transfer case actuator issues. need advice please!
 

ok guys, I know the actuator is bad. I had the clicking noise and the dcs/abs/brake lights on. it now pretty much will come on immediately after i start driving.

It seems to drive just fine other than that. My question is, is it ok to drive it like this till i can replace it?

A new one is $900. I thought my warranty would cover it but it won't..
Also, if i have mine rebuilt, will it still need to be coded???

I'm looking for the cheapest possible way to do this. I will do it myself but I'm not sure if I can get to it for a few weeks. I just don't want to do further damage..

thanks!

i have read that you can take the unit apart and invert the gear, apparently this then uses an undamaged part of the gear, (not first hand experience so no gurantees)

i also have read that you can disconnect the actuator and simply run in 2 wheel drive

SlickGT1 flipped his gear around. Maybe ask him how its holding up.

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...ixed-sort.html

aren't I already driving in 2wd when the DSC/abs/brake light are on?

I want to fix it before winter for sure... Isn't there are rebuild kit somewhere????? I would rather do that with my original actuator so i don't have to re code or spend 900.

If you search, there was a guy selling the gear made of metal. Not sure if he's still selling or if another option is available.

Here is a place that is testing and says soon selling them. YMMV.
The instructions are good.

Transfer Case Actuator Motor Gear
( view PDF instructions ) ( view instructional video )
This gear is located inside the actuator motor. We manufacture using a high temp nylon carbon fiber reinforced material which is self lubricating. Warranty subject to proof that all four tires replaced at once. See warranty section of website for further information. OE # for assembly: 27 10 7 566 296 Old #: 27 10 7 541 782 See our How To page for video instructions ***Currently in testing phase and should be available for purchase around 24 October 2012***
$125.00
Available Soon

Odometer Gears - BMW - X3 (E83-N) - X5 (E53) 1999-2010

^good find! I'd be willing to give it a go for $125. Beats $900 for a new actuator motor with the same gear that wore out the first time.

Awesome!! Thanks a ton! I can wait till October.
I'm going to call ASAP. This seems to be a problem with more and more
X5s as they get older. Beats 900 bucks plus coding.

Just flip the gear. I fixed mine in April, and all has been fine so far. That is the cheapest fix, and will take you 15 min. I have been off roading a bit since then, and quite a few hard starts, to the point all 4 wheels peeled out. The fix seems to be holding up. I mean, at least it will prolong the life of it. Rebuild it when you have no meat on the gear. For not you have 50% of the gear in excellent shape.

Oh as far as I know, once you peel off the gear protecting plate, it does not go on the same way. You basically mess it up, and I bet they just glue it back on, not press fit it. That is one of the reasons I decided to just flip the gear for now.

And there are guys rebuilding these things on ebay. Even the guy with the brass gear.

This is a good find though. People should take a look at it to see the video. The part where they remove the C clip, that step will be a bitch to re-install the C clip. Then where he pops the metal cover off, that is BS. I did a lot of searching, and most people seem to mess the cover up. You really need to be careful in doing this part. You bend that cover, nothing is going to make it fit right again.

When my gear fails again, I am going to try to rebuild my actuator. But I have time. So no worries. Hopefully someone else tries it before me.

can you explain more about just flipping the gear? are you saying this can be done without taking that plate off? I need to watch the video when I can.... I saw the pics where the gear is only half chewed but want to make sure I have all the instructions to make it simple and clear...

ok i just watched the video. It seems fairly simple however my question is doesn't that white gear get worn too? I see they are putting in a new black gear but what about the white one

I don't know but I'm thinking if it was a common failure point - they would address that too.

Also, in that vid they say that the gear that is being replaced will eventually rotate to the worn side. So, they say don't bother flipping it.

I disagree because the reason only one side of the gear is worn is because it DOESN'T rotate evenly. That's why you're replacing it in the first place. :rofl:

I completely agree. Only about 30% of the gear is screwed up. If it always spun a little bit, then it would wear even, but it does not.

Yes, you can flip the gear without taking the metal plate off. Mark the white gear with a line down the middle. Extend this line to one side of the metal plate. One you flip the gear, make the line up so that you are flipped 180 degrees. Put motor back in, and it will move the gear a bit. Take out motor, and adjust for the movement of inserting the motor. Easy as pie.

The gear that fails is the black one that they are replacing, not the gear that connects to the X case.

i'm sure this would make sense if i have seen it before but i can not picture where to make the line and where/when to make it line back up....this part has me confused "One you flip the gear, make the line up so that you are flipped 180 degrees". Once i flip the black gear?? am i actually flipping it over or rotating it 180 degrees? will the line i make on the white gear line up with the line i extended onto the metal plate?

