Greydog

Hi Martin If your car is a genuine Schnitzer car there will be a plate in the engine bay plus a plate on the engine. Same as AMG the engine plate is engraved with the signature of the builder. Have you Googled Schnitzer pictures to see if you can get a clue to what badges Schnitzer fitted. Dave

Hi Sam BMW like a lot of manufacturers have an incredibly arrogant attitude towards their customers, they act as though their cars are a box of bats and if you delve under the bonnet they will all escape and only they can get them back !!!! (try Mercedes) No black magic and loads of help here to catch bats if you need it. The weak points in the X5 are really only the suspension bushes which is basically a 5 series but fitted to a car twice the weight. Therefore the bushes have a life of about 60 to 80k max rapid tyre wear is the give away. Replacement is a DIY proposition with either standard or Poly bushes, the poor old gearbox also tends to get forgotten as BMW say "sealed for life" their interpretation of life is the end of their warranty obligation. ZF who make the box recommend service every 100k kilometers (60k miles) If you check out either Opie oils web site or Castrols web site they give information on oils for engine, diffs and transfer case, for the gearbox I only use ZF longlife and also pay to get it serviced at a ZF specialist, 150k so 2 services around £300 each is much cheaper than a gearbox. The engine you have is without a doubt one of the worlds great engines the only niggles tend to be where BMW bean counters cut corners. My Ford experience is late 80's I was driving a Cosworth Scorpio (still up there with the best cars I have owned and I have had a lot) replaced in the early 90's with a Whale tale Cossie then a Cossie Saphire 4x4 loved that car until it was stolen!!. Replaced it with a Lotus Carlton due to the Cosworths being almost un-insurable the Lotus was less than half the price, could never figure that out?? Enjoy your Beemer Dave

Morning Richard You say you tried to Jump Start the car? Do you mean you can get into the car? If so can you not open the boot with the dash release button? Dave

Hi Sam My brother-inlaw's 5 series touring (same engine) uses Castrol Edge 5-30 M. Have you checked your hand book there is normally a list of oil spec's listed. I believe you need an oil that meets BMW Longlife 04 spec's for the M57TU2 which most of the major manufacturers meet. You could also look at www.newtis.info it is a BMW technical information site so you should be able to get service information there as well Hope this helps not hinders Dave

Morning Daniel Welcome to the Forum Wow what a Saga, on the plus side the forum has gained a trans specialist😁. If your battery is on its way out that is where I would start X5's are power consumers extraordinaire. Battery voltage should be minimum 12.5 to 13.00v engine off, 13.00 to 14.5v engine running. Any voltages below 12.5v engine running will throw all sorts of spurious codes "Trans Fail Safe", "Susp Inactive" being the favorite 2 when charging is low. So as a Battery weighs way less than the trans that would be may starting point, first get the battery checked also check the alternator out put should be around 14.4 v. I suspect the battery is dead so I personally would bite the bullet and change it. Good Luck Dave

Way to go Jay Don't worry about the essay the result counts Dave

Hi Peter With your Budget have you considered a BMW AUC (approved Used Car) search BMW Auc the BMW used car website will come up put your post code in and the distance you want to go and it should give a list of cars costs deals and where they are. Considering the current climate cutting a good deal should be a doddle, get things like servicing, warranty and as much stuff as possible in the final cost. Good Luck Dave

Morning Peter Welcome to the Forum My advice would be leave it, there are loads out there without problems.. Take a look at www.newtis.info it is a BMW Technical Site used by BMW Dealers you should find an indication of time to change parts there. My guess would be minimum 5 to 6 hours x about £60 per hour minimum (my BMW Dealer £140), plus parts. That of course assumes your or our remote diagnosis is correct if not then you may be the proud owner of a money pit. However if you are a competent mechanic with a good tool chest and the price is at the right level to cover issues then it may be worth a punt, if not and by your question your not a mechanic I would walk. Sorry if it's not much help Dave

Hi Trevor Hope you and the family are keeping safe in these strange times Trying to conserve stocks 😁 Can't take all the blame Majestic Wine was the only shop that didn't look as though it had been looted and SWIMBO had sent me shopping. Dave

Morning Jake Welcome to the Forum Well done Jake we like these questions, for future the are wiring diagrams on the www.newtis.info web site plus upgrade information Dave

Not sure but I think it was after the model change E83 to F25 that everything needed coding, of course at my age and after sitting in the sun with a glass of wine that could complete twaddle. If you have someone near by with INPA loaded or maybe you have it yourself you could code yourself, I take it the Switch is OK? Relays all check out OK Dave

Morning Frank Have alook at www.reaoem.com put the last 7 digits of your Vin in the search box it will bring up your model when you search there are small exploded drawings that will show where stuff is located. Also it will give the part number you want to look for, if you click on the part number it will open a list of alternate options and other models it was used on. I know that it is in the passenger footwell in the X5 so that is where I would start. Good Hunting Dave

Hi Mohamed Check 2 websites 1. www.realoem.com this is a BMW parts website but it has some great exploded drawings that should help with location. Put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box and it will bring up your model. 2. www.newtis.info This is a BMW technical information site BMW Dealers use the same information for service and repair. Sorry best help I can give as I am not a Vert owner. Good Luck Dave

