2011 BMW X5 40d E70
Discussion
My wife had an 2008 BMW X5 3.0sd E70 for the last couple of years and was very happy with it.... until the timing chain went.
Surprisingly she wanted the same thing again.
Requirements:
First impressions:
N57 has slightly better performance, but is easily masked by being quieter and more refined. Which can trick the brain a bit.
Biggest change is the gearbox - the 6HP can hold onto the wrong gear too long, especially on a hill - and it seems worse in the X5, guessing because of weight+4WD. The 8HP is much much better.
Not sure if it's an LCI-vs-pre-LCI thing but the steering is lighter. Lots of people complain about heavy steering so maybe it was a customer feedback thing but I preferred it the way it was.
trying to avoid coming off as a w
ky BMW connoisseurWhen viewing I picked up there was some bits to do, but that fundamentally the car was ok. This isn't a project car... I just want to get it all done so I can move onto something else.
Surprisingly she wanted the same thing again.
Requirements:
- something a little newer (i.e. not older in real terms), and the slight extra economy of the N57 engine + 8HP gearbox would be helpful as this is our primary "family" car
- timing chain done or priced into sale
- SE spec for running boards
- somewhat time pressured due to lack of car
First impressions:
Jakg said:
CornedBeef said:
Out of interest how different does the N57 feel?
Had an N57 X6 so will answer from experience of both...N57 has slightly better performance, but is easily masked by being quieter and more refined. Which can trick the brain a bit.
Biggest change is the gearbox - the 6HP can hold onto the wrong gear too long, especially on a hill - and it seems worse in the X5, guessing because of weight+4WD. The 8HP is much much better.
Not sure if it's an LCI-vs-pre-LCI thing but the steering is lighter. Lots of people complain about heavy steering so maybe it was a customer feedback thing but I preferred it the way it was.
trying to avoid coming off as a w
ky BMW connoisseurFirst problem... washers not working at all.
Typical fault is a gummed washer pump filter, unfortunately this is inside the front wing and the pumps on the side - so you have to get the side skirts off, to get the arch liner out, to pop the wing out to get in there - and it's still awkward. Not a fun job!
This is with all the extra space
One manky filter
Cleaned
Now we have washers... but they are rubbish.
Further investigation shows the pipe into the washer jets has split so instead it's just leaking most of the flow out instead.
Bodged with some cable ties (because it's January and you need washers!)
The pipe and jets are a single part tied together with wiring (presumably for the heated jets), and are specific to a certain year (not just LCI) RHD E70 - so i ended up buying new ones for £100...
Typical fault is a gummed washer pump filter, unfortunately this is inside the front wing and the pumps on the side - so you have to get the side skirts off, to get the arch liner out, to pop the wing out to get in there - and it's still awkward. Not a fun job!
This is with all the extra space
One manky filter
Cleaned
Now we have washers... but they are rubbish.
Further investigation shows the pipe into the washer jets has split so instead it's just leaking most of the flow out instead.
Bodged with some cable ties (because it's January and you need washers!)
The pipe and jets are a single part tied together with wiring (presumably for the heated jets), and are specific to a certain year (not just LCI) RHD E70 - so i ended up buying new ones for £100...
Edited by Jakg on Friday 17th January 21:55
Jakg said:
First problem... washers not working at all.
<snip>
The pipe and jets are a single part tied together with wiring (presumably for the heated jets), and are specific to a certain year (not just LCI) RHD E70 - so i ended up buying new ones for £100...
I had to do the same when I recommissioned an E38 after a 6 year lay up so I could get my plate off it but at least you could buy just the pipes for that from BMW and from memory I don't think they were a dreadful price<snip>
The pipe and jets are a single part tied together with wiring (presumably for the heated jets), and are specific to a certain year (not just LCI) RHD E70 - so i ended up buying new ones for £100...
Stupid phone holder cradle removed to make more space in the centre console
iDrive trim replaced after it's presumably been eaten by a bear
Missing airbox bracket replaced
Bonnet cable was flapping around, all the clips were broken
Put new clips on but when I did the last one, it snapped...
