TDIclub Secret Society of BMW Owners (SSBMWO)

[kooyajerms]

Not me, I’m running all that expensive oem/ZF trans service, diff, and trans case fluid. Saving containers and using FCPEuro’s warranty program makes the cost closer to $335 instead of $600. I just need to preload the next service and keep items on hand and ready to return the service items. All legit, and confirmed multiple times by reps in different venues.

Purchase initial kit and fluids -$600
Perform service and drive x miles
Purchase another identical set - $600
Perform service and return all used parts and fluids -$75
-$1275
Receive credit back to card for $600
-$675 for two full service kits (obviously trans miles vs what’s needed for diff and trans case is different)
-$335 cost per kit if you are willing to do that legwork.

 

[jck66]

I wonder if some of the transfer case issues stem from the fact that (at least on the E60 and F10 chassis) you need to lower/move the exhaust to even access the transfer case, and there's no drain so you have to pull it out, invert, refill, and re-install. Then put the exhaust back. Oh, and then have the dealer tell the car's ECU about the replaced fluid. So maybe lots of owners just blow this maintenance off until the thing fails.

FWIW, a (well-respected, well-known, not on tdiclub) BMW guru recommends 50k fluid changes. I am guilty of holding off with a fluid change on my wife's car (currently at just shy of 90k) but will have to bite the bullet at some point. Cheaper to do the maintenance.

 

[dmanb2b]

The Wagons are only available in Xdrive.....so what do you do...

Sorry, missed the wagon part. May not be great on MPG, but I'd go with an x5d if I needed the wagon space. That drivetrain is pretty solid.

 

[gcodori]

When I was researching my TDI replacement I was told that the x-drive can be partially "fixed" by unbolting the front driveshaft and removing it thereby converting it to RWD. I think there was a sensor to unplug, and it threw no codes. Drove normally this way. This was stated by owners, but a pinch of salt may be needed.

Granted, this was on the x5 forums, not the 3 series cars. Same units?

I wonder if some of the transfer case issues stem from the fact that (at least on the E60 and F10 chassis) you need to lower/move the exhaust to even access the transfer case, and there's no drain so you have to pull it out, invert, refill, and re-install. Then put the exhaust back. Oh, and then have the dealer tell the car's ECU about the replaced fluid. So maybe lots of owners just blow this maintenance off until the thing fails.

FWIW, a (well-respected, well-known, not on tdiclub) BMW guru recommends 50k fluid changes. I am guilty of holding off with a fluid change on my wife's car (currently at just shy of 90k) but will have to bite the bullet at some point. Cheaper to do the maintenance.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Don't think we do. I'll look into it.

 

[PeteZ06]

Theres a shop in WA that converted their xdrive to RWD only... I contacted them a few months ago because I saw their car on a dyno spinning only the rear wheels and he said they just unplugged the trasnfercase servo motor with the engine off.

 

[dmanb2b]

Theres a shop in WA that converted their xdrive to RWD only... I contacted them a few months ago because I saw their car on a dyno spinning only the rear wheels and he said they just unplugged the trasnfercase servo motor with the engine off.

Dudmd is the shop. Not sure if that conversion was for everyday driving though. His d is badazz. Pulled on a GTR at the strip although couldn't keep up in 1/4mi. Still not bad, sub 13sec car in full size sedan

http://www.dragtimes.com/BMW-535d-Timeslip-29799.html

 

[German_1er_diesel]

That's not bad for a 530d with a big intercooler and not much else.
I wonder how a stock European 535d or 550d would do here.
Still find it confusing that BMW names their diesels differently for North America.

 

[jck66]

I noticed that on the dudmd video too - thought maybe I had seen it wrong. I was watching at work though so I didn't spend a lot of time on it.

@German_1er, I call it idiotic too. Marketing folks would name the car "susan" if they thought it would sell a few more units.

 

[2.2TDI]

That's not bad for a 530d with a big intercooler and not much else.
I wonder how a stock European 535d or 550d would do here.
Still find it confusing that BMW names their diesels differently for North America.

Don't worry, the badging on the 530d went from 535d to 540d on the new model... Talk about confusing... But I suppose the reason they did that is to compete against the 540i since price for both 540i and "540d" are in the same range, with the diesel costing 1500 extra... If you left it at 530d in NA and saw the price difference between a 530i and 530d, no one would buy the 530d... (a "540d" is 7550 more then a 530i)

Same thing with the 320d...market it as the 328d so it competes against a 328i and people don't see that it's really a direct competor of the 320i...

Smart marketing...

 

[German_1er_diesel]

They probably make the diesels more expensive in North America relative to the gassers because they sell not as many of them.
German pre-tax prices:

530e:
47,058.82

520i: 41,092.44€
530i: 44,861.85€
530i xDrive: 49,806.72€
540i: 51,428.57
540i xDrive: 53,613.45
M550i xDrive: 72,521.01

520d manual: 40,627.27
520d auto: 42,563.03
520d xDrive: 44,705.88
520d ED edition: 42,773.11
525d: 46,218.49
530d: 48,571.43
530d xDrive: 50,756.30
540d xDrive: 56,050.42
M550d xDrive: 73,109.24

Technical data:

 

[Mk4tdi02]

Hey guys, looking at a 2011 X5 diesel, had my alh golf but blown clutch now and 400km later, think it's time for another diesel. Are you guys happy with your X5 diesel and would you buy again. thank you.

