My BMW 2001 X5 - ownership experience

When I lived in Russia, I dreamed about BMW cars. I came to Canada and my dream came true - I got line of credit and decided to buy that beautiful car, so I did it - BMW X5 4.4 Premium for just 23000CAD!!!!

The milage was about 100K.
I didn't even think that it can be so such pleasure to drive it, but I never thought how much money I would spend on it.

1) It started with radiator - it started leak in 2 month after bying: I spent 800CAD to fix it.

2) When I bought it, rotors and breake pads was pretty done and I spent about 1000CAD for the replacement.

3) My wife hit front left rim somewhere, so my car panel started light like crazy. I went to dealership and they say that it is ABS sensor and had to spend ~350CAD, so I spent ~150CAD for diagnostic (never go to dealerships) and decided to check it one more time at local garage. The guy checked it with its own computer and said that it is angle sensor and I have to replace right arm (it was bend) and it cost me ~250CAD (together with adjustment).


4) After ~1 year water pump was broken - I spend 200CAD for the tow service and ~ 700CAD to fix it.

5) After ~1 year i fixed 2 ball-joints, It was hard to take aout so guys had to drill bolt. It took me ~300CAD

6) ~170k - I replaces rotors with breake pads ~ 600CAD - I used chiepest one rotors but cerammic break pads.

6) Rear arm - As usually, it was pretty hard to take off and i spent ~ 300CAD

7) My engine started leak and I fixed Gaskets ~ 700CAD

8) My transmission started play with me bad joke and I went to Mr transmission. They gave me estimate ~4000CAD and I paid for that. 2 Month later i has the same sympthoms as before (never will go that place again), but they fixed it because it was on warranty. (The milage was ~170K)

9) I went to Mont-Tremblant and on back way my car started vibrate like crazy. I puulled over to local road and it was ok. I went to highway again and decided buy bottle of water at next exit. At cas station my car started make crazy noise and I couldn't move and turn wheel - it was front-right axel.
I paid ~300CAD for towing (~200km) +
If I would go to dealership to fix it, I would spend 900CDA for the axel and ??? for work. At local garage guys fixed it for the 300CAD - together with work (chinisee part of course).

10) Transmission started dying again at 240K (warranty was already over) and finally it was died at paking lot when I turned on rear gear. I found another guy, who fixes BMW only and paid him 5000CAD - because 3500 was transmission + work and 1500 was long metal shaft :-))))

11) after 1 month after that it started make new weired sounds.

12) The coolant box started leak and I had to add new cooland twice a week.

Finally,
I gave up and sold this car very cheap......... I owned that car for 3 years and was getting pleasure to drive it when it was ok, but more and more I was upset when it was boken. When I bought car my insurance was 130CAD/month, but when I was selling it - 300CAD/month. Insurance companies - thank you very much!!!!!


Please, think before you buy BMW. When my car was towed last time, the guy told me that they wouldn't have job if there were not BMW brand :-)

Stained glass - Flowers

Hi,
I made this work about 2 years ago.

1) First of all I found web site with free stained glass templates. Actually, you can get any picture you like and make a frame for the glass cuts. I went to Office Depot at Younge and Steels and printed out 2 copies with scale. I laminated one sheet (I did it because when you use grinder there is still some water left on glass and when you put it on picture it is getting wet), so I paid about 15 bucks for that.

2) Next step was glass selection. I don't know how many stores exists in Torornto, whcih can sell suatable glass for such kind of work, but I found 2 of them. I bought different pieces - I spend about 30CAD for that.

3) I used pen to mark every peace to be cut on paper sheet with unique numbers.
Next step was glass cutting. It is not my first project, so it was easy for me. I used permanent marker to mark glass peace with the same number as on paper sheet. I used grinder to make it perfectly fit.

4) next step was put all peaces together on laminated sheet of paper (from first step) and grid some peaces if requered.

5) I used copper foil to wrap glass edges.

6) weld it together and it is it!!!!

Beginning

Hi everybody. I have just started my blog. My first blog in a life :-) he he.
I really didn't have a time for that before but after divorce process it seems to be doable.

I am a IT guy with experience more than 15 years. My interests cover 3D graphics and woodworking and stained glass. I will try put my notes here.


DK