Greydog

Morning Simon Welcome to the Forum If there is that much oil in the Header Tank it follows that water should be in the sump what is the Dip stick showing I have never seen anything like that before ? by the stains around the top of the header tank it almost looks like it has been poured in there? I have read of unscrupulous buyers distracting owners and pouring oil into header tanks then claiming head gasket failure and offering stupid low price to complete the sale. But thats OTT I doubt the engine would be running well if that much oil is being lost to the cooling system. First I would carry out an oil change if there is water in the oil then you will see it around the oil cap as a creamy residue and definitely in the drained oil. If the drained oil is OK and the Oil Filler Cap clean next step is drain the coolant remove the header and clean it (if possible) with the coolant drained you should be able to check the oil cooler and its seals to the rad Good luck detecting the cause Dave

I would look at systems like i-Carsoft V3 Foxwell 510, but the best and most comprehensive is ISTA. I have seen all of these on the Bay and Amazon for between £100 and £150 Do a google search for BMW Diagnostic software, Good Luck Dave

If the splice has been repaired properly, there are K-can High (Orange/Green trace) and K-can Low (Green) both need doing then it should clear , I know I have done a few. Then you have the Chassis Can (ICM) which has its own can High and can Low, the DSC has PT-can links High and Low Then common sense dictates you have an issue with other K-can splices there are several in the Main Loom floor level and under the dash I would either check myself or find a another Garage bearing in mind this is the garage that has taken £1000 of your money every time telling you "this will fix it". If you can't be bothered yourself get an Auto Electrician as all your doing is throwing money at it/them. It really isn't that complicated Sorry if that sounds harsh but it's your car and money just go back to your very first post and see the answer/advice given Dave

Hi Cliff I believe you are spot on if there is no dealer code it wasn't a BMW Dealer so you have no proof other than an entry on the infotainment that it was done unless there a receipts with the paperwork As for brakes the problem comes from use eg. A high mile motorway warrior will cover huge distances between brake use/application so needing a change where as a School run car may use its brakes much faster, for me physical inspection is the only way Dave

Good luck Steven Key is getting the K-bus faults cleared then work through the others if they still show. Important point make certain the Battery is in good condition and fully charged Dave

Morning Steven I actually posted pictures of the cause for K-bus faults The problem is in the boot mainly so the first thing needed is to fix the bus faults, only then will you be able to clear down faults and find the cause of the issue if indeed you have one. Then of course there is the uncomfortable conversation with the garage about who should pay for all the unnecessary works and component changes. So again In the pictures you can see cable splices in the main wiring loom in the boot the loom is located on the boot floor below the Fuse board in the right hand cubby you will need to remove a bit of trim to get to it BMW make these splice/joints by twisting and compressing the join then covering it with a clear plastic sleeve. Moisture gets in and the black stain you see through the clear plastic is corrosion. The pic Cable splices shows the K-bus on the left of the picture Yellow/green Orange with mine they just fell apart so I remade them with soldered joins and shrink wrap after digging I re-made all the joins you see in the pictures That is where you need to start Your Garage seem clueless show them these picture tell them that is where the issue starts and hopefully ends then they can clear the K-bus and you may have a chance of sorting any issues that remain. If the control units they have changed have not been registered to the chassis they may need doing but start with the K-bus Personally I would DIY so you know its done Dave

