Greydog

Morning Daniel Star rated tyres were developed to protect AWD systems, mainly the transfer case from damage caused by different rolling radius front and rear. As your car is rear wheel drive it will be fine with non star rated tyres. I would still make sure they are within the sizes recommended in your hand book, I assume your current tyres are run flats you could also move away from them just get a can of tyre goo and a small compressor for the boot. Dave

If you have INPA I would go that route a dedicated diagnostic program seems to work better with the Beemers

Well that should help smooth the ride (unless the springs/shocks are race items) and help you go where your pointing Busy day 👍

Yay good news Oneel, Thanks for the update Dave

Morning Peter Are you sure it is the throttle body check the loom if you can get a BMW specific scan done it will give a description as well the part not just a code. The sensor is sealed and in simple terms "cheap" it's a potentiometer, two bits of metal rubbing together once they wear they are done. If they had put a Hall effect sensor in place it would last and last. I did use a Dremel to separate mine when it went thinking I would repair it once I looked inside I decided not to bother. Check www.realoem.com for the part number then search for the correct part at the best price on the Web. If you haven't used realoem before put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box and it will bring up your model, then search away. Got a brand new throttle body from DINAN in the USA for my 4.6, well it was an opportunity to upgrade things. Good Luck Dave

Morning Rebecca Thanks for the additional information, as you service the car twice a year all should be sound, the DPF probably needed a regeneration cycle, turbo issues are not unusual on short journey cars sticking vanes and actuators, glow plugs and controller again not unusual at around 100k from what I have read. As the "experts" as you term them are struggling let's try some old fashioned logic. First there are many, not all but many young garage mechanics out there (and at my age thats any one under 50) who have grown up with "diagnostics" and this may sound harsh they become reliant and stop actually analyzing what they are seeing. They stop fixing things and just change parts until the issue goes away.Your issue is (a) intermittent ((b) If I am reading correctly once fault codes are cleared it runs OK until your next starting problem. So any recorded fault codes point to a control module, if the module or one of it's sensors had a problem the fault could not be cleared, yet it seems yours can be. What is often forgotten and ignored is the wiring loom, I would be checking it for continuity giving it a twist and turn while doing it and also checking the earth points a loose or poor earth connection can cause a lot of issues. I would logically begin with the essential starting circuits. Ask them if it could be a faulty earth or loom? Fingers crossed for you Dave

Morning Mick Welcome to the Forum Very nice motor I have a neighbour who works for BMW UK his cars get changed regularly he currently has the coupe version and likes it better than the M3 he had before ENJOY Dave

Yup and so was I !! 10000 steps pahhh 4 generations of Weimaraner (We are on our 11 th gen overall) plus the Black pointer who was a rehome due to them not being able to cope

Morning Rebecca Sorry to hear of your problems but more information engine size, mileage plus some history.would help. First you need a garage (or someone local to you from the forum) that has BMW specific software to read the codes, normally fault codes will be in 2 categories Fault, and Fault not present. Often a fault will trigger others which then after an engine restart remain as a shadow. Clear all the faults restart and see which return (a) after restart and then (b) after a test drive. Start issues, get the Battery checked voltages should be 12v+ at rest 13/14v while charging. A battery failing will also throw all sorts of spurious codes, if the battery is OK get the alternator checked. Power steering, have you had the fluid levels checked? there was an issue with some of the LUK made pumps but I thought that was only earlier cars. Get the sytsem and belts checked for condition and leaks. Also get the x-drive fluid levels checked are all tyres OK and correctly inflated. There are many good independent garages and BMW specialists who will have the software to carry out a scan and produce a report a BMW dealer will charge at least an hours labour (my local one is at around £120 p/hr) for a diagnostic session. Diagnostics are pretty specific as the correct software can interrogate individual control units such as Engine, Gearbox Transmission, Brakes, SRS, etc. The thing to remember is once a code/fault is identified it has to be investigated to ensure it is the cause and not a symptom or you can throw money at the issue. Example ABS light fault can be triggered by a sensor (diagnostic will tel you which one) a wiring issue, or the ABS pump. My instinct says battery issue for the starting and multiple codes, I think your power steering is mechanical not electric and if OK I would suspect a transfer case problem for the jerkyness most common cause is tyres Dave

Hi Neal Look under the dash near the brake pedal you should see an oblong pull down cover Dave

I seem to remember that music streaming didn't work with earlier i-drive systems check the i-drive set up menu I seem to recall there was something separate to bluetooth that had to be enabled. Good Luck Dave

Morning David Welcome to the Forum The X1 is a great car with the benefit of AWD your chosen model has the improved N47 engine I believe. Any car purchase is a real mix of heart and head. So Head first. As ever history is paramount has it been serviced correctly and on time even better with interim oil changes as well. BMW like all manufacturers use "long life oils" to extend service intervals I (and many other engineers) don't trust them. Make absolutely sure that everything works as it should there are no quick or cheap fixes so every button every switch. When going on the test drive find somewhere you can drive slowly on full lock forwards and backwards feel for any jerkyness snatching through the wheel (there should be none) when you stop the car open the drivers door before switching off listen for any clicking as you turn off (there should be none). Budget for a gearbox service if it hasn't been done already Tyre's make sure all 4 tyres are correct for your car BMW recommend "star rated" tyres from approved manufacturers (I think the X1 used Bridgestone or Michelin run flats) the tyres should be (a) all the correct size and from the same manufacturer with even tread wear front and rear. If the tread is low then it's a negotiating tool as a new set of BMW recommended tyres could set you back £1k depending on wheel size. If the tyres are mis-matched or oddly worn walk away (don't let your heart over rule your head) an X drive car driven on poor/wrong tyres will have premature transfer case issues. Now Heart, is the colour what you want and in good condition, is the interior what you want and in good condition with all the bells and whistles. Wheels, are they the style and colour you want ? If it all fit's enjoy your new BMW Dave