Further investigation shows bonnet cable incorrectly routed under (should be over) radiator hose, putting it under tension snapping the clips
Removed the coolant hose, dropped the hose retaining clip, pulled the fan out to find the missing clip. Then drained the coolant (because it has the wrong coolant in it...) to make it not feel like a complete waste of time. And then replaced the bonnet cable clip and put it back together properly.
Again - this isn't a project car... but there's a lot of niggles.
iDrive trim replaced after it's presumably been eaten by a bear
Missing airbox bracket replaced
Bonnet cable was flapping around, all the clips were broken
Put new clips on but when I did the last one, it snapped...
Further investigation shows bonnet cable incorrectly routed under (should be over) radiator hose, putting it under tension snapping the clips
Removed the coolant hose, dropped the hose retaining clip, pulled the fan out to find the missing clip. Then drained the coolant (because it has the wrong coolant in it...) to make it not feel like a complete waste of time. And then replaced the bonnet cable clip and put it back together properly.
Again - this isn't a project car... but there's a lot of niggles.
Engine bay partition plastics broken / missing.
Common fault, but it means water can drain places it shouldn't....
Luckily a new (aftermarket) set is only £30
Tried using butyl sealant this time (aftermarket set doesn't come with any) - should be removable
Also found other parts were broken which have been... borrowed from the other X5 on the drive.
Back together
Common fault, but it means water can drain places it shouldn't....
Luckily a new (aftermarket) set is only £30
Tried using butyl sealant this time (aftermarket set doesn't come with any) - should be removable
Also found other parts were broken which have been... borrowed from the other X5 on the drive.
Back together
Boot was rattly, noticed it wasn't closing properly and sitting proud
It's an electric tailgate with a soft-close mechanism - the latter wasn't kicking in. No fault codes.
Borrowed the latch off the other X5, no change.
Found the receiver in the lower tailgate is actually motorised for the soft-closing aspect so swapped that, still nothing.
Getting a bit confused now, tried resetting the control module - even swapped between cars. Nothing.
Started tracing wiring diagrams to work out wtf was going on...
Tracked the fault down to... the fuse was in the wrong slot. I checked all the fuses for the boot, but not for the locks. Moved it back and it all works fine...
Felt like a bit of an idiot for wasting many hours on this - when I checked the voltage at the soft close unit on both cars there was no voltage so I assumed it was controlled elsewhere, but actually it looks like it's just turns off the feed if it's been open too long or something.
It's an electric tailgate with a soft-close mechanism - the latter wasn't kicking in. No fault codes.
Borrowed the latch off the other X5, no change.
Found the receiver in the lower tailgate is actually motorised for the soft-closing aspect so swapped that, still nothing.
Getting a bit confused now, tried resetting the control module - even swapped between cars. Nothing.
Started tracing wiring diagrams to work out wtf was going on...
Tracked the fault down to... the fuse was in the wrong slot. I checked all the fuses for the boot, but not for the locks. Moved it back and it all works fine...
Felt like a bit of an idiot for wasting many hours on this - when I checked the voltage at the soft close unit on both cars there was no voltage so I assumed it was controlled elsewhere, but actually it looks like it's just turns off the feed if it's been open too long or something.
Another update... not even had the car 3 weeks!
Honestly this hasn't been my best purchase... quite a few issues, but not sure it was possible to spot most on the test drive. But it'll get there...
Working through the list of fault codes - one was that the alarm siren unit has a dead internal battery.
The batteries are replaceable, but the units are glued together so it was easier just to buy a replacement.
Unit lives in the drivers side scuttle - the BMW manual says you need to go in from underneath, arch liner out and dissemble the scuttle from below which seemed... weird.
I did it from above with a couple of extension and some UJs but it meant only removing one bit of trim and was about 10 mins.
Only guess is that an LHD car has the ECU on the other side and that would block it all, as I had to do it that way when I swapped the suspension arms on my X6.
Another fault was the rear comfort access (=keyless) aerial. Mounted behind the bumper, but enough gap to get in there without removing anything (or even jacking the car) which is nice. It's the unit with the wiring connected and just pops out of the bracket.
Two faults fixed for <£25.
Honestly this hasn't been my best purchase... quite a few issues, but not sure it was possible to spot most on the test drive. But it'll get there...
Working through the list of fault codes - one was that the alarm siren unit has a dead internal battery.
The batteries are replaceable, but the units are glued together so it was easier just to buy a replacement.
