# 2011 BMW X5 seizes 30 miles after work done **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** bmw\ **Created:** [February 11, 2021, 5:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917 "2021-02-11T05:13:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wally\_173150](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wally\_173150](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wally_173150)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 11:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/21 "2021-02-12T23:14:13Z")
well, sometimes you need to pull the engine to replace the gaskets that were leaking. Even subaru 4 bangers have cylinder heads 90 degrees from the crank with no chance of pulling anything without the motor coming out. If you took it to them with an emissions problem, they would have told you to drive it 50 miles. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2021, 11:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/22 "2021-02-12T23:41:44Z")
Wally , do you even know what this thread is about ? ---
**Author:** ![wally\_173150](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wally\_173150](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wally_173150)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 2:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/23 "2021-02-13T14:57:04Z")
Yes, I am saying a 4900, which changed to 4000 dollar bill for oil leaks can be because they had to pull the engine to get to them all. I can join the pity party, but common sense shows they did not add fluids properly. ---
**Author:** ![German-Car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dc4da7/32.png) [@German-Car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/German-Car)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 4:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/24 "2021-02-13T16:12:57Z")
Bing. You are correct. It is not my intention to damage anyone in this forum. I merely am looking for a sounding board to get advise and logical thought feedback for a circumstance like this. I am sure we are going to be able to work something out. I have been in talks with the shop over the last few days to see what can be done. I feel we are basically in a discovery period to try and better determine what happened to the car. ThankYou for your valuable input. Once I have more info I promise to share. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 4:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/25 "2021-02-13T16:50:33Z")
> [@German-Car](#): > > I feel we are basically in a discovery period to try and better determine what happened to the car. Did they tell you what leaked out? What caused the failure? If they didn’t, I guess they don’t want to reveal the mistake that was made. ---
**Author:** ![German-Car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dc4da7/32.png) [@German-Car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/German-Car)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 7:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/26 "2021-02-13T19:21:45Z")
Visited them today. They have not said what caused the problem. They are looking at the condition of the oil filters before and after the engine seizing. They are also contacting BMW to get prior maintenance records and dump the computer for any diagnostics that might not be evident from their scanning tools. They did say they pulled a high oil pressure code. We also looked at the filters and saw some fine particles of aluminum on the filter from before the work. I understand some are expected. These were very small/fine. The after work filter showed striated bits of aluminum which we didn’t see before and 1 or two bits of yellow metal which I assume was from bearing failure at the time of the seizure. They are obviously looking to see whether proper maintenance was done prior. They have assured me oil and antifreeze levels are as they should be at this point. Looked at the oil cap and no indication of water in the oil. Meaning no soup under the oil filler cap. They have not pulled the oil pump or pan to see if there is any indication of why this happened. Will be following up after the holiday to see what BMW tells them. They have also assured me they followed proper procedure to insure no antifreeze in the oil. This is what I know. ---
**Author:** ![bcohen2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bcohen2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bcohen2010)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 7:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/27 "2021-02-13T19:36:42Z")
Since the engine is (allegedly) full of oil and coolant, and was not making any abnormal noises before the shop touched it, what is their explanation? Are they suggesting that aliens in a spaceship came and sabotaged your engine? Also, I find it hard to believe that they saved the oil filter from before the repair work was done, and even harder to believe that the (alleged) presence of metal shavings wasn’t brought to your attention at that time. ---
**Author:** ![German-Car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dc4da7/32.png) [@German-Car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/German-Car)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 8:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/28 "2021-02-13T20:23:07Z")
I am getting that feeling. I will wait until Tuesday for BMW to reply to them. ---
**Author:** ![German-Car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dc4da7/32.png) [@German-Car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/German-Car)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 8:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/29 "2021-02-13T20:28:52Z")
He said they dug it out of the trash to look at it. I believe him at this point however he is still looking for some indication it was not caused by them. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 9:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/30 "2021-02-13T21:11:15Z")
