Official X5 4.6is & 4.8is Thread

[sidneyj]

Originally Posted by Mr.Couch

My guess is because this is a very specific & uncommonly ordered part thats why after 20 years they stopped making it. While tough to get, I've been able to get brand new OEM fender flares & trim for the car which I thought would have been NLA a long time ago.

You actually paid those high prices for OEM fender flares? I just priced out a rear flare for the 4.8 and it was over $400 and that was with a discount. At that price I'll live with a little blemish.

[Mr.Couch]

Originally Posted by sidneyj

You actually paid those high prices for OEM fender flares? I just priced out a rear flare for the 4.8 and it was over $400 and that was with a discount. At that price I'll live with a little blemish.

I do get a bit of a discount but yea, price to pay for brand new OEM without any blemishes.

[aaalbedo]

First time posting, or maybe not. I have a 2002 Estoril 4.6is with 170,000 miles and the transmission is showing sings of failure (no evidence of prior rebuild but otherwise well maintained, guides done at 140K etc.). Seems to slip out of gear when going around a corner, as there is a mild lurch as power returns. I'm an old guy and don't push it, just looking for a comfy winter driver. It has gone into failsafe mode just once, and since then has behaved normally on short drives (<50 miles). Seems like a rebuild would run about $6k, but a local indie BMW shop said they could not even find anyone to rebuild in Colorado. On line rebuilt sites have no stock on rebuilts.

I'm inclined to just drive it this winter; commute is about 20 miles each way once or twice a week. See what happens. Any thoughts, or suggestions for a rebuilt source for the 5HP24? Do these tend to fail quickly, or might I get the winter out of it and think about options in the spring?

I have an e46 (zhp cab 6 speed) and e39 (msport dinan 6 speed) so well versed re the engine side of things, but the auto is new to me.

Thanks in advance for any insights.

Larry

[EODguy]

First off, have you ever changed the fluid/filter?

It could be something as simple as...

Needing fluid added, filter/valve body gasket replaced or solenoid replacement.

At the other end it could be a crack between channels in the valve body requiring a new valve body (not whole transmission)

I recommend you check out the threads or post there to get more and better responses

Sent from my SM-A528B using Tapatalk

[Henn28]

The 4.4i and the 4.6is both have the ZF5HP24 transmission, but the BMW and ZF part numbers are slightly different to reflect the fact that the 4.6 slushbox has:
- A larger torque converter (than the 4.4 version)
- an extra clutch
- a bell housing with a different internal profile to accommodate the larger TQ. The bolt pattern is identical to the 4.4 version.

I second EODguy’s advice, and I would also add that you can reach out to ZF customer service and ask them parts and other technical questions. They’ve been very responsive to my questions over the past years.

Regarding a rebuilt 4.6 gearbox, cores and donors are super hard to come by since the 4.6 was a low numbers vehicle. However, I’m sure any reputable ZF savvy shop could rebuild yours, if you can afford to not drive the car for a while. The TQ is the question though, if you need a new one.

That said, the 4.4 gearbox works fine hooked up to the 4.6. I’ve had my e53 running in that config for almost a year and a half now (I swapped a 4.6 into my car, and used the 4.4 gearbox because the 4.6 version was really hard to find). I suspect you could toss a 4.4 TQ into the 4.6 tranny and it would work fine too, as long as the bolt patterns are the same….which they might not be. Regardless, you could use a 4.4 flex plate, if they are different. They are a dime-a-dozen on eBay (use new bolts tho!) RealOEM would tell you if the part numbers are different.

I would consider, if all else fails, sourcing a 5hp24 from a 4.4, or 540, etc. and using that. I haven’t burnt mine up yet. The control modules may need some massaging though, or they could work fine. I am using my 4.4 modules but the DME is running a 4.6 tune. You might only need to get your TCU flashed with the 4.4 ZF program.

A remanufactured 4.4 5hp24 from a shop in California cost me a couple grand 5 years ago when mine gave out, if I recall. Likely much cheaper than the 4.6 version.

[Henn28]

RealOEM shows the same flexplate part number (11221435235) for the 4.4 and 4.6 motors. So that’s good news. You could possibly just swap in a 4.6 torque converter for your 4.6 piece, assuming you need a new one. They are difficult to find while rebuilt and new 4.4 TQs are available.

The only question would be if the input and pump shafts sizes, spline counts, etc are different between the two trannys. I’d be surprised if they were different, but ZF could tell you that. I have an electronic ZF parts catalog and will take a look, and update this thread later.

Update: the ZF doc I have doesn’t list the input group input shaft assembly as a separate part you can purchase, only the bearings and seals on either side of it. So that’s not particularly conclusive as to if the 4.4 TQ will fit onto the 4.6 gearbox shaft.

[TsO346]

+1 on following EODguys advice, have your valve body inspected for any cracks before resorting to a full rebuild. I just recently had my 4.6 trans rebuilt. Like many, I was getting the harsh downshift from 2nd into 1st then I started getting trans failsafe errors after the trans would downshift that would put the truck into limp mode. Watched several YouTube videos from Gary Ferraro who thankfully is local and went to him for a rebuild. Lower valve body and A Drum is prone to issues. Check him out, give him a call. I’ve read that he’s helped people with information and tips that weren’t local to him.

[Themoog]

The trans on my 4.4 started getting a thump between 2nd and 3rd a few years ago at circa 160k miles.. I had already replaced the fluid and filter several years before too. This time when I took the sump off to take a look a big chunk of metal was there.
Anyway, I put new fluid in and drove it about. Lasted about a month before I lost drive at a junction. Had the whole lot removed and rebuilt for £2000 here in the uk.
I would suggest doing a service on it before anything else to see what happens.

[x5Alpine]

Sent the transmission to Erikkson Industries Eriksson Industries

They should be able to rebuild yours as well as rebuild the torque converter.

[stevecyprian2]

Originally Posted by TsO346

+1 on following EODguys advice, have your valve body inspected for any cracks before resorting to a full rebuild. I just recently had my 4.6 trans rebuilt. Like many, I was getting the harsh downshift from 2nd into 1st then I started getting trans failsafe errors after the trans would downshift that would put the truck into limp mode. Watched several YouTube videos from Gary Ferraro who thankfully is local and went to him for a rebuild. Lower valve body and A Drum is prone to issues. Check him out, give him a call. I’ve read that he’s helped people with information and tips that weren’t local to him.

Thanks

Sent from my Infinix X650 using Tapatalk