Morning JC Bit of a history lesson coming up 😅 A generic scanner won't help much as it will only read Key components DME maybe Transmission etc, most of the high end manufacturers use a dedicated Bus system to allow communication between control units. Due competition laws in the US Manufacturers had to allow some access hence the Generic scanners can see the key components indicate a fault not necessarily the cause. Early systems often ended up with people changing parts until the issue was fixed or they got rid of the car. As an example a Misfire could be a sensor issue, an Air/Vacuum leak or a fuel pressure issue. I have always enjoyed maintaining my own cars so have gathered a comprehensive tool kit since the late 80's diagnostics became more and more important so In my home garage I have an old Windows 7 laptop that now runs diagnostic programs for cars I have owned Mercedes Star, Volvo, Range Rover, Toyota, Subaru, and of course BMW. Early BMW's used I-bus communication so I brought a copy of BMW 1.4.0 (£20) which was a revelation, it showed my 2001 4.4 X5 had 70+ control units several with attendant sensors it also allowed me to alter or set Comfort functions that normally were Dealer only and charged appropriately £££ 🤣. When BMW moved to K-bus and MOST (2006>) it required an upgrade in Diagnostics to INPA (nothing to do with restoring Dealer exclusivity of course) Happily the hackers soon had copies available and the same is true of the latest iteration ISTA which lives on my laptop in the garage 😁 My current E70 X5 has 97 control units plus sensors (I believe your X3 is similar) with my TPMS on the cars screen it will warn if a tyre looses pressure but with INPA/ISTA I can see and set pressure differentials by % INPA/ISTA will tell me if it is a sensor problem or control module problem. I can interrogate individual sensors and get Part numbers etc. The program also has WIS (workshop information system) TIS (technical information system) and Wiring diagrams. New or exchange control units can be Programmed to the car so all Dealer functions are covered. My copy of INPA/ISTA cost £100 if I recall and over the last 10 years has saved me and friends and family many times that. My last issue was a rear suspension problem ISTA told me Rear Left ride height sensor continuity on inspection the plug had started to disintegrate so replacement plug and re-pinned total cost £11 and a couple of hours of my time There are many systems available now Autel, i-Carsoft, Foxwell and several others all are around the £100 mark though as always if you have deep pockets you can pay more 😁 Good Luck hope the above is helpful Dave

Hi Gary I did the exact job for a friend of my wife, I did a search of www.realoem.com for the correct part numbers left/right then she searched Google and brought both spindle drives for £110 delivered with 2 year warranty. Changing them requires trim removal so a decent set of trim removal tools and a Torx set will be needed. I did use a garden rake with a towel wrapped around it to support the tail gate as neither of the girls could reach 😅. The rest is straight forward, though getting all the trim out of the way is fiddly the job is plug and play. Couple of good Videos on line About 21/2 hrs work with Tea and biscuits 🤣 Dave

Morning JC Look like you brought a scanner that just does TPMS systems ?? I have 2 Diagnostic scan tools (1) BMW INPA/ISTA which is the same as BMW Dealers use and (2) iCarsoft both systems will give me a code that indicates which wheel sensor is at fault or if it is the Controller. Plus of course they also read all other control units on the car. With your monitor what does the Instruction book say? does it give a list of codes and their meaning? TP sensors do fail some have batteries in them they are not expensive to buy online (Ebay, Amazon etc) the costly bit is to fit them, obviously tyres need to come off and be refitted. If it was me I would wait until tyre change time Dave

Morning Jim A Seat owned by a neighbours wife from new but only used for school run duties was completely clogged at lower miles than yours. Predictably the Dealer said new Turbo new EGR and a swathe of other parts £££, a local Diesel specialist stripped, cleaned and rebuilt everything and gave her the advice to give the car a good run at motorway speeds once a month. Years ago my son had issues with his Toyota pickup the dealer mechanic told him an "Italian Tune Up" (engine up to temp and keep revs over 2.5k for half an hour) needs doing every few weeks. As a Tree Surgeon he tended to be trundling around off road at slow speeds and low revs. With luck it's just the actuator mechanism Dave

Hi Darren Think about how much you have saved at Main Dealer hourly rates 😁 Plus the satisfaction of a job well done Modern cars not designed to be DIY friendly 😅 the cynic in me thinks it is a ploy to drive us towards the dealer network. They will probably tell us they would never do that, yeah right 🤣 Well done Dave

Morning Jamie Welcome to the Forum I would think you need a feed from the Boost relief valve. Are there no instruction with your kit ? Take a look at www.realoem.com put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box it will call up your model then check the engine section/inlet/turbo Dave

Morning JIm If memory serves your car has twin turbo's a small one for low/mid range and the bigger one below for mid/top end boost. The vacuum drive shifts boost to the larger turbo, so when you felt for any wobble which turbo were you feeling? and which side remember the exhaust side really does take a battering. From your description the Vacuum drive is working but the flap it operates into the large turbo or the turbo it's self needs some investigating Those are my thoughts Dave

Morning Ronald Welcome to the Forum First it would be unlikely the a Starter would cause this fault code as the starter is underneath and the issue you have is at the top. A fault code indicates a problem it isn't necessarily the cause, start by looking for leaks in any of the Vacuum lines and hoses on the Inlet side after 13 years the hoses on your car will quite probably be dry and cracked in places. Also check all wiring and plugs if cleaning use a good electrical contact cleaner. The replacement you brought, is it correct for your model ? As an after thought check the engine mounts I am not sure whether your mounts have a vacuum link Dave

I would think after 2 years if they haven't sold they have binned it 😁 Dave