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Hi all… what’s the best way to locate a power drain? basically, I have changed the boot on the x5 and since then, the battery keeps going flat. I have no shorts anywhere and I had an issue where the boot release button would turn the interior light on.. I have disconnected that but still have a drain issue. Wiring diagrams are of little insight. … anyone got any tips, time is not on my side as I have limited rest between work and crazy children! 😂 cheers! stu

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Morning Lewis The only way I can think of is to try the DVLA to see if you can contact the current owner Nostalgia for and old once owned car is great but remember the old adage "One careful owner, the other six didn't care at all" so rescueing it may cost more than it's worth Hope this helps Dave

Morning Richard I would say if it is "every now and then" it isn't normal and needs some investigation Dave

Hi there, New to the group and have a bit of of longshot and after doing some research this was suggested thing to do. I used to own a 08 530D E60, reg being LT08 YMA, and got rid of the car 4 years ago. Always checked everytl year for the MOT history but hasn’t been done since 2022. Done a full history checked and car is SORN and not on the road, but interestingly no scrapped, I thought it would be as it has 313k miles. Would there be any possible way to know if this car is still out there? Or is this mission impossible 😂 Any words of advice would be great 👍🏻

my G21 every now and then makes a clicking when opened. I assume this is normal.🤔

Morning Gordon Welcome to the Forum Thats a whole can of worms to open 😁 First there is the question of is your car air suspension front and rear? Rear air Front springs or has it been converted to springs all round. If it is to be a full spring conversion I would look at companies like Eibach well recognised and reliable ( Cost I would guess at around £500 to £1k ) If you want to retain the OEM rear air suspension I have read of rear adjustable links ror the ride height sensors combined with adjustable front springs ( Cost around £500 ) If it is a full air suspension I talked to a guy at Goodwood who had a BMW 3.5d X5 on a fully adjustable Airride suspension kit he could select ride height from a panel in the car or through an App on his phone very cool. He could choose 4 preset ride heights (his choice) He told me cost was £1600 2 years ago Dave

Best lowering products for 2017 BMW X5 drive 3.5 Thanks

Thanks for giving us a try. Regards, Dan.

Hi Andrew If you have had a shredded belt I would check the whole system belts don't just shred Main suspect for me would be start with the Crank shaft damper pulley they can detach from the rubber insert and wobble causes the AC belt and Serpentine belt to rub on each other and fray. I would also check all Idler and Tension pulleys plus while things are loose the waterpump,Alternator and AC compressor Dave

I have a 2008 530D E61 and have a metallic rattle whenever the engine starts, it only does it once when the engine starts. I have had my son start and stop the car several times and it sounds like it is coming from the front of the engine. I have recently replaced the serpentine belt as it failed and ended up in shreds and I had to cut it off. I'm wondering if it could be something to do with the idler pulley. Has anybody had a problem like this before. thanks Paneuro.

Morning Dan Welcome to the Forum First remember that any Mods Body or Performance you need to check with your insurers don't need to have something happen and discover your not covered. If going for performance mods Suspension, Brakes and Tyres would be my starting point, having the car go where you point it and stop when you want to. Engine and Trans mission would be last on my list. Body mods take alook at pistures of cars like the M135i. All the M body panels and trims are available from either BMW or from the specialist BMW Dismantlers and you know they will fit. Remember to factor in Paint ? There is also the After market Body kits but remember these may need some work to get the fit looking right and again paint. Enjoy your Beemer Dave

I’m 19 and have just bought a 118i Msport. What are the best mods for it since I’m fairly new to this, I’m aware of remaps and performance upgrades but in terms of exterior and cosmetics what are the best things to do?

Ok is it the fan in front of the Rad ? Dave

Its electric. Just shopping around to get one. Will let you know when its done. Thanks. That said this is Spain and everything is difficult to get.

Morning Kyle Welcome to the Forum If there is vibration at such a low speed I would suspect not only the control arm but is the wheel Tyre out of balance is the fixing bolt and ball joint torqued correctly ? Also consider if changing suspension parts it is good practice to change bothsides at the same time. The job is straight forward just make sure the main bolt is Torqued up when the control arm is in the loaded postion (Weight on the suspension) or the bush will only last a very short time. Dont know where you are but in the UK most suspension parts are available from Motor Parts Factors next day at least prce I would expect to be around £25 to £30 per side. Worth considering is a complete suspension refresh as if one control arm is that bad other parts will be worn as well Only you can assess the amount of risk as non of us can see/feel how loose things are Hope this helps Dave

Morning Stewart Which model is it ? If the fan is Electric then normally they a quiet in operation if it is the engine driven fan then they are an easy change. Just remember the nut that holds it in place is Left Hand thread. Remove the fan shroud a good adjustable spanner just squeezes in on the nut, a whack with a rubber mallet normally loosens the nut the just wind it off. Now you have a choice, either replace it with a direct replacement or as I did with my 4.4 and 4.6 X5's I replaced it with an Electric fan from a later model (Fan and Shroud) activated using a Landrover top hose thermostat Dave

Great Result Kev Wonder what your Dealer would have charged 😂 Dave

Hi, I bought a used 2003 BMW X5 4.4i and it has a loose/worn front right side lower control arm with ball joint (just ike the image below). I first noticed it when I was driving 80 km/h (49 mph). The steering wheel was shaking, almost vibrating. I am trying to decide if I should drive my X5 a little bit longer or park it until I replace the control arm. I might be able to replace the control in a week or so. What should I do?

Great write up and well done! chinesium is indeed the worlds finest!

Hi Stewart. Removing the aircon clutch isn’t a massive job on the 4 cylinders. I haven’t done a 6 cylinder one yet, but I’m sure it’s a bit of a squeeze and access from below would be the best option. stu.

So, Bracket arrived from eBay, nothing but the best Chineseum stainless steel. Jacked car up as high as possible and placed an axle stand under the rear jacking point. 6x T45 bolts removed from x brace pictured, and a T60 on the O/S to allow the brace room to drop when lowering exhaust. Rear exhaust supported with trolley jack, mounts undone with a 13mm nut either side of rear silencer and lowered. 4x metal heat shield nuts removed, 4x plastic heat shield nuts removed from felt section of under shielding. Jiggle metal heat shield about a bit and slide towards the rear to remove. Broken lugs from handbrake bracket fell out when heat shield was undone. Fairly conclusive diagnosis! Handbrake cable can be pulled down enough to allow ring end of spanner to undo retaining nut. New bracket straddles old bracket and secures cables very well. Refit everything that was removed, not forgetting that metal heat shield goes underneath felt section. Apologies for pics not being in order, some didn’t want to upload at all. EBay item was in fact £6.79!!

Cooling fan is noisy when the aircon is switched on. Play in the bearing. Has anybody done this recently and how difficult is it to remove ? I have only had the car a month. Look forward to responses.

Hi Dave Thank you very much for the reply, that's really handy information. I aim to keep it for as many 100k's as I can just to see how far it will go as my commuter. I shall get it booked in for the above so really appreciate the details. Darren

Hi Andy did you find out what caused the problem, only asking as my 21 plate x5 has the exact same issue. Just trying to narrow it down to what it could be