2005 BMW X5 3.0 transmission issues... Please help!!

[Jakesontap]

Hello all, kind a new to this site. I need some help with my X5 transmission and thought this would be the best place to start.

Vehicle: 2005 BMW X5 3.0i automatic transmission, 18" staggered wheels.
Issue: going into Tranny Fail-safe mode
What it's doing:
The SUV seems like it doesn't want to shift out of 1st gear and revs up high, when it does shift it seems to slip and rev up. It does it going from 2nd to 3rd a little bit but not as bad as 1st and then shift smoothly from 3rd to 4th with no issues but gone from 4th the 5th it will shift hard. After a few seconds of doing that it will go into transmission fail-safe mode. If I drive the vehicle and the standard manual mode it will shift good from 2nd to 3rd but if I let it creep up in second gear it will going to transmission failsafe mode, but if I wrap it up fast and shift and third shift perfectly and all other gears but still a hard shift to 5th.

Codes pulled with GT1:
34 EGS: Gear monitoring 2
246001: Faulty shifting
246002: Kickdown shifting not possible
345001: No passive shifting of slip control possible


Things I have done to her so far:
-Change the TCM computer
-Change the transmission fluid and filter (oil a little brown but not bad and there was not much contamination with minimal particles on the magnet)
-Pulled DME and inspected it, I found corrosion on pins and on circuitboard, when is much corrosion off as possible but have a new DME on order but with the storm in the north east and my DME coming from Jersey I don't think I will see it for a few days..
-Cleared the tranny adaptions.
----None of it helped..

I am going to try and switch out the DME and harness but what is everyone's thoughts on that. Plus how do I reprogram the DME for my X5 with the GT1 software? I bought a used one out of a 2005 X5 same motor and same part numbers.
So, any help or input would be great before I park it and save up the money to get a new/used transmission.
Thank you for any help!!!!!!!!!

[dkl]

You run 18" staggered wheels? What size tires are you using?

Did you use an OE BMW transmission filter? I did ran into shifting issues when I had an aftermarket transmission filter installed. Replacing it with a BMW Filtran filter solved all my shifting issues. Been trouble free for about 20K miles now with the BMW filter. Also, did you checked/verified that all the filter gaskets were removed with the old filter? Sometimes, a gasket may get left behind when the old filter is removed, causing the new filter not to sit flushed - this can cause shifting issues as well.

[Jakesontap]

I am running 18x8.5 rims with 255/55R18's on the front and 18x9.5 rims with 275/55R18's Kumho tires on the back. I was getting a slip warning once in a while when I would goose it around a corner hard after putting these tire/wheel set on.

I used a Beck/Arnley filter which my understanding was pretty good but had the same issues before I changed the oil and filter.

[Jakesontap]

Originally Posted by dkl

You run 18" staggered wheels? What size tires are you using?

Did you use an OE BMW transmission filter? I did ran into shifting issues when I had an aftermarket transmission filter installed. Replacing it with a BMW Filtran filter solved all my shifting issues. Been trouble free for about 20K miles now with the BMW filter. Also, did you checked/verified that all the filter gaskets were removed with the old filter? Sometimes, a gasket may get left behind when the old filter is removed, causing the new filter not to sit flushed - this can cause shifting issues as well.

Did you have shifting issues before you changed the filter/oil or just after using an aftermarket one?
Yes, I got both oring gaskets out of it as I know what you mean because one was stuck up in the tranny and had to get a pick to get it out.

[dkl]

The different diameter tires front to rear is most likely your culprit now that I see the tire sizes that you're running. However, I would suspect the different tire diameters to cause transfer case problem on an AWD system. But then again, the weakest link in the drive train will fail given enough stress placed on it.

If it was me, I would start by putting the same tire size on all 4 corners. Then troubleshoot from there.

I didn't have any issues before the oil/filter change - just after using an aftermarket one did I ran into shifting issue. Going back to the OE BMW filter solved my problem.

[JCL]

If it was me, I wouldn't start with the tires. They would potentially cause a problem with the transfer case, not the transmission. And the codes would be related to the transfer case.

Neither would I focus on the DME or TCM.

You can conclude from the results when you are manual shifting that the clutches/etc can manage a shift when the transmission doesn't have to decide when to shift.

