XSeries-forum

So moving on from my other thread in the X3 forums, it looks like it may be an X5 after all. I just can't find an X3 within budget with the right options, ie right colour/auto/diesel/sunroof etc etc.

Found a few X5's though and looks like we're out driving 4 or 5 of them tomorrow, although it looks like a bit of a road trip as we may end up in Coventry!

Quite drawn to this one :-
http://www.autolinkmotors.co.uk/used-ca ... 5124148972
On the grounds that not only does it have a FSH but it also has a full VOSA MOT history as well. Having had experience of VOSA stations they ever let even the smallest error pass so the car should be in good nick.

Quite like this one:-
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... ?logcode=p

Its a lot closer but I think it's over priced.

This is the Coventry one:-

http://www.coventrycarmart.co.uk/used-c ... 4193464177

And there are at least two other cars at these dealer that we could drive to get a feel of good/bad/indifferent.

Have to say I prefer the running costs of the X3 2.0D but the X5 looks like it will still return better MPG then the car we have now, is quite a lot bigger and will pull the car trailer.

Any comments on the above cars? (Please!)

1st one is ok - sure about the colour (could be one reason for the price - kalahari beige or something).

2nd is on 20s with the arches so looks better but no heated front seats by the look of it.

3rd has no xenons.

All three have the roof but beware, they are prone to failure and cost a fortune to fix. If you're handy with a spanner then some cheap fixes on here to partially close the rear part of the roof to have 'some' function.

[quote="iiyama"]


Quite drawn to this one :-
http://www.autolinkmotors.co.uk/used-ca ... 5124148972
On the grounds that not only does it have a FSH but it also has a full VOSA MOT history as well. Having had experience of VOSA stations they ever let even the smallest error pass so the car should be in good nick.

[/quote]


please remember that all mot stations are vosa regulated and mot certificates say vosa on them, all vosa mot history is available for anyone to print out on the gov website.
This doesnt mean its been tested at a vosa test centre as hgvs are

[quote="shadrack"]
[quote="iiyama"]


Quite drawn to this one :-
http://www.autolinkmotors.co.uk/used-ca ... 5124148972
On the grounds that not only does it have a FSH but it also has a full VOSA MOT history as well. Having had experience of VOSA stations they ever let even the smallest error pass so the car should be in good nick.

[/quote]


please remember that all mot stations are vosa regulated and mot certificates say vosa on them, all vosa mot history is available for anyone to print out on the gov website.
This doesnt mean its been tested at a vosa test centre as hgvs are
[/quote]

Point taken. May be clever wording.

Regarding the point on sunroofs, how common is this? What I mean to say is are all roofs reported as failing? I have a full tool kit and I'm not afraid of using it 

Built this:-



So I think I can find my way around a motor. Having said that I don't carry tools with me at all times!!

nice!

Failure of the sunroof is pretty common really, unfortunately.......... And its a fortune to repair at a main dealer as they replace the entire cassette.  As Sanj said, there are relatively simple fixes though, especially if you are competent with a tool kit!  Its also a good idea to ensure the sunroof drains are kept clear of debris as they block up quite insiduously and you can end up with water ingress via the roof switches or flooded footwells........

Got a pointer to the simple fixes?

Scrap that, found it!

Anyone know what exactly breaks/becomes inoperative on the pano roof? Is it electrical or mechanical? Is it due to lack of maintenance?

I have read that there are filters on the drain tubes toward the rear of the car, and that it best to remove them. No idea why you would need filters here so sounds a good idea to remove them. Anyone know where they are exactly?

Are there any standard sunroofs fitted?

I've got the pano roof and as far as I'm aware there is only a problem when you use the tilt function...the common failure doesn't relate to retracting the roof back either one or both stages. I never use the tilt and hopefully will thus avoid any problems. Hope that helps! Someone please correct me if i'm wrong

[quote="iiyama"]
Scrap that, found it!

Anyone know what exactly breaks/becomes inoperative on the pano roof? Is it electrical or mechanical? Is it due to lack of maintenance?

I have read that there are filters on the drain tubes toward the rear of the car, and that it best to remove them. No idea why you would need filters here so sounds a good idea to remove them. Anyone know where they are exactly?

Are there any standard sunroofs fitted?
[/quote]

Hi it is usually the rear section of the pan roof that stops working if you do a search on YouTube there area couple of fixes to disable the rear and leave the front working. And a lot cheaper than a new unit.

