interesting results from trans oil change

[bigwave2255]

i got my x serviced recently, and as well as the usual stuff i asked them to service/lube the sun roof rails (from info received here , thanks) they told me they do this as standard procedure.

i also asked the dealer to change the auto trans oil and complained firmly about the dreaded lurch, he was quite open about it and recognised it as a known problem for which there is no cure, we spoke about line pressures and agreed that the problem was probably due to to higher line pressure as the vehicle comes to a halt.

he said that the trans fluid was meant to last the life time of the vehicle, i told him i did not believe that, and would they do it any way.

so cut to the chase , they changed the oil and now suddenly the shift quality has subtly changed,seems firmer, and i have only once felt the lurch as i came to a stop, and it was dramatically less severe.

i dont know if ive just been lucky, my car has 86000 kilometres on it and maybe the oil DID need changing, i dont know what it looked like when removed, they didnt change the filter, stupid me forgot to tell them

maybe they were able to adjust the line pressure or shim something , i dont know.

i do know it seems nicer to drive.

at the time of the service i happened to mention that there was a very slight knocking sound when the steering wheel was rotated side to side, and when they checked it out the mechanic decided it needs a new steering rack, so when it goes in for that to be fitted i,ll quiz them about the trans and see if i can get any more info

my dealer appears to be very thorough in inspecting the vehicle, as they noted i had a very slightly worn ball joint on the upper rear right control arm.

they wanted $1400 (AUD)just for the part, i had a look on realoem and there are two upper arms, and assuming it is the larger of the two it is listed as $330 (USD) guess where i will be ordering it from, yep the US, and fitting it my self

[HPIA4v2]

Originally Posted by bigwave2255

i got my x serviced recently, and as well as the usual stuff i asked them to service/lube the sun roof rails (from info received here , thanks) they told me they do this as standard procedure.

i also asked the dealer to change the auto trans oil and complained firmly about the dreaded lurch, he was quite open about it and recognised it as a known problem for which there is no cure, we spoke about line pressures and agreed that the problem was probably due to to higher line pressure as the vehicle comes to a halt.

he said that the trans fluid was meant to last the life time of the vehicle, i told him i did not believe that, and would they do it any way.

so cut to the chase , they changed the oil and now suddenly the shift quality has subtly changed,seems firmer, and i have only once felt the lurch as i came to a stop, and it was dramatically less severe.

i dont know if ive just been lucky, my car has 86000 kilometres on it and maybe the oil DID need changing, i dont know what it looked like when removed, they didnt change the filter, stupid me forgot to tell them

maybe they were able to adjust the line pressure or shim something , i dont know.

i do know it seems nicer to drive.

at the time of the service i happened to mention that there was a very slight knocking sound when the steering wheel was rotated side to side, and when they checked it out the mechanic decided it needs a new steering rack, so when it goes in for that to be fitted i,ll quiz them about the trans and see if i can get any more info

my dealer appears to be very thorough in inspecting the vehicle, as they noted i had a very slightly worn ball joint on the upper rear right control arm.

they wanted $1400 (AUD)just for the part, i had a look on realoem and there are two upper arms, and assuming it is the larger of the two it is listed as $330 (USD) guess where i will be ordering it from, yep the US, and fitting it my self

As far as the trans fluid, maybe yours was low; you may have a small leak at the cooler line for example. When I changed my fluid it's not very obvious in shifting feel. But good to know that it solved your problem.

I'd flush the PS fluid first, I've encounter many occasions when the PS is dirty or low the steering feel gritty. Good luck.

[c4racer]

I seriously doubt you need a new steering rack at 86KM. Sounds to me like they are looking for something to replace to extract $ from your wallet.

[rayxi]

The improved tranny shift could be a temporary effect from reseting the tranny adaptations during the service. Only time will tell. Keep us posted.

[bigwave2255]

thanks, i would say the same about the steering rack, however ..... its under warranty, they are paying. except i have to pay for the oil and the alignment

[Boston X5 4.4]

Originally Posted by bigwave2255

at the time of the service i happened to mention that there was a very slight knocking sound when the steering wheel was rotated side to side, and when they checked it out the mechanic decided it needs a new steering rack,

FWIW I had a similar noise and had steering rack replaced at about 40K miles...under warranty

[skeetjunkie]

Forget the lifetime BS story. Older BMWs had a much more rigorous maintenance protocol (when it was the owner's nickel). Changing lubricating fluids and various filters on high performance engines is cheap insurance on early failure. My schedule for '04 X5 3.0i as per Mike Miller's old school treatise:

oil/filter - 5K
air filter & AWD transfer case fluid - 30K
power steering fluid - 30K
AT fluid & filter - 50K
spark plugs & fuel filter - 60K

Much of this is DIY (thanks to this forum!), except where a lift is essential. She runs like a top at 80K miles. Only major work was CV joints last summer. Very happy with the car.

[TowX]

Originally Posted by Boston X5 4.4

FWIW I had a similar noise and had steering rack replaced at about 40K miles...under warranty

My steering rack was replaced at just under 50K miles under warranty. Dealer said they replace them a lot.