Another transmission problem
 

I have a 2003 BMW x5 4.4 112k on it recently I notice if I drive for a while and park the car n start it back up right away It will not go in D it goes into all the other gears except D after a while I guess when it cools down I have no problem with putting it into drive, the only CEL code i get is for a o2 sensor any ideas?

Check fluid level first.

So when you said that the truck doesn't go into drive, do you mean that the gear shift doesn 't go into drive or the D indicator on the dash doesn't light up?

the gear doesnt go into Drive and the indicator

Have you check the cable that attaches the gear shift to the transmission? Could also be the neutral safety switch which is attach to the end of the cable from the gear shift to the trans.

OP: sorry, I misunderstood.

Agree with the interlock cable needing adjustment. Neutral safety switch would prevent it cranking over but not shifting IMO.

Neutral safety switch will not display the D in the dash if the contact in the switch is bad or the cable is not adjusted correctky.

It would go in to D but when driving for about a hr or so, if I parked n try to put into D again It won't do it so I'm figuring when the car really warms up thats when it cars up could it be something with the cooling system that cools the transmission?

No its the gear shift switch on the side of your trans. Needs adjustment.

any idea...where i can get one to buy?

You don't need to buy one, you need to check it out and properly diagnose the problem. It would be silly to replace it if it only needed adjustment. The fact that it works sometimes suggests it isn't broken, just in need of adjustment.

I don't have time to find the thread with the picture in it, but if you search for your problem, on this forum, and perhaps user RRPhil, you will find the part that needs to be shifted a bit. It has adjustment in it, no need to replace.

The neutral safety switch or range selector switch is referenced in the following thread:

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...ty-switch.html

See in particular post #3 in that thread, with a link by RRPhil.

That switch is the one that stops the starter motor from engaging if not in Park or Neutral. The symptom is like a dead battery, it doesn't crank.

The problem that the OP has is that he doesn't seem to be in D when he thinks he is, ie when the selector lever is in the notch it doesn't indicate D on the dash, or engage drive within the transmission. That doesn't seem to me to be about the switch, but rather the cable adjustment; either the shifter cable or an interlock feature that isn't allowing it go to into D due to misadjustment. It appears to be just slightly out of adjustment, and thus is temperature dependent. That is where I would be looking.

Thanks I'm gonna check it out this weekend

Having just read back through my original post I notice that I should really have made it clearer that the table shows a tick against the pins which should show continuity with the +ve pin, in each selector position

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/i...ps07abe300.jpg



http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/i...psfad1ee02.jpg


Only positions P, R, N & D are available on the Range Rover and I assume that the X53 is the same (?) so ignore the 4, 3 & 2 positions (though if you disconnect the cable and move the lever on the transmission selector shaft by hand you’ll see that they are actually there!)

Phil

while i havent had time to take a look at the car yet due to work related stuff, i notice i forgot to mention 1 thing, i dont know if it would make a difference but, when i try to put the shifter into D the gear would go back into N