Unit lives in the drivers side scuttle - the BMW manual says you need to go in from underneath, arch liner out and dissemble the scuttle from below which seemed... weird.
I did it from above with a couple of extension and some UJs but it meant only removing one bit of trim and was about 10 mins.
Only guess is that an LHD car has the ECU on the other side and that would block it all, as I had to do it that way when I swapped the suspension arms on my X6.
Another fault was the rear comfort access (=keyless) aerial. Mounted behind the bumper, but enough gap to get in there without removing anything (or even jacking the car) which is nice. It's the unit with the wiring connected and just pops out of the bracket.
Two faults fixed for <£25.
Edited by Jakg on Tuesday 11th March 12:01
Having some electrical issues and noticed the alternator voltage was >15v, which IMO is too high - I've had bad alternators on 4/5 of the previous BMW's - and on my X6 had the same alternator, swapped the regulator and it went down to 14v like I'd expect.
On my X6 alternator removal was a pain because a little corrosion had formed around the mounting bracket, wedging it in place and making it very difficult to remove. Here, stuck but nowhere near as bad - 23 minutes from opening the garage door to having it on the bench!
Engine cover, airbox and fan removed.
The positive connection goes from the battery to the under-bonnet jump points and then to the alt/starter etc so rather than disconnect the battery in the boot (not really possible as reverse parked against the garage wall!) I just disconnected it at the jump points instead. Much quicker!
Regulator off
The brushes were well-worn - for anyone not familiar, they are spring loaded to keep contact with the commutator but these have worn so much even with the springs at full extension there's barely anything left.
Back together and...
...either the battery is really, *really* flat or actually it wasn't faulty at all.
Either way the brushes would've been an issue soon so at least that's done.
On my X6 alternator removal was a pain because a little corrosion had formed around the mounting bracket, wedging it in place and making it very difficult to remove. Here, stuck but nowhere near as bad - 23 minutes from opening the garage door to having it on the bench!
Engine cover, airbox and fan removed.
The positive connection goes from the battery to the under-bonnet jump points and then to the alt/starter etc so rather than disconnect the battery in the boot (not really possible as reverse parked against the garage wall!) I just disconnected it at the jump points instead. Much quicker!
Regulator off
The brushes were well-worn - for anyone not familiar, they are spring loaded to keep contact with the commutator but these have worn so much even with the springs at full extension there's barely anything left.
Back together and...
...either the battery is really, *really* flat or actually it wasn't faulty at all.
Either way the brushes would've been an issue soon so at least that's done.
Although it's an SE, someone's blacked it out in the past - black rear lights, tints, grills, repeaters etc.
Don't mind tints on an SUV, but the light output from the tinted lights sucked so they had to go.
After success de-tinting my M3 with a wallpaper steamer I tried the same approach here.
As I was steaming I had a little panic they might not actually be tinted and might've been OE blacklines and I'd just ruined them but closer inspection confirmed it was just film.
Satisfying
50/50
Light output much better now.
Don't mind tints on an SUV, but the light output from the tinted lights sucked so they had to go.
After success de-tinting my M3 with a wallpaper steamer I tried the same approach here.
As I was steaming I had a little panic they might not actually be tinted and might've been OE blacklines and I'd just ruined them but closer inspection confirmed it was just film.
Satisfying
50/50
Light output much better now.
Car has comfort access (keyless) with some locking issues.
Was investigating and realised that... the drivers door doesn't actually lock! Alarm works fine though if you open the door while "locked".
Remember years ago having to change all the latches on an MG ZT so figured the same here.
Door card off
Door membrane peeled back - pro-tip, you can cut the sealant in the middle and it will stick back to itself. Sounds obvious but I was peeling it back properly for years and hating it!
Little bit of fiddling and it's out to swap
Membrane back on, did a proper job using a seam roller and everything.
Couldn't find my torch though? And why was there a light coming from inside the door?
Repeated the process, this time removing my torch first...
Door now locks!
Also noticed the door handle was warm to the touch...
(context - it's like 5° C in the garage because January)
Compared to the back door
So probably a bad comfort access handle. Disconnected for now to continue investigation...
Was investigating and realised that... the drivers door doesn't actually lock! Alarm works fine though if you open the door while "locked".
