New X5 owner - 2012 X5 50i M Sport

[heatmizr]

Another oddity occurred on the above mentioned out of state trip. As you all may be aware, once in a while the "Oil at Minimum Level" warning displays, advising to add 1 qt. It always comes up and shows the oil right at the minimum mark on screen. On I-95 ~5 hrs into my trip that warning came up, so I made a note to grab a qt or two at my destination. Not terribly unusual.
Then, 2-3 mins later, another warning came up saying saying "Oil BELOW Minimum Level", advising to add oil ASAP. It showed the oil level at ~halfway between the MIN mark and the bottom of the bar graph.

This was concerning, for a couple reasons... Am I losing oil quickly?? The car had just been in the dealer days before, I wondered if it could be connected, but they hadn't touched anything related. Also, how could the oil level drop past minimum so quickly, or did the level sensor NOT catch it at minimum, but all of a sudden it began working at less than minimum.

Long story short, I hit an Auto parts store 15 miles down the road and got a super deal on 5 qts of Castrol 0-40 or 0-50, for $25. I figured it was 1.5 qts down, I added two whole qts. Monitored it for the rest of the trip and return (over 700 miles), it stayed exactly at MAX level (I assume that even if overfilled the oil level displayed is always that same MAX level).

Probably just a one-off event but will keep an eye on it.

Now if I had catch cans, I could have just dumped the caught oil right back in...

[JoeyBimX5din]

Originally Posted by heatmizr

GOOD NEWS -
The annoying TPMS MALFUNCTION error message has been vanquished!

It would seem that 4 new tpms sensors on the wheels has solved the issue. 2k miles last week driving to NY and back, and the truck felt awesome on the new rubber. Got my best mileage ever, just over 22mpg on the highway on the way up. The cruise, the planted feel, the passing power, and entertainment features make for a formidable road tripper. The kids did very well for 12 hrs as long as the DVDs kept rolling. My older son can now change them on the fly so that is a huge help. Oh, and SNACKS. Plenty of kid snacks. Some for Dad too! It will need a good vacuum...

Now, there was one little thing that got rectified at the dealer I didn't mention... there seems to be a 1 ft long braided wire connection from the frame to the muffler, driver-side end. I assumed for anti-static, but the tech said it reduces radio interference (which I had no issues with). I wonder if its possible that THIS was a factor in my TPMS Malfunction issue? As it was replaced at the same time as my new 4 sensors I cannot tell. Perhaps I will unhook one end of that wire *just to see* if the error comes back... Hmmm, I will def try this in the next few weeks.

FYI

I don't have the braided wire hooked up on my truck and I do not have the errors you have (I have other stuff, but it is unrelated)

[JoeyBimX5din]

Originally Posted by Entr0py

Dude, I read through this entire thread and cannot find a post where Todd assigned you to speak for him Do you normally speak for others without them asking for your help? (I'm just wondering why, don't get bunched up about it).

whoa. Can't we make love not war?

[JoeyBimX5din]

Originally Posted by heatmizr

Another oddity occurred on the above mentioned out of state trip. As you all may be aware, once in a while the "Oil at Minimum Level" warning displays, advising to add 1 qt. It always comes up and shows the oil right at the minimum mark on screen. On I-95 ~5 hrs into my trip that warning came up, so I made a note to grab a qt or two at my destination. Not terribly unusual.
Then, 2-3 mins later, another warning came up saying saying "Oil BELOW Minimum Level", advising to add oil ASAP. It showed the oil level at ~halfway between the MIN mark and the bottom of the bar graph.

This was concerning, for a couple reasons... Am I losing oil quickly?? The car had just been in the dealer days before, I wondered if it could be connected, but they hadn't touched anything related. Also, how could the oil level drop past minimum so quickly, or did the level sensor NOT catch it at minimum, but all of a sudden it began working at less than minimum.

Long story short, I hit an Auto parts store 15 miles down the road and got a super deal on 5 qts of Castrol 0-40 or 0-50, for $25. I figured it was 1.5 qts down, I added two whole qts. Monitored it for the rest of the trip and return (over 700 miles), it stayed exactly at MAX level (I assume that even if overfilled the oil level displayed is always that same MAX level).

Probably just a one-off event but will keep an eye on it.

Now if I had catch cans, I could have just dumped the caught oil right back in...

I can tell you that overfull it will only display MAX level, yes.

Get comfortable with adding oil.

[heatmizr]

Yep, seems like mine eventually got to the same point as most everyone else, adding a qt here and there. Just notable that it gave the AT MIN and BELOW MIN warnings literally seconds apart.
Oh I'm comfortable, after feeding oil to my e36 M3 for over a decade... Rarely needed to change that oil, it was always fresh!

