Greydog

Morning Tony Welcome to the Forum As you're in the States which engine 3.0i or V8 4.4 or 4.8 The E70 is a great car are you buying privately or from a Dealer? Obvious things to check are first the service history carefully often Gearbox and Diffs are missed on service as BMW used to claim they were sealed for life (that translates as the end of their Warranty responsibility) ZF who make the Box say service fluid and filters every 60 to 80k. Suspension bushes have a life of around 80k in my experience causing uneven tyre wear. So check tyres carefully, on the subject of tyres make sure they are same manufacturer and correct sizes like most all-wheel drives a difference in rolling radius front to rear will cause transmission damage (Transfer box) very quickly. Don't be put off if you are a DIY capable guy all these are recoverable for a very reasonable cost and these are good negotiation points. All engines should be smooth and quiet with plenty of power the V8s cold start clatter can be a sign of chain guide wear (big job so run away) When you test it make sure absolutely everything works as it should so push every button at least a couple of times and ensure it all works. My 2003 4.6is has 164k on the clock and everything works as it should I also have an E70 2007 3.0d which is the same everything works. To drive they are smooth on the road and capable off road and in adverse conditions I tow a horse trailer occasionally plus am of the beaten track often during the winter due to my hobby. So if the car is what you're looking for ENJOY it Dave

Hi Mike I would still test the battery even a new one can fail or if there is a charging issue be low on charge. BMW always used to say Gearbox is sealed for life what that actually means is 3 years or 60k the end of their warranty responsibility, so I very much doubt it has been done. ZF who make the box state change Fluid and Filters every 60 to 80k dependent on use. Dave

Morning Michael Welcome to the Forum You say a New Battery was fitted so a couple of questions first 1. Is the battery correct for the car ? 2. Was the battery correctly registered to the car. If the battery is incorrect or not registered correctly it may not be charging correctly and low voltage is a possible trigger for the message, you are seeing. Another could be lots of short journeys where the battery can't recover. After start it needs at least 20 mins driving to bring it back to full charge. Test the battery at the charging points under the bonnet you should see 12.5v to 12.8v with the engine off 14.5v to 14.8v withe engine running. If all is OK with the battery, what miles have you covered and when if ever was the gearbox serviced. Good Luck Dave

Hi Kevlar Welcome to the Forum If you are not aware take a look at www.realoem.com put the last 7 digits of your Vin in the search box it will call up your Model then search the sections for what you need. When you have the part number then you have 2 choices BMW through your local Dealer or the used market from one of the Specialist dismantlers like Quarry Motors (Google is your friend) and Ebay Good Luck with the hunt Dave

Morning Chris Welcome to the Forum Take a look at www.realoem.com if you aren't already aware it is a BMW online parts list. Just put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box it will bring up your model the search the body and trim sections to see if there were any as OEM If not you're at the mercy of the aftermarket suppliers. My personal feeling is they will mask a problem does not fix it, a good body shop will probably repair for not much more than the cost of a good arch kit. Dave

Morning Sounds as though you either need the help of a Garage or you're on a steep learning curve 😁 If you are serious about keeping the car, get a copy of BMW 1.4.0 (only about £25) get it loaded on a laptop and then you will be able to run Diagnostics on the car and know what is happening. A Check Engine Light is just that a good reason to get diagnostics run. Brake lights a common problem is corrosion around the bulb mounting and holder, a good clean and a smear of electrical contact paste often sorts it. The folding top needs investigation to identify what is sticking and repair it (it won't get better on its own) Climate control it could be the FSR (Final Stage Resistor) or simply the Air Con needing re-charging Did you get the grinding noise sorted ? and the cracked air hose ? Dave

Afternoon Peter Welcome to the Forum I am not really up to speed with the later systems but if I recall from my brother inlaws 540 touring you should have some Icons at the bottom of the screen I thinks the clock one let him choose route information and colours. Have you tried selecting them and seeing what they do? Dave

Fingers and toes let us know how it goes Dave

Morning Atto Not come across this one before Sadly, it seems BMW (and their lamp designer/suppliers) have surpassed themselves I am told by a contact in BMW that the way to fix it is a new headlamp unit???? Which is Bonkers BMW can you seriously be suggesting a failed bulb should cost many hundreds of pounds to replace I think I would be tempted to see if the headlamp unit can be dismantled or not. More internet searching called for me thinks. I would also be talking to BMW UK to see if they will offer any help/solution plus a letter to Angela Rippon at Rip Off Britain. I don't know how an MOT examiner may view it ? some can be fussy about bulbs out on marker lights. Good Luck Dave

Morning True Welcome to the Forum Unfortunately, NO it means most probably someone has stuck some M badges on or changed the steering wheel and gear knob You can check if your car was ordered with any M accessories which were normally spoilers and wheels at that time by using a BMW Vin Decoder site and looking at the Build sheet. Dave

Hi Andrew It is there you will have to get under and look for it Did you ask the Parts guy why they sell the Oil for the diff if you can't put it in?? Here is an attachment that should help also take a look at www.pelicanparts.com go to their BMW Articles section they do some terrific "How Too's" with pictures. It is an American site but apart from the steering being on the wrong side everything else is the same. BMW E60 E61 Diff Oil Change.docx

