Just a few thoughts, Xenon's and other stuff

[RiDDO]

Morning Forum,

Happy Saturday. This may turn into another long post (as is my want) but I would appreciate your thoughts, and comments. My recently purchased 3.0D Sport is booked in to Sopers, Lincoln for some warranty work, but before it goes I will share my list of faults, please post your thoughts/comments.

1. Bluetooth refuses to pair with any phone, iPhone 4, Nokia 6230i, nada. I have all the paperwork including pass key, I push the button for the 3 seconds, then switch the ignition on to position 1 for a further 3 seconds, all the monitor says is 'pairing', then after 2 minutes it says 'activate phone' but nothing happens between the car and the phone! I have read as many Bluetooth pairing posts as possible both here and elsewhere, no joy! Grr.

2. I have a crackly radio. If I listen to Radio 4 or Classic FM I have a noticeable crackle. There is no crackle from the CD changer, and you can't hear it on 'music' based stations, unless the DJ is talking! It is not a speed related whine, just a continuous crackle, not particularly loud, but annoying. It appears to be a earth or possibly an aerial issue. Are they're any common earth issues on E53 X's? You're going to tell me to grow up and listen to normal music, I can see the posts already  )

3. An intermittent clunk from the N/S/F suspension, if the wheel is straight then normally (but not always) no clunk, but if I'm turning left/right at a junction and its bumpy, then clunk. I know X5's are prone to drop links and other maladies in the suspension department, any of you more wizened souls got any ideas?

4. Can xenon headlights/bulbs/ballast units wear out? My car has factory xenon lights, and they are not very bright. Its a July build, 2006 model, with 26k miles. Have I got too used to my weekend toy (a Scirocco) adaptive xenons? I find I'm driving quite slowly at night because I can barely see anything with just dipped beam on! I've had my eyes tested, but the difference between the Scirocco and the X5 is like comparing a candle to a Maglight! Can bulbs, ballasts be replaced, or can i upgrade the headlights to more powerful xenons? I am going to ask the dealer to check if they're functioning properly, brightness, auto levelling etc, but my gut feeling is that Sopers will say they are fine, I know the levelling system works, cos I watch the lights level up every time they switch on.

It did indeed become a long post, sorry guys/gals. I look forward to reading your comments.

-RiDDO

[X5Sport]

Not sure about all of them, but.....try these

1.  Could be a failing TCU - assuming you have deleted any existing pairings just in case it's run out of spare slots?

2.  A guess only, but could be a bad aerial connection, or loose/dirty connector plugs/pins etc.

3.  Sounds like a worn bush (?) - they age on time as well as mileage.

4.  Yes these things can deteriorate over time (the light colour goes yellow) and yes you can replace the ballsts with higher power units and match them to a set of higher rated bulbs - say 55W in place of the 35W OEM.  They will be brighter and you can also fit a higher colour temperature bulb which produces a bluer white than OEM.  Have a look at the kits from HIDS Direct or HIDS4U or any of the others out there.  You should have ballast power that matches bulb power.  I never found my OEM HIDS to be dim.  Plenty of folks on here with 'in use' knowledge of these replacement kits.

Richard

[Raj]

1. Apologies if this sounds stupid but do you go into the phones Bluetooth settings and see the X5 in the list? If it does, click on it and it should then ask for the pass key.

2. Possible aerial connection issue.

3. Drop link or bush from the sounds of it.

4. Think they are normal. I too am very disappointed with the X5's xenons coming from my previous 330d/530d/M5. They really are that p*ss poor. I'm looking into replacing the OE ballast with an aftermarket 55w one to see if that improves it. It's the ballast providing the xenon not the bulb drawing from the ballast so I believe it is the OE 35w ballasts that are just crap.

[RiDDO]

Richard/Raj,

Thanks for your replies.

For the Bluetooth I have tried pairing both ways, I.e. from the pairing button in the centre armrest following the instructions in the bluetooth manual, and also from my iPhone 4, and also an old Nokia 6230i, the car doesn't show up on either phone if I try to pair from the phone side. The car does nothing from the pairing button, just says pairing, then after 2 minutes just says 'activate phone'. I don't think there are any other pairings, and the manual says that if a new pairing is detected, the oldest pairing is deleted, so i assume not, is there any way to check? My gut feeling is bluetooth has gone awry.  Sopers can sort this out next week.

