Need new transmission. In disbelief.
 

So I just got a called from a "BMW Specialist" indy, telling me I need a new transmission.

He says there is slippage in the gears. Read the codes. Says new tranny is required.

I am in shock.

Symptoms:

- Rough idle - sometimes
- Fail safe mode after 30 mins of driving, when coming to a stop.
- Erratic tach/downshift below 1000 rpm.
- And as of today, will not go into gear (D,R,N) , only will after trying a few times (starting car on off)

I think this might be the nail in the BMW coffin for me.

"Gear Monitoring and Gear Ratio
Followed test plan, concluded as defective Transmission."

He also said "You can't rebuild BMW X5 e70 transmissions" which made my head spin because these online forums seem to say other wise.

I need guidance guys.

Thanks,

Have you taken it to another Indy? I presume a whole transmission isn't going to be cheap so I would go to another just to get a second opinion. I'm not sure on the whole no rebuild of it because surely that would be dependant upon the extent of damage?
The symptoms provided kinda remind me of when my clutch went on my M5, bearing in mind that is an SMG so it may vary. The clutch+labour cost me £4,500 at the stealer which did hurt...
I've no idea about how the X5's transmission works but that's really all that I can say :)

Same thing happened to me last month which was only 3 weeks after having valves replaced!!

BMW NA offered to cover 60 percent of the estimated $7600 total job cost for a new tranny. I appealed but they would not budge. Background is that my car had only 65000 miles on it; always maintained to specs by the dealer however I had documented complaints on the shifting characteristics of the car dating back to 2011. In every case, the report came back as tranny is OK, no faults, etc. They tried 2 reprogram over the years but only one worked.

Long story short, within 3 days of diagnosis, I traded the car for an Audi Q7 and could not be happier. I'm done with BMW. Best of luck to you!

You do know Audi uses pretty much the same ZF transmission, don't you?

If so, it couldn't behave more differently. This is an 8 speed vs the 6 speed that was in the X5. Shifts up and down are as smooth as silk - something I could never say about my old car even when new.

How do you like the q7 compared to the x5? I like the q7 but the only thing I hate is the side profile, looks like a wagon/avant

Sorry to hear. I recall many people poo-pooing my comments on the need for ATF changes, citing "there is no history of tranny failures", to which I replied 'give it time'. Sigh.

So.
HOW MANY MILES??? Year? Warranty? when dd the warranty expire? did you buy it new from BMW?

Did you ever change ATF/pan filter?

1. You might consider a deep, thorough and aggressive transmission flush (power flush) prior to giving up and replacing the trans. Speak to a TRANSMISSION SHOP. Not a "BMW indy". A guy that knows ZF would be ideal.

2. Dont buy a rebuilt. You want a Remanufactured unit. (I think this is what you have been reading online.) A reman is better than just a rebuild kit.

3. A tranny shop with ZF experience might say "sure, weve seen this- you need a replacement valve body or XYZ"..dunno, but worth asking. A thorough diagnostic is measuring line pressures, etc. BMW doesnt train their mechanics to work on trannies, hece they have no idea how to test past "Computer says $7800"

4. Take your time, get other opinions. Search on line for remanned tranny prices. es, shipping will be $250. But find a GREAT price, and your dealer or shop should meet that. You can also negotiate labor- tell the dealer you will pay the same hours as BMW allows for a CPO repair.

5. A BMW remanned and installed by BMW has a 2 year unlimited warranty in the US. Where you at?

Really sorry to hear. Sucks.

GL

What ard wrote...
A brother in law of mine owns a tranny shop in North Jersey and does E70 trans weekly, fwiw. He is also a proponent of remanufactured units.

If you do hit a trans joint, find one that does BMWs regularly, (some shops shy away from the brand), and be prepared to arm wrestle over the level of 'coverage', as it varies from shop to shop and via 'price/cost' level.

My bro-in-law also reports that they have serious code reader equipment and dig into the codes and electronics in attempt to narrow down the faults vs just tossing in a new trans and 'connector pkg'. I'm a little dumb here, as I have dug into manual trans a few times when younger, but never an auto trans...my point is find a tranny joint that works on BMW/E53 & E70s with some regularity and see what they have to say, assuming you have a couple to pick from in Alberta, eh. ;)


Ugly deal on a car that isn't exactly ancient or beat on...I really like my manual trans cars, 2 of 3, and my motorcycles.
GL, mD

"Did you ever change ATF/pan filter?"

What is this ATF/pan filter and is this something I should be replacing periodically? If so, then how often is recommended?

Any transmission can be rebuilt, especially the ZF units. I have personally rebuilt a ZF transmission (5hp24) and it is not difficult. Last week, I replaced the failed GM transmission out of my sons E46 and replaced it with a ZF unit (5hp19) as I had all the necessary wiring harness and longer drive shaft on had to make the change. The ZF feels better. The GM unit constantly going into fail safe and requiring full throttle to get the car to move. Needless to say, my son cooked the fluid. The GM trans is going to the scrap pile for sure.

My point to all this is that BMW outsourced the transmission to ZF. So, blame ZF, not BMW. Many manufacturers use ZF transmissions, so if you abandon BMW because of the ZF transmission, you will need to stay away from many car manufacturers. Incidentally, I source the replacement E46 ZF trans from used parts supplier and paid $750 (delivered to my door). Yes, I did the install, but the $750 repair works flawlessly. Rebuild parts generally end up costing about the same when all said and done.