Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)

brraj · 2nd August 2017, 09:58

Congrats on an all rounder.
Good to see it with the right owner who knows in and out of this.

Sem80-88 · 16th September 2017, 10:17

The headlights even after restoration were not upto the mark so decided to change the polycarbonate lens.
Took me almost two days to get it all done . Did the wheel arch extensions also

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-imageuploadedbyteambhp1505537032.853437.jpg

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-imageuploadedbyteambhp1505537072.596703.jpg

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-imageuploadedbyteambhp1505537105.299087.jpg

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-imageuploadedbyteambhp1505537122.629560.jpg

The arch before

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-imageuploadedbyteambhp1505537145.837872.jpg

With the extender

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-imageuploadedbyteambhp1505537170.731885.jpg

All riveted

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-imageuploadedbyteambhp1505537231.477776.jpg

behaln · 16th September 2017, 13:46

Absolutely brilliant. The way you have managed to tame the beast is awesome. Your thread could become a Bible for owners owning the X5.
Keep on updating the thread as you carry out the works.

Sem80-88 · 21st September 2017, 06:40

So after a year of trouble free motoring the first problem rears its head. While driving back home noticed a lack of power and juddering. Stopped the vehicle, window down and straight away heard misfire in the exhaust note.

Got home and in the morning hooked up the scanner .

Result :- Misfire cylinder 5
Took out the coil pack and spark plug on cylinder 5. The spark plug looked good.
Took out cylinder 6 spark plug and coil pack and swapped it to 5 position and cylinder 5 coil pack and spark plug to cylinder 6 position. Reset the fault codes and started the engine. Scanner now says misfire cylinder 6.

Now the problem could either be coil pack or Spark plug so once again swapped but only the coil packs around this time. Fault cleared again and started the engine. Cylinder 5 misfire.

So the coil pack has packed up. Ordered a new one from the dealers at Rs 6,400/-

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-imageuploadedbyteambhp1505956002.947696.jpg

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-imageuploadedbyteambhp1505956029.761558.jpg

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-imageuploadedbyteambhp1505956120.095303.jpg

Sem80-88 · 28th September 2017, 10:33

Now what has got me thinking about owning a car from these cars is a lack of parts at the agents. None of the dealers have the required ignition coils in stock and then once ordered will take about a week to get them.

Not happy at all with this situation. These are basic service parts and the company should put pressure on the dealers to keep them in stock. Good job I did not buy a new vehicle and it's not my main vehicle.

Sem80-88 · 24th November 2017, 16:34

As the vehicle is at the farm , it should have a tow bar . Ordered it from a company in Poland and fitted it today

The factory fitted bar

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-imageuploadedbyteambhp1511521330.125990.jpg

The new bar with tow bar

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-imageuploadedbyteambhp1511521396.995735.jpg

New bar fitted

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-imageuploadedbyteambhp1511521449.100418.jpg

Sem80-88 · 18th January 2018, 21:22

Done a bit of work over the holiday period . Took out the old screen and installed the 10.25 android. Very happy with the results .

Also replaced the rear suspension air bags as 1 of them was losing pressure overnight.

PraNeel · 18th January 2018, 23:09

How do you manage to do such complex jobs? Someone helps you or you have learnt from youtube? Commendable, I must say!!
Can you please share from where you sourced the Android system? Looks are OEM.

Sem80-88 · 27th January 2018, 15:41

Have been working on cars since the teenage days and living abroad makes you do DIY to save costs. You helps a lot with an unknown vehicle. The android system I got from UK but are available on Ali express.

Sem80-88 · 8th March 2018, 13:40

At Bird Automotive for oil service

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-1520496352593.jpg

Sem80-88 · 16th March 2018, 12:43

The AC system cooling was losing its effectiveness and the gas pressure was down. The problem was narrowed down to a leak in the AC evaporator . BMW wanted over 1L to replace the evaporator and I did not want to leave the vehicle with any body else.
Bought a new evaporator and took on the job myself. Took me two days to get it done and not a screw left over. Mighty pleased with myself.