The smaller sunroofs were fitted to the earlier pre facelift cars to 2003 4.6is had them a lot and being smaller in size appear to be more reliable.

When I was looking for a 4.8 I wanted one with a pan roof but out of 12 cars only on. Roof worked properly but the rest of the car didn't. Given that I checked with My local Indy said the pan roof to fix £2k and 4.8 front air suspension £1500 so I ended up with neither.

The diesel cars don't come with front air suspension I would find the best 3.0 with best spec I like your second choice although no heated leather - you should be able to retro fit heated seats to it, as the rest of the spec the 4.8 wheels and arches means it looks good to me.

But which ever you look at check all the electrics in the roof windows etc as they can play up

Hth

Here goes....my first post.
Off to Cotswold Hereford BMW this morning to look at the Le Mans 3.0d. Well I say look...... put a deposit it on it, so if all is well I will be a fixture on here 
It's a bit expensive when I look around, but stepping into X5 territory for the first time and with some of the posts, we decided to go for a bit of dealer back up.
If I end up with with it I will get a couple of pics on. Le Mans blue with the beige leather looks nice on the monitor..... hope it lives up to it.....and reading the threads no sunshine roof  :yell:

[quote="Osprey"]
Here goes....my first post.
Off to Cotswold Hereford BMW this morning to look at the Le Mans 3.0d. Well I say look...... put a deposit it on it, so if all is well I will be a fixture on here 
It's a bit expensive when I look around, but stepping into X5 territory for the first time and with some of the posts, we decided to go for a bit of dealer back up.
If I end up with with it I will get a couple of pics on. Le Mans blue with the beige leather looks nice on the monitor..... hope it lives up to it.....and reading the threads no sunshine roof  :yell:
[/quote]

£12,950 

If you don't buy it I'll sell you mine for £2k less. It's only got 69k miles and has the comfort seats in cream. Other than that it's everything you'll get from BMW without the warranty although at £2k cheaper it'll have to have something pretty major go wrong to cost you that money.

Osprey, hope the Le Mans is to your liking, best colour IMO lol.  Agree about dealer backup and warranty - my 4.8 is having suspension replaced under warranty plus just had a replacement Sat Nav under warranty too and a lot of other work - these cars are complex and getting older, so bound to need expensive work at some stage. So pleased that the £1000 s of ££££ of work required to replace all these bits on mine are covered by extended main dealer warranty, I can recommend it fully, its worth paying a bit extra.

Didnt go to Coventry in the end.
Drove one near Winchester, 03 plate and an absolute dog! Cassette player instead of CD, screen for player was shot to hell, front tyres were barely legal. Steering was quite heavy, (surprisingly so), gear shifts were smooth though. Bottom line is it served a purpose of getting the Mrs behind the wheel and she quite liked it, (biggest car she has driven by a long way!). So we moved on to Fleet and saw another complete dog! Nearly 10k and whoever drove it last had found a kerb for every,(20"), wheel. Paint and lacquer were lifting inside three of them too, so bottom line is wheel refurb was in order. Body paint wasn't to hot either, so we walked away.

Mrs has now found this one:-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321406827714? ... 26_rdc%3D1

Anyone want to pass comment on it? (Sunroof aside!!)

Hmmm, the ebay one sounds nice if description is accurate, despite high mileage.  Given age of car, milage is not too bad. Very well specced, its not clear but seems as if the parking heater function of the webasto has been enabled, which is a real boon in cold weather.
Seems as if suspension has been recently sorted as has the satnav - both expensive repairs / replacements even if the satnav is dated, it is nice to have it working as its still functional!
Re your comments about the cassette instead of cd behind the front screen - most of the E53s came specced like this, amazingly, the front loading single cd player instead of the tape is actually quite rare!  Amazing for a car of this age to have a cassette player still, but that is just the way most of them came- front loading cd was an option that most buyers clearly didn't tick! Most people now either fit Intravees and just ignore the cassette or have a pile of vintage cassettes they like listening to!  Its rare to find a front loading CD, there is a CD shuttle in the rear though, or should be. The TV is likely to be analogue and therefore defunct now - digital tuners were only fitted around 2005 onwards and the ad doesn't mention this.

Sounds decently priced, great spec. definitely worth looking at.