# 2011 BMW X5 Diesel with 90K - pre purchase inspection



## jbelephant (Mar 3, 2017)

I am considering buying the 2011 X5 Diesel with 90K. I am offered by a friend a very decent price IMO - $11,500. Took the car to the dealer for pre-purchase inspection and found out the following issues:

Replace EGR cooler. (EGR cooler broken.) $1,474.49

Replace pre cat NOX sensor. (Fault for pre cat NOx sensor.): $1021
Replace the 3 engine bulk head pieces. (Engine bulkhead broken.) $380.48

Replace upper turbo oil feed line. (Upper turbo oil feed line leaking.) $379.42

Are those issues of CONCERN ? Is it still a good BUY ? I am ok with spending 2-3K at this point (considering the purchase price), but afraid it might just the beginning.

Thank you.

P.S. I am not a DYI guy...


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## fsd350 (Aug 1, 2006)

jbelephant said:


> I am considering buying the 2011 X5 Diesel with 90K. I am offered by a friend a very decent price IMO - $11,500. Took the car to the dealer for pre-purchase inspection and found out the following issues:
> 
> Replace EGR cooler. (EGR cooler broken.) $1,474.49
> 
> ...


Fair price for the vehicle. However, those quotes are WAY too high. IMO you should get a quote from another dealer or a BMW independent in your area. Try https://www.bimrs.org/ to find a certified independent shop. Too bad you don't DYI, would save you a huge some of money, pretty simple items to R&R. If you don't have emissions inspection, the Nox issue can wait and won't affect driveability. Most of the issues on the d are emission related, the vehicle will run fine. I don't have inspections where I live. Wife's X5d is solid at 140,000 miles and my 335d is solid at 67,000. If you don't DIY or know Bimmers, they can get expensive to maintain. The systems are fairly complex, but the drive is worth it.


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## Ozer (Sep 17, 2015)

Thats a great price if rest of the vehicle is in good shape. Heck, i paid 21k for my 2011 with 98k miles 2 years ago.
Most emission things are covered under 120k mile extended warranty, enter VIN here to see whats covered http://bmw-rp.com/production/isg/bmw/reimbursement_bmw_portal.nsf

You will be a DIY guy when you get this vehicle because its not like a Toyota, its sensitive and will throw codes here and there, just need to know what it is with a code reader.
This community is great with helping and solutions.

The bulk head issue isnt that big of a deal, you can replace that yourself. Other quotes are high as stated above, find a non bmw dealer shop.

Go to www.mycarfax.com, sign up (quick) and add the x5 as your car, then you can go to service records and see whats been done to it

If you bought the car and got it all fixed, you could even make some money by selling it privately , if you feel thats ethical, seeing how it was a friends car. Or you can do whatever with the proceeds, maybe give it to his family after you take your time and parts cost?


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## imtjm (Oct 5, 2004)

jbelephant said:


> I am considering buying the 2011 X5 Diesel with 90K. I am offered by a friend a very decent price IMO - $11,500. Took the car to the dealer for pre-purchase inspection and found out the following issues:
> 
> Replace EGR cooler. (EGR cooler broken.) $1,474.49
> 
> ...


walk away


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## imtjm (Oct 5, 2004)

fsd350 said:


> However, those quotes are WAY too high. IMO you should get a quote from another dealer or a BMW independent in your area.


those quotes seem to be normal for labor rate of $160/hr which I believe is labor rate at BMW dealership in Chicago.

EGR Cooler: $819.94 MSRP (DIY genuine BMW part $635.45+), 4hrs labor
NOx Sensor: $638.94 MSRP (DIY genuine BMW part $511.15+), 2.5hrs labor
Upper Turbo Oil Line: $57.60 MSRP (DIY genuine BMW part $46.08+) 2hrs labor


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## imtjm (Oct 5, 2004)

--


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## jbelephant (Mar 3, 2017)

imtjm said:


> walk away


Walk away from the car ? or from the dealer ?


