[johncurious]

Greetings -

Glad I found this site. After years on the road I leased a 2013 328 Xdrive and the lease is up in August. Must say I was incredibly disappointed with the vehicle (lemon made in So Africa) and had no intention of buying or any other BMW. After my "pre-lease" end exam by the proctologist in the service department it became abundantly clear that buying a BMW was the only way out of his $2950 finds. After I had agreed to buy a BMW, much like visiting Lourdes, my bimmer was perfect and all was forgiven. Now on to my question.

This is the like to the vehicle I am planning on purchasing (stop gap vehicle - I'll be 66 in less than 3 years) for now and then buying what will probably my last new vehicle as a retirement present to myself. The is the website link: http://www.southshorebmw.com/certif...r-boston-3c6321a40a0e0ae74e1acf5c334cd77a.htm

Any thoughts? It does not heated seats but I can have those done for $500 locally. The biggest problem is No Bluetooth, No Nav (not really an issue) and No Sirius radio (again, not an issue - Best Buy can install that). Try as I might no custom shop or BMW can come up with a fix for the Bluetooth answering the phone issue. I'd hate to go backwards and actually answer the phone while I'm driving - hands free for for too long. Anyone have a fix. Thoughts about the price and the vhicle? The X5 was sold and maintained by the dealer and they everything about the vehicle. Drives like a dream and is incredibly clean - don't think anyone ever sat in the back seat. I'd appreciate any help and glad to be here. Sorry for being so long winded on my first post._a__a2_

 

[tim330i]

Welcome to Bimmerfest! I've moved your question to our X5 forum, you'll get more help in here.

Tim

 

[johncurious]

Thank you - if I do get the X5 I plan to be a regular. Working less so I'll more time to do car stuff - would love to do some local rallying and attending events to car people. That's why I love the auctions - Barrett-Jackson/Mecum/etc - car people are the friendliest people on the PLanet.

 

[ard]

Wait, what was 2950? Precisely? Was this a real "this is what BMWFS will charge you" estimate, or was this a "lets have our service writer inflate this to scare you" estimate? For example retail on 4 tires is $1400; BMWFS charges only 200 per tire, dings, etc can be far less than retail body shop prices.

But anyway....

You should be VERY VERY VERY careful about assumptions on what can r cannot be installed by bestbuy. They are idiots to begin with, but understand that they are the last people to give you expert advice on modding a BMWs electrical system- in fact jsut a thread yesterday about a hitch shop frying the FRM when the owner assumed "they do this every day so I assumed they would know how to do it"

Heated seats added to an X5? really? see above. Ive never heard of it being done. Make sure you provide the results.....

Now, the good news- you can add modern BMW electronics to the car. There are shops and online vendors that will sell you the modules (and coding) you need. You could add the entire BW nav system, blue bluetooth, sirius, etc. Do your research. Not cheap, but factory.

'sold and maintained by the dealer'... many here are quite unimpressed by that. BMW generally undermaintains these cars. Did they every do a brake fluid flush? ask. They were supposed to. They also list it is "Certified"...edit- I read this is BMW CPO, which is a plus. You should check the inservice date on the car, the CPO is 6 years from that date. Could be as little as a few months left, or just over a year.

Dont take this the wrong way- could be a great car- but understand how much it will really cost to do right.

GL

 

[FredoinSF]

Based on your post, it is lacking must have equipment. Retrofitting is always said to be easy until the rubber has to meet the road and then you may end up with messed up electronics (look at the hitch installs by uhaul threads...)

Most X5s will have Bluetooth and heated seats, so I would pass on this one and keep looking.

 

[davidmaria1]

I get this funny feeling that this person works for South Shore Volkswagen. I'm probably wrong, but..

 

[johncurious]

davidmaria1 - No, I am in the Managed Service Provider industry in Fairhaven, MA. I sell Managed IT Solutions to medium sized companies - not a thrilling job but it pays the bills. It case anyone was wondering where the $2950 came from I lived in Miami and drove back to MA in 2014. According to my Garmin I hit a top speed of about 118 mph then hit a huge pot hole on the highway. Slightly bent all 4 rims and did some damage to the frame. This then resulted in tire wear and the rest, as they say, is history...................plus I backed into a light pole in a parking lot and damaged the rear bumper.

