New (Used) X5 owner and Ouch!

[Sigs]

Ola,

Recently purchased a 2009 X5 with 49k miles on it. Looked to be dealer maintained (Carfax) and assumed based upon ownership (original owners in NY) it was used as the car for a vacation home in N.C. Called and spoke with the dealership and the statement was their mechanic had 5+ years experience with BMW's (most cars on the lot are BMW) and had brought the car up to date with recalls.

Based on this, I decided to bite the bullet, fly down to drive it back (about 700 miles). No issues driving back but after a week had "low oil level" notification which I figured to be a bad sensor. Gave the car to my best friend who knows Audi's in and out (20+yrs) and he was appalled at the leaks this car had. As he is not well versed in BMWs took it took a local Indie shop known for their excellence and received the following

($1700)
Oil pan gasket leaking heavily. Recommend to remove and reseal oil pan.

($500)
Valve cover leaking - previously sealed with incorrect sealant. Recommend to remove and reseal and possibly replace valve cover.

($900)
Radiator leaking on bottom driver side recommend to replace.

($3600)
Power steering system is contaminated with incorrect fluid. Will need to replace the reservoir, pump, and possibly lines as well as rack if not already damaged. (will incorrect fluid for 1-1.5k miles do this?)

($275)
Rear Stabilizer Links are cracked and rotted. Recommend to replace (No worries Expected)

Based upon the estimate, and the experienced opinion of these techs it looks like the dealership mechanic didn't know what he was doing and used incompatible materials, which is unfortunate to say the least as I would have been better off if they left it as it was.

All in all for the above they want about 7.1k for the above. I am looking at what I can do to mitigate this as I didn't expect to pay another %40 after purchasing the car to get it up to speed but wanted to ask the community for your opinions..

Any help is appreciated, thankfully I still have another vehicle...

Sigs

[quick]

Dealer maintenance doesn't mean much really. When was the last time the X5 at the dealer for any service?

If you bought it at the dealer, surely you have a recourse. If you bought it from a private entity, I am not sure what you can do.

Your biggest oversight was not getting the PPI done. Pre Purchase Inspection, though doesn't pick up all the issues but would have brought up all these leaks.

I would call whom ever you bought the car from and bring it up with them. However, if you signed a document stating purchase is " as is" then of course you are out of luck.

I am pretty sure with all those leaks, the owner ought to have known about them and if he didn't share that with you, then you can go after him.

Go through the dealer records if X5 came with it to see if any records mention these leaks?

Sorry it happened to you

[Sophisticated Redneck]

Originally Posted by Sigs

Ola,

Recently purchased a 2009 X5 with 49k miles on it. Looked to be dealer maintained (Carfax) and assumed based upon ownership (original owners in NY) it was used as the car for a vacation home in N.C. Called and spoke with the dealership and the statement was their mechanic had 5+ years experience with BMW's (most cars on the lot are BMW) and had brought the car up to date with recalls.

Based on this, I decided to bite the bullet, fly down to drive it back (about 700 miles). No issues driving back but after a week had "low oil level" notification which I figured to be a bad sensor. Gave the car to my best friend who knows Audi's in and out (20+yrs) and he was appalled at the leaks this car had. As he is not well versed in BMWs took it took a local Indie shop known for their excellence and received the following

($1700)
Oil pan gasket leaking heavily. Recommend to remove and reseal oil pan.

($500)
Valve cover leaking - previously sealed with incorrect sealant. Recommend to remove and reseal and possibly replace valve cover.

($900)
Radiator leaking on bottom driver side recommend to replace.

($3600)
Power steering system is contaminated with incorrect fluid. Will need to replace the reservoir, pump, and possibly lines as well as rack if not already damaged. (will incorrect fluid for 1-1.5k miles do this?)

($275)
Rear Stabilizer Links are cracked and rotted. Recommend to replace (No worries Expected)

Based upon the estimate, and the experienced opinion of these techs it looks like the dealership mechanic didn't know what he was doing and used incompatible materials, which is unfortunate to say the least as I would have been better off if they left it as it was.

All in all for the above they want about 7.1k for the above. I am looking at what I can do to mitigate this as I didn't expect to pay another %40 after purchasing the car to get it up to speed but wanted to ask the community for your opinions..

