2014 X5 xdrive35i F15 - low battery indicator

[tkaboly]

hello all, i am new member, please be kind if i make a mistake. we need kindness in this world.
I just mistakenly bought on October 10, 2023, a 2014 X5 xdrive35i (F15) with 60,000 miles / 100KM, for Canadian $20,000 from a friend of my son's who was leaving the country.

It comes with 360 degree camera system displaying everything around me, also a thinkware proF200 video camera with front and back record mode. Plus premium audio harmon kardon. Plus extra 4 wheels. I quickly bought 4 new regular winter tires and put them on the 4 extra wheels. The car had new all seasons runflat anyways and i put those into storage. I payed $240 to get it inspected. I did an oil filter change $200 and oil pump flush CAD$175. And dealer nicely said to pay $250 more, they have to drill out the oil pan, make a wider hole, and put a bigger plug because the original bolt would not come out, and kept spinning. Thanks, now i have metal pieces in the engine.

I payed 12% tax to purchase, register, plates CAD$2500, plus 1 year insurace $1500.
Total the car bought at CAD$20K car is now at $26K costing me.

The dealer said valve cover gasket needs replacing CAD$1000. Front Control arms and Thrust bushings needs replacing CAD$3000.
I feel sick to my stomach knowing and realizing how expensive this car is to maintain and fix. I am not a mechanic. I have asked the dealer to buy it, they said $=CAD$18.5K, and www.autozen.ca auction house gave me offer at $17.5K. An appraiser said the car is worth $16.5K. Kelly Blue book and autotrader say CAD$17.5K. So basically the car dropped in value in 2 months by $2K. In October 2023 when i bought it, autotrader and kelly blue book etc. said it was worth $20K to $23K. The dealer had a 2017 same model, same mileage at $40K. So i felt i am getting the car half price since same mileage, i didnt care for year of car.... But now i am regretting it.
Any thoughts and suggestions?
European cars dont seem to keep their value, they are only good for rich who buy and lease and get rid of at low mileages like mine and others who buy used are stuck with maintenance costs if we are not mechanics , the car sits there getting more problems over time and then get dumped for a couple of thousand even in mint condition outside and in cabin. Thats how i see it.
I wish i had bought a used Asian car honda, toyota, hyundai with low maintenance costs and cheaper labor cheaper parts.

[tlow98]

If they did a good job you don’t have metal in the engine. Plus, you have an oil filter for that.

You don’t need to do the control arm bushings unless the car is driving dangerously.

Also, do you smell burning oil? If not, the gasket might be seeping and not leaking.

But in general, a cheap BMW is anything but cheap.

I don’t think I’d take the $9k loss in a panic. Drive it for a month and think about it. Can always sell it private party.

[Honda]

How did you buy this X5 for 20K CAD? You did really good if mileage is only 100k kilometers!!

Just for comparison, I bought mine for 20k CAD but has 165k kilometers and also have some issues with it.

Don't listen to the dealer, just drive the car and enjoy it. If I didn't buy my car recently, I would have bought it yours

[tkaboly]

Hello to the two folks who responded to me. It helped heal my heart. The seller was a private seller, a friend of a friend, they kept the car cabin like brand new. So, I agree I got a good price and the mileage is real and only 104,000 to be exact. They didn't drive it much due to their lifestyle. The valve cover gasket I dont see nor smell any oil, and dealer on park shore pointed out the area but it only looked dusty to me, i didnt see any oil. The mechanic was not accessible, the service person at the compter pointed to me the area. I have never seen a car at 60K miles/ 100K kilometers need a valve cover gasket. Has anyone purchased aftermarket valve cover and gasket from autozen.ca or parts avatar ? did the part fit ? aftermarket is $115, the OEM version sold on the website is $500. Also does anyone recommed replacing PCV valve, spark plugs, or anything else while the valve cover and gasket are being replaced ?
What mileage is a new valve cover needed or do i simply see if the dealer mechance is rough and cracks it forcing me to buy a valve cover too? I am nervous for the valve cover job as youtube shows so many pieces have to be removed just to get to the valve gasket.

[tlow98]

I’m confused. If it’s not leaking and it’s not cracked… don’t touch it. But yes, it’s common for them to fail. You can replace only the gasket in most cases.

Spark plugs are due at your mileage, technically.

[tlaspec]

Sounds like you will be constantly worring and stressing about this car. Used bmws are not for everyone and they were 80k msrp cars back new so maintenance will reflect that.

Dealer trade in is often low ball offers, if car is good condition you might be able to sell privately for same or slight loss to your total investment. The 12% tax on used cars in Canada is what makes it hard for you to break even. Car is already taxed whole when new and our socialist government loves to keep taking from people.

Life is too short to be constantly stressing about your car, move on and take it as lesson learned.

If you do keep the car find a good indy mechanic and adjust your thinking bmw will never be on same level of maintenance as asian cars. Oil leaks are part of the used ownership experienec

Don’t start slapping cheap aftermarket parts from amazon it will just make the ownership experience worse for you.