Auto gearbox failure? Advice needed.

[X5Sport]

Things to also look/listen for:

A rattle from the forward end of the transmission - could indicate a torque converter failure. I lost all drive on mine and it was the TC that failed - causing massive damage downstream with the debris.

Will it select any gear from P or N? If nothing happens then there's possibly a loss of hydraulic pressure - could be the pump?

Electronics control system testing needs a specialist tool to read/reset. Some Bosch specialists have them too. If it's a fail, then it's a replace. Repairs are not possible (or so I'm told).

Did you get the codes converted to something meaningful?

The problem with auto transmissions is that they are a specialist rebuild job and unfortunately not cheap. BMW will only offer to replace the unit at their charge rate. They don't or won't fix them. Plenty of boxes about though.

My rebuild was £2,200 in January on the 6sp ZF box. If there's no one nearby, try A1 Premier Transmissions in Bedfordshire (you'll find them on the web) - they'll even come and get it for you. I expect you'll have some one a lot close though. They do a lot of Warranty Direct's work. They had three more BMWs coming in the day mine came back.

[k22102]

Originally Posted by X5Sport

Things to also look/listen for:

A rattle from the forward end of the transmission - could indicate a torque converter failure. I lost all drive on mine and it was the TC that failed - causing massive damage downstream with the debris.

Will it select any gear from P or N? If nothing happens then there's possibly a loss of hydraulic pressure - could be the pump?

Electronics control system testing needs a specialist tool to read/reset. Some Bosch specialists have them too. If it's a fail, then it's a replace. Repairs are not possible (or so I'm told).

Did you get the codes converted to something meaningful?

The problem with auto transmissions is that they are a specialist rebuild job and unfortunately not cheap. BMW will only offer to replace the unit at their charge rate. They don't or won't fix them. Plenty of boxes about though.

My rebuild was £2,200 in January on the 6sp ZF box. If there's no one nearby, try A1 Premier Transmissions in Bedfordshire (you'll find them on the web) - they'll even come and get it for you. I expect you'll have some one a lot close though. They do a lot of Warranty Direct's work. They had three more BMWs coming in the day mine came back.

Hi X5Sport, the rattle does appear to be coming from the end of the box which attaches to the engine, the rattle is very faint though but could still be a torque convertor failure

I can move the lever through all 4 positions of P, R, N, D and also manually select 1, 2, & 3 but the car doesn't move in any of them.

When the problem first occurred the car continued to drive as normal, i was only 0.5 miles away from my destination at the time though it was uphill and the box changed up and down as it had previously. My concerns started when i tried to reverse the car up onto the driveway and it struggled to do so with what felt like a slipping clutch.

Is there any way i could check the pump for fault? I do notice that when i move the gear lever from P into R or D that i can't 'feel' anything engaging within the box.

The car is my first automatic BMW so i don't have any prior experience to compare it's operation on.

I'll need to do something with the car but i'm going to shut the thing away out of sight until i cheer up a bit, had enough of damn bmw's just now, handed over close on £900 last weekend for a new set of those terrible runflat tyre's for my wife's 3 series. I hope Bmw customer care don't do one of their courtesy calls to me anytime soon!

[k22102]

Originally Posted by JCL

You can't use a transmission from a rear-drive BMW, you need the AWD version of the transmission (which is designed to accomodate the transfer case).

The same transmission is used in Holdens, Cadillacs, smaller BMWs, and many other vehicles, but not necessarily in its AWD configuration.

Thanks for your replies JCL, not that it's what i wanted to hear though

A good friend of mine owns a salvage yard with a number of Bmw auto's which are for breaking, unfortunately the only X5 auto he has is a 4.4 with the A5S440Z box in it, i don't suppose by any miracle i'd can fit that box instead??

Thanks again, Keith.

[JCL]

The problem with installing parts that aren't original, but which at the same time are controlled by various computers, is that the computers won't recognize the components, or will have faults related to them being different. The vehicle coding tells the car what is installed so that the various computers communicate properly.

If you put a transmission in out of a 4.4, you may need the engine and wiring harness as well. Just kidding, but illustrating that you can't treat each system as independent.