Remember years ago having to change all the latches on an MG ZT so figured the same here.
Door card off
Door membrane peeled back - pro-tip, you can cut the sealant in the middle and it will stick back to itself. Sounds obvious but I was peeling it back properly for years and hating it!
Little bit of fiddling and it's out to swap
Membrane back on, did a proper job using a seam roller and everything.
Couldn't find my torch though? And why was there a light coming from inside the door?
Repeated the process, this time removing my torch first...
Door now locks!
Also noticed the door handle was warm to the touch...
(context - it's like 5° C in the garage because January)
Compared to the back door
So probably a bad comfort access handle. Disconnected for now to continue investigation...
Went in for the airbag recall, they did a healthcheck and spotted a torn CV gaiter and a worn wheel bearing.
Hub nut has to be done up to 420nm which is... tight. I bought a 3/4" torque wrench to do the hub nuts on my RenaultSport Megane, but after that it broke (think it went out of calibration) - I took it apart about 5 years ago and then life got in the way.
Now I need one I had a look around and realised they are actually quite expensive so maybe I have to fix it after all!
Got out all the bits.
Realised I have no idea how it came apart... so take apart my other torque wrench to figure it out.
Reassembled, now have to recalibrate both of them.
Success, torque wrench repaired!
Back to the car...
Hub nut hasn't been staked, is split and the driveshaft's seen some action. Someone's been here before...
Hub nut loosened, disc and caliper out of the way (using a "proper" caliper hanger for a change)
Tried hammering the driveshaft a couple of times but no joy, so went straight to the trusty hydraulic puller
Wheel bearing is bolt-on/off so should be easy.... access to the bolts is tricky because the driveshaft/arms/ARB etc is in the way, and the bolts are FT. Can't get the impact in due to space, so breaker bar it is.
Last bolt strips... gotta love triple-square/spline.
Remove the ARB links/top wishbone to bring the whole hub forwards so I can remove the driveshaft and have a better look.
From this angle I'm able to use my big Dewalt impact wrench and it's not stripping... but it's not undoing either! It just sits there hammering away getting nowhere. Not seen that before!
Bit of a panic later and out comes the grinder - I figure this shortens the effective length of bolt I need to loosen in the bearing carrier.
Try my little impact wrench - no joy. Have to get the big Dewalt out again and it comes out - so it was still seriously tight.
Success!
Suspension looking like a deflated monster
CV joint removed
New boot, reassembled, with the new bearing
Had to repair the disc backplate as well - is there an E-chassis BMW left where these aren't knackered?
All back together and seems ok - not a job I've done before.
Hub nut has to be done up to 420nm which is... tight. I bought a 3/4" torque wrench to do the hub nuts on my RenaultSport Megane, but after that it broke (think it went out of calibration) - I took it apart about 5 years ago and then life got in the way.
Now I need one I had a look around and realised they are actually quite expensive so maybe I have to fix it after all!
Got out all the bits.
Realised I have no idea how it came apart... so take apart my other torque wrench to figure it out.
Reassembled, now have to recalibrate both of them.
Success, torque wrench repaired!
Back to the car...
Hub nut hasn't been staked, is split and the driveshaft's seen some action. Someone's been here before...
Hub nut loosened, disc and caliper out of the way (using a "proper" caliper hanger for a change)
Tried hammering the driveshaft a couple of times but no joy, so went straight to the trusty hydraulic puller
Wheel bearing is bolt-on/off so should be easy.... access to the bolts is tricky because the driveshaft/arms/ARB etc is in the way, and the bolts are FT. Can't get the impact in due to space, so breaker bar it is.
Last bolt strips... gotta love triple-square/spline.
Remove the ARB links/top wishbone to bring the whole hub forwards so I can remove the driveshaft and have a better look.
From this angle I'm able to use my big Dewalt impact wrench and it's not stripping... but it's not undoing either! It just sits there hammering away getting nowhere. Not seen that before!
Bit of a panic later and out comes the grinder - I figure this shortens the effective length of bolt I need to loosen in the bearing carrier.
Try my little impact wrench - no joy. Have to get the big Dewalt out again and it comes out - so it was still seriously tight.
Success!
Suspension looking like a deflated monster
CV joint removed
New boot, reassembled, with the new bearing
Had to repair the disc backplate as well - is there an E-chassis BMW left where these aren't knackered?