[heatmizr]

Ok, second hit and run damage sustained on this vehicle. My 4th total since moving to Charlotte 20 yrs ago, not including being rear-ended TWICE (where the offenders couldn't run)... I am 0-7 lifetime score. People suck at driving!
ANYWAY.........

We were enjoying a week at the beach with another family. I hit a brewery with the other dad while the wives took the kids bowling. Suddenly he got a text from his wife that said, "You better buy Todd another beer..."
Then I got one from my wife with this:



It appears someone backed into it as it was parked on the end of a row. Likely the rear corner of a pickup looking at that damage. Rear door is toast. Front has some minor damage down near trim piece if you look close. Hard to get the full impact in the photo due the the black sapphire paint, but in person it was sickening.

No note, no witnesses, and no cameras on the property. USAA has been easy to deal with, even filed the entire claim the next morning (on a Saturday) using their phone app.

Fortunately the door still opened/shut ok, and I didn't have to deal with it until we got home and to my own dealer. I was careful to lock the window controls out so my boy couldn't roll that window down, who knows if it would have jammed open or shattered.

Its been in the Hendrick Luxury Collision shop (Merc and BMW certified) for THREE weeks now. The repair was $4500, w/ a $500 deductible:
Replaced rear door shell with another 2012 door, repaired front door, new trim, seals, moving all interior, window, and control components to new door. Paint on the entire side of the vehicle, blended on roof under roof rail, and front and rear corners.
It was getting paint yesterday or today, so hopefully just about done.

On the PLUS SIDE I will no longer had that annoying sharp little dent in the rear door right on the crease line from another pickup truck door, AND hopefully no more road rash on the lower rear door and rocker arch in front of the rear wheel. I expect the driver side of the truck to look close to brand new!

[heatmizr]

So 3 weeks and 4 days later.............
Finally got The Boss back. The Hendrick BMW certified Luxury Collision center did do a good job as far as I can see. In addition to looking good, all the door functions work properly. They cleaned it up well too before I picked it up. I can't see any issue with the paint where it was blended way out on the fenders and roof but haven't been able to look it over closely in the sunlight yet.




HEY BTW is it COINCIDENCE that BMW nicknamed the next gen X5: THE BOSS??
I think not! I want royalties!

[heatmizr]

57k miles and Time for an update. Will be brief:
- Had to take off both driver door trim to hook up speakers that were not working after above body work was completed.
- DIY Oil change, as well as add the occasional qt.
- Last time around, I added 1 qt right when it first notified of "oil at Min level", and I set the trip meter. I just got the warning again, and saw 780 miles on the trip meter. So about 1.25 qts per 1k miles. I'll keep doing this now to track the frequency and any increase in oil consumption rate.
- I backed up into a stupid parking sign on a roadside with no curb, never saw the post in the camera and assumed the beeping was from the car behind me as I parked... the right rear reflector in the bumper corner took 90% of it so I ordered a new OE one and replaced in 60 secs for about $22.
- Got a "Vehicle Check" service reminder on the iDrive. Will have to reset that. Not going to make an appt for nothing...

No other issues or errors or complaints! V8 has not blown up yet. Trucking along nicely.

[JoeyBimX5din]

I don't know if all the legal BS going on n63 related if the oil consumption may be warranty work at BMW

[heatmizr]

I have posted this in other threads but to keep this "owner log" accurate here it is:

In late July I dropped off The Boss at the BMW Dealer for the second Takata airbag recall work, and informed them I wanted it tested for Oil Consumption. (And a brake fluid change).
Then I went on vacation for a week...

It had 59k miles, and was consuming approx 1 qt of oil every 800 miles. The idle-then-punch-it self diagnosis gave a nice cloud of smoke.

They did the test (I suspect the 'look for smoke' test that we do!) and said it qualified and proceeded to do the entire Valve Stem Seal replacement work as specified by the Bang vs BMW class action lawsuit. This job alone was written at $6400 dealer cost. I only paid for my brake fluid change, and picked up the vehicle 2 days after getting home from vacation.
I didn't even do any (lawsuit) paperwork except sign the finished work order when I picked it up. All in all a very impressive service experience, forgetting that it took a lawsuit to get BMW to do it...

Got the vehicle back, it seems perfect! No codes, Sounds and runs like it should! Performed idle 5 min then punch it, no smoke...

I went through the decently long parts list of all they replaced, almost all the top end gaskets, hoses & plastic pipes that folks here say crack and throw codes when they fail, which is terrific for me down the road. They also tested turbos (fine) and compression in engine (fine) and refilled coolant and oil with this job. I got a lot for my money's worth!