[k22102]

Originally Posted by JCL

The problem with installing parts that aren't original, but which at the same time are controlled by various computers, is that the computers won't recognize the components, or will have faults related to them being different. The vehicle coding tells the car what is installed so that the various computers communicate properly.

If you put a transmission in out of a 4.4, you may need the engine and wiring harness as well. Just kidding, but illustrating that you can't treat each system as independent.

In my experience of german produced cars you need to find another car built on the same day of week by the same technician at the same time of the day to stand any chance of finding parts being interchangeable

[X5Sport]

From what you describe, it sounds like a torque converter failure. The symptoms are almost identical to mine - although mine is the 6sp ZF transmission. If that is what happened then you are looking at a complete removal of the transmission and a strip down. The pump is inside unfortunately.

If - and this is key - parts from the TC have got into the pump then the failure is going to be expensive - no two ways around it - as you will in all likelihood need a specialist to rebuild the transmission. A second hand box of the right type is the other option unless you have the tools etc to do the repairs yourself. You will then need to find someone to recode the electronics module so that it matches your vehicle. I can't remember whether the 5sp module is under the bonnet (black box RHS rear below windscreen), or inside the transmission as it is on the 6sp.

There are a lot of owners of auto transmissions of all makes and models who are now finding just how unreliable they can be, there are also many people who never have trouble. Mine went at 42,000 miles and less than 5 years old, yet BMW GB walked away and the dealer quoted £7k to replace (not fix you'll note).

For mine, I needed - new TC, new oil pump & filter, major overhaul kit (clutch packs A & B burned out), gaskets, fluids and 18 hours of labour - cost £2,067. The company I mentioned in an earlier reply may be able to give you an idea. They're on the web.

I have to admit being absolutely gutted when it happened and I am seriously thinking about replacing it now, but having driven an X5, it's a hard act to follow. You have my sympathy, asnd I know how frustrated you must feel.

BTW, our 3-series (E46) breaks its rear springs!!

[k22102]

Originally Posted by X5Sport

From what you describe, it sounds like a torque converter failure. The symptoms are almost identical to mine - although mine is the 6sp ZF transmission. If that is what happened then you are looking at a complete removal of the transmission and a strip down. The pump is inside unfortunately.

If - and this is key - parts from the TC have got into the pump then the failure is going to be expensive - no two ways around it - as you will in all likelihood need a specialist to rebuild the transmission. A second hand box of the right type is the other option unless you have the tools etc to do the repairs yourself. You will then need to find someone to recode the electronics module so that it matches your vehicle. I can't remember whether the 5sp module is under the bonnet (black box RHS rear below windscreen), or inside the transmission as it is on the 6sp.

There are a lot of owners of auto transmissions of all makes and models who are now finding just how unreliable they can be, there are also many people who never have trouble. Mine went at 42,000 miles and less than 5 years old, yet BMW GB walked away and the dealer quoted £7k to replace (not fix you'll note).

For mine, I needed - new TC, new oil pump & filter, major overhaul kit (clutch packs A & B burned out), gaskets, fluids and 18 hours of labour - cost £2,067. The company I mentioned in an earlier reply may be able to give you an idea. They're on the web.

I have to admit being absolutely gutted when it happened and I am seriously thinking about replacing it now, but having driven an X5, it's a hard act to follow. You have my sympathy, asnd I know how frustrated you must feel.

BTW, our 3-series (E46) breaks its rear springs!!

Thanks for your reply X5Sport, i am pretty much prepared for the next BIG bill with this car but i'm also pretty confident it will be my last one too because as soon as its running properly again it is up for sale which is a shame because i've always wanted an X5 ever since their launch.

I've always had Impreza Turbo's, Mitsubishi Evo's and such like up till now and none of them have been as fragile or expensive to maintain as a supposedly superior Bmw X5 but you live and learn, i'm doing too much learning just now though

I'll let you know what comes of the investigations into the failure, the car has been dumped at my work out of sight where it can stay until i can be bothered to make a start on it, out of sight out of mind!

Cheers, Keith.