Can it be done....swap out manual transmission for auto?

[hays0023]

I know....sacrilege....my wife has decided that we can keep our 330i (YEAAAA!!!)...she just hates driving a manual....she has asked me to post out here to see if there is anyway that we can have it fitted with an automatic....I know...I know, but figured it is worth asking...


It is a 2006 330i with sport package (not sure if it makes a difference, but just incase...).


Thanks in advance!

[SprechenSieBMW?]

Holy Mother of God

[captainaudio]

Holy Mother of God

It is very possible as long as you are willing to swap out all of the other parts of the car as well.

This mod is sometimes referred to as a "trade in"

[767jetz]

Holy Mother of God

+1!

[Randys335xi]

If she hates driving a manual......... BONUS

[ffej]

It is very possible as long as you are willing to swap out all of the other parts of the car as well.

This mod is sometimes referred to as a "trade in"

:rofl:


Pretty much, yeah, that's about it. Unless you like pouring exorbitant amounts of cash into something so that it will actually decrease in value.

[GarySL]

How about you keep the car & she gets what she wants? It's a win win. Or else she goes.

[AzNMpower32]

We can switch cars then. I hate the automatic gearbox on the 325i sport. It's geared wrong and downshift commands take 4 weeks to process. And just when I get used to its firm upshifts, I inevitably drive the X3 and realise that the old 5AT is far smoother and responsive.

Trust me, you do NOT want an automatic.

[767jetz]

OK, here is goes. - disclaimer: the following is completely hypothetical based on my experience with such things in less complicated vehicles. -

Right off the bat I would say that such an undertaking is possible, if you can find a suitable doner car from a junk yard. You would need at the very least the entire transmission assembly, fly wheel, mounts, drive shaft and probably the gear set for the rear differential since the gear ratio differs from Manual to Auto, the interior console, brake pedal quadrant, and I'm guessing the complete computer since the shift programing is part of the DME. (Could be wrong on that detail.)

Now the next question is... (drum roll please...) WHY??????

Wouldn't it be easier to sell the car and buy a similarly equipped CPO car with an automatic? It certainly would be less expensive.

[tturedraider]

Now the next question is... (drum roll please...) WHY??????

Wouldn't it be easier to sell the car and buy a similarly equipped CPO car with an automatic? It certainly would be less expensive.

+1!!!

[Unagi1]

As the British say: "Oh, dear".

[hays0023]

I couldn't agree with everyone any more....I thought that she was NUTS, coo-coo for cocoa puffs, bonkers, absurd, @#%@#%crazy, etc...When we looked at what we owed + had contemplated trading in for a CPO with an automatic, and it would be a BATH...I was essentially offered $22k and I owe about 31K.....


Anyone out there want to trade :) (or I just have to teach her to drive a MT)

[SonomaDriver]

Teach her to drive the MT!

[cgajjar330i]

buddy just let her drive it for a week. she will fall in love. that mt is so smooth. and if she still complains you know what to do.

[EdCT]

I know....sacrilege....my wife has decided that we can keep our 330i (YEAAAA!!!)...she just hates driving a manual....she has asked me to post out here to see if there is anyway that we can have it fitted with an automatic....I know...I know, but figured it is worth asking...


It is a 2006 330i with sport package (not sure if it makes a difference, but just incase...).


Thanks in advance!

Later in this thread, you state you need to "teach her to drive a manual".

So wait a minute, you've had the car for two years and she hasn't driven it yet?

I don't get it then, what's the problem? Just get her an auto-equipped car.

Btw, it's difficult to find shops that will do a job like this on a newish car - also, you run into problems with resale since the original vin and title will show the car as a manual. Whatever warranty is left will disappear, you'll never get a trade in value based on CPO if you should decide to unload it - in fact, the car might even be "seen" as a salvage since it will be significantly modded from its factory specs.

On an older car, tranny swaps make sense, but not on new cars, you're just devaluing the crap out of it, wiping out any savings you think are there.

Ed

[jummo]

hays0023 (if that is your real name), the other Festers are all being too kind.
Someone has to set you straight before things get any worse.

First of all, your wife has decided you can keep your car? :rolleyes:

But only if you give up the manual transmission? :confused:

Next it will be that penis reduction surgery she's been nagging about. :yikes:

Take off your apron, put your pants back on, and put your left foot down.

Sorry to seem rude but it's for your own good.


jummo

[Rugged Racer]

can you replace your wife instead?

[anE934fun]

+1!!!
+2. The cost to 'convert' a m/t to a/t is prohibitive (even with a salvaged donor car). Your best solution if you want to stay with a BMW is to see what options are available for rolling your negative equity into a CPO loan or lease. You will have higher payments, but you won't have to take a hit on your negative equity. With low interest rates (I have seen some ads for 2.9% on CPO cars recently), the pain (of the negative equity) should be cushioned as much as possible.

[Majikthese42]

When we looked at what we owed + had contemplated trading in for a CPO with an automatic, and it would be a BATH...I was essentially offered $22k and I owe about 31K.....



I'd pretty much guarantee you it would cost you more than $9K if done correctly! Even taking the bath, it would still be cheaper to trade for an AT.

It wouldn't be too difficult with an E21, but this is 2008 now!

There might be someone willing to trade, (+ or - $$$) why don't you post in the classifieds?

[92TripleBlack]

Teach her or don't let her drive it. She probably thinks its like changing a light bulb. Way too much money and you will hurt the resale value. :confused:

[smallseafishie]

or retrofit an automated clutch!! w/ paddle shifters!!

hahaha

[mikepinkerton]

The manual is smooth? A multitude of threads on here would disagree. The 1-2 shift is one of the crunchiest of any of the cars i've ever owned. Still wouldn't trade mine for the world. Ok, maybe an M3 :-)

-Mike

[pony_trekker]

I know....sacrilege....my wife has decided that we can keep our 330i (YEAAAA!!!)...she just hates driving a manual....she has asked me to post out here to see if there is anyway that we can have it fitted with an automatic....I know...I know, but figured it is worth asking...


It is a 2006 330i with sport package (not sure if it makes a difference, but just incase...).


Thanks in advance!
I'd be looking to trade the wife.

Lease her a Jetta or Outback for $200 a month.