Hi Debbie If you want to keep the OEM look there are some great Android units out there these days but having experienced Dynavin I would check out their website their latest models retain all the OBC/PDC functions. Stu is right knowing which Audio set up you have now is going to help Good Luck Dave

Hi Mohamed Welcome to the Forum Not a Convertible owner but here goes 1. Is there a reset procedure ? There normally is for sun roofs so it's logical there should be one for the roof. 2. Have you checked fluid levels as I believe they are hydraulic? 3. Are all the sensors clear ? Can you get the codes read that will tell you and us a lot. On the bright side the sun is shining Dave

Hi Debbie Welcome to the Forum Just enjoying a mid afternoon beer after cutting the grass my wife is enjoying a ride and the dogs are walked and to top it all the sun is out so it's a good day so far. Stay safe and enjoy the weather Dave

Hi Martin Maybe a previous owner had changed the carrier and left that behind? Have you checked out www.pelicanparts.com it's an American site terrific how too's with pictures just the steering on the wrong side and they think diesel is lorry fuel. Dave

Morning Mark Welcome to the Forum The OEM BMW system is made up from several component parts most of which are in the boot under the floor and in the left side cubby hole. Replacing them with "new" parts from BMW is in my opinion uneconomic, you can find parts on Ebay and other auction sites if you want to remain OEM but even second hand parts are expensive. There are OEM looking alternatives on the market that offer many advantages, the BMW OEM Kit is OK for originality but it is "old" tech and misses a lot of modern connectivity. When I had the 4.4 the nav went flaky then the bluetooth then the BM54 radio was playing up so I brought a Dynavin unit (check their website) it needs a 5m extension to run from the big Quadloc in the boot all brought from Dynavin I added antenna extensions for the GPS and radio Running the 5m loom from the boot to the front is fiddly not difficult once in it is plug and play plus I recovered 80% of the cost by selling the OEM kit online (that was 9 years ago). There are now models with Apple car play and all sorts of other stuff plus a bluetooth that works and easily updated nav systems. Initially replacement lost the OBC function but now there are many makers Dynavin and Android who boast retaining all OBC functions from what I read while preserving the OEM look. That is important to me, if bits start to fail I personally would go Dynavin again and sell the OEM kit on ebay again. Dave

Hi Martin Part of the old door carrier. Have you got a new door carrier? I brought a flea bay door carrier it fitted OK but broke within a month, I brought one from BMW fitted still working 5 years on. Good Luck Dave

Hi Frank Welcome to the Forum Have a look at www.newtis.info it is a BMW Technical Information site same as the information Dealers have. It has wiring Diagrams so it should help you trace the issue Dave

Morning Daniel Welcome to the Forum Plus 1 for Stu's comments above in addition who changed the timing chain ? I would be talking to them as they haven't finished the job? Unless of course it was DIY then back track carefully making sure all connections are correct engine earth not disturbed sensors seated properly etc. Dave P.S Stu his car is a 3 series touring 318i petrol N46

Morning Matt The same size tyres are only OK if the rim sizes are correct a 285x45 tyre on a 9j rim will give a different rolling radius to a 285x45 tyre on a 10j rim. So check the rim sizes, also check the spare if you have one chalk test is good, my 4.6 has a space saver spare but I also carry a couple of cans of tyre goo and a compressor, (touches wood) I haven't needed them. So just make sure you have the same size rims front and rear. Tyre life on the X5 is effected by the condition of the suspension bushes and links they are only good for about 80k (my own experience) Front suspension brake reaction arms wearing will cause brake shudder. I poly-bushed mine Rear I rebuilt with standard bushes about 3hrs a side with tea and biscuits. I included the swing arm bushes (BMW will tell you you need the complete arm) I used kits from Ebay then 4 wheel alignment and all good. Certainly a square set up makes matching front to rear rolling radius much easier Dave

Morning Gaz Welcome to the Forum The old sticking sun roof, there is a rest sequence I have read about check the handbook and Google for help. If it won't reset then from what I have read repairs can be done stay away from BMW Dealers who will just want to change the roof Cassette at ££££. Google BMW Sunroof issues plus check www.realoem.com a BMW online parts list just put the last 7 digits of your vin in the search box it will bring up your model. It will ensure if you buy any parts they are correct. Then www.newtis.info a BMW technical site all information is used by Dealers. In the 1960's 1970's and 1980's I had a number of cars with sun roofs none electric all manual all caused issues or leaked at some time. So I have searched for or ordered cars without ever since, aircon keeps me cool and traffic smells out. Good Luck Dave

Morning Matt Check the rim sizes (stamped on the inside of the rim) from memory my 4.4 on 19" staggered rims was front 255x 50x 19x 9j rear 285x 45x 19x 10j some previous owner may have fitted the wider rear wheels to the front as well for aesthetics The staggered set up does need careful sourcing of tyres if there is to much variance in diameter .front to rear damage will occur to the transfer box and transmission. Having a square set up (same rims front and rear) reduces but doesn't take the risk away it is better to have same make on all corners preferably with similar wear rate. Good little trick to check tyre rolling radius is make a chalk mark on the tyres front and rear where it meets the floor, roll the car forward one rotation all the chalk marks should be pretty much were you want them if one or more isn't you have a potential problem. Dave

Hi Jay Have a look at www.newtis.info you should find the test values and schedules for sensors there.I still think it is a failing loom insulation breaking down under load Dave