Any help is appreciated, thankfully I still have another vehicle...

Sigs

EDIT: Just realized you didn't say you had a M, so if your X5 is not an M or 50i then ignore everything below save for the part about the power steering pump if your X5 is equipped with active suspension.

Hmmm, seeing some red flags here...Think its best you get a second opinion.

For starters, valve covers on the s63/n63 engines dont use sealant, they are a complicated design and have a intricate nitrile gasket that runs inside it's edges. So for a shop to say it used the wrong sealent is fishy.....just needs the new gasket. Make sure they replace the high pressure fuel pump gasket too as it's separate and connects to the valve cover. 500 is a fair price, it's alot of work to pull the valve cover on these engines

Oil pan gasket - how bad is the leak? Unless you have a puddle under the truck each night, Your oil usage is most likely from Worn valve seals, a known issue on these engines. Burning a quart every 1200 to 1500 miles is considered normal believe it or not...

Radiator leak - definitely have this one double checked, the M is a complicated machine, there are three separate radiators on the driver's side (aux intercooler, main, and aux engine) not to mention enough hoses to get to moon and back. Most likely a cracked hose then a radiator, especially since so few miles but it's 11 years old...my bet would be dried out rubber vs cracked aluminum.

Power steering pump - have it flushed and filled with correct fluid. Make sure you are at a shop that really knows the e70 M as your power steering pump also feeds the hydraulic active sway bars which requires a special bleed procedure and reset (funny to watch, you truck will sway from side to side while it does the reset/calibration, looks like it's possessed). Then if you still have issues have it replaced, worth the 300 to flush and see how it drives vs 3600 that might not be necessary.

[JDAURIA]

Most if not all could've been found with a PPI. Sorry for your expense

[msan]

The drivers side coolant leak is probably the bottom of the expansion tank leaking. That is way more common leak than a radiator leaking. Also the expansion tank is on the driver's side. The tank and new cap will probably be around $150 ish parts only. You can try and do it yourself. Fair warning that bottom hose connection is a PITA, but doable.

I would try and get a p/s fluid flush. Flush out all the old fluid and use the correct fluid and see if the steering feels ok. Its worth a shot before spending $4k just on steering parts. Or locate the parts on ebay used to save coin. They should be cheap since there isn't much demand for those parts imo.

The valve cover gasket seems like a great price at $500. The oil pan price seems reasonable if not a bit on the high side. But it is a labor intensive job as they remove your front subframe. This opens the door to other possible work since they are in there. New engine mounts comes to mind. Also depending on the age of the water pump and thermostat you might want to change those while in there if they are older than 4-5 years old. Its very easy to do these things when the subframe is down. You might also want them to check the play in the front suspension arms. Bushings maybe worn. Sorry about your situation but I have had to do oil pan $1100, valve cover gasket (DIY), motor mounts ($400), Suspension Arms ($600) . It's not a cheap car to maintain, even the 35i N55 motor. A lot of money to be spent on oil leaks (pan, valve cover, oil filter housing/cooler) and coolant leaks (expansion tank and new pump/thermostats)...other than that its great!! Also maybe learn to wrench on it yourself to save some labor costs.

BMW repair instructions: https://www.newtis.info/
Part number locator: https://www.realoem.com/

[hilld]

I replaced my coolant tank about a month ago and got all the parts (including coolant) from FCP Euro for less than $100.

Here are the parts (part number and cost) - Hope this helps. If you are going to do the work, FCP Euro is a great place to get the parts as they come with a lifetime warranty.

BMW Coolant/Antifreeze (1 Gallon) - Genuine BMW 82141467704
$22.49
BMW Expansion Tank - Mahle Behr 17137647290
$49.64
BMW Expansion Tank Cap - Reutter 17117639021
$13.29

[Sigs]

Thanks all! I am starting with a flush and plan on doing whatever I can myself (except the pan lol) Time to start learning!

[Ryan5034]

Did you say this is a V8 or 6cyl car? Not sure it has been mentioned yet.

[Sigs]

This is the 6cyl engine..

[Ryan5034]

Ok thanks for the information. The only info I have that applicable to you is the rear stabilizer bar end links. You can buy new ones on Rock Auto and replacement. It is super easy and cheap to do. Probably $30 repair.