2001 BMW X5 3.0i - Soft-Roading on the Cheap

[Jake]

I went off-roading in the Shenandoah Valley last year with some friends. We decided to go again this year, but add a Top Gear-esque "challenge" element to it.

Challenge Rules:

• $1500 purchase price. Ish.
  
• All wheel drive required
  
• Vehicle may not be equipped with Low range
  
• No sharing what you bought 'til you arrive in August (Matthew is coming on the trip but we know what each other bought)
  

I've been starting to look around and had cash burning a hole in my sock drawer. I didn't really want a first-gen CR-V or RAV4 as those are the predictable options for the challenge. Talked to a lot of shitty sellers, looked at a few shitty cars, and this X5 popped up on Facebook Marketplace yesterday morning. It is uh, still kind of shitty, but it was in Tyson's Corner and I liked the paint color so that's a start.

Anyway. It's a 2001 X5 with the M54 3.0L I6, paired to a GM (yay!) 5-speed automatic. It has 195k miles and the title I received indicated it last lived in Arlington for an indeterminate period of time. I'm sure it's been whacked in the rear as the tail lights are aftermarket, smoked units and the other lights are stock. It's painted Topaz Blue and has a very gross tan leather-ish interior.

Pros:

• It runs well
  
• The transmission shifts through all five gears on its own
  
• All the windows, door locks, rear hatch, and sunroof work
  
• It is blue and has most of its clearcoat (minus a small spot on the roof)
  
• The tires are all matching and have decent tread remaining - about four years old
  
• It drives well, no real steering slop or front-end slop under braking
  
• Someone installed an "Eonon" Android head unit with USB/Bluetooth and some of the speakers work
  
• It'll do 70 mph and not overheat or otherwise make me worry (for now)
  

Cons:

• The dashboard is a Christmas tree (ABS, DSC, Brake fluid, transmission failsafe, Service Engine Soon)
  
• Although the turn signals, headlights, high beams, hazards all work, the cluster doesn't really tell you about it
  
• It only sometimes knows how to make door chime sounds
  
• Occasionally it doesn't realize you've closed the door or buckled your seatbelt
  
• It's dirty as shit inside
  
• Headliner is falling down a bit in the rear
  
• Headlights are foggy (but can be polished)
  
• The Eonon head unit is impossible to figure out and some of the speakers do not work
  
• Keyless entry remote doesn't work - the door lock cylinder was replaced and a separate key is required to operate the locks
  

I think there are some electrical things going on to trigger much of the dash/cluster panic. I'm borrowing Bralley's code reader tonight to check the SES light for codes. I've discovered XOutpost, which is still very active, and signs point to a failing ignition switch or wheel speed sensor as the cause of the cluster fuckery.

[.RJ]

please give this a viking funeral in hone quarry when you're done

[Senor_Taylor]

Fucking SWAG. Love it.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[CaptainHenreh]

I am so so so feeling this. 

<3 

I love everything about it.

[ScottyB]

this might be my favorite trucky thing you've bought. how long are you keeping it after you flog it on the trails?

with an orbital polish and some simple green/leather wipes inside, it might actually look kinda awesome...at least good enough to flip it and not lose your shorts.

[Jake]

this might be my favorite trucky thing you've bought.  how long are you keeping it after you flog it on the trails?

with an orbital polish and some simple green/leather wipes inside, it might actually look kinda awesome...at least good enough to flip it and not lose your shorts.

I have no idea, really. Parking is tight for me in Arlington but I think I can make it work. We'll see how good/poorly it treats me and go from there. I have always liked the E53 X5 (it has a real tailgate - two piece clamshell - like the Range Rover did) and if it holds up okay, I may keep it for a few months after the trip.

Got a Carfax run on it, it's spent its whole life in Arlington VA which is cool. One crash reported in 2007, it was rear ended but never totalled. I'm the fourth owner.

[JPolen01]

I don't hate this at all. Will you have a stop midway through the excursion where you make modifications to each vehicle?

