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Haha....there I was laughing then suddenly remembered I have to do this on my old school Vespa - took me a while to get used to premixing the oil with the fuel - it has been at least 40+ years since I last had to do that 😁

Morning Rhys Welcome to the Forum Front Diff damage is normally caused by mismatched tyres so before spending your Hard Earned money make sure Front and Rear tyres are (a) the correct sizes and (b) all the same make and wear. It only takes one tyre to be out of sync to cause Transmission Wind up and damage. Front Diff you have the Part Numbers the discontinued and it's replacement either will do check online but also check BMW specialist dismantlers such as Quarry Motors. As for fitting if you can DIY it's obviously cheaper if not a BMW Specialist or good Independent Garage is the route. Once sorted I would change the Transfer case fluid and Rear Diff oils as well if I recall your Rear Diff has 3 chambers and needs 2 different fluids As for the rest if you are not aware check www.realoem.com put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box it will call up your model, then search the different sections it will give correct part numbers and small exploded drawings which help to see how where things fit. If someone has had a fiddle with the Door handle the small LED may have just fallen inside and only needs refitting (seen several) Hope this helps Good Luck Dave

Morning Gerry Get a copy of BMW ISTA/INPA it will give you full dealer access plus includes full Workshop information and Wiring Diagrams. Like you I have serviced my own cars since the 1960's when Computer diagnostics began to become common in the 1980's I brought my first OBD tool. Then when Volvo became more specific (had Volvo 760, 960, 850, and V70) I obtained a copy of Volvo diagnostics, then Mercedes Star and in 2002 BMW INPA for the first X5 Currently I have ISTA/INPA so still carrying out my own diagnostics and servicing, the advantage of ISTA is if there are software upgrades if you can obtain them they also can be carried out with ISTA BMW have now resorted to upgrades only being provided from their servers so they retain control Enjoy your G80 Dave

Hiya, First time owner, first post etc and I'm here looking for a bit of help please. Bought a 2012 BMW X5 40d (125k miles) from private seller just before Christmas from private seller with FSH etc. However, on the drive home I'd noticed a strange noise...... Long story short, the front diff has gone (leaking oil) and I clearly need to get it replaced as it's very noisy and the smell of oil into the cab is horrible. I can't justify a brand new OEM part, and I'm nervous about getting a chinese one off of eBay. So I thought I would put a post out to see who people would recommend within the UK? I've seen a couple of companies that do reconditioned ones, but I'm not sure that my existing one would be any good to return for a surcharge refund. I am also slightly confused with part numbers. The place I took it to to have a look for me were very helpful, and gave me a print out, but it lists two part numbers : 31508635861 (I believe to be a discontinued part?) and 31508635860 There's also a couple of other niggly bits with the car I'd like to get sorted: Rear wiper mounting split - I'll either fix or replace Drivers door handle light - advice needed, where to buy and how to fit Front Window Washer jet - end one has broken, I've made a temp fix for now Unlock crack - sometimes when I unlock, I can hear a cracking noise on the rear left, seems to be around the wheel/handbrake Obviously those smaller bits can wait until I've got the bigger problem sorted out. If there is someone out there who could point me in the right direction, it would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks in advance

Morning Stu First engine running and Voltage check at the charge points the alternator should be providing 14.5v min (normally 14.6v) so battery will be slowly drained. But as you know low voltages can throw up all sorts of issues. Battery at rest 12.5v is OK healthy battery, alternators are tough so I would suspect the Voltage regulator Looking at your scanner the throttle body is sticking so needs a clean out Not unusual for the Drivers seat control unit to go AWOL on the E53 and that does affect other functions (steering wheel adjustment if electric) so that needs a look and maybe unrelated Good Luck lets hope it's the simple fix Dave As for the Porker tyre, I have a small compressor and a Tyre Plug repair kit (tempt fate now) I have used it 3 times all on friends and neighbours cars not mine and it works really well. The last time was on the shoot in the middle of nowhere a Disco with a flat front tyre and like most modern cars no spare we could see the puncture (a screw). Let the air out of the tyre pull out the screw clean the hole with the tool in the plug kit insert the plug with the tool provided and trim it off pump up the tyre, job done and we didn't even take the wheel off the car that was last year and he is still driving on it. Though the kit does advise get it fixed properly. All of the 3 I have fixed have driven on the repair until tyre change time. That would be the route I would take, I have seen compressors for around £20 and my plug repair kit was £10

Morning Nick Just looking at those initial screens I am not surprised your having problems 1st screen tells you that several control units are not communicating correctly as they have faults stored light brown colour and one greyed out and another is red not operating at all 2nd two screens show a list of faults and an explanation of what they are Your first job is the Control units they should all be in the Green. You need to investigate each one in turn to fix the faults. Once a Fault is repaired the fault will remain in the memory unless cleared by you. Clearing a fault doesn't fix it though it may allow normal running for a period until it returns Next stubborn faults remaining may need further investigation. ISTA is a very powerful program but it can't fix things you have to do that. ISTA will give you a test plan to rectify it also contains workshop information and wiring diagrams plus pictures of components and where they are located it will even list tools required. Dave

Right…. The x5 is having a laugh…. Porsche got a puncture so I’m waiting for Tuesday to get it replaced, so the X5 knew… it just knew! It’s started dropping into failure mode, the front indicator is intermittent and the drivers seat has stopped moving. As the wife is the size of a squirrel, I can’t get in and drive it to the garage to take the wheel to get the tyre on. Battery is saying 12.5 resting and 13.4 running…. It’s only a year old too… I can’t find the receipt for euro car parts as it was in my old van. Any suggestions? New battery …. Again? How do I check the alternator? Could this be killing the batteries? I have neither the time or money to be swapping parts The car is dropping into fail safe mode randomly and at speed (as always) so it’s not safe. Fault on the scanner is showing throttle position sensor jammed or something… I’ll post some pics.

