Fix or swap?

monkey_boy · 21 Mar 2016 at 16:18

Hi All,

Just sent the X5 into BMW to get some things looked at and it's looking like a £2.5k bill to put it right. I think the car is worth £4-£4.5k and is 12 years old. It's getting to the point where I begrudge paying these bills to keep it ticking along and wonder do I keep it and fix it or sell and have a change. Wouldn't want to put a lot to it because the car only does a couple of thousand miles a year for holidays, seeing family and basically picking up where the range of the EV is impractical.

If the verdict is to swap, what are the options. If the car's worth £4k and fixing it would be £2.5 then a budget of £7k seems reasonable.

monkey_boy · 21 Mar 2016 at 16:40

Intermittently sticky brake calliper,
drivers door handle/carrier needs replacing
rear parking sensors not working
cv gaitor split
front suspension arms having excessive play
needs new front discs and pads 'soon'
new front drivers driveshaft

monkey_boy · 21 Mar 2016 at 16:41

I only sent it in for the top two! I have said that I will run the car into the ground, but just wondering where that line needs to be drawn really.

monkey_boy · 21 Mar 2016 at 16:47

Does your suggestion of 'breaker' imply that I then do the work myself? :eek:

monkey_boy · 21 Mar 2016 at 16:49

Vita said:
Parking sensors put in reverse and hand brake on. Go listen to them and the ones not ticking replace.

Good tip. Am I missing something though about putting the car in reverse and the handbrake on. How do I do that without A) Stalling or B)getting run over?

monkey_boy · 21 Mar 2016 at 16:53

Phemo said:
On your own it'd be somewhat difficult but surely you can find someone to sit in the car with it in reverse who you can trust to not run you over

monkey_boy · 21 Mar 2016 at 20:36

Discs aren't that old, probably 15k miles. Would they need doing because the calliper is being swapped?

monkey_boy · 21 Mar 2016 at 21:30

Would it be a fair assumption to say you're not the most mechanically minded or have I got that wrong about you? Therefore, is it a straightforward job for someone like me who needs step by step instructions?

monkey_boy · 22 Mar 2016 at 11:21

Last MOT had no advisory notes so I was surprised. The car was stolen and recovered a couple of years ago and I felt that the steering was dodgy after that. I know that they replaced the steering rack then and a good chunk of the front suspension. I couldn't say for certain but I think both the control arms were done then so shouldn't be that worn now.

I've asked BMW to do the door handle and carrier because I had an Indy do that 1 or 2 years ago and it fixed it at the time but has gotten progressively worse again so thought that having an OEM part and the right people to do it would be beneficial.

For the rest of it, I've got it booked in to a local indy to have to calliper done (£180) and I'll get them to see what else they think needs doing and see what matches with what I've been told.