I would be looking to the transmission valve body, transmission wiring harness, speed sensors, actuators, solenoids, and other monitoring/control systems internal to the transmission that manage shifting.

Recall that failsafe mode is just the transmission protecting itself because it doesn't know what to do, based on lack of inputs from sensors, or inputs out of the expected range, or whatever.

You need a test plan that guides you to the likely problem components from the codes you are getting.

[Jakesontap]

Thanks!
The tires I have on the X5 now are actually the same diameter, since the rims are wider in the rear it pulls the sidewall down on the rears. I actually took and measured them out and the circumference of the tires were within 1/2" of each other, so on each rotation the bigger tires rotate a 1/2" more which my understanding was well within the 3% you can have. But just to rule that out I am going to install the stock tires back on today. And start from there.
I also have a used trans harness that I will try switching out to see if any of the corrosion got to it or a broken wire.

JCL, the point about the clutch handling the shift is why I am so confused about this issue and wondering what all in involved in the shifting when you use manual verses the programmed shift. If I can rule out the components that are using manual shift versus the components used in automatic shift it will be a start. Wouldn't the vavle/solenoid's be used for both so when I manually tell it to shift the solenoid's do there job correctly?

[JCL]

Originally Posted by Jakesontap

JCL, the point about the clutch handling the shift is why I am so confused about this issue and wondering what all in involved in the shifting when you use manual verses the programmed shift. If I can rule out the components that are using manual shift versus the components used in automatic shift it will be a start. Wouldn't the valve/solenoid's be used for both so when I manually tell it to shift the solenoid's do there job correctly?

When you select a gear you tell it to run in that gear. Not quite the end of the story, because it will override and not let you destroy the engine with over revs, etc, but it starts off knowing it should be in, for example, 2nd.

When it is managing the shifting, it is monitoring things like engine speed, transmission output shaft speed, fluid temperature, pressures in various circuits in the valve body, and so on. Based on all of those, it decides when to shift. It may not be shifting because one or more of those sensors isn't working, or because the signal the sensor is sending is factually correct, but outside the range it should be considering all the other sensors. That is why codes don't tell you what is broken. They tell you what isn't where it is supposed to be, but not why.

Any part of the control and monitoring system could be at fault. I included the actuators because they may still function, but because of a problem not have the correct pressure.

Speaking generally, a test plan is used to narrow down potential causes based on codes and other diagnostic tests. It is cheaper than randomly replacing things (which is often the most expensive way of fixing something). A test plan would include things like checking actuators, pressures at various points, the speed sensor, etc.

Hope that helps. It may be that an expert who overhauls that specific transmission will recognize the combination of codes and suggest a next step. If not, you can use a transmission shop experienced in that transmission (not your dealer) or look for a used transmission or rebuild.

[Jakesontap]

Hey guys and JCL!! Sorry for the long late reply but life has had its fun with me.. So I have been driving the X5 this whole time in Manual mode while trying little things. Nothing fixed it.. I actually swapped the harness going to the tranny then Sunday I got another kick in the "balls" and my DME (MS43) engine computer decided to drink a cup of water and go to ECU heaven! I got lucky and had a spare 7551615 In the garage so I spent 1 1/2 days trying to figure out how to get that bugger to work in my X5... Bring a rocket scientist in all I actually got a used ECU to work!! Win for Jake.. Lol It just took a case of beer, WinKFP, INPA, DIS and a soldering iron and my $75 used module is running perfect!
Well, after swapping out the computer (old one showed prior water damage) the tranny seams to shift different! I get a hesitation between gears now. I also was watching the live data on solenoids. When in manual mode I see when I shift the different solenoids get activated and the tranny shift right then. But when in automatic mode I see the solenoids activated but the tranny doesn't shift for a few more seconds (say 5 seconds or so).. Would that be internal valve body issues or clutches?

PS... If anyone wants a how to on swapping out a DDM with a used one please feel free to ask and I might make a post about it soon..! It saved me $400-1000!!!

[Jakesontap]

Oh.. And the only code that I have ever gotten repeated is 34EGS Gear monitoring 2.. And I took the staggered wheels off and put standard ones on!!