Greetings from the PNW

[pnw325it]

Just picked up an 06 530xit to replace our e46 325it. It has high miles and is an auto, 2 things I normally shy away from but the price was right and I figured with the leftover budget I could address any preventative maintenance and have a nice stable car for a long time to come.

With that being said what are some common failure points? This wagon has good maintenance history but at 144k im sure there are plenty of gremlins just waiting to show up.

At what point should the timing chains/guides be replaced?
How many miles do well maintained auto transmissions tend to last? (should I start saving now for a rebuild?)
Common issues with xdrive?

Any other local touring owners in the tacoma/seattle area on here?

Known issues (if you could help with these that would be great too)
Slight Vibration at idle
Hatch wiring seems to be going out (plats bulbs, reverse light will not work some times after opening the hatch)
Passenger angel eye bulb seems to be burnt out and I cant even see where you replace it

[Norskie]

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=731460

[pnw325it]

Thanks for the link. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Went into it with the idea that the transmission would need to be replaced eventually so not surprised there. Looks like most the stuff is the same crap I had to deal with on my e46.

In the past I ordered most of my parts from pelican. Any vendors on here that offer good prices?

[eaton18spd]

If you are not having any transmission problems currently, and the vehicle has been well maintained and not abused, the transmission could/should last the life of the car. If you have the maintenance history and can see if the fluid has been changed regularly, then continue to do so if you wish. If it has never been changed then probably just leave it alone. Most people will recommend to not change the fluid if it has never been changed and you are over 100k. As far as the hatch, you probable have broken wires at the point where the harness passes through from the car to the tail gate, the pivot point. Had this problem on my sedan with the trunk lid, opened up the harness and all the wires were broke. A good place to get parts is fcpeuro.com. Good prices on parts and every part carries a lifetime warranty.

[adamcmckay]

I recently bought a 2006 BMW 530i sedan with 160K miles. It needed some extensive work. Transmission rebuild, oil pan gasket, valve cover gasket, water pump, thermostat, front thrust arm bushings, engine and transmission mounts, oil filter housing gasket, radiator and hoses, spark plugs, brake fluid flush, cabin air filter, engine air filter, oil service, and battery.
This E60 had been neglected for quite some time, therefore it needed so much work. But hey, I saved it from getting scrapped.

[ExVolvoGT]

Grew up in Tacoma...Now residing in South Hill...