BMW Transmission Issue solved

As a member of the boards I have seen my fair share of individuals with transmission issues (delayed reverse gear, hard shifts, transmission faults, etc). I recently experienced transmission issues and decided to do a bit of research and stumbled upon a post which presented a possible solution through replacement of the transmission solenoids. So I figured WTH, I could spend 500 dollars and some time in the garage and find out if it was a real solution, as opposed to spending $6000+ on a transmission replacement. I am here to testify that the replacement of the solenoids indeed WORKS! Solenoids were replaced and adaptations were reset using the INPA program. It took me about 6 hrs to complete the job in my garage, but it's only because I am a perfectionist when dealing with torque specs, torque sequence, etc. it was a very dirty job, so if you feel as though you can tackle this job go for it, just make sure that you have a ton of pig mat at your disposal. The solenoids were purchased from thectsc.com at roughly $500. I went ahead a replaced the tranny filter and fliud while I was at it as well. I hope that this post helps many of my fellow BMW owners as I think that this is a great driving machine.

Here is a link to the original post: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=654634

That link to the repair thread is a very nice find. Also fantastic execution on your part, it is nice to see some folks diving into repairs an getting their hands dirty!

Good job!

My hydraulic pump went so i got a brand new smg tranny and now it shifts very hard when i gun it. But normal its great. Any ideas? Never has done this b4

Originally Posted by 645hamannkit

My hydraulic pump went so i got a brand new smg tranny and now it shifts very hard when i gun it. But normal its great. Any ideas? Never has done this b4

Im not sure if this repair would solve your hard shifting problems in the SMG Transmission. You may want to contact the guys at thectsc.com and ask them a few questions. They were very knowlegable about which symptoms that I had and which solenoid kit to utilize. Btw, I just took my car on a trip and logged about 450miles and I can tell you, I feel like I just purchased my 6Series all over again

Excellent work on the fix! Just like anything else, if we have a little time, a place to work on our cars, there would be a lot of DIY around here. I love doing things myself but often times we are victims of our busy lives. Just got back after travelling for a few weeks and have not touch my car yet. Will make some time tomorrow to take her out for a spin since the weather is suppose to be warm for January

^^^^Yeah, I usually only touch my car during my RnR which is usually 14 days out of the year. Im one of those hands on kind of guys who actually enjoys staying up into the wee hours of the mornings in my garage getting greasy while working on my car.

Hello amennrahh

Thanks for the thread. This my first post in the website, I'll make sure I upload my 630 next time . I have exactly the same problem/symptoms mentioned regarding the transmission hard shifting. As I am not good in fixing cars I will take it to the mechanic. I would like some help by naming all the parts needed to fix this issue (changing of solenoids). thanks and I really found this site very useful.

OmanBeemer,

Welcome to the site. The solenoid replacement is a pretty straight forward ordeal. It would probably be a good idea to replace the transmission fluid and filter while you are changing out the solenoids. Make sure that the mechanic performing the repair has access to BMW Software so that the adaptations can be reset. If you contact Klaus at thectsc.com he can provide you with the correct solenoid kit for your vehicle and also any additional items needed to complete your repair. Good luck with your repair.

great post!!!!



thanks

Would reseting the adaptations be that same as doing the good old transmission reset (turn the key and hold the gas all the way for around 2 minutes). My problems seem to go away when I do that as well

Perfroming an adaptaion reset uitilizing INPA clears the fuel, ignition, part throttle, fuel trim and other parameters all based on driving conditions, driving styles, fuel octane, altitude, and a lot more. I faintly recall trying the good old transmission reset procedure when I had previous issues with my transmission and it never seemed to work for me, therefore, I am unsure if the procedure actually works.

So how do I get BMW to perform this under warranty?

Great Job! Thanks for posting your results!

One question I have is how do you perform this INPA reset and what do need to perform it? Is it only for someone with BMW repair knowledge and expertise? I would love to learn how to do it!

Originally Posted by Ellicit

So how do I get BMW to perform this under warranty?

Many individuals here on the forums who have elected to have a BMW dealer repair their transmission under warranty have either left with a TCM update(temporary fix) or have had the mechatronics replaced. I would advise you to speak to the Service Manager at your local BMW dealer to determine what they will/will not cover.

Originally Posted by Nitrogen

Great Job! Thanks for posting your results!

One question I have is how do you perform this INPA reset and what do need to perform it? Is it only for someone with BMW repair knowledge and expertise? I would love to learn how to do it!

INPA is a version of BMWs diagnostic software and there are numerous threads which cover the subject online. If you are comfortable with programming or can exibit patience while learning the software, its definitely feasable to learn how to navigate and perform your own error resets, error code reads, battery register, etc. Be prepared to do a lot of reading and understand that if you decide to self-code your vehicle, mistakes could become costly.

There is a plethora of information which can be found here:

www.bmwcoding.com

Good Luck!

I'm taking it back to for an oil change, and Im going to print out a doc and list all the problems?
I sometime feel a gear change, and I did recently have my software updated, that fixed the reverse delay... I think I'm going to keep bugging them until my cpo expires

How many miles were on your tranny. Mine is doing the same thin with only 50k miles on it. Are these solenoids upgraded / better than originals, or will the same problem come back over time

Originally Posted by Kevin Bowen

How many miles were on your tranny. Mine is doing the same thin with only 50k miles on it. Are these solenoids upgraded / better than originals, or will the same problem come back over time

The tranny had roughly 45K on it whenI replaced the solenoids. It was a replacement tranny because I had the same issues from the original tranny. Since replacing the solenoids I have not had any issues whatsoever. I have yet to log enough miles to provide accurate feedback on whether the issue will reoccur.

Thanks very much.