This addresses most of my concerns over keeping this vehicle into the 60k - 90k mile range. I know all bets are off but I have gotten along with very little money out of pocket on this thing so far!

***********************************
In other news, (or, did I speak too soon?)
My shifter lever had been acting up, making noises and the Sport/manual modes couldn't be accessed occasionally, until they were pretty much not avail all the time. I bought a used shifter lever out of a similar year model from a junkyard for $250 and swapped it in, everything works as it should again.
I am tempted to take apart the original one, just to see what it looks like inside, to see if its fixable...

[heatmizr]

Boring update - no news is good news?
Since last post I have had no issues. I have added ~7k miles and reading 64,800 now. Not a lot of miles on her since Covid and working from home... Looking good for a 9 yo vehicle.

I have done one oil change, in my garage. Oil consumption is still low since the valve stem seal repair BMW did for me.

I will be mounting up yet another set of OE Bridgestone Duelers next week.
I had gotten 13.5k miles on my first new set after purchase. If you read above I suffered from the front tire outer edge wear that many others do. Right before my current set was mounted I had a tire shop take out half of the total front end Toe-In, reduced from .27 down to .15 which seems to have slowed the outer edge wear considerably. I also have kept the fronts inflated 2-3 psi higher than normal, hoping to even out the wear even more.
Now at 23k miles! I have managed to get ~10k more out of this set. I'm happy enough about that. They still look bald on the edges now but at a higher mileage.
Will be letting the dealer do the new set next week. They have them priced a hair below Tire Rack, and I have faith in them to care for the TPMS sensors and rims in the process. Last time they did take my nice metal valve stem caps and gave me back the cheap plastic ones but oh well...

I really did think about going non-run flat this time. The ride improvement ppl speak of was tempting. In the end, I just didn't want the hassle of carrying a spare or a tire kit.

I have been monitoring my battery charge as its now 5 years old. I may just get a new one installed with the tires next week as I plan to do some camping trips and have no desire for the stress of an unreliable battery.

I think in the distant future some new front brake pads (and rotors likely) will be called for. It had new pads put on it when I bought it at 27k... I'll order those online and do them myself like always, great way to save $$.

Otherwise, having had the valve stem seal repair completed has been a load off my mind, and the lack of issues recently give me the confidence to keep on driving The Boss a while longer. It's a virtual TANK around town, but for getting OUT of town I wouldn't have anything else. I do like the look of the newest gen X5 but my wife's car will be up for replacement first I fear. Maybe a CPO on one of those in a few years??

[heatmizr]

So nothing much happening, continuing with the low miles while WFH. About 65k miles. Enjoying the low oil consumption since the valve stem seal job.
Drove the boys out to Ocracoke Island in the NC Outer Banks for some camping in June!

I put on fresh Front brake Pads and Rotors a couple months ago, along with the "low pad sensor". You can save a lot of nosh doing this job yourself. Other than having to run out to buy special tools TWICE, it went fine.
I did the rear pads a couple years ago.
However since July I was getting a Brake Fluid 2-yr service reminder, which has turned into an Overdue Service warning. Oddly, in one I-drive screen it states "low brake pads", but on the Service list it shows BRAKE FLUID overdue, while both front and rear pads are OK.

Even though BMW no longer recommends changing the Transmission Fluid (lifetime fluid, yay) I am taking mine in Monday to get it done per my request. I did the same for my wife's 328i at ~60k as preventative maintenance and my transmission is way more expensive than hers.

I've done most of my own brake fluid and oil changes in the past but since it's going into the dealer anyway I will just have them do those services too and save me the trouble.

[heatmizr]

69k mile update - All good except once again feeling some occasional minor "grabbing" when turning tightly... Same as when the Transfer Case went bad at 45k miles. Seriously, we can only get ~25k out of a transfer case?
I'm not inclined to deal with it until I have to... Will any additional harm be done if I wait longer?

[Sophisticated Redneck]

Originally Posted by heatmizr

69k mile update - All good except once again feeling some occasional minor "grabbing" when turning tightly... Same as when the Transfer Case went bad at 45k miles. Seriously, we can only get ~25k out of a transfer case?
I'm not inclined to deal with it until I have to... Will any additional harm be done if I wait longer?