> [@German-Car](#): > > Will be following up after the holiday to see what BMW tells them What holiday? Did I miss a day off? So it got towed in, they quickly put new oil in it, tightened the filter or oil plug and are now investigating where all the metal particles came from. Meanwhile, Tommy the rack jockey has been sent fishing for a couple weeks but left a message that the engine was sounding funny when he put oil in it. Might as well buy another car to use. This is gonna drag out for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Larry-M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Larry-M](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Larry-M)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 8:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/31 "2021-02-14T20:51:15Z")
Or the new water pump gasket could have leaked. Bolts not properly tightened? As you wrote, first step is to check coolant and oil levels. ---
**Author:** ![James-378](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@James-378](https://community.cartalk.com/u/James-378)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 10:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/32 "2021-02-15T22:54:11Z")
Sadly your comment about buying another car to use is probably dead on . No Repair shops readily admit to making expensive mistakes. A coworker once spent weeks getting a Tire Shop to admit they damaged one of his Tire Pressure Sensors on his Corvette. Reputable shop but the kid who damaged it was afraid of getting fired. I do have one Problem , How does and Engine on a Modern Car Seize up without a laundry list of Codes ?? ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 10:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/33 "2021-02-15T22:58:54Z")
> [@James-378](#): > > How does and Engine on a Modern Car Seize up without a laundry list of Codes ?? I dunno. I’m not a mechanic but based on my maybe outdated experience with codes, is that codes don’t cover everything. Codes are only related to sensors in circuits. You might get a “hot” warning light or a “low oil pressure” light but maybe not a code. Somebody really needs to do an autopsy on the engine though to determine what the heck actually happened. ---
**Author:** ![James-378](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@James-378](https://community.cartalk.com/u/James-378)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 11:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/34 "2021-02-15T23:23:19Z")
Car Makers are very, very protective of their codes, most Independent auto repair shops have very limited access to the codes. Even when they pay yearly fees to companies that supply codes lists for almost all cars , they still are not getting the full number. This is what you get for buying a Made In America “German SUV” ! ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 11:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/35 "2021-02-15T23:57:14Z")
> [@James-378](#): > > Car Makers are very, very protective of their codes, If that is true then how can Auto Zone read codes ? ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 12:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/36 "2021-02-16T00:08:07Z")
> [@VOLVO-V70](#): > > If that is true then how can Auto Zone read codes ? I don’t know but I thought it was settled science that manufacturers had to make codes available to shops. Thought a law was passed, but can’t explain the John Deere issue then. I’ll wait for a comment by someone who knows. ---
**Author:** ![SteveCBT](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevecbt/32/3192_2.png) [@SteveCBT](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveCBT)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 12:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/37 "2021-02-16T00:19:07Z")
Most common codes are read by even $30.00 Walmart readers, but once you start getting into vehicle specific stuff the manufacturers are less than cooperative. “Note that in addition to the generic codes that apply to all cars, individual manufacturers have their own specific codes. Finding these can be a bit trickier, as not every manufacturer is entirely comfortable with the idea of releasing them to the public.” > **[Everything You Need To Know About OBD, OBD II | Dongles, Diagnostics |...](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/everything-you-need-to-know-about-obd-obdii/)** > > Your vehicle's OBD port is essential when diagnosing mechanical problems, but that's not all it can do. ---
**Author:** ![bcohen2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bcohen2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bcohen2010)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 1:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/38 "2021-02-16T01:40:05Z")
Even a low-cost OBD II code reader can retrieve _generic_ emissions trouble codes and inspection readiness status from any OBD II compliant vehicle. A more sophisticated scan tool can read ABS and SRS trouble codes and display _standard_ live data. However, even on very old cars–such as those from the late 1990s to mid 2000s–there are a lot of datastreams which can _only_ be viewed with the factory scan tool, or a third-party equivalent. As time has progressed, things have gotten _more_ proprietary, and the information provided by a basic scan tool is of very limited usefulness. ---
**Author:** ![James-378](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@James-378](https://community.cartalk.com/u/James-378)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 1:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/39 "2021-02-16T13:59:38Z")
Anyone with a Reader can Read Some of the codes but there are many that only the Makers and the Dealers can read. Remember VW and the Diesel Fiasco ? As soon as someone plugged in the car the computer in the car knew to falsify data /codes. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 4:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917/40 "2021-02-16T16:45:16Z")
They fixed oil leaks and now motor has to be replaced. Too bad you can’t apply $4k repair against replacement motor. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-bmw-x5-seizes-30-miles-after-work-done/174917.md?page=3)