If he did let's hope, he used the correct Fluid

Morning John Exhaust heat shield loose ? Underbody engine cover loose? Brake pad rattle (make sure anti rattle springs are there) Dave

Morning Andrew Just to make life interesting for us DIY people BMW had 2 Diff types fitted to the E61 one with 2 plugs (Drain and Fill) and one the just has a Fill hole 😁 If my old brain is switched on you need a 14mm Hex drive to undo the plug. If your diff has two plugs its straightforward remove the drain plug and fill plug and let the oil run into a catch pan. As a minimum replace the sealing washers on the plugs better to fit new plugs, refit the drain plug torque should be 60nm (44ft/lbs) refill until oil starts to dribble from the fill hole and fit the Fill plug (same torque) wipe any spill away job done. If your Diff has just the one fill plug, you need an extra piece of kit a Vacuum pump to suck out the old stuff before refilling in the normal way. Goes without saying the car needs to be level when filling. Dave

Hi Maze If BMW found oil sitting on the engine tray it would appear there is a leak somewhere? If the Gearbox Drain was loose, I would start there make sure it is tightened correctly (correct torque) and not leaking then check the Transmission fluid level and top up if required that could well be your drivetrain issue. As for oil in the engine tray if someone was clumsy topping up that could account for it, or an oil feed or return at the turbo's could be at fault. Catalyser's can be blocked but as yours is also your DPF you would have all sorts, other issues not the least of them poor running. BMW would also have picked it up on the health check (you can measure the amount of soot held in the DPF) they would have recommended a Regeneration cycle, I am sure. Dave

Hi Anthony Welcome to the Forum I have read that the AD Blue should automatically reset try putting some more in as the writer reported that literally 1/2 half a litre more and everything reset as it should. Seems they are sensitive beasts X5's Dave

Morning Maze Welcome to the Forum First is it Oil or Diesel (neither is good) the smell should tell you. Who checked for Oil Leaks and what did they check? Did they check the turbo oil feeds and returns for example. Has the fuel system and emissions system been checked including the return system. Has your car had the EGR recall? Finally, the Drive train warning can be triggered by sensors on the Engine, Gearbox, and Diff You don't say how many miles the car has covered and what it's history is. Get the engine sorted first then depending on the result (is the Drivetrain warning gone) check the rest. A diagnostic scan with a BMW capable scanner would be a great help. Dave

Hi John Welcome to the Forum And once you know it's there you can't ignore it !! All I can suggest is first empty all the storage trays of everything see if that helps. Check the seat for any loose trim or plugs/switches (underneath) If it's behind the dash the task changes as the only way to find it is to remove as many dash covers as possible then with the revs around 1500rpm touch press stuff until you find the culprit. Then either Mastic or foam to keep them apart. Good Luck with the hunt Dave

Hi Andrew The poor old Gearbox is the most abused part in many makes of car as far as BMW are concerned "Lifetime" means the end of their Warranty responsibility, so 3 years or about 60k 😁 The gearbox in your car should be the ZF G6-37DZ-TJEF manual box Fluid should be MTF-LT-3 The Diff if I remember correctly is BMW OSP Synthetic, I haven't found much better prices away from the Dealer, you should be able to find equivalents through most motor factors that may save a few pounds if you're on a budget. 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 gearbox section. The ZF manual says service every 60 to 80k depending on use and climate. Dave

Morning Andrew First tip, make sure you have the correct gearbox fluid and diff oil. Second tip make sure you can undo the filler plugs before draining the gearbox or diff. I do know of someone who drained the box then discovered the fill plug was damaged and couldn't be removed without taking the box out of the car The job is much easier with plenty of room under the car so if you can borrow or hire the use of a lift brilliant. Good Luck Dave

Morning Hunter Welcome to the Forum Remember that General codes 30ff and PO112 are often symptoms not necessarily the cause You refer to BOV ? do you have an aftermarket Blow Off Valve? the standard turbo actuators operate at 9 psi yet you refer to 19 psi. The higher the boost the hotter the intake air temp is which may well put it outside normal operating parameters and throw the code. I would go very carefully back over the work done and check everything, vacuum line routing, make sure none are kinked absolutely no leaks. I would also invest in a BMW capable diagnostic scanner it will give far more accurate information Good luck sorting it Dave

Morning Welcome to the Forum Simple answer NO you need to check tensioners and pulleys ASAP. Thrown drive belt can cause a lot of damage you don't want Dave

Morning Darryl Traction control and Parking Brake fault could be linked could be separate you need a Diagnostic Scan by someone with a BMW capable system preferably ISTA/INPA The reason is it could be a sensor, or the ABS module, or the Parking brake actuator, or the Parking brake switch, or a simple loose wire. So get a scan done and the car fixed Dave

Morning Sadie Welcome to the Forum Fabulous car ENJOY I am a great believer in interim oil changes and a check over to help a cars life Dave

If you need them in a different format give me a shout Dave