Crackly radio, earth or aerial, yeah my thoughts too.

Ditto the suspension, wonder if the AUC warranty covers that? It's been with the car since I collected it 4 weeks yesterday, and I have only done about 400 miles since, the supplying dealer has had it for a week already to sort out a dead CD auto changer. Agree on the age/mileage issue too, my last X5 managed 45,000 on its original bushes/drop links, and i sold it on at 45k miles with no clunks, and four years of ownership. Should I replace one side at a time as they fail, or just bite the bullet and do the whole shebang?

Xenon's. My last X5 (2001 4.4) had much brighter, with a blue tinge, dipped beam. This X5's are very very yellow in comparison, I had seriously thought I may be going blind!! Think an upgrade may be in the offing.........

--RiDDO

[X5Sport]

Yelow?  that doesn't sound right.  If your lights are yellow then are you certain they're HID lamps and not normal filament bulbs?  Not trying to be silly, but have you got all the high voltage warning stickers etc?  Do you get the ignition 'flash' when you turn them on?

Yellow HIDs usually means time expired bulbs......or not HIDs at all.  At 26k miles I would doubt the bulbs are 'out of hours' and worn out.  They should last for years!

Follow instructions in this thread to find all of the options on your actual car.  Needs to be done on a PC rather than a tablet!

Richard

[Raj]

With the bluetooth, not sure if I explained clearly. Go through the process of holding button then switching ignition on and you get pairing on the screen. When it says pairing, then go into phone bluetooth and see if it shows the BM in the list, click on it and it should then ask for passkey. Sorry if this what you have already tried. It's just if the X is saying pairing I don't think there is an issue with the bluetooth module.

As for lights. I agree with Richard, sounds like you have halogens. Facelifts have projectors even with halogen bulbs. They will also self check everytime you switch the car on (hence seeing them level test, but doesn't mean they are self levelling (xenons)). Adjuster wheel on light switch is the easiest determining factor. If they are indeed xenons then definitely get it sorted under warranty as it doesn't sound right. If halogen, then HID kit is all you need.

[Horizon]

As mentioned above, have you got a light adjustment wheel ( adjustment wheel near to your light switch on the dash board, if so you have halogen headlights.)
If you have the wheel adjuster you have halogen headlights.
This can be sorted with an upgrade, as I  did

http://www.hids-direct.co.uk/55w-new-sm ... -kit-slim/

[RiDDO]

Folks,

I appreciate your concern. X5sport, they most definitely are Xenon's, sadly with a yellow hue, and possibly worn bulbs, one careful (female) previous owner, and the lights come on at anytime if left set in 'auto' mode, so 26k with them on all the time could be the reason! Regardless I definitely do have dim, yellow, Xenon's!! I have no beam adjuster on the light switch! And, (no offence) I would not have bought the car without xenons! Can't explain why, but I'm being tested by this new beast! Have not had the easiest re-introduction to X5 ownership to be honest, the car is great, the spec is amazing, but I have a feeling the supplying dealer didn't expect a Radio 4 listening anorak, with serious OCD to buy it, who is rather tenacious, and even more persistent, but in the nicest possible way of course! My gut feeling is my X didn't get the full checks it should have done as an AUC, or it was completed by a slipshod idiot who thought the guy buying it might not notice the faults, or stuff was not listed as faulty, because the AUC warranty can pay for that to be fixed later, rather than the dealer paying for it now! Cynical, me, you betcha!. I may shake the tree at BMW GB, just to let them know how happy I am not with the whole experience! I'm sure they may recall my persistent letters & phone calls regarding disintegrating catalytic converter innards on 3 year old 840's from 1999, but that's another story, (swing the light, stoke up your pipe, and sit yourself down on that comfy looking sandbag!), but the little guy was successful on that occasion, and I got new cat's fitted under warranty from BMW, which back then was around a £2,500 bill, just to get my car through its first MOT! It wasn't about money, it was about principles.