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-1521183414319.jpg

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-1521183600795.jpg

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-1521183648821.jpg

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-1521183719868.jpg

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-1521183859309.jpg

Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70)-1521183692307.jpg

androdev · 16th March 2018, 12:55

Wow, most people fear allowing even the dealers to replace the evaporator! Always a pleasure to read about your projects.

On a side note, 1L quote for evaporator replacement is quite reasonable for this car. Does it include all the costs and taxes?

Sem80-88 · 16th March 2018, 13:09

The approx cost quoted was 1.45 plus parts so came just under the 2 L mark

Rehaan · 16th March 2018, 15:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sem80-88

Bought a new evaporator and took on the job myself.

Wow that first picture is hardcore! Good job

What was the part cost / saving? (Not factoring in the 2 days of work & tools required).

james · 16th March 2018, 21:48

I love this thread. Every time i come here i see some new DIY done on the car. Working on a new age beemer isn't for the faint hearted. Hats off to you!!!

Lately ive been thinking of picking up a similar x5 here in UAE but my wife just keeps saying no to the idea since we dont have space to work on the car and maintenance costs a tidy sum. For example the evap core on our e46 failed and the dealer wanted around 90k inr to fix it. I did some research and found that Nissens evaporator for around 3.5k is a good non-OE option. I got an independent garage to install it for around 20k inr. I would have saved around 17k inr if i had done it myself and just taken it there to fill the refrigerant.

Keeping an eye on this thread as usual.

Cheers!

2nd August 2017, 09:58	#16
brraj BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: bangalore Posts: 926 Thanked: 1,316 Times	Re: Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70) Congrats on an all rounder. Good to see it with the right owner who knows in and out of this.
	() Thanks

16th September 2017, 10:17	#17
Sem80-88 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Puranpur/London Posts: 126 Thanked: 594 Times View My Garage	The headlights even after restoration were not upto the mark so decided to change the polycarbonate lens. Took me almost two days to get it all done . Did the wheel arch extensions also The arch before With the extender All riveted
	(25) Thanks

16th September 2017, 13:46	#18
behaln BHPian Join Date: May 2013 Location: DELHI Posts: 235 Thanked: 231 Times	Re: Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70) Absolutely brilliant. The way you have managed to tame the beast is awesome. Your thread could become a Bible for owners owning the X5. Keep on updating the thread as you carry out the works.
	() Thanks

21st September 2017, 06:40	#19
Sem80-88 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Puranpur/London Posts: 126 Thanked: 594 Times View My Garage	So after a year of trouble free motoring the first problem rears its head. While driving back home noticed a lack of power and juddering. Stopped the vehicle, window down and straight away heard misfire in the exhaust note. Got home and in the morning hooked up the scanner . Result :- Misfire cylinder 5 Took out the coil pack and spark plug on cylinder 5. The spark plug looked good. Took out cylinder 6 spark plug and coil pack and swapped it to 5 position and cylinder 5 coil pack and spark plug to cylinder 6 position. Reset the fault codes and started the engine. Scanner now says misfire cylinder 6. Now the problem could either be coil pack or Spark plug so once again swapped but only the coil packs around this time. Fault cleared again and started the engine. Cylinder 5 misfire. So the coil pack has packed up. Ordered a new one from the dealers at Rs 6,400/- Last edited by Rehaan : 28th September 2017 at 13:23. Reason: Post edited. Please only use spaces AFTER punctuation marks, not before them. Thanks!
	(21) Thanks

28th September 2017, 10:33	#20
Sem80-88 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Puranpur/London Posts: 126 Thanked: 594 Times View My Garage	Now what has got me thinking about owning a car from these cars is a lack of parts at the agents. None of the dealers have the required ignition coils in stock and then once ordered will take about a week to get them. Not happy at all with this situation. These are basic service parts and the company should put pressure on the dealers to keep them in stock. Good job I did not buy a new vehicle and it's not my main vehicle. Last edited by Rehaan : 28th September 2017 at 13:22. Reason: Post edited. Please only use spaces AFTER punctuation marks, not before them. Thanks!
	(6) Thanks

