Transmission Problem - Now Fixed!!!
 

Re: 2005 X5 4.4i - 56K Miles

Hi Folks,
I'm pleased to report that a local dealer has finally experienced, diagnosed and FIXED my transmission problems!!! Read on for details...

For months I have been dealing with an increasing number of problems with my transmission. It's as if it were slowly breaking down on me but would only act-up while warm, a condition the dealers were all to impatient to reproduce. Here are the symptoms:
1. 5th grear bucked/hiccup'd every 5 seconds at cruising speed. Felt like a water droplet in the fuel line. It would only happen after driving for about 15 minutes and would remain once it started. Auto and Manual mode.

2. Once the hiccuping started, 5th to 6th gear shifts would be harsh.

3. Engagment of Reverse gear took 4 long seconds once the gear was selected. (This started 2 months after the 1st and 2nd symptoms started)

The shop foreman at Plaza Motors rode with me for 15 minutes then drove it himself and actually reproduced the 5th gear problem. Yes, miracles do exist. Since the transmission was not producing any error codes, earlier attempts to get this fixed were met with a response that BMW could do NOTHING unless the tranny threw a code to the computer. So, I was previously stuck.

Shop foreman called BMW and opened a PUMA case; described the problem to their tech guys; then received a part from Germany 4 days later.

The failing module in the transmission is called the Mecatronics module (Part #: 24-34-7-543-479)

Per the Transmission Manual (VS-22 je), the automatic transmission is controlled by the mechatronics module. The mechatronics module is a combination of hydraulic unit and electronics module. The hydraulic unit is the hydraulic section of the transmission control and regulates the valves (e.g. electronic pressure control valves).

The electronics module contains the EGS control unit (EGS = electronic transmission control), the sensors and the electrical connections within the transmission.

The mechatronics module is controlled from the selector lever as follows:
· Electrically: shift pulses from Steptronic
· Mechanically: parking lock, position switch

Bottom line: $3,200 later and I'm all fixed!!! Oh, wait a minute.... I bought the extended warranty! It was F-R-E-E (<-- That spells free!)

Very happy day for me today. :thumbup:

Well it's about time! Glad to hear it's all fixed! :thumbup:

Glad it worked out for you. which warranty company are you using?

BMW. See Post #25 in this thread: http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e53-forum/...e-pricing.html

Gotta love extended warranties. Glad you're all fixed. :thumbup:

Glad to hear it's fixed. Just bought an extended warranty last week on my 2004. :)

Glad that I just bought extended warranty for my 2008 x5 :thumbup:

wow, freebie.... good thing you have extended warranty... :thumbup:

I have the exact same problem and have been going crazy trying to get someone to diagnose it. I've had indie shops, BMW shops, everyone look and no one can figure this out. THANK YOU!! I am going to contact my repair facility tomorrow and pass this information on. I have a 3rd party extended warranty, and they are supposed to cover tranny issues!!

I have a 2005 4.4 w/ 62 k miles and have the same problem. I live in Colorado and it only happens when I head up to the mtns, so I'm assumiing when there is more of a load on the vehicle. Same issue with the dealer, they can't produce an error code, so nothing can be done. I emailed your experience and they asked I bring the car in again. Of course they could not reproduce since it's relatively flat where they drove the car. I've told them numerous times it only happens when headed up 1-70 toward mtns and of course their response was we can't drive that far. It's really only about 20 minutes to get there too! They noted the issue in their database and said that they will replace the mechatronics unit if I can reproduce it with a tech and I have till 75kmiles. I really do appreciate them doing that even after the warratnty has expired. Now I need to try to find a road / highway close by with a steady incline that I can get up to highway speed. They tech can only be gone for no more that 20 minutes though.