[Jake]

I don't hate this at all. Will you have a stop midway through the excursion where you make modifications to each vehicle?

Nah, it's going to be too tight of a timeline to allow something like that. But I'm fully expecting some people to make some ridiculous modifications to their vehicles before arriving - i.e. I know what Matthew bought and have heard rumors of a lift kit for it.

[davej]

Perfect buy! My only question is regarding light bars. How many, over 10, will you be installing?

Edit for a second question. Does this have a factory tow hitch? Apparently you can sell those for probably half of what you paid.

[Jake]

Perfect buy!  My only question is regarding light bars. How many, over 10, will you be installing?

Edit for a second question. Does this have a factory tow hitch? Apparently you can sell those for probably half of what you paid.

I'll have to see how many I need. Currently the dash lights provide a lot of added illumination. No hitch on this one!

Got home tonight and borrowed Bralley's Schwaben scan tool, which can talk to every module the car has. Lots to look at on there! I think I narrowed things down a bit.

Trifecta Lights:
These self-clear upon shutdown and stay off when you re-start. They illuminate after rolling the car forward a few feet. Scan tool says "DSC: Inlet valve, front right" which I assume is a wheel speed sensor.

I checked the brake fluid and the reservoir is full. Wiring looks good, too.

Transmission Light:
This never clears, even if you tell the scan tool to erase everything. The code is "EGS: CAN torque interface." Again, it drives and shifts fine although some shifts are firm and others are more mild.

Service Engine Soon:
Many codes! I cleared them, the light went out, and came back on re-start. The two that seem pertinent are "DME: Signal, mass airflow sensor" and "DME: Oxygen sensor voltage before cat, bank 2."

There were a few other codes related to EWS and tank ventilation solenoid activation. I'll have to check and see what is re-set now that I cleared it. Only drove it a few blocks after clearing.

Instrument Cluster:
Still thinking ignition switch is to blame for this. I read that one test was to see if the driver's sunvisor light works, and mine does come on with the visor mirror cover being moved. BUT... in my testing today, I noticed that the fog light indicator appeared briefly as I bumped the key (fogs work regardless, X5 was running). Ignition switch is relatively cheap and simple to swap.

Eonon Android Head Unit:
Finally found the EQ settings and the balance/fader was just set wrong. All the speakers work, a few are kinda blown, and it paired to my phone over Bluetooth. Yay! No plans to replace speakers as they're "fine" for now. Kind of like how the really blown shocks are also fine. And this heap has a backup camera installed!



So, my plan of attack for this Saturday is...

• Replace O2 sensor
  
• Replace FR wheel speed sensor
  
• Clean MAF
  
• Bleed brakes
  
• Oil & filter change
  
• Transmission drain & fill (kit from FCP Euro, new filter)
  
• Replace ignition switch
  
• Clean the everloving funk out of it
  

[Steve85]

I went off-roading in the Shenandoah Valley last year with some friends. We decided to go again this year, but add a Top Gear-esque "challenge" element to it.

Challenge Rules:

• $1500 purchase price. Ish.
  
  

Love this idea!

Oh, and if this is the trip you took with Tom (with his wife's Raptor), be forewarned, he is a LeMons veteran and therefore well versed in bullshitting budget limits. He'll show up in a stadium truck and be like "it's a lifted junkyard camry..."

[Jake]

Love this idea!

Oh, and if this is the trip you took with Tom (with his wife's Raptor), be forewarned, he is a LeMons veteran and therefore well versed in bullshitting budget limits. He'll show up in a stadium truck and be like "it's a lifted junkyard camry..."

Heh, different group of friends this time around   Will be at least 6 of us with AWD crossovers, and my friend Jake using his 2004 LR Discovery as our recovery vehicle if needed.

[NTIman]

Inlet valve sounds more like something in the ABS module. Likely internal wiring to a specific solenoid.