24th November 2017, 16:34	#21
Sem80-88 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Puranpur/London Posts: 126 Thanked: 594 Times View My Garage	As the vehicle is at the farm , it should have a tow bar . Ordered it from a company in Poland and fitted it today The factory fitted bar The new bar with tow bar New bar fitted
	(13) Thanks

18th January 2018, 21:22	#22
Sem80-88 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Puranpur/London Posts: 126 Thanked: 594 Times View My Garage	Done a bit of work over the holiday period . Took out the old screen and installed the 10.25 android. Very happy with the results . Also replaced the rear suspension air bags as 1 of them was losing pressure overnight. Attached Thumbnails
	(30) Thanks

18th January 2018, 23:09	#23
PraNeel BHPian Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Jaipur Posts: 673 Thanked: 2,011 Times	Re: Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70) How do you manage to do such complex jobs? Someone helps you or you have learnt from youtube? Commendable, I must say!! Can you please share from where you sourced the Android system? Looks are OEM. Last edited by PraNeel : 18th January 2018 at 23:10.
	(2) Thanks

27th January 2018, 15:41	#24
Sem80-88 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Puranpur/London Posts: 126 Thanked: 594 Times View My Garage	Have been working on cars since the teenage days and living abroad makes you do DIY to save costs. You helps a lot with an unknown vehicle. The android system I got from UK but are available on Ali express.
	(5) Thanks

8th March 2018, 13:40	#25
Sem80-88 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Puranpur/London Posts: 126 Thanked: 594 Times View My Garage	At Bird Automotive for oil service Last edited by Aditya : 5th February 2025 at 22:08. Reason: Number plate masked
	(11) Thanks

16th March 2018, 12:43	#26
Sem80-88 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Puranpur/London Posts: 126 Thanked: 594 Times View My Garage	The AC system cooling was losing its effectiveness and the gas pressure was down. The problem was narrowed down to a leak in the AC evaporator . BMW wanted over 1L to replace the evaporator and I did not want to leave the vehicle with any body else. Bought a new evaporator and took on the job myself. Took me two days to get it done and not a screw left over. Mighty pleased with myself. Last edited by Aditya : 5th February 2025 at 22:12. Reason: Number plate masked
	(31) Thanks

16th March 2018, 12:55	#27
androdev Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: bangalore Posts: 3,255 Thanked: 25,287 Times	Re: Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70) Wow, most people fear allowing even the dealers to replace the evaporator! Always a pleasure to read about your projects. On a side note, 1L quote for evaporator replacement is quite reasonable for this car. Does it include all the costs and taxes?
	(5) Thanks

16th March 2018, 13:09	#28
Sem80-88 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Puranpur/London Posts: 126 Thanked: 594 Times View My Garage	The approx cost quoted was 1.45 plus parts so came just under the 2 L mark
	(4) Thanks

16th March 2018, 21:48	#30
james BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Mangalore Posts: 583 Thanked: 650 Times	Re: Life with a 2009 BMW X5 4.8is (E70) I love this thread. Every time i come here i see some new DIY done on the car. Working on a new age beemer isn't for the faint hearted. Hats off to you!!! Lately ive been thinking of picking up a similar x5 here in UAE but my wife just keeps saying no to the idea since we dont have space to work on the car and maintenance costs a tidy sum. For example the evap core on our e46 failed and the dealer wanted around 90k inr to fix it. I did some research and found that Nissens evaporator for around 3.5k is a good non-OE option. I got an independent garage to install it for around 20k inr. I would have saved around 17k inr if i had done it myself and just taken it there to fill the refrigerant. Keeping an eye on this thread as usual. Cheers!
	(5) Thanks