Newbie.....transmission feels like its slipping

BMW Ben · #1 10-12-2010, 12:30 AM

Hello all,

I am new to this site and am astounded by the wealth of info being shared. THank you all. I have already done a quick and inexpensive repair of my tail light and read through the secret surprises found in my recently aquired 2003 X5. Its my first BMW and AWD vehicle and am loving it!

I am hoping someone can allay some fears regarding my transmission. When I first fire the beast up after having been parked for extended periods (i.e. +3 hours), and put it into drive I notice that the transmission seems to gently slide into gear. It doesnt lurch or anything, and its not a problem, but takes a few seconds to fully engage. Its like it takes a little time for the pressure to build in my tranny before it will engage. Is this normal?

c4racer · #2 10-12-2010, 02:09 AM

sounds normal to me - more related to the linkage than the trans, I think. I hope you had this vehicle inspected before you bought it??

BMW Ben · #3 10-12-2010, 10:05 AM

Thanks for the reply c4.

I didnt think it was anything major to be concerned with and I have had the X5 since July (after inspection) and it has not changed. I thought it might be normal, but as I am new to BMW ownership, thought I would bounce it out there. It feels like the sensation when you slowly release the clutch on a standard and are wating for the tranny to engage. I equate it to the tranny needing to building pressure after sitting more than a few hours.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

TwinsPoppa · #4 10-12-2010, 10:17 AM

Hmmm ... let me ask you this. What happens when its warmed up and not cold? Meaning you didn't leave it sitting for long. Does it engage right away?

Also, does this only happen when you put it in gear? Does it shift normally between gears when you're driving?

I ask these questions because some people experience a 1-2 second lag when putting it into gear. My X does this. Some have mentioned its a sign of the tranny going bad but my X has done this since I bought it. It had about 32K then and now I have a little over 60K on the X.

No problems so far (knocks on wood).

BMW Ben · #5 10-12-2010, 11:47 AM

In reply to your question twinspoppa, there are no other transmission issues. It engages right away if the car has only been sitting for short periods, and there are no problems at all shifting when the car is rolling. As a matter of fact, unless you are looking at the tach you can barely notice gear changes.

I really didnt think it was anything but thought it would be best to enquire in case this isnt normal or a sign of trouble brewing. My X5 has almost 185,000 km's on it now, and I have put about 10,000 km's on it since July. Nothing appears to have changed.

Thanks again for the input....I love this place

amacman · #6 10-12-2010, 10:16 AM

sounds about right .no problems .