G83 - Can a Low Mileage 2004 daily drive?

[JK479]

Hi- I recently acquired a 2004 x3 3.0 with 18,000 miles.

I plan to only modify fog lights and DRL to a legal Orange tint.

Do people feel an older x3 is safe for 7,8 year old kids in the back? No side airbags but it has a head airbag curtain.

Comes from a local dealer and I’ve driven . Anything I can look for?

Sales price is 13,000. Only scratch is on rear hatch (looks like someone opened it and hit garage door spring. Very minor scratche I’ll fix so it doesn’t rust.

[wizardofOz]

Hi OP.

Do people feel an older x3 is safe for 7,8 year old kids in the back??

Answer: Yes I do, its not about the car, its about the driver.

I guess if you have any mechanic friends to ask them if they mind inspecting it with you and to ask the dealer for the full service history of the car and a checklist of their franchise checks done similarly for all their approved user cars.

[M-technik-3]

It's an E83. I bought one last year for my gal to replace a Hyundai as it fit my budget better and I know BMW speak better than Korean.


My granddaughter is 10 and she's tall 5-5 and fits well. They had decent crash test results back when they came out. IF if was you I would get a decent PPI. I have done the Transfer Case Motor that was $250 and I did the labor plus the rear diff and transfer case oil plus front diff. It adds up quick.

Ours has 141 miles. We have put 10k on it in just under a year. That's Blue and White motors right.

Yours would be an M54b30 powered vehicles and they are known for weaker cooling systems. This site seems to have the most active E83 board

https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/x3-e83-2004-2010.65/

[Efthreeoh]

My sister had an '06. Common problem can be the sunroof cassette. It can fail to open or to close and the repair is a full sunroof replacement. M54 in it is pretty much bulletproof. They tend to have VANOS issues at higher miles, and the cooling system needs maintenance on them at 100,000.

[JK479]

Originally Posted by wizardofOz

Hi OP.

Do people feel an older x3 is safe for 7,8 year old kids in the back??

Answer: Yes I do, its not about the car, its about the driver.

I guess if you have any mechanic friends to ask them if they mind inspecting it with you and to ask the dealer for the full service history of the car and a checklist of their franchise checks done similarly for all their approved user cars.

Great idea on an inspection!

[JK479]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

My sister had an '06. Common problem can be the sunroof cassette. It can fail to open or to close and the repair is a full sunroof replacement. M54 in it is pretty much bulletproof. They tend to have VANOS issues at higher miles, and the cooling system needs maintenance on them at 100,000.

I wonder- this example has 18,000 miles…

[JK479]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

It's an E83. I bought one last year for my gal to replace a Hyundai as it fit my budget better and I know BMW speak better than Korean.


My granddaughter is 10 and she's tall 5-5 and fits well. They had decent crash test results back when they came out. IF if was you I would get a decent PPI. I have done the Transfer Case Motor that was $250 and I did the labor plus the rear diff and transfer case oil plus front diff. It adds up quick.

Ours has 141 miles. We have put 10k on it in just under a year. That's Blue and White motors right.

Yours would be an M54b30 powered vehicles and they are known for weaker cooling systems. This site seems to have the most active E83 board

https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/x3-e83-2004-2010.65/

Have you had good experience from Blue and White Motors?

[JK479]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

It's an E83. I bought one last year for my gal to replace a Hyundai as it fit my budget better and I know BMW speak better than Korean.


My granddaughter is 10 and she's tall 5-5 and fits well. They had decent crash test results back when they came out. IF if was you I would get a decent PPI. I have done the Transfer Case Motor that was $250 and I did the labor plus the rear diff and transfer case oil plus front diff. It adds up quick.

Ours has 141 miles. We have put 10k on it in just under a year. That's Blue and White motors right.

Yours would be an M54b30 powered vehicles and they are known for weaker cooling systems. This site seems to have the most active E83 board

https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/x3-e83-2004-2010.65/

What about a car with only 18000 miles?

[NervoS]

My DD is 2001 E46 with 198,000 miles, my son's - 2000 E39 with 200+ K miles. My daughter drives 2006 Mini R53 with 155 K miles. Of course, if you have old bmw you need to be ready to fix it by yourself, otherwise it won't make any sense financially.

[NervoS]

And, wow, it looks like a brand new car! Good find!

[pbonsalb]

Originally Posted by JK479

What about a car with only 18000 miles?

It’s got a lot of 20 year old plastic and rubber, and may not have had regular maintenance. If you can’t DIY, have someone go through it very thoroughly.

[osteome]

I commented on the original auction and own a 2007 6 speed manual E82 with 127k on the clock.

Common areas of concern, based upon age and not necessarily mileage can include:

- leaking water from sunroof drain clogs (perhaps less of a worry if stored indoors)

- dry/failed butyl adhesive on the foam door seals (the membrane behind the door cards) that will cause water to leak into the interior)

- window regulator failures due to brittle plastics

- failed sunroof operation also due to brittle plastics in the guides

- cooling expansion tank failure due to age (only replace with OEM)

- oil filter housing / valve cover leaks

- the "coating" on some of the interior plastics can "flake" over time

- oil pan gasket leak (it looked clean on the auction photos) but if it leaks, then it required a significant amount of labor to replace as the subframe has to come out to do it right

That would be most of what I would focus upon off the top of my head, but as with any low mileage older car, the concern would be how parts "age" rather than are "consumed" with actual use. As I recall, there is a video on Youtube about common areas of concern.

Our X3 is a "spare" car, but I take it our fairly regularly and am confident in its overall safety and relative reliability.

[pbonsalb]

That is the kind of knowledge and experience the OP needs! I am guessing he will pass this on to a mechanic, but as a DIYer I like reading it. I bought a 2012 X3 drive2.8i for one of my nieces. Have a box of parts on my shelf for it as well as plenty of projects for other cars.

[NervoS]

If I remember correctly, one common issue with the E83 is the transfer case actuator’s plastic gear, which tends to wear down, leading to AWD malfunction. It’s a relatively easy fix if you handle it yourself.

The E83s also came with two types of engines, if memory serves me right—the M54 (pre-LCI) and the N54 (LCI). Yours should be the pre-LCI with the good old M54, like my 2001 E46 330ci. Mine is currently at 197K miles with no major issues, though it does have a minor one: oil consumption due to a design flaw in the oil piston rings. There isn’t much you can do about it without a full engine overhaul and replacing the piston rings.

Another potential issue is the oil pump nut, which may come loose and lead to a loss of oil pressure. However, I’m not sure if this affects all M54s or just the early models like my 2001.

Eventually, the VANOS might need an overhaul. Additionally, the plastic cooling system components are a common issue across many generations of BMWs, so keep an eye on them—especially the expansion tank and hoses.