This is what ista gives me

Hello Mark and Dave Yes, part of the work at the running-in service, at 1200 miles, is to remove the running-in spec oil (which apparently smells different to 'normal' oil) and amend the ECU to allow 'full' power. There are several videos on Youtube etc with these details. I hope this helps, Orchpot

Hello Dave Thanks for the warm welcome to the Club. You are correct about the main dealer not being keen to release service data, but I serviced my E60 at home by using printouts of all the service items, as given to me and used by the dealer techs. My service work was therefore done to BMW Standards, using dealer supplied filters etc, and so the warranty remained intact. It is not just the financial aspect that appeals to me; the dealer techs are always very tight for time and allocated units of 6mins to perform each task. Dealer drip-down time is only a couple of mins - for me it is overnight, when quite a bit more old oil is drained. More time is spent in the dealer's valet bay than in the dealer's workshop...... There are several OBD2 scanners (for approx £200) that will reset service lights, etc, but I suspect there may be a combination of steps using the trip reset button that may also work (as per my E60). I know the new BMWs retain the service history in the car's computer (which a scan tool will do), but the history is also copied by dealer software to BMWs records (which a scan tool will NOT do). I'm not too bothered by this omission; as resale value after 10-15 or even 20 years is determined by the overall condition of the car and by my detailed service records. If anyone has a G80 M3 in North Yorkshire please give me a shout. I am a time-served and recently retired mech engr with a lifelong interest in cars, so if anyone has a technical query I may be able to assist. Thanks everyone, Orchpot

Hi Sam A Silicone spray or a little Vaseline, remember the footwell is a mucky place all sorts of mud grit and god knows what brought in on our boots 😆 So make sure everything is clean, really clean all dirt and grit hoovered out the electrical components are sealed to protect them so your target is allowing free running sliding action of the pedal. Dave

Answered in 7 series post

Morning Gerry Welcome to the Forum A BMW Main Dealer is never going to be helpful towards an owner who is basically asking them if he can take away their workshop business by DIY 🤣 If the car you want is New or a BMW Approved Vehicle it will be covered under Warranty so any DIY work could negate the Warranty If your target is being able to home service get a good BMW capable Diagnostic suite BMW ISTA/INPA is best but these days there are several others iCarsoft, Autologic that way you can reset electronically. Newer BMW hold the service history in the car which updates when a Dealer plugs in. Dave

Thanks Dave 👍🏼 Thanks, Dave. Forgive my ignorance, but what sort of lube can you use on something like this, being that's got electrical elements? Would a smear of something like Vaseline be ok on the sliding arm part? Thanks Dave! Forgive my ignorance but what sort of lube can you use on something like this given that it has electrical elements. Would a smear of something like Vaseline on the bar be ok?

Morning Nick If the car is in Limp Mode you still have a fault or have you accidentally put the car in Delivery Mode (a Factory setting to restrict performance) Dave

Morning Mike Welcome to the Forum Wow what a post that's a load of work. My only thought is a complete back track and thorough check of all connectors, relays and fuses. I have seen an issue where the terminal 15 relay was damaged at a battery swap caused a lot of problems. I would go back to standard get the motor running before attempting a full re-flash you would at least have a usable car with an established base line Good Luck Dave

Morning Sam Welcome to the Forum I would say you have diagnosed your issue it just needs confirming I would start by checking www.realoem.com the small exploded drawings will help with seeing how the pedal is mounted. A really good clean and some lubrication may be all that's needed Good Luck Dave

Hello Everyone, This is my first post. I used to be a member of the official BMW GB owners' club, but it was mainly a social club and devoid of any technical stuff. I've had my 2007 E60 535d Sport from new, only 82k miles, £10k of factory extras and its near perfect in every way - it drives like new. But I'm thinking about a new G80 M3 and I need some advice about servicing. Does anyone know if the car's computer can be reset for service items using the trip button? Ignition on, hold trip button down, select service, hold down to reset and then confirm - does this work? My main dealer is reluctant to be helpful. I'm near Northallerton in North Yorkshire - are there any G80 M3 owners nearby? Thanks hopefully Orchpot BMW_G80_M3_Service_Reset_Guide_With_Diagrams.pdf

Is there a way to get to get out of limp mode

welcome to the club Joe!

Haha… I can guess you have never owned my X5 then! Welcome to the forum!

Ok, quick update. If I gently pull the accelerator pedal back when idling or if I rev it up and gently pull it back, revs behave normal and idle is correct. Am I right in thinking this actually points to an issue with the accelerator pedal sensor? If so, is there a method to clean it up in the short term, or is it a straight replacement kind of job. Thanks again.

Oh nice! Bet that has been many years of pure raw joy!

Hi Joe… I’m from Yorkshire so a bit closer! …. I’m on bmw 10 or 11 I think!

Hi Dave, Thank you for the warm welcome! Yes you definitely can’t help haha. I am on my 2nd/3rd at the moment. Miles of joy! cheers! Joe