Greydog

I like your thinking that everything should work, however voice control (Mercedes and BMW) I believe is designed to be recalcitrant and disobedient !! You know its working correctly when the command is "Call Home" and the answer is " Navigation Off" or "Radio 2" My last Merc had problems similar to the one you describe, the Dealer could never find a fault yet if I unplugged the voice control unit and reconnected it it would work sometimes for months. The telephone function is the most useful. In the X5 I had problems but changed the unit with one from Ebay no rebellion in the last 6 months

Not for me where would the dogs go

Have you tried a different phone to discount a fault with the car? I have an X5 (not Idrive) all was well until my Asus Padfone upgraded to Android 4.4.2 then it would pair but drop calls no access to phone book etc. I did a lot of reading online and it seems it was a common issue (not just BMW) it seems the bluetooth signal is reduced in power to save energy. I found that if my phone was in the boot close to the bluetooth antenna all was good move it to the front and the problem returned. I moved the bluetooth antenna up behind the rear seat and all has been OK since.

Main fuse box in the glove box I believe there are 2 fuses for the drivers seat 1 for the passenger seat There is a legend on the fuse board that will tell you which ones

PM sent

Rear light housing on the X5 is a known problem they suffer with corrosion problems I would take out the lamp unit and make sure all is clean and dry. It may take a bit of fine emery cloth to clean it all up then retry (don't bolt it all in place) if its working take out the lamps and protect the surfaces with a smear of vaseline then put it all back together.

Diesel versions seem to see the greatest benefits from a remap, I have read that the best result with the 3.0i will be 10 to 15bhp with a similar lift in torque. Would that be noticeable in daily driving? I have run both 4.4 and currently 4.6 V8's and talking to a guy who has a 3.0 the mpg isn't enough to worry about (he was getting 20.8 mpg over 3k driving my computer in the 4.6 said 19.7 over a similar distance) considering the use mine gets towing, light off road use etc. So if it was my money I would trade the 3.0 for a face lift 4.4 you would get the 6 speed gearbox and 320bhp as standard. If you get one that's LPG converted filling it up for £40 is a hoot (my 4.4 was LPG)

I know there was a change to the headlamps after the "facelift" not sure about the rears though. You could try realoem.com put in the last 7 digits of your vin then check the part numbers for the rear lights, then change the manufacturing year and see if there are any the same.

If you have BMW 1.4.0 software on a computer you can read the codes and it will tell you what sensor is causing the problem. Or you can download the Carly BMW app and with a Bluetooth OBD dongle do the same. Either piece of software will allow a lot of other tests and diagnostics

Have you checked Realoem.com put the last 7 digits of your VIN in. I think most X5 E53 were pre-wired so check under your seats for the loom/plugs. If you don't currently have heated seats you may need more than just the seats, there were also some changes in plug configurations so be prepared for a little head scratching

If they are tightened with the suspension extended when they become loaded it twists the rubber inner which can cause them to fail prematurely. You could try slacking off and re-tightening but from my experience at least one of them is likely to be damaged hence the vibration. I just bit the bullet and had the arms re-bushed, I know you can get poly bushes which are far easier to fit (once the old bush has been pushed out) and more forgiving on fitting. I just went with standard bushes

Sorry missed a bit if someone has fitted a Grom or similar unit to allow Ipod connection it normally plugs into the CD changer plugs in the boot if you use the mode button you should see Radio, Tape, CD, as you press through the menu. The ipod replaces CD if a Grom type unit has been fitted. There is an Aux connection normally in the loom behind the head unit most people put the connection in the glove box. You can also have the BM54 Radio unit in the boot upgraded to allow Aux input Me I like everything OEM so I use an FM transmitter for the Ipod connection which works fine for me. BMW bluetooth isn't the best (polite description) so wont allow streaming many fit a Parrot or similar to get full functionality. Me I dont stream music from my phone so the basic bluetooth is fine.

Hi and Welcome I hope you enjoy your new toy. Assuming its the BMW OEM system you have then the head unit is literally that, all the parts Radio, TV unit, CD player, Nav unit are located in the boot. First check the on screen menu does it show Computer, Navigation Aux Vent Television and Telephone Select telephone if it says something like phone not active or phone not connected in the centre console you should have a pairing button (voice symbol) if you have blue tooth. Press and hold turn ignition on and the screen should show pairing mode. Check your hand book for the pass key you need it to connect. If its not there it should be on the label on the unit in the boot. If there is no pairing button (not the one on the steering wheel) then you may have phone preparation only. TV all you need is Video interface cable and a digital tuner (ebay is a good source) and its plug and play in the boot. Nav first check the unit in the boot if it has DVD on it it is MK4 and will have full European maps. if not it is MK3 and CD based try http://www.satnavupgrades.co.uk Rusty is well recommended I hope this helps

It could be a sticking caliper, however my money would be on the brake reaction arm bushes (the big one that goes to the front of the car) When you had them replaced they need to be tightened with the suspension under full load. If they are fitted and tightened with the suspension extended it will cause premature failure (I did it wrong first time)