Just trying to picture it all before i take it out. thanks for all the help. i will take pics as i do this

after looking at that video and pdf i have another question... How are you getting that gear out without popping that plate off??? and if i'm able to get that plate off easy, do I have to glue it back in somehow since it looks like it was pressed in?

Flipping just means rotating the gear 180 degrees with the motor off and then insert the motor to fix the gear in position.

ok buts what is drawing the line for ? also how do you get the gear out with the plate on?

I think the line is so that you can make sure you have rotated the gear EXACTLY 180 degrees.

Is there any harm in the gear not being turned exactly 180 degrees ?

Not sure but the point is just so that you don't replace it with the worn portion being in the same place as before. I don't think it has to be exact just that its basically at the opposite end as before.

Ok so I just want to rotate the worn part from its current position by 180 degrees. Should be simple enough but I'm still unsure of how to do this without taking off the metal cover like in the video

Thanks all. Yes, you are rotating the gear 180. Without the line, you won't know if you did so. The people that have done this, some say this fails on them right away. I have a feeling it is because they did not flip 180. You need to mark the white gear before you take the motor out.

If you take the motor out, the gear will rotate. You won't be spinning it 180 anymore. Get it. You need to mark the gear, white visible part on the outside.

It is very hard to see inside the motor shaft hole, and then judge the 180.

Just unbolt that thing, it will take you 3 min. You will see the white gear.

Ok follow this exactly.

1. Unbolt actuator from X case.
2. Take off the little ground wire, and the main harness.
3. The actuator is in your hand with the motor still attached.
4. Mark said white gear on the outside, extend the line to the metal plate
5. Mark one side of your gear with a plus, that way you will know you didn't put it back in the original position.
6. Take out the 4 screws that hold motor to the actuator.
7. Remove motor just like in the vid. Hold onto that harness connection, or you will be putting the brushes back in one at a time. It's not the end of the world, I took my motor apart just to see.
8. Once the motor is out, the white gear spins freely. You can now spin it till you are blue in the face.
9. Line up the marks, and assemble.

You are done.

I'm going to try this and hope for the best. I guess the worst thing is I have to pull it off again.

Anyone know the bolt and screw sizes so I can't make sure I have them?

Click on the link that TwinsPoppa provided for you earlier. I did a write up a while ago.

Will I loose any fluids when I take this off the transfer case?

No you will not. It is not connected like that. It is an external device.

Ah. Thus why my premium warranty didn't cover it :/

Has anyone tested the part from this vendor?
My gear wasn't worn out as badly. My problem was actually fixed by replacing alternator regulator. I suspect this gear issue was originally caused by voltage surge.

However, it still makes grinding noise occasionally without lightening up the dashboard. Very annoying.
If any one has used the gear from this vendor successfully please let me know.

The Italians are selling this for $300 plus on ebay. Thanks in advanced.

If you flip the gear as I said. And ensure that you flip it 180 degrees by marking it before pulling it, you should be fine for quite a while. I am still driving on the flipped gear.

Happened to me and I opened up the motor to flip the gear. The previous owner beat me to it and the gear had already been flipped :D I ran the car in 2 wheel mode while waiting for my gear from here - BMW x3 x5 x6 E53 E83 E71 Transfer Case Motor Actuator Kit BMW 27107566296 | eBay

Opened up the actuator motor, reconditioned it and fitted the gear and presto - issue sorted! ;)

So you got the brass gear? How hard was it to put that gear cover back on? I think I will stick with the plastic gear when I have to.

Hey guys, I picked up one of their brand new high temp nylon carbon reinforced actuator gears from odometergears.com

Hang tight as I will do a full write up with removal and installation as soon as I get it. Looks like the hurricane may delay it a few days.

The material used to make this gear is some pretty special stuff and in no way an ordinary plastic. We use a similar proprietary material in the Space Dynamics Lab here at Utah State University for different applications for NASA projects; rocket boosters, satillites, etc. More to come.....

I had no issues cleaning the motor and putting everything back together, codes we cleared by my Indy, and it's working perfectly so far. I guess time will tell. I was originally quoted R12000 to fix it locally ($1300) and the gear and repair cost less than $300 so I am happy. :thumbup:

Oh so your mech did it. You realize actuator is around $700 brand new from dealer, and takes 10min to swap out.