WOW that is a find, obviously an engine swap will get you up and running quickly however you do have your hands on a bit of a classic so keeping numbers matching will help its value long term. You say the head is blown ? Do you mean head gasket ? Or does the head have terminal corrosion it can happen where the wrong or no antifreeze was used ? The engine was the M30 (from memory) so finding a good cylinder head shouldn't be to difficult. In your position I would try and keep chassis and engine numbers matching with the V5, if there has already been a change then a replacement won't make much difference. If you can get a restored pristine car with matching numbers I have seen them advertised for £20000 + Let us know how it goes Dave

Morning Neal A Bilstien variant ? Is the tank the same as the one in the drawing and is the part number 17137542986 or different ? Have you had the codes read and reset? which may clear it other wise I would still suspect the level sensor even brand new stuff can have a fault. if you still have the old tank try swapping the level sensor. Dave

Yesterday I needed to go down to Chichester forgetting it was the first day of the festival, so many 200mph £200k supercars sitting in queues crazy.

OK Neal Was the replacement "shiny new" or used if it was used maybe the level switch has a fault. It's item 2 at the bottom of the drawing realoem gives the part number below. 17137553919

Afternoon Neal When you changed the expansion tank did you move the level switch over from your old tank or did the new/replacement have one fitted?? I take it when you say level indicator you mean the rising flag under the main filler cap? That is just an "idiot" guide to help people know when it is full/empty by giving a visual reference The actual level switch is in the bottom of the tank with a small electrical plug, try unplugging it and replugging it in case there was some dirt on a connection. Dave

Morning Richard One of our son's ran a 1 series 3 door 118, he hammered it up and down to Warrington for a couple of years with work from memory it had around 160k on the clock when he sold it to a friend he plays football with who is still driving it, Lord knows how many miles it's done now but it still looks good. Having a Dad with OCD about cars it was well maintained while our son had it and I think now it just gets an annual service. So they can be as tough as an old boot. Good luck with the search

Fortunately for me my X5 doesn't have a Sun roof let alone a soft top so I suffer air conditioned driving and top less sun shine in a deck chair 😄 I did find this awhile ago for someone else though I hope it helpsE36 Convertible Adjust.pdfE36 Get a good diagnostic package it will save a fortune in the long run I use BMW 1.4.0 very cheap from ebay but you will need a laptop to put it on, others use Carly (subscription based) INPA etc. White smoke check the exhaust gas re circulation system as well as the stuff Phil advised Fingers crossed for sunny weather so you can fix it plus hope its a simple fix Dave

The Front and rear differentials will cope with a variation new and worn across that axle as long as tyre sizes are correct and preferably from the same manufacture the transfer case on the back of the gearbox though is another story. The transfer case is not a differential it is a chain driven system to get drive from the back of the gearbox to the front differential some (like yours) have a motor driven gearset to adjust torque between front and rear. My older version is fixed (roughly 60/40 split) both systems will suffer badly if front and rear tyres are badly mismatched, there is a guy up in Rotherham who has built a business repairing them. Have a look at www.realoem.com put the last 7 digits of your vin into the search box, it will bring up your model it is a BMW online parts list but also has exploded drawings which will help. Also look at www.newtis.info it is a BMW technical information site used by Dealers you should find help there on cleaning the EGR system

Morning Martin I take it that the passenger door is still OK? (or are you still in the car???) X5's suffered from a door lock issue caused by water ingress that dribbled down onto the actual mechanism on the door jamb. As corrosion buids up it sticks and eventually jams. With the X5 you can take off the door panel with the door closed just a few plastic clips at risk, then when it is out of the way carefully peel back the vapour barrier (I use a heat gun to help soften the black sealer). On the X5 the door lock is visible but not reachable by hand so I sprayed it with penetrating oil then left it to soak. While it was soaking I straightened a wire coat hanger and bent one end about 20mm at 90 deg. I lowered the window and fed it down inside the door while peering inside with torch I could pull up and push down on the operating arm until it freed up and the door could be opened. after freeing it up remember penetrating fluid and WD40 will evaporate so I brought a can of spray grease (chain lube) and smothered the lock while working it up and down Then re-assembled it all and (touches wood) 5 years on no re-occurrence. I undid the drivers seat and tipped it back to give more room you may have more of a faf as you don't rear doors. Check www.realoem.com for information and www.newtis.info for how too's. Good luck Dave

Just the 5 at the moment though we do get "lodgers" and "day care" with the kids dogs so sometimes 7+ This is my current happy band

Morning Will Ouch ! I had similar a few years back I got a replacement pair from Quarry Motors they are specialist BMW Dismantlers and they brought the good one. They were very helpful they are in Sheffield, if they can't help there are several other specialists around Dave

Cleaned it then filled it up with dogs and went up into the Forest for a nice long walk with them

Or is it the perm !!!