Artman, I got tremendous slippage going up hill. So something was wrong. Once I got it out, the failure was clear by looking in to the open end of the shaft. Anyway, it was making a nasty grinding/ringing kind of noise that was fairly easy to deduce it came from the bell housing.

PS I never got the TFS code either.

Ok so im about yo drop my tranny to get the converter out.

I have a 2003 3.0 april build date.

the converter has this stamped on it: Metal Stamp - 2421 5581 (on Cover) (part 4249 at Torque Converters - Precision of New Hampton $232 plus shipping (35lbs so about $30 one way and they ship back i believe)


My tranny has these on the label: GM 75 0 or 8 then 603
in large print 3GXU
P31 - - 086 5894

the green label on the pan says use: 8322 0024 359.

Real oem says i have a GM 5L40E (A5S 390R - XU)

now im confused are the trannys the same or do i have a different tranny.

and which oil is now being considered best to use....I looked at many threads but most say ZF tranny and i have a GM....more reading i guess. if anyone has input feel free to add...

Go to getBMWparts.com and you can shop parts by VIN, so you'll be able to tell what you have. (it's a BMW dealership)

Not sure if it helps, but I've been using Valvoline Maxlife in my BMWs for years with perfect performance. Just about anything is better than what came in it years ago. In my case, over 10 years.

well all point that its a gm and it used dexron 3 but now CASTROL TRANSMAX DEXRON®–VI AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID IS CERTIFIED FOR USE IN ALL GM VEHICLES. is being recommended


i read that some folks stuck with redline d4 atf and ppl were afraid to switch to the new dexron 6 but its 2011 and its been a couple of years. does any one whos changed their tranny in a 3.0 with the gm tranny used dexron 6?

Wow great thread.

So my symptoms.

77k Miles, 2006 4.8is
1. I hear a whining noise before shifts.
2. I get a vibration happening at certain speeds. I was actually thinking wheels need to be re-balanced.
3. I get the lurch when coming to a stop. This is pissing me off the most.
4. Sometimes reverse takes about 2 sec to engage.

Should I be taking it into a trans shop as soon as possible? Anyone have any good trans shop around NYC tri state area. Never had a trans failure before.

1 - if whining noise increases with revs it's possibly your torque converter or crack in intake hose. If in park, could be idler/tensioner pulley. I used to hear a whistling sound at aggressive upshifts, i found no culprit and dealer said it was normal operation from vacuum pump. Switched to a cold air intake and never heard it again.

2 - in my experience, similar symptoms led to one of the following or a combination...wheels, bearings, rotors, control arms. Depends on where and when you experience the vibrations.

3 - the notorious rough downshift (2nd to 1st gear). After several trips/diagnosis/PUMA cases with dealer, there was zero actual resolve. They recommended topping of trany fluid, resets, replacing trany. Dinan software helped a bit but it was still intermittent.

4 - dealer has said it's normal in the past but long story short...i ended up rebuilding trany and purchasing a new TC.

Contact Bimmer Clinic (Bill) or Bay Diagnostic (Al or Jordan) and ask them for recommendations. I had two 4.6iS trany's rebuilt by a former BMW tech in NYC. If i find his math i'll forward it to ya. North East roads and weather are brutal...the reason why i performed preventive maintenance (outside of service intervals) twice a year to prep for summer/winter seasons.

Thanks Willi.
1. I do not have any noises in park. Everything sounds healthy. I get the whine before shift, slow driving. Aggressive driving seems to be fine, but I might not be able to hear it because the exhaust is just too sweet.

This does not always happen. Random.

Which intake hose are you talking about. Or can it be any one at all. Thanks.

Could be anywhere...not always simple to discover either. But the symptom is a whistle sound instead of whining.

The first experience with a torque converter was mostly audible at lower speeds. It was intermittent as well but grew louder over time. Learned a valuable lesson as i didn't address the TQ issue promptly and metal shavings entered the trany causing further damage. Second experience...acted promptly and repairs were considerably less. Preventive maintenance is key.

Good to know. It also seems to whine more often during acceleration out of a corner. Curious if that changes the symptoms any.

[QUOTE=SlickGT1;854179]Wow great thread.

So my symptoms.

77k Miles, 2006 4.8is
1. I hear a whining noise before shifts.
2. I get a vibration happening at certain speeds. I was actually thinking wheels need to be re-balanced.
3. I get the lurch when coming to a stop. This is pissing me off the most.
4. Sometimes reverse takes about 2 sec to engage.

I would start with a simple drain and refill. This will give you a chance to see the condition of the fluid and check for debris on the magnets as well, if you drop the pan. If you go that far, you might as well change the filter while you are at it. www.oembimmerparts.com sells the filter kit with pan gasket. I just serviced my X5 @ 177k. I'd not recommend anyone go over 75k without changing their fluid.

This is a cost effective and good place to start. It will only hold one 4-5qt jug of fluid on the drain and refill method, which gets 45% of the old out. With the mileage on mine, im gradually removing the old by draining every 1k miles or so, the refilling with Valvoline MaxLife.