Yours truly has not really received his ultimate driving machine! My mission, which I have already chosen to accept, is to ensure everything gets resolved.

Battle lines drawn, scapegoats nominated, watch this space.

--RiDDO

PS, Raj I will ring you tomorrow ref the titanium bonnet things as soon as I come out of church, but before my Sunday lunch. And I was doing exactly the same as your description regarding the Bluetooth! Bless you for your second explanation.

[Reusch]

To tell you what Riddo I want you in my corner if I ever need it good on you.

[RiDDO]

Kind words Reusch, thank you.

[jaynana]

RiDDO you have some logic with regard to how the HIDs probably turned yellow, but what are the chances of HIDs going yellow, plus suspension becoming cranky with just 26k miles?

isn't that too much of a co-incidence..

not that it makes any difference unfortunately.. from all of what's already written..

must say - i like your posts mate, i certainly will be watching this space   :thumbup:

[X5Sport]

Your logic sounds good to me too.

If they were permanently on and the previous owner did a lot of short journeys then the constant restarts/short 'on' times on the bulbs will kill them very quickly......cars of course can't have the cool down/no restart system for the bulbs that video projectors with similar bulbs have.

HIDs generally don't like frequent switching & short use cycles - regardless of what application they are for....

No offences taken, was just thinking aloud so to speak.....

There are a few folks on here who have unfortunately found that 'AUC' doesn't mean what most of us would probably expect.  It's  underwritten by insurance companies and I for one have precious little faith in insurers these days..... >:(.  Some Dealers do the bare minimum and everything else is covered by the warranty so they get even more money... :angry1:

BMW GB may well do their usual and show no interest and throw you back at the Dealer......though I would luv to be a fly on the wall during your 'discussions' with them.....

Richard

[RiDDO]

Richard/Jayanna,

Thanks for your replies. Persistance, tenacity, and never ever getting angry are my motto's, for getting stuff done. And if all else fails a letter to the 'Top Person' of a company usually gets action, oddly s**t always rolls down hill!. I have a couple of cracking stories, from the past over warranty claims (not BMW related) that were resolved successfully after a letter to the top.

I get the feeling that my X has never been out of West London! And the lights have taken an on/off hammering, and subsequently that has worn them out! I may or may not have grounds for a warranty claim, we will see! Theres no harm in asking, because if you dont ask, you dont get! If I end up replacing the bulbs myself I will investigate after market options including new/higher powered ballast units, to support a higher wattage replacement bulb. The same goes for the suspension really, the UK's roads soon wear suspension components and wheel bearings at an alarming rate, I'm not surprised 26k (probably covered in a 25 mile radius of West London) is showing signs of suspension wear. My Scirocco has had 3 nearside front tyres in 18 months, and one nearside front wheel, all courtesy of my local council who (because of budget cuts) no longer fill them unless someone complains! I'm digressing again, and starting to sound like a right old moaner?...........My analogy though is that if a car does 50k on motorways or A roads the suspension would (in theory) last far longer because the suspension isn't taking the battering it would on some of the poorer surfaced roads!

This is my 11th BMW, and the 4th approved used. I have never bought a new one, although 2 of them were dealer demonstrators (last X5, and an E38 728i which were leased, because my accountant said it was the right thing to do). The financial 'hit' first owners take is financial suicide in my brain, though I must thank them at the same time, because if folks didn't spec up new cars, then part with them 4 or 5 years later, I wouldn't be able to buy a 'toyed up' motor for realistic money either!

I seem unable to write short posts! Sorry.

Updates to follow as we dodge and weave our way through the first week of December. And remember to drive on the left, it's a zoo out there!!

--RiDDO

[X5Sport]

Go get em........ :boxing:   ) )

[Woofer]

Hi riddo

I have an 04 car with xenons and 45k on the clock , they are still intense blue white in colour, both drop links were done but i was told not covered under AUC warranty tho' bizarrely they covered a torn cv gaiter that they did at the same time. The Bluetooth also forgets my wife's iPhone 3 if she doesn't drive it for a month or so and I'm not able to re pair it until 4 or 5 attempts.

Cheers

PS I know the xenons are good because while making serious progress one night a van ahead of me pulled over thinking I was a police car with the blues on!