]

I think it just consumes a lot, I put a bottle in and after a week or two it's thrown up the low screen wash warning.
It smells quite bad, probably unburnt fuel. It's only on a cold start though, it's fine when warm. I do see a bit of white smoke though, only briefly.
[/quote]

well the bottle holds over 7 litres in the first place. If you factor in the headlight washers you have 8 nozzles firing away, especially if you use the button on end of the stalk.

Normally unburnt Fuel smell is dodgy glow plugs and or controller but would've thought the error codes would stay?

[quote="grumpywurzel"]
[quote="NehalX5"]
[quote="grumpywurzel"]
When you say it's using a lot of screenwash... are you using it or have you got a leak?

The smell on start up, what sort of smell is it? Unburnt Fuel?
[/quote]

I think it just consumes a lot, I put a bottle in and after a week or two it's thrown up the low screen wash warning.
It smells quite bad, probably unburnt fuel. It's only on a cold start though, it's fine when warm. I do see a bit of white smoke though, only briefly.
[/quote]

well the bottle holds over 7 litres in the first place. If you factor in the headlight washers you have 8 nozzles firing away, especially if you use the button on end of the stalk.

Normally unburnt Fuel smell is dodgy glow plugs and or controller but would've thought the error codes would stay?
[/quote]

Car has Inspection due soon I believe so BMW will check. Thanks anyway.

Unburnt fuel smell was oil breather pipes on the turbo's, so they need replacing as a tiny bit of oil is burning when starting from cold. Also needed boost pipes as they're wearing a bit.

Other than that, running smooth.

Have you got rear climate control or just the rear heated seats? If it's just the seats then gently prise off the panel with the heated seat switches in and swap the connectors over. If you've the rear climate then I don't know.

Mine runs lumpy / tough idle when very cold for about 10 seconds then is fine ! Is this normal or common fault ?

If it only does it in cold starts and not on warm/hot then it sounds like the pre-heaters may be dying and not all are working so the engine will misfire on those cylinders for a few revs and then be fine as soon as they burn correctly.

Is it a big issue ?
Expensive to fix ?

If you diy then it would be 6 new pre-heater (glow) plugs and a new controller.  The reason to do both is that many owners have changed the glowplugs only to have the controller pack up shortly afterwards.

A few on here have done it so a few prices should be about.

Eurocarparts is probably a good place to start from..