 

[dmanb2b]

Hey guys, looking at a 2011 X5 diesel, had my alh golf but blown clutch now and 400km later, think it's time for another diesel. Are you guys happy with your X5 diesel and would you buy again. thank you.

the e70 x5 seems to be a really solid platform with quite a few examples at the 200k mi mark. However, do be ready for maintenance items, such as vacuum lines, carbon cleaning (less prone on x5 than 335d), harmonic balancer and valve cover gasket, SCR tank issues. I have a 335d and would definitely buy an '09-'13 x5 in future.

 

[PeteZ06]

Raced a new Audi SQ5 from a stop light on three occasions today, every run was the same outcome.

Right off the bat I'd get about 2 car lengths because the 535D with xDrive launches really hard.. but then we were gaining speed at almost exactly the same speed.. so when we'd hit 90-100mph, he was still exactly 2 car lengths behind me.

 

[Mk4tdi02]

the e70 x5 seems to be a really solid platform with quite a few examples at the 200k mi mark. However, do be ready for maintenance items, such as vacuum lines, carbon cleaning (less prone on x5 than 335d), harmonic balancer and valve cover gasket, SCR tank issues. I have a 335d and would definitely buy an '09-'13 x5 in future.

Thank you, ended up picking up a 09 X5 Diesel, white on Cinnamon, busy reading up bimmerpost and xoutpost.

Agreed, the maintenance from what I see is key as usual Diesel.

 

[dmanb2b]

Thank you, ended up picking up a 09 X5 Diesel, white on Cinnamon, busy reading up bimmerpost and xoutpost.
Agreed, the maintenance from what I see is key as usual Diesel.

Congrats on purchase! Just as an FYI, there is a wealth of knowledge and vendors on North American BMW Diesel Owners Group on Facebook. I still love TDIclub, but between the m57 forum on e90post and the Facebook group, maintenance on these cars from a DIY perspective is a breeze. Always someone around willing to troubleshoot or assist with a project.

 

[TDI_Cubed]

2014 325Dx

Picked up a 2014 CPO 325Dx in February. After driving my daughters, it was a no brainier. What a difference from the Jetta. I have put the 03 Jetta out to pasture.

 

[tomo366]

Picked up a 2014 CPO 325Dx in February. After driving my daughters, it was a no brainier. What a difference from the Jetta. I have put the 03 Jetta out to pasture.

No such thing as a 325DX......it would either be a 335D or a 328DX.....

 

[German_1er_diesel]

Plenty of 325d... not with xDrive though.

https://www.autoscout24.de/ergebnis...size=20&page=1&mmvmd0=1644&mmvmk0=13&atype=C&

https://www.bmwblog.com/2016/02/22/2016-bmw-325d-sedan-and-touring-powered-by-a-new-engine/

 

[tomo366]

plenty of 325d... Not with xdrive though.

https://www.autoscout24.de/ergebnis...size=20&page=1&mmvmd0=1644&mmvmk0=13&atype=c&

https://www.bmwblog.com/2016/02/22/2016-bmw-325d-sedan-and-touring-powered-by-a-new-engine/

not in the usa....

 

[TDI_Cubed]

Picked up a 2014 CPO 325Dx in February. After driving my daughters, it was a no brainier. What a difference from the Jetta. I have put the 03 Jetta out to pasture.

My bad - 328Dx

 

[MAXRPM]

approx. how many miles per tank are you guys getting on your 335D? and how many gal does the tank hold? I am not getting a whole lot but my right foot was made of solid lead, I am very curious about this,, I noticed than driving on surface streets mpg suffers quite a bit on this 6 cyl, I haven't had the time to put her on a long trip to see what kind of improvement on mpg

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

My average miles per tank since purchase is 511 miles. Average FE is 34.6. I don't drive the car a lot, and it's mostly highway miles. However, I find this car gets comfortable above 80, so I'm not exactly hypermiling.

 

[dogdots]

39.2 is my average mostly highway driving. I've racked up 50k miles since my tune and deletes. Going to turn 100k miles this week

I usually fill up between 590 and 640 miles on the tank and it takes around 15 gallons to refill. I typically drive to the low fuel light so my display shows about 80 miles to empty.

My display is pretty accurate for indicated mpg versus manually calculating it.

 

[dmanb2b]

No such thing as a 325DX......it would either be a 335DX or a 328DX.....

The US has a 335Dx?

 

[PeteZ06]

The US has a 335Dx?

no.. RWD only on the 335D.

 

[nicklockard]

I average 480 miles/tank on the 2009 335d with mixed driving. My freeway segments are well over 85mph though.

 

[MAXRPM]

I can never get it to pass to 420 miles per tank but I'm at approx 65 city and 35 freeways, my Jetta gets around 700 to 720 miles per tank doing the same routes, both cars have pretty much the same tank capacity, Jetta may be slighter bigger at 16.5 gal but beamer is at around 16 gal I believe.

do you guys see mpg improvement when you gut out dpf, scr and egr? I know that by doing this the turbo will be happy and car would feel with much more beefiness, can anybody chime in about gaining better mpgs

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I think the difference between my FE (tuned, emissions hardware in place) and dogdot's (tuned, deleted) is a good indicator of how a delete can help. And if I was using my 335d as a daily driver my overall FE would most likely be a couple MPG lower.

 

[tditom]

My 535d xDrive typically achieves over 40mpg on my morning commute (15 miles mostly interstate). What a fantastic car. It's everything I had hoped for, so far. Can't wait to take it on a proper road trip.