Torque converter failing?
 

Hi all,

Sorry for bothering you just in my first post but I'd like some guidance. I've been reading tons of info in this site mainly and have had the chance to solve several issues with my recently bought X5 (about a month ago). However my main issue is related to my auto transmission ZF, specifically the torque converter as was I was told by the first mechanic who checked it. He suggested a fluid change, 6L of ZF fluid were put in it to see if I could get rid of a shredding noise while changing from 1st to 2nd gear coming from the front of the trans, I believe from where the TC goes. Also, the car will stick on 2nd gear after driving over 40 kms or so, no matter how gentle I drive it. When I have driven the car a lot the gear changes are not as smooth as when it's cold or not driven that much.

I'm so in love with this car that I can't think on letting it go that fast and since I bought it relatively cheap knowing the trans could need to be rebuilt then I still want to give it a try. It's just over a month with it and I have spent more than $1.200 to fix other issues and do the AT fluid change with oem filter and gasket.

My car doesn't rev up and down anytime, it just sounds "uggly" when it goes from 1st to 2nd gear I haven't heard it in any other gear change) and sometimes it jerks in a hard stop coming from 2nd to 1st.

I changed the battery about 3 days ago. Resetted the TCU, changed fluid with oem, including filter and gasket.

When the issue happens it reports an error (scanned with bmw software scanner on a PC) and it says in yellow "excessive torque converter slippage".

But I can't feel any slippage.

What's happenning?! This is driving me crazy and I'm starting to love/hate my X. :(:(:(

Forgot to mention it is a e53 2002 4.4

Does anyone have an idea about my issue? Or should I go straight away and ask for a TC change? What I don't want is to throw money on random stuff and then realize it was something else.

Thanks in advance!

How many miles are on it?

Like a bad relationship, when there's more hate then love, it's time to move on. That's why the PO sold it for so cheap. There's no such thing as a cheap BM Trouble U. You either paid at the beginning or paid at the end.

Sounds like a rebuild is in your future. Either you have a crack drum or one of the o-ring needs to be replaced. In either case it means a rebuild.

It has 197kms, not sure how many miles are those.

Before it goes into 2nd gear after having driven it above 30 kms, my DSC goes off, I get the trifecta lights, then a few kms later it goes into 3rd gear if I'm on the highway and as soon as I slow down bc traffic or anything it goes to 2nd gear and stays there.

What I do is to pull off for a few minutes, the start the engine again and the story starts over again.

@ BladeX5

BMW X5 Transmission Problems - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums

Thanks BigBlack48is! Very interesting thread you sent me.
My current mechanic told me to see those things first because he tested the car and he says it doesn't seem to be a problem with the trans in the mechanical stuff per se but electronics including sensors.

The only thing that worries me the most is that there is a metallic sound when changing from 1st to 2nd. It doesn't happen all the time, but it's there.

I will ask to check those sensors and wirings.

Thank you!

I always go for the -$100 fix before really tugging on those wallet strings....

Oh! BTW, The shredding noise is not noticeable or present when I change gears like in a manual trans, I mean, releasing the foot from gas then changing gear, then pressing gas pedal again. But, I didn't pick an AT to do manual gear changes if you know what I mean.

Anyway, I hope my findings might give you a better idea of what's happening and when it gets solved (finger crossed) it might also help others in the same situation.

Greetings

I wouldn't be driving the BM Trouble U if you have a shredding sound. You can only cause additional damages to the trans. The sounds is there because something ain't right.

I thought shredding meant it was cool... like skateboarding?

Shredding to me means the metal parts are falling apart because they are rubbing together when they shouldn't be.

You must be a snowboarder.

totally kidding upallnight ;)

Thanks guys. I'm going to take my X5 to a company that rebuilds transmissions for these cars among others. If there is a company in my country that will fix it as it needs is that shop.
They're charging me about $600 for TC reman and labor. I hope there are any other issues

Guys, I think we found the issue with my X5... checking with a scanner displaying real time data, we found out that the trans oil temp was getting too high very easily, overpassing 130 C.
Then we did a visual inspection of all the components of the cooling system for the transmission and, believe it or not, the last owner didn't change a faulty trans heat exchanger, but instead, he asked for a "temporary" solution in order to not spend some bucks in a new one. So, his "mechanic" (very insulting name for someone who did such a crappy work), replaced the lines and put a 2 meter copper tube and he trow it into the bumper.