Purchased this vehicle last Saturday and picked it up Tuesday. Rides like a dream - the electronics, albeit tricky and probably not inexpensive, will be researched. Fortunately for me I have 7 computer geeks who love a challenge and are car nuts. Not rushing into anything. Regarding the heated seats- South Shore BMW tells me they can send it out to a custom shop to do the front seats but only with a High/Low switch (not 3 settings) for $700 total and guarantee it. I did not have it done since I waiting to see if I like the vehicle. The switch would be mounted on the side of the console not in the original console slot. The custom shop down the Cape that claimed they could originally do it for $500 backtracked on the heated seats a couple of days after my first post.

The geeks are looking into a portable bluetooth system for now - they are deciding which is the "best" - sometimes going into The Pit is like a Confederacy of Dunces. I'm in no rush to jump into anything and will post pictures of anything that gets accomplished. They are toying with the idea of a 5"-7" touchscreen with Nav, Music and Phone capabilities over WiFI tethering to my phone and using Voice Commands. That way I am not tapping into the BMW wiring. Actually, it's like the old days when you got in your car and could just relax without the phone tracking you down.

Thanks to everyone -

 

[ard]

SOunds like you dont need any advice here. With seven geeks, well then...

They are toying with the idea of a 5"-7" touchscreen

That way I am not tapping into the BMW wiring. -

One might say I am curious how you put in some 5-7" touch screen and at the same time DONT tap into BMW wiring....

Sounds like the seats are pretty easy- amazing but Ive read 100,000 posts on BMWs and never read of someone adding aftermarket heated seats.... I mean as long as they are guaranteed at billy bobs upholstery, why hesitate?

 

[Doug Huffman]

then hit a huge pot hole on the highway. Slightly bent all 4 rims and did some damage to the frame.

Four bent rims and damaged frame beggars pothole.

 

[1bad540]

I never look to retrofit, I always wait for a better equipt car and one usually pops up at some point. Heated seats and nav/bluetooth def a deal breaker for me. Price seemed ok from a bmw dealer.

 

[johncurious]

Regarding the touch screen - all it will need is a plug in power supply and a 3.5 mm jack - it will not be installed into the dash. The ones they are looking at also have internet access so I could potentially use my All Access Sirius radio account for the radio.

Unsure about the animosity about the heated seats - merely going by what the BMW dealer told me. They will handle the install and the car will remain in CPO - if there is a problem then it is their problem.

 

[thecushion]

Heated seats added to an X5? really? see above. Ive never heard of it being done. Make sure you provide the results.....

I had heated seats added to my X5. Oh yes really!
They also have a hi/low switch.
Now you have heard of it.
I will post pics soon so you can see as well.

To OP good luck with your new truck. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

 

[MMMGP]

I've torn down the front eats completely in my E36Ms, pretty easy to add the heating elements once the seat skins are separated from the foam. The only thing that bothers me is the look of aftermarket switches and drilling into the interior.

 

[DefSport]

I've torn down the front eats completely in my E36Ms, pretty easy to add the heating elements once the seat skins are separated from the foam. The only thing that bothers me is the look of aftermarket switches and drilling into the interior.

This. It's not uncommon. But the switches do look really out of place on every install I've seen.

 

[1bad540]

Im sure they can wire them to an oem switch no?

 

[gngrasso]

I had Best Buy upgrade the air conditioning on my Crown Vic. They did a decent job, no codes or check engine lights. You should be fine.

 

[1bad540]

:rofl: typical best buy install.

 

[thecushion]

I had Best Buy upgrade the air conditioning on my Crown Vic. They did a decent job, no codes or check engine lights. You should be fine.

View attachment 569093

I think they did a better job on mine

:rofl:

 

[gngrasso]

I think they did a better job on mine
:rofl:

Sweet! And they swore to me the generator needed to be on the outside of the vehicle. Yours is somewhat more streamlined.

 

[thecushion]

It was an Arkansas special last year,new technology with batteries and power converters :rofl: