Originally Posted by StradaRedlands
Hi alexaedita! I bet the good upkeep from the first owner will really pay off! So, here are some basic recommendations and thoughts.
Number one: If you have a place, learn to start doing your own work! These 15 year old cars need a lot of things done on them, and they are all due right NOW! None of them are hard (oil pan gasket the exception) but time consuming. I don't have a garage, but do all my work in a driveway and it's fine. The money saved will buy you some hella' nice tools!
First up: Transmission service. Presume it hasn't been done. Should be done every 60k miles/100k km. I paid $800 a few years ago, so a quote of $1k now seems legit. Probably not a newbie's job, so paying someone is fine. Make sure it includes new filter which the pan needs to be dropped for.
Transfer case and differentials: do them, but this could be a DIY job. And if you get them done at the same time as the transmission, should only be $500 or so as they are VERY easy jobs! This is NOT a $1,600 job!!!! That doesn't make sense based on the quote for trans service, which definitely takes more work/time. You're supposed to reset the adaption when you change the fluid, so you'll need a app to do that.
Brake fluid and coolant fluid. Maybe DIY, but if not, shouldn't be pricey. Get BMW coolant! Or at least BMW specific formula if you get Peak or whatever at Walmart. It ends up being about the same price as BMW coolant, so might as well get the right stuff. Re-read your post, so see this is already done... great!
Oil filter housing gasket & Mickey Mouse flange. Your engine is a N52 engine, and has a propensity to oil leaks. The most common and easiest fixed is at the oil filter housing. Look at your engine, and if you see a layer of oil/dirt in the front under the oil filter cap, it needs to be replaced. The square radiator brick think in front of that is the oil cooler, and it has a second gasket that is a little longer lived, but might as well do at the same time. The flange is where the coolant hose goes into the engine block right below the cooler/filter. If it's aluminum you're good, if plastic, it needs to be replaced. All the above are what I consider fun jobs, but I'm weird like that. Anyway, not hard, but study up on them and see if in your wheelhouse when needed.
Plugs and coils. Plugs are due, might as well replace presuming they haven't been done. Coils are fine until they aren't. You're at the mileage where they can start going. Some people replace just the bad one, some replace all. Be prepared and know what to get. Easy DIY job, don't pay someone to do this!
Valve cover gasket. Start watching for leak beginning with light misting below the gasket (between the spark plugs and the exhaust on the side of the engine). Eventually will need to be replaced. I've found the valvetronic motor gasket is often the cause of what I presumed was a valve cover leak.
Water pump: Probably fine. Keep an eye on codes for pump/thermostat/temp sensor. It's an electronic pump and a 2010 should have the updated one. Seems like failure comes out of nowhere, but I believe it'll throw codes before. Not hard, not easy job. Messy though. Pierburg is the go-to for replacements.
Control arms: E70s are heavy vehicles, the front control arms go first, and everything else follows. Not a BMW specific problem, just regular maintenance.
Check the brake pads and rotors. I recommend Akebono pads and Ate rotors. YMMV.
Get some gummi pflege and treat all the rubber gaskets. There are three layers on gaskets on the door/sill, plus engine bay, around windows, hatch, etc. This will significantly prolong their lives!
Ignore the AUC sensor, it's kind of a joke feature that closes the vent when it senses smells. Yeah.
Buy the Bimmercode/link apps or Bimmergeek's Protool. Just do it.
Your X5 has BMW's last naturally aspirated motor in their last "analog" chassis. Savor that and enjoy it! Everything is pretty easy to work on, parts are readily available, and there isa sizable community of owners that like working on these!
Find a really good mechanic. Honest, and willing to figure out the problem, not just throw parts at it. Avoid the dealer. Not because of price, but they don't want to mess with your old vehicle and they are terrible at diagnosing problems.
Buy the best fluids and parts you can. Original BMW, Redline, Liqui Moly, Pierburg, Lemforder, etc. Yeah, they're expensive, but so is a new car payment!
All the above doesn't have to be done immediately! It's literally fine to put them off. But most of the above is considered regular maintenance, and presume it's already been deferred a bit, so you should definitely get going on updating it!
Do stuff to your vehicle, post pictures of it, ask questions! This is a COMMUNITY and the more people on it, the better it is!
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