All posts tagged: e70 x5

How to Remove Replace Install Register and Program a new battery in an E70 X5 BMW

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So it’s time to replace your battery, but you don’t want to pay the dealership $600? Well, my DIY guide might help you save some cash and time scheduling a service visit to BMW. Before you start this job, you are going to need a handheld OBD-II scan tool that is compatible with the E70 X5. Many versions that work with older cars like the E46, E39 and E90 may not communicate with the E70 due to its updated electronics. You’ll need the scan tool to register and or program the new battery after it’s installed. Alternatively, if you have a PC laptop, cable, and BMW software such as INPA or ISTA you can use that to register the new battery. I personally use the NT510 scan tool available here on Amazon for under $200. This will quickly pay for itself after avoiding costly labor diagnostics charges at BMW. In Fairfield Connecticut, as of 2022, the current rate is $185 an hour plus tax. Yikes. How to Remove and Install a New Battery in your …

X3 and X5 BMW Transfer Case Actuator Gear Replacement DIY

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This one little gear will save you over $4,000 USD The BMW X3 and X5 are known for their incredible x-drive all wheel drive systems that power through stormy winter conditions and keep you safe on the road. They’re also known for being incredibly robust, rarely having any major failure of the transfer case systems, as they are typically overbuilt by design. The X5’s ATC 500 transfer case is particularly robust. However, one small detail was overlooked on the design by BMW mechanical engineers: the small plastic gear inside the transfer case actuator motor. This small gear typically fails between 90,000 -120,000 miles in the X3 and X5. When it does fail, it throws the car’s computer systems into disarray and will show the trifecta of lights: Brake, ABS, and 4×4 DSC lights will all illuminate on the gauge cluster. Perhaps this is a planned failure, kind of like BMW’s version of planned obsolescence. If millions of X3 and X5 suffer this failure, that means millions of new reasons for customers to either pay heavily …