I have a friend who has a 530d he had a similar problem he discovered if he turned the key to ignition on waited 30secs all dash lights out it started. He had gone through a similar saga changed most things ie, fuel pump relay, cam sensors, crank sensor etc and the fault persisted. Finally when at the garage he demonstrated his start technique while the garage monitored the fuel pressure, while he was at ignition on they could see the fuel pressure rising. The conclusion was the fuel pump was on its way out taking some time to reach pressure. Not cheap to fix but it did cure the problem,

What system was in your car originally? Did you have the Radio/CD in dash with the Nav in the rear, or the screen up front with the radio,nav,CD in the boot? I am pretty sure the BMW Nav unit wont work with the Eonon headunit as the nav unit software is designed to work with the BMW I-bus and nothing else. Doesn't your Eonon unit have built in GPS? You should only need the 5m cable extension if you had the upfront screen with everything else in the boot, then it connects to the Radio (17 or 40 pin) plug in the boot the radio, nav unit and CD become redundant. You could fit the GPS antenna that came with Eonon or use a SMA extension cable with a SMA to SMB connector in the boot to connect to the cars antenna

Reading the excerpt I downloaded it could be interpreted as washers or self leveling, what it is clear on is if they are fitted they have to work. It also seems clear that one or both must be fitted with HID dip beams. Your E70 should be compliant with constriction and use regs (well we would hope so) the original poster states that the previous owner fitted the HID's and a different front bumper. All E53's as far as I know had headlamp washers, not all had HID lamps so more precautionary advice for the original poster it would be bad to get to MOT time and get caught out. My E53 has both as standard. Personally non original lights and bumper would bother me, but then I am an old f^^t. Be boring world if we all liked the same stuff wouldn't it.

Read this thread Nigel seems to have had a good result with his repair. Be prepared for a fat bill though

OK, when he fitted the Xenon lights make sure they have the self leveling motors fitted, turn on lights start car you should see the lights beams rise and fall as the system self tests. Xenon lights should have self leveling and wash system I believe for an MOT here is an excerpt from the AA. LightingProducts on the lens or light source that obviously reduce the light's intensity or change its colour will become a reason for failure – applies to front/rear position lamps, registration plate lamps, stop lamps, rear fog and direction indicators, Headlight requirements are updated to take account of the particular characteristics of High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps. HID headlights can cause dazzle if they are dirty or aimed too high, so they are generally (if light output exceeds 2000 lumens) fitted in conjunction with headlamp cleaning and levelling systems. Where HID or LED dipped beam headlamps are fitted the tester will switch on the headlamps and check the operation of any headlamp levelling and cleaning devices fitted. The car will fail if a headlamp levelling or cleaning device is inoperative or otherwise obviously defective. If a headlamp bulb is not seated correctly the resulting beam pattern will be indistinct and this will result in a test fail.

I would be concerned about a bumper and headlight change has it been accident damaged? I would guess the bumper is after market as I thought all X5 models had headlamp wash systems as standard (yours did obviously) If the bumper was OEM it would have the holes to fit the headlamp washers.

If the DSC is operating normally when you turn on the ignition the DSC light in the centre of the dash ( orange triangle with a circle around it) should light up and go out on engine start. If you press the DSC button with the engine running the light should come on. BMW recommend only turning it off (light on) in exceptional conditions Deep Snow, Soft Sand, really muddy tracks etc. We have towed a horse trailer across slippery muddy fields at shows, and I have been in some inhospitable spots while out shooting and have never touched the DSC button. If the light comes on at start then it could be the switch or a fuse, whatever it is tell the seller and ask them to fix it don't fall for any " it only costs a fiver on ebay bullsh^t" if it's that simple they can fix it if they want the sale.

You say the car is in the garage? Is that the dealer who you brought from? Or is it another? If the original dealer hasn't agreed to the repairs you may have an issue. You say it went in for a new fly wheel and clutch was that with the dealer? Again I think if it wasn't with their knowledge you may have a problem. As I understand it you should have gone straight back to the dealer and either asked for your money back, or asked the dealer to repair all faults or pay for them to be done. I would ask Citizens Advice

Hope all is well with the X now you have the new battery? Plus I hope they lifted the tank and reconnected your radio for free ( Don't understand why they disconnected it in the first place)

The rear washer is activated by pushing the wiper stalk away from you, first position is rear wipe second wash. It shouldn't operate when the front washers are operated. The pipe you see may be the headlamp wash system they work when the lights are on and washers operated or the wash button on the end of the stalk is pressed. It may be that a none return valve in the headlamp wash has been broken or disconnected, if they aren't working I would have a look and connect it up. Blanking it off will save water but I believe at MOT time the headlamp wash will need to work (I could be wrong here)

Do you have Sat Nav with screen or the Business radio? First I would check the simple things like all connections and plugs. If you have Nav all the main connections are in the boot under the floor and the spare wheel and in the left side cubby. The Business radio connectors are behind the radio in the dash, as a bump causes it I would suspect a loose connection.