Opinion on this car

BMWX3

MEMBER
2008 BMW X3
2.0L
4WD
AUTOMATIC
118,000 MILES

What do you think of a used BMW X3 2008 diesel with 190,000 km? Drives fine but had a squeaky sound on startup (went away quickly), produced a smell from under the hood. Seller said the smell is due to the car sitting for a while and is just burning off some stuff. Does that sound right?

9 Replies

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

Hi BMWX3,

The squeaking noise could just be a belt or pulley with some rust or moisture on it from sitting so I would not worry to much about that especially if it went away.

As for the smell, the seller is not wrong, that if it was sitting for a while that it will burn off some debris from the exhaust and engine, then chemical build up from inside the engine. However, this should dissipate within a few miles of driving. If the smell continues or gets more intense then I would start to be concerned with it until you can identify what it is. It may not be harmful to the vehicle but you don't want to pay full price for something that is unknown. Basically, if it does not go away but the vehicle runs fine, then this becomes a negotiating point.

Please let me know if I can assist further. Thanks

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Saturday, June 29th, 2019 AT 10:42 AM

BMWX3

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5 POSTS

Thank you! I do have a couple of further questions, however.

How would one go about changing the language of the navigation system? It is currently in Russian. Can I simply dig through the menu until I find it or?

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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 10:09 AM

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

I cannot find any information on your specific car and radio but it looks like all have an option in the settings on Language.

Here is a video on a BMW radio that is closest to your car. Hopefully the process is the same on yours.

https://youtu.be/vuWz9w9OobY

Either way, I am sure you could call a dealer or a BMW specialty shop and they will tell you how to do it. Also if you have the owners manual it should be in there. I highly doubt this is a process that requires a scan tool. Current vehicles I could see that but not 10 years ago.

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Monday, July 1st, 2019 AT 4:19 PM

BMWX3

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5 POSTS

It appears that the English option (which is also named English) is overwritten by Russian.

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Tuesday, July 2nd, 2019 AT 3:03 AM

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

If I understand you correctly then your English option is actually Russian? If so, I am not sure how to correct that without replacing the radio. I would suggest calling a BMW shop and ask because I don't even see anything on the internet that is even close to that issue.

Let me know if I understand you properly and if so, I am sorry I can't assist further with that one.

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Tuesday, July 2nd, 2019 AT 4:22 PM

BMWX3

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5 POSTS

That is correct. They have just told me that they would need to update the software in order to change this. Asking 125 euros. No way I am paying them this much for a simple software reload.

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Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019 AT 3:04 AM

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

Okay. I understand. Dealerships here in the States do the same thing. They are the only ones that can perform this type of stuff (usually) so they can charge a premium.

Thanks for the update. Sorry I don't have a trick for this one.

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Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019 AT 3:53 PM

BMWX3

MEMBER
5 POSTS

I have some good news. Luckily for us, there are some great free resources out on the interwebs about how to perform the software update yourself along with the firmware file itself. There are even some modified versions that add extra functionality to your navigation. And yes, it will reset your extra languages to their original form. In my example, from Russian back to English. There may even be versions for your specific language if you look around the web.

I went ahead and installed the latest version (v32) that is modified to have a night mode and an ///M-badge splash screen.

I have provided links to the necessary downloads as well as links to handy guides to help you get started with the process.

Keep in mind that you do need a CD/DVD burner in order to create the update disk. If you do not have one, call up a friend or buy one off Amazon for some 30 bucks. I used the friend option :>

Be careful to follow the guides step by step if you are unsure what you are doing as there is a difference in the navigation system's models.

Version 32 is the latest software for BMW MKIII and MKIV navigation computers, released in 2008. On your current system, head to the 'Settings' option on the home screen, and take a look at the top right. It'll say S/W (software) x-1/aa where 'x' is your computer model, 1, 2, 3, or 4, and 'aa' is your revision number. /00 is version 32.

All together I spent 69 cents as opposed to 125 EUR asked by the dealer.

Links to downloads:
-v32 Software Update (1): http://www.neiloakley.com/
-v32 Software Update (2): https://e39source.com/downloads
-ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download

How to create a software update CD/DVD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQS7MTYp6dY

How to install the software update onto your MKIV system (the car model in the video may be different but it doesn't matter as long as the navigation system is the same model - MKIV): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7sFrpnXFCs

Use IMGBurn to burn the .cue file to a CD. Use the slowest burn speed possible, and do verify the burn at the end. Simply follow the video instructions if you are unsure.

Hope this helps anyone else looking to save some money!

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Thursday, July 4th, 2019 AT 12:11 AM

KASEKENNY