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## FredoinSF (Nov 29, 2009)

I think you got a lot of good advice.
1. BMW's are not like toyotas. They seem to be more needy (never owned a toyota so going by their reputation.)
2. Good that you had it inspected and that stuff was found. Would have been suspect if they found nothing.
3. Stay out of the dealership once out of warranty!!!!! As suggested, look for a competent independent shop at bimrs.org or if you're so inclined, turn the wrenches yourself. Some of the work on these cars is easy to do.
4. Now about the list. EGR and Nox sensors should be throwing codes if there is a problem with either of them. Is there a check engine light on? What are the codes? I'd get a second opinion on that before committing or just drive it until the check engine light comes on.
5. The broken trim should get replaced as it can cause water leaks on injectors. If that happens, your trouble grew exponentially.
6. Oil leak fix should be done as well.
7. If you buy it, look into trans diff and TC fluid changes which is good maintenance policy.

No one can make the decision for you. Getting a car that cost more than $60k when it was new for 20% of that amount while it still has plenty of life in it is awesome, but it will need an injection of cash periodically. You can control how much of your cash leaves your wallet by staying out of the dealer and doing research on the issue before going to your mechanic or better yet fix it yourself.


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## imtjm (Oct 5, 2004)

jbelephant said:


> Walk away from the car ? or from the dealer ?


car


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## jbelephant (Mar 3, 2017)

imtjm said:


> car


can you elaborate, please


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## imtjm (Oct 5, 2004)

jbelephant said:


> can you elaborate, please


geez, pull my toenails with a pliers why don't you...

I have lots of questions about what transpired and what the condition of the vehicle is, but I'll start with making some assumptions and you can correct me where I am wrong:

At $11.5k plus putting $3500 worth of repairs, puts your car purchase price at $15k, which is the average dealer resale price or high end of the average private party sale price for your area. So, I don't think $15k is a good price for the vehicle.

Your vehicle SES would have been lit up for the EGR Cooler and NOX sensor. If it wasn't, then your "friend" cleared the fault codes and SES before handing the keys over to you. If the latter, I wouldn't trust your "friend". If the $11.5k price was the offer before you took to PPI, then your "friend" probably already knew what repairs needed to be done and how much it was going to cost at the dealership and deducted the repair cost from the average used retail car price. Don't know how much of a "friend" the person is if he knew before but didn't tell you. If he's a "friend" you shouldn't have needed to get a PPI, since "friends" should tell you things like this otherwise why are they your friends?

At 90k miles, what repairs have been done so far? How much tread life, brakes, last oil service, fuel filter, air filter, micro filter, water pump, thermostat, battery?

Ok, now people might jump on me for generalities, but in general the downstream NOX is probably going to be needing replacement soon, too, which is another $1k. In general, it is best if you replace all three turbo oil lines at the same time, so add another $600+.

Expect needing to replace the glowplugs and glowplug preheat control unit in the near future around 100k miles, could be longer but you are in Chicago, so them cold winters are more taxing on glowplugs. you should do an ATF and filter change (not just fluid change) which is another $1k+, but lots of the dealership won't do it, so you'll have to find someone else. I'm not even going to talk about the SCR system.


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## jbelephant (Mar 3, 2017)

imtjm said:


> geez, pull my toenails with a pliers why don't you...
> 
> I have lots of questions about what transpired and what the condition of the vehicle is, but I'll start with making some assumptions and you can correct me where I am wrong:
> 
> ...


About a friend...Friend passed away, another friend estate executor and offered to sell at CarMax price. CarMax offered 11.5K. So, with a friend all clear and straightforward.

The average dealer price in the area around 16-18K, but one might buy at this price and still have all the issues. In my case, I know that at 15K many issues are fixed. Does the logic make sense ?


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## mrblahh (Oct 9, 2006)

11.5 is a really good deal on a facelift e70 diesel with those miles

me personally I would buy it, clear the codes and see if they come back then go to an indy or do it myself


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## jbelephant (Mar 3, 2017)

mrblahh said:


> 11.5 is a really good deal on a facelift e70 diesel with those miles
> 
> me personally I would buy it, clear the codes and see if they come back then go to an indy or do it myself


how do u clear the codes ?


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## mrblahh (Oct 9, 2006)

Any code reader for those, ista/d is best


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## Ozer (Sep 17, 2015)

jbelephant said:


> how do u clear the codes ?


You really need to become at least little bit hands on if you get this x5. Codes will pop up at some point, you need a OBDII code reader and an app, (OBD Fusion app is good or Carly)
If you go to a mechanic each time a code pops up, you will be in over your head real quick.

Read through this forum, just read posts and you will get some knowledge.
We all started new, nobody was a BMW expert before they got their BMW :thumbup:


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## jbelephant (Mar 3, 2017)

Ozer said:


> You really need to become at least little bit hands on if you get this x5. Codes will pop up at some point, you need a OBDII code reader and an app, (OBD Fusion app is good or Carly)
> If you go to a mechanic each time a code pops up, you will be in over your head real quick.
> 
> Read through this forum, just read posts and you will get some knowledge.
> We all started new, nobody was a BMW expert before they got their BMW :thumbup:


What about Autozone ? They would do it for free. If I read the code, how would it help me ?
(Sorry, for naive questions)


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## smyles (Dec 14, 2011)

jbelephant said:


> Replace EGR cooler. (EGR cooler broken.) $1,474.49
> 
> Replace pre cat NOX sensor. (Fault for pre cat NOx sensor.): $1021
> Replace the 3 engine bulk head pieces. (Engine bulkhead broken.) $380.48
> ...


Imho, if they haven't found any other leaks, error codes, then go for it. All listed issues are common. In fact, everything except for NOX sensor has been replaced on my car by the same mileage.

Due to broken bulkheads, make sure you check rear injectors: remove plastic engine cover, filter box, insulation, and visually inspect all metal parts there. Any significant rust would mean eventual replacement of one or two injectors.


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## Ozer (Sep 17, 2015)

smyles said:


> Due to broken bulkheads, make sure you check rear injectors: remove plastic engine cover, filter box, insulation, and visually inspect all metal parts there. Any significant rust would mean eventual replacement of one or two injectors.


From the sounds of it, he may not be mechanically inclined to do all this.
AutoZone can check codes but they wont turn them off for you.


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## imtjm (Oct 5, 2004)

$11.5k rather $15k for the four known repairs is not a good deal compared to private party prices in the area. I would want further context on repair history and upcoming repairs. If downstream NOX was already replaced, then good. If water pump and thermostat were repalced then good. If tires and brakes were recently replaced, then good. If glowplugs and preheat glowplug control unit were replaced, then good. If common SCR system things were repaired, then good. For the X5 diesel, I think you are in a risky grey area between 90k-110k in terms of whether or not you will not if need to do those repairs. You are correct about higher dealer price and maybe having the same issue, although you haven't gone through the PPI with those vehicles, etc. I would rather buy a vehicle with 120k having had all those things already replaced then going into it either not knowing if they were done and/or knowing that they will need to be done within a year or two of ownership.

I understand the friend thing. But, was the SES on before you had it PPI? I would think that it would/should have been on for the EGR Cooler an NOX. If it wasn't, I would wonder why. If it had been previously cleared to turn SES off, then I would wonder why? That would lead me to ask what other repairs or services weren't done.

I think it is absurdly silly to simply clear fault codes, when you've already had the dealership determine EGR Cooler, Upstream NOX, bulk head pieces, and turbo oil line require repairs. The bulk head pieces are not going to register fault codes. Leaky turbo line is also not going to necessarily register fault code if it isn't causing additional issues triggering the fault code. It'll be visible. You can choose to clear and ignore and potentially make things worse, or you can actually fix things that you know need to be fixed. The only code you could clear and maybe get away with it is the NOX sensor to see if it comes back on again.

Anyway, I would want to know if some of the known issues around the 90k-120k have already been done or not before making a decision. Even if it costs $6k to repair which will ensure the vehicle runs another 100k, that is far cheaper than spending $50k on a new car or a CPO.


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

What are "bulkhead pieces"?:dunno:

Sounds like quite a lot of known issues, and then there will the unknowns that they cant really see until they get in there, like CBU for example.

Unless you are willing to fork over $1-2k every six months or so, and don't want to do some DYI, this car will most likely come out on the expensive end.

Based on the OP responses it sounds like he is already in a bit over his understanding of these vehicles, as much as like them.:thumbup:

Dealers are expensive and Indys are rather hard to find and few inbetween.

Caveat Emptor.


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## mrblahh (Oct 9, 2006)

imtjm said:


> I think it is absurdly silly to simply clear fault codes, when you've already had the dealership determine.....


I've owned 20+ bmw's and do all my own work, it's quite common for a fault to come up once and never again.

Our x5d has been pretty good, I just replaced the alternator and belts last night. Dealer wanted 1300 for just a rebuild alternator, I got one from rockauto for 200 $.

We had the active tank fail, the code came up a year ago but cleared, now it's back and comes back right away.


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## imtjm (Oct 5, 2004)

mrblahh said:


> I've owned 20+ bmw's and do all my own work, it's quite common for a fault to come up once and never again.
> 
> Our x5d has been pretty good, I just replaced the alternator and belts last night. Dealer wanted 1300 for just a rebuild alternator, I got one from rockauto for 200 $.
> 
> We had the active tank fail, the code came up a year ago but cleared, now it's back and comes back right away.


Yes, you are correct, faults can be cleared and may not come back, but they can and do. Now you can go around and ignore fault codes and clear them out, but clearing them does not fix the underlying problem triggering them if there is in fact an underlying problem. Now, since we are hanging out our measuring sticks, I've owned bmw's since 1984 and work on mine, well, up to a limit of my patience and equipment. However, you'll note I wrote that it is absurd to ignore a fault when you've diagnosed there is an actual problem; moreover, for at least two of the identified issues, they would not have triggered a fault code.

Good on you for doing your own repairs, but you'll note the OP is not likewise inclined.

So, you had the active tank fail code come on a year ago, you cleared and it is back on and keeps coming back on. Well, so is your prescription to clear the fault code again and keep trucking on? Will the continued clearing and ignoring do no harm or do more harm? I cleared my SES for SCR efficiency, and it went away for a year, then it came on again. So, I checked the metering unit, it was also sorts of clogged up with a pin hole in the aperture to the DPF and urea creep at the DPF seal. So, was it fine to keep clearing and ignoring? Well, since DEF was still spraying in, sure...well, until I saw the side affect of the metering line connector blown up because of the back pressure due to clogging. So instead of a $100 DIY part, it was $400 in DIY parts no labor. So, was it worth ignoring clearing the code and ignoring the problem? So, we can clear codes and ignore it and things might appear to be operating fine, and it might just be gremlins kicking off a SES which happens, or just maybe when the mechanic actually diagnoses a faulty part, we go ahead and actually fix the problem rather than pretending it doesn't exist.


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

I have an active SES light that I can't reset and I diagnosed as the DEF Tank heater circuit.

I've chosen to ignore this SES light because I live in South Florida so really do not expect to have conditions where the DEF might freeze.:yikes:

The OEM repair will be to replace the entire DEF Tank assembly for like $1,200 or more. It was already done once under warranty some years ago.

If you know what is the cause of the SES/code, and it is reasonable to ignore, do so. If clueless, I think you are asking for bigger problems down the road.

When will a replacement for the 2009-2011 335D ever come out!?:dunno:


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## mrblahh (Oct 9, 2006)

imtjm said:


> So, you had the active tank fail code come on a year ago, you cleared and it is back on and keeps coming back on.


maybe I was not clear or you choose to ignore what I said, not sure.

active tank fault a year ago, cleared it, there was no real fault I drove 40,000 miles. CAPS FOR DUMB, THERE WAS NO REAL FAILURE

active tank fault this winter this time the pump failed it was a real fault and it was replaced under warranty 2 weeks ago.

the key is, real faults will come right back and need to be fixed, false flags will not come back.

unsubscribing as this conversation is not worth continuing


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## jfxogara (Oct 26, 2012)

mrblahh said:


> unsubscribing as this conversation is not worth continuing


Bon voyage!


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## imtjm (Oct 5, 2004)

mrblahh said:


> maybe I was not clear or you choose to ignore what I said, not sure.
> 
> active tank fault a year ago, cleared it, there was no real fault I drove 40,000 miles. CAPS FOR DUMB, THERE WAS NO REAL FAILURE
> 
> ...


au revoir...you were right...you weren't clear. BTW, real faults sometimes don't come right back (e.g. my SES for metering valve as an example).


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## imtjm (Oct 5, 2004)

Flyingman said:


> I have an active SES light that I can't reset and I diagnosed as the DEF Tank heater circuit.
> 
> I've chosen to ignore this SES light because I live in South Florida so really do not expect to have conditions where the DEF might freeze.:yikes:
> 
> ...


I hope never...this is my last BMW diesel. When my sugga momma says I can buy a new car, my 2010 335d is history.


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