How did we find that out? Well, I removed the front bumper to change a PDC sensor and voila! Crappy work all over the place.

I was so angry about it, I can't believe someone can be like that with these cars... or any car. I have never done something like that, not even with my first car (a nissan 200SX 1996)

AAaaaargh! I hope that with a real oem heat exchanger I can keep the oil trans as it should and that no real damage is inside... fingers crossed...

I just wanted to let you guys know... I'm so pissed off!

Not mechanic, but butcher :(

Much anger..... Grrrrr!!!!

Must not have been an original owner since that would have been repaired under the factory warranty. Must not have been the second owner since that would have been repaired under the CPO warranty.

Must have been a third or fourth owner who could afford to buy a BM Trouble U, but doesn't have the funds or knowledge to maintain the X. I seen this with Lotus owners and PORSCHE owners who really couldn't afford to own the cars but brought one none the less.

Hi guys, just wanted to give you some updates about my tranny issues (I have others but this is the most annoying and the one that worries me the most).

So far we've found out that:
- the heat exchanger and the lines and connectors were cut out (see pictures comparing a good one) for the ATF was removed as I posted early in this thread. FIXED! However this triggered another problem, now I get a slam sometimes from a hill stop&go transition. The engine revs but there is no movement, then the car engages but really hard.

- Also, the Torque Converter was giving excessive slippage error code. It was changed with another one, and the code is gone now (about 500kms since then). FIXED!

- Fluid was not flushed but it was drained and refilled in the TC and inside the tranny itself with ZF LifeGuard5, also gasket and filter were changed with OEM.

The car behaves way better than before but I still get the slip and slam from a dead stop on a hill sometimes.
Also, there is a noise that seems to come from the front side of the car between the engine and transmission (it's like two gears not engaging and therefore slipping) between gear changes mainly heard in 1st to 2nd, and 2nd to 3rd, the others I can't hear anything. There is no slippage in subsequent gears except the one I explained above.

After having that slam I mentioned, I went to INPA and got this error message (originally in German):

Date: 12/10/14 11:09:59
ECU: GS8602
JobStatus: OKAY
Variant: GS8602
-------------------------------------------------------------
RESULT: 1 errors in error memory !
-------------------------------------------------------------
49 Symptom Gangueberwachung
Error frequency : 1
Logistic counter: 59
km-Stand 199330.00 km
Schaltung laeuft 0.00 0/1
Gangeinlegen 0.00 0/1
Letzte Schaltung: Rueckschaltung 1->1m 16.00 0-n
Getriebeoeltemperatur 55.00 Grad C
Abbtriebsdrehzahl 352.00 1/min
Plausibilitaet
Fehler momentan vorhanden
================================================== ===========

The best translation I could get was this:

-----------------------------------------------------------
49 Symptom gear monitoring
Error frequency: 1
Logistic counter: 59
Mileage 199330.00 km
Circuit runs 0:00 0/1
Gear engagement 0:00 0/1
Last connection: downshift 1-> 1m 16:00 0-n
Transmission oil temperature 55.00 degrees C
Output speed 352.00 1 / min
plausibility
Error currently available

///////////////

I didn't get what that error means. Seems more like a report.

If someone can point me out to what might be happening I will really appreciate it. It's been over 2 months since I bought her and I still have no joy with her (I'm too picky about car issues, I don't like to have any).

Best regards!

What would a German mechanic say? Ihre Übertragung ist kaput.

Either an o-ring(s) has/have split or the A-drum has shattered. My guess will be that the A-drum had shattered and the shredding sound that you heard was the clutch plates grinding against one another because they are no longer retain by the A-drum.

You can Google ZF 5HP24 A-drum bad and o-rings split.

Thanks! I will search what you're suggesting

This guy has a similar problem with his X.

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...-5hp-24-a.html