Probably worth driving down the road and graphing the wheel speed sensors to make sure those are ok (which I imagine they are).

Depending on what's available for that vehicle and that scan tool, you may be able to run an active test on each solenoid to test their operations.

[Jake]

Inlet valve sounds more like something in the ABS module. Likely internal wiring to a specific solenoid.

Probably worth driving down the road and graphing the wheel speed sensors to make sure those are ok (which I imagine they are).

Depending on what's available for that vehicle and that scan tool, you may be able to run an active test on each solenoid to test their operations.

Gotcha. I think the tool can do logging so I may have to take it out for a drive.

These SUVs and their E39 5-series brothers have a common issue where the ABS/DSC module shits the bed because it's located too close to some heat sources under-hood. It may be a wiring thing or something internal to the module. They can be rebuilt for like $200 so I may have to go that route.

[Jake]

Found this table of BMW/Bosch error codes. This is for an E39 but they are close enough. Mine is an "inlet valve" which apparently points directly to a module rebuild.

[davej]

If you want to try an abs module swap we've got that e39 540i you'd be welcome to pull from.

Unsure of compatibility, but I think they need to be recoded if you put a different one in.

[Jake]

If you want to try an abs module swap we've got that e39 540i you'd be welcome to pull from.

Unsure of compatibility, but I think they need to be recoded if you put a different one in.

Yeah, they have to be coded to the car to work properly. Thanks though! 

I've reached out to a few people who rebuild them and it would be a fast turnaround if need be. Will try the speed sensor first and go from there.

Really hoping sealing up the intake boot and perhaps replacing the MAF will cure the CEL and Trans Fault lights. The Trans Fault is because of a goofy signal between ECU and TCU due to the MAF reading, so says the internet. So the transmission is likely fine.

[.RJ]

I'm going to assume this X5 shares its same basic architecture (kcan) as the E90 - if thats the case then if you only throw parts at it then expect disappointment and an empty wallet. These things are unfortunately so interconnected and the scan tools really dont tell you enough other than symptoms, leaving you in the dark for troubleshooting. See if you can get your hands on a laptop loaded with the dealer software.

Case in point - a bad TPMS module took down the whole canbus and put the car in limp mode in my E91. But the symptoms pointed to any one of a dozen causes so said the internet - water intrusion, a bad fuse box, other interior controller, etc, and the problem is they all are prone to failure.

But good luck. I think this is a worthy challenge.

[Jake]

I'm going to assume this X5 shares its same basic architecture (kcan) as the E90 - if thats the case then if you only throw parts at it then expect disappointment and an empty wallet.  These things are unfortunately so interconnected and the scan tools really dont tell you enough other than symptoms, leaving you in the dark for troubleshooting.  See if you can get your hands on a laptop loaded with the dealer software.

Case in point - a bad TPMS module took down the whole canbus and put the car in limp mode in my E91.  But the symptoms pointed to any one of a dozen causes so said the internet - water intrusion, a bad fuse box, other interior controller, etc, and the problem is they all are prone to failure.

But good luck.  I think this is a worthy challenge.

It's just a big E39, actually.

I've been on the receiving end of some super helpful people's brains at XOutpost. These cars are somewhat complex, but there is a big knowledgebase out there to help diagnose.

The "trifecta" lights are most likely tied to a bad ABS module, but we'll try swapping wheel speed sensors left to right first, to see if the easy button is the solution.

The SES and transmission lights are related. There is some funkiness in the air metering (be it from an intake leak, bad MAF, failing MAF, etc) that is leading to SES light. Because the ECU doesn't quite know what's going on, it gives the TCU a heads-up, and the TCU is like "well fuck it, let's go full line pressure just in case" while throwing up its own check light. I think the O2 is a good thing to replace, given it's telling me the specific one to change. Hoping that + intake boot will help the cause but am prepared to buy a new MAF too.

[.RJ]

It's just a big E39, actually.

oh, much simpler then. godspeed