All back together and seems ok - not a job I've done before.
Headlights were rubbish, I only changed the bulbs in the other X5 recently so yet again I've nicked more parts off it.
Looks like the bulbs fitted were original factory 2011 ones!
(did you even change a headlight bulb if you don't bleed?)
When driving at low speeds when cornering there's an odd graunchy feeling. A bit like when ABS kicks in and you can feel wheel speed being modulated individually (not a driving god, just spent far too long driving a car with a broken ABS sensor).
Common cause is transfer case oil so planned on doing it + diffs
Various oils
Access to the side of the transfer case (where the drain/fill are located) is obstructed by the crossmember. It's not horrible to remove (I've done it before on my X6) but there's a workaround by cutting down an allen key.
DIY super-low profile H14
You can (just) see the hex bit in the drain plug and the lack of access (it's worse than it looks)
Still made draining the oil fairly easy
New oil and transfer case recalibrated and the odd driving behaviour is cured.
I also replaced the front diff oil, I was going to do the rear as well but there's no drain plug and I don't have anything to suck it out with so will come back another day.
Looks like the bulbs fitted were original factory 2011 ones!
(did you even change a headlight bulb if you don't bleed?)
When driving at low speeds when cornering there's an odd graunchy feeling. A bit like when ABS kicks in and you can feel wheel speed being modulated individually (not a driving god, just spent far too long driving a car with a broken ABS sensor).
Common cause is transfer case oil so planned on doing it + diffs
Various oils
Access to the side of the transfer case (where the drain/fill are located) is obstructed by the crossmember. It's not horrible to remove (I've done it before on my X6) but there's a workaround by cutting down an allen key.
DIY super-low profile H14
You can (just) see the hex bit in the drain plug and the lack of access (it's worse than it looks)
Still made draining the oil fairly easy
New oil and transfer case recalibrated and the odd driving behaviour is cured.
I also replaced the front diff oil, I was going to do the rear as well but there's no drain plug and I don't have anything to suck it out with so will come back another day.
Edited by Jakg on Tuesday 11th March 12:04
Edited by Jakg on Tuesday 11th March 12:05
Jakg said:
I also replaced the front diff oil, I was going to do the rear as well but there's no drain plug and I don't have anything to suck it out with so will come back another day.
Thanks to the wonders of Amazon, done as well.I wanted to keep the car level and couldn't be bothered to jack all four corners so just climbed under and did it on the floor, 4x4 ground clearance is handy sometimes! Bit of a squeeze but easier.
The suction pump came with a large diameter hose that wasn't bending into the bottom of the diff to suck all the fluid out so had a rummage in the garage and made an extension
Because there's no drain plug I did a mini flush by refilling a bit and then draining again
The fluid that came out was surprisingly dirty
Also got a first fuel economy reading (brim-to-brim) of 27.5 MPG. That's 10% better than the 3.0sd, and that's the middle of winter too a decent improvement. Hopefully as the servicing levels out that should improve further.
Edited by Jakg on Saturday 15th February 23:28
Clonk over bumps from the rear, had a poke around and spotted a broken exhaust hanger
When removed the split was easier to see.
"Borrowed" one of the other X5, which continues to be in better nick despite being older / higher mileage.
I did clean it up with a wire wheel etc but the lube for the threads makes it look dirty again
BMW seem to like adding ground straps to exhausts and they never survive UK road conditions. I've no intention of fixing...
When removed the split was easier to see.
"Borrowed" one of the other X5, which continues to be in better nick despite being older / higher mileage.
I did clean it up with a wire wheel etc but the lube for the threads makes it look dirty again
BMW seem to like adding ground straps to exhausts and they never survive UK road conditions. I've no intention of fixing...
Next N57 problem - oil leaks. Engine is covered in oil, and every time it's parked, a nice little patch is left. And because it's leaking onto the DPF, you get smoke from under the bonnet. Yay!
The oil level doesn't actually seem to be dropping so I think it's only leaking as the car cools down after being left.
Tracked the leak visually up to the valve cover, which is common for leaking - not the gasket, the actual cover itself warps. Done the same job on my X6.