BMW will try to replace the transfer case when all it really needs is an oil change and recalibration. I am at 175K miles now on original transfer case and I am tuned and beat the living piss out of it everyday. 9 times out of 10 it will solve the tugging sensation that is caused when the servo motor inside loses its calibration. I was in same boat as you and decided to change oil and recalibrate and solved all issues. Transfer case only holds 6 the tenths of a liter of oil so it is extremely sensitive to oil condition. Changing oil is super easy if you make a simple tool that makes it so you don't have to remove the cross member. As for calibration, you will need ISTA or a newer model of the foxwell scanner to do. I hear the 530 can do it. It my 510 will not. I'll dig up some pics and post more about in a bit, I'll probably make a new.thread as a public service, hopefully help people save thousands. Will make the dealers sad though

[heatmizr]

71k mileage update:
A few months back I did experience a scary sudden coolant loss after pulling into my garage on a hot day. Traced it to the main coolant expansion tank wasn't 100% sure if it was leaking from the seam down the middle, or the cap so I obtained a new tank & cap from the dealer the next morning and replaced them both. (*Warning - new cap does NOT come with the tank, make sure you ask for it!) That was kind of a pain to get the tank out/in.

All good lately except for the above mentioned "crabbing / grabbing" in tight turns is getting progressively worse.
I don't have the ISTA or scanner tools so I mentioned Soph Redneck's suggestion to my local indie BMW shop, and they wanted to research a bit before agreeing with me that was the best course of action. As they were very busy so soon I will circle back with them and I expect we'll end up doing the flush / fill / recalibrate.

Otherwise I feel like this thing still drives fantastic. It rules the highway, where the susp just feels perfectly planted and damped, yet firm enough... and the power is at your beck & command.

[UglyBuzzard]

I loved my 2012 X5 Msport but the N63 got the best of me. BMW stood behind it which is why I am still with the brand.

Unreal performance for what it is - happy to see so many enjoying them…

[TheNotoriousPAT]

Use Liqui Moly, my oil consumption has lessened.

Due for a dealer visit Oct 3rd for CCP

Will update later

[heatmizr]

Originally Posted by Sophisticated Redneck

BMW will try to replace the transfer case when all it really needs is an oil change and recalibration.

Got this done at the dealer today - I was PSYCHED that it cured ALL grabbing! I even did turns in a parking lot at full lock each direction, smooth as silk!

BMW dealer cost of $263 for fluid and labor. I'm happy!


ALSO had to do the ARNOTT air bags replacement at around 73k miles. Was totally drooping on both sides, compressor was running every time I used the car. Air bag replacement was pretty easy and satisfying, and fortunately fixed my issue! Been good since.

[kimmarc723]

TheNotoriousPAT

Any update on what happened with the dealer regarding CCP. Purchased a 13 X5 50i M-Sport about a month ago with 71k. No real issues except the heat doesn’t always want to work after a few minutes? No excessive oil consumption or leaks that I can see. Going in on the 15th to have it looked at as well as any other issues. Wondering about the CCP and whether I should inquire about it. Sure they won’t just volunteer any info lol.

[heatmizr]

There were two major campaigns, my vehicle had both:
- Before I bought it they did the CCP where they replaced and checked a bunch of hoses, pumps, seals, timing chain, etc @ around 27k miles.
- A few yrs ago I also had the valve stem seal job done at no cost to me, after the smoking started. That one was at 58k miles. This was the BANG lawsuit.

PAT you are referring to the latter one right?

[heatmizr]

Wow it's been almost a year. Got my wife into an i4 e40 electric vehicle about 6 months ago so we are putting almost all our miles on that. I only drive the X5 when I need to haul bicycles or if my wife and I are dividing up the kid soccer game duties.

The only thing I can think of that has happened in the last year is that I parked outside for just a few days to free up garage space and it POURED like holy hell, and then I started smelling mustiness inside. The vapor barrier on the driver rear door failed and the carpet in front of the middle row got wet. I dried it all out thoroughly (by removing those HEAVY seats! and a buttload of trim) and then removed the door interior panel, caulked the vapor barrier all around and re-assembled. So far so good!

Here is my post about it.
https://xoutpost.com/1229917-post4.html

Otherwise this thing is just doing what its supposed to!

[heatmizr]

March 2023 update:
80k miles
Parked it fine one day, and the next time I started it the brake pedal was going almost to the floor; though it still worked for a day before I drove it to the dealer. With the symptoms I wasn't sure if it was the master cylinder or the vacuum booster. Turns out the Master Brake cylinder gave out. It killed me to pay them $1700 to replace it and and do the brake bleed procedure for the DSC unit, but I didn't really have the enthusiasm to do it myself at the time.

Took 1 day to get the part from a warehouse, and they weren't keen on letting me drive it away with a brake issue so I got a loaner. I told my SA that I was equipped to take an EV if they had one as our other car is an i4 and we have a 220v outlet in the garage. Sure enough he gave me another i4 eDrive40, just like ours, but metallic white.
It was cool to log into my BMW profile in the car and have it load my seat, mirror and (most) driving settings in it before driving off. This is the only time I can concieve of benefitting from that feature but it was nice.