Made a post about my Gal's dead Hyundai

[M-technik-3]

I refuse to pay 8.5% interest on a used car I have great credit so I am just buying her a car under 7K cash easier said than done I have found an E83 X3 3.0Si M sport.

2008 BMW X3 SI with a rare M-sport package. All wheel drive, 6 speed auto. SUV has had new rear axles, new abs sensors, new electric water pump and thermostat, new alternator, battery, and evap purge valves. Runs and drives absolutely new. All options work great including front and rear heated seats, panoramic sunroof, dynamic stability control, and climate control. Has the original factory 19" m sport rims, body mouldings, sill plates and steering wheel. RI inspected. Vehicle has a clean title in hand. Vehicle history report available on request. No accidents.

It has what appears to be well maintained but never having owned an X-Drive I'd like some help with that. I know the N52k well now. and E83 is pretty much just an E90 lifted chassis. Anything else? It's no I drive and decent optioned car. Be a step up for the FWD Sante Fe pos!!

Thanks
Greg

[2000cs]

I’ve owned 2 X-drive X3 and several X5. I never had a problem with the X-drive except on my 2005 X5 where I had to replace the actuator gear (easy fix, all over the forums and YouTube). So I am a fan.

I currently own a 2006 750Li. The tech is outdated (I use a Garmin for nav and Bluetooth, for example, since the maps for the car haven’t been updated in 7 years now). If something breaks in the infotainment systems, it is hard to find replacements (or they are very expensive), or get them repaired. Some mechanical parts are on long back order and seem to be moving toward NLA, which means eBay or a breaker.

So, for a 2008 I would check every switch, button, bulb and all infotainment, etc. All that work recently completed concerns me (accident, abuse, ?). Did someone just give up, is it a perfume and lipstick job pre-sale, were the owners bad about regular maintenance?

Get a good PPI on the mechanicals and of course full code scan before and after a lengthy test drive (seller has probably cleared any faults so you’ll need to get them to re-occur). Look up the rims on eBay to see what replacements will cost if curbed or beat, also look at the cost of the bigger tires which you will probably eat faster than on a non-M-sport.

Again, no problem with the X3 or X-drive, but this example needs to be thoroughly checked out.

[freakystyly]

Can't speak for the rest of the car, but the motor will likely outlast everything else. Keep up on basic maintenance and watch for oil leaks. Oil filter housing gaskets are easy to DIY, valve covers are in between.. AWD oil pans not very DIYable.

Random car specific parts should be available from somewhere in eastern europe from ebay or as mentioned, the breaker yards.

[Josh-PA]

They are solid cars. All of the issues are well documented on teh bimmerfest e83 subforum. My 17yr old son drives our '09 every day and it's never left him stranded. We had to replaced the transfer case actuator, it has a leaky valve cover gasket that we'll be addressing soon and other normal BMW issues.

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

n52 has left me stranded once due to steering lock failure (column)

OFHG, valve cover, oil pan gaskets.

other than thank your typical plastic britlle coolant leaks
water pumps and thermostats
plugs and coils
starter will likely go soon

other then that the n52 is running strong

[M-technik-3]

N52k is simple maintenance very versused in M10/S14 M20 M/S5X variants and N52's now and learning N55 now.

Been reading about the plastic transfer gear that breaks. Not sure on full story as to why so much work over last couple of years. I did a car fax and it was clean. I want to look at underside it has spent a couple of years in VT but most of the time was Washington state

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

I refuse to pay 8.5% interest on a used car I have great credit so I am just buying her a car under 7K cash easier said than done I have found an E83 X3 3.0Si M sport.




It has what appears to be well maintained but never having owned an X-Drive I'd like some help with that. I know the N52k well now. and E83 is pretty much just an E90 lifted chassis. Anything else? It's no I drive and decent optioned car. Be a step up for the FWD Sante Fe pos!!

Thanks
Greg

I can’t really comment on the xDrive aspect, but I can tell you I would be tickled pink to find a great example of an X3 3.0si. The “si” is the key. It is the same N52 that is in the ‘06 E90 330i with the three stage induction system giving it 255 hp and 220 lb-ft of torque. I owned my ‘06 E90 330i sport for 11 1/2 years and I never got tired of it. The only reason I parted with it was because I really wanted to experience the B58 with the ZF8.

[M-technik-3]

Yeah, I never see them in strippers and if I did most of the parts would find find their way into my E91.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

Yeah, I never see them in strippers and if I did most of the parts would find find their way into my E91.

Post some more photos. I want to see what the interior looks like.

[M-technik-3]

[tturedraider]

Have you decided to buy it?

[M-technik-3]

Taking gal out for a drive in it this weekend.

[AmuroRay]

Valvetronic sensor under the valvecover goes (oil leak from a bad gasket) not a fun job but not hard. Otherwise the N52 is solid - also may need water pump and thermostat, etc.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

Taking gal out for a drive in it this weekend.

Update?

[infinitekidM2C]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Update?

It's been over a week. I'm getting concerned.

Hope it wasn't one of those "back of the woods" testdrives...

[M-technik-3]

Oh sorry, picked up. she liked it and I have been driving it this week getting all the nit noid RMV/Inspection plus doing oil change and coolant change. I want to do the rear diff fluid as well. I have been on the X3 site and it's a recommended.

Very the three stage manifold and the gearing makes it quicker than my E91. And being has the 19's it rides decent.

[ASAP]

personally... even if used, I am not buying anything prior or older than a B series motor with BMW... there have been massive strides in reliability and quality there... N series motors across the board are trash and before that gets way too old

[M-technik-3]

Did not fit into the scope of dollar range and need for it. Other items had higher demands.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

Oh sorry, picked up. she liked it and I have been driving it this week getting all the nit noid RMV/Inspection plus doing oil change and coolant change. I want to do the rear diff fluid as well. I have been on the X3 site and it's a recommended.

Very the three stage manifold and the gearing makes it quicker than my E91. And being has the 19's it rides decent.

Congrats!!

The three stage induction just makes the N52. I put a fairly mild Active Autowerke ecu tune on my 2006 330i and I was pleased with the results. They weren’t dramatic, but definitely noticeable. It was fairly inexpensive when I did it. It did require me to remove the ecu from under the hood and send it to them.

https://store.activeautowerke.com/pr...7f8458e1&_ss=r

Originally Posted by ASAP

personally... even if used, I am not buying anything prior or older than a B series motor with BMW... there have been massive strides in reliability and quality there... N series motors across the board are trash and before that gets way too old

I spent a lot of years on the E9x forum and owned a 2006 E90 330i for 11 1/2 years and I don’t think the evidence supports that assertion.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by ASAP

... N series motors across the board are trash and before that gets way too old

My N55's have been great, no issues over 50K+ miles (traded it in with low 90K miles) on our 2012 & over 60K miles (currently at mid-80Kish miles) on our 2014.

[infinitekidM2C]

Originally Posted by ASAP

personally... even if used, I am not buying anything prior or older than a B series motor with BMW... there have been massive strides in reliability and quality there... N series motors across the board are trash and before that gets way too old

My N54 fell off a cliff at about 8 years.
Oil leaks
water pumps

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by infinitekidM2C

My N54 fell off a cliff at about 8 years.
Oil leaks
water pumps

That’s true. The N54 was definitely a weak point in the N5x motors.