Remove injectors
Injector #6 had an intermittent fault so gave them an ultrasonic clean to see if helped
...wait, where is injector 6? It's stuck in the head of course!
Although all the injectors came out last year when the timing chain was done, because of the broken engine bay trims, water runs down directly onto the engine and onto injector #6. And it's rusted solid, and that's probably why it's gone faulty. And of course being right at the back it's awkward to get to.
I tried:
I asked for some advice and was suggested an air/pneumatic slide hammer. I didn't have a compressor, but I need to do the job so...
Bought an air compressor, gave it a service, broke the compressor's manifold, repaired it. Unexpected and unwanted project!
Moment of truth!
At this point, it's time for a pro...
He was confident he could get it out, but access was the issue - more stuff had to be removed to get enough space for the proper tools. In the end the scuttle, wiper arms, cross braces and brackets, windscreen trim, fuel rail etc all came out.
His tool of choice was a Pichler injector remover - which is basically an adjustable multi-leg stand to pull/push off - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gJjywZTTJc - which could go over the rocker cover bolts like my DIY puller. Just more of them!
Success!
He managed to remove it using a threaded bar much like my DIY version, just with a lot more force (and confidence!). I assumed it'd be hydraulics but that involves cutting away the injector head (and perhaps part of the valve cover) to get the tool over it.
Obviously injector was replaced
All of this because someone didn't replace a broken £30 bit of plastic...
Now can start dismantling around the valve cover
My least favourite part is the back of actuators/sensors on the drivers side of the engine - I think it's the worst on the twin turbo 35d/40d engines as there's twice as much stuff there, you need to unbolt it all but you can't see any of the bolts.
Old vs new
Gave everything a clean including the injector wells
Also changed the breather pipe at the same time as they are very fragile. As demonstrated when I removed it!
Rebuilt:
The oil level doesn't actually seem to be dropping so I think it's only leaking as the car cools down after being left.
Tracked the leak visually up to the valve cover, which is common for leaking - not the gasket, the actual cover itself warps. Done the same job on my X6.
Remove injectors
Injector #6 had an intermittent fault so gave them an ultrasonic clean to see if helped
...wait, where is injector 6? It's stuck in the head of course!
Although all the injectors came out last year when the timing chain was done, because of the broken engine bay trims, water runs down directly onto the engine and onto injector #6. And it's rusted solid, and that's probably why it's gone faulty. And of course being right at the back it's awkward to get to.
I tried:
- a slide hammer
- rocking it
- removing while hot
- penetrant
- I made a puller
- I tried leaving tension on it overnight with penetrant as it cooled
- I made a puller-slide hammer tool
I asked for some advice and was suggested an air/pneumatic slide hammer. I didn't have a compressor, but I need to do the job so...
Bought an air compressor, gave it a service, broke the compressor's manifold, repaired it. Unexpected and unwanted project!
Moment of truth!
At this point, it's time for a pro...
He was confident he could get it out, but access was the issue - more stuff had to be removed to get enough space for the proper tools. In the end the scuttle, wiper arms, cross braces and brackets, windscreen trim, fuel rail etc all came out.
His tool of choice was a Pichler injector remover - which is basically an adjustable multi-leg stand to pull/push off - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gJjywZTTJc - which could go over the rocker cover bolts like my DIY puller. Just more of them!
Success!
He managed to remove it using a threaded bar much like my DIY version, just with a lot more force (and confidence!). I assumed it'd be hydraulics but that involves cutting away the injector head (and perhaps part of the valve cover) to get the tool over it.
Obviously injector was replaced
All of this because someone didn't replace a broken £30 bit of plastic...
Now can start dismantling around the valve cover
My least favourite part is the back of actuators/sensors on the drivers side of the engine - I think it's the worst on the twin turbo 35d/40d engines as there's twice as much stuff there, you need to unbolt it all but you can't see any of the bolts.
Old vs new
Gave everything a clean including the injector wells
Also changed the breather pipe at the same time as they are very fragile. As demonstrated when I removed it!
Rebuilt:
- new Bosch injector washers
- new Bosch injector leak-off o-rings
- oil change (because a lot of rubbish will have found it's way into the oil during the cleaning)
- magnetic sump plug
Edited by Jakg on Thursday 6th March 11:51
Edited by Jakg on Tuesday 11th March 12:07
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