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How did you fix the hard shift from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to first?

Bucking on deceleration, hard shifting in 1st, 2nd: POLL

45K views 44 replies 17 participants last post by  jgelsomina1 
#1 · (Edited)
Since I have seen a lot of people complain about this issue (I am one of them) with the E65/E66 cars' ZF transmissions, I would like to collect some data on how many of you have fixed the problem.
For those not familiar, this issue is transmission related and is characterized by an extremely hard shift from 1st to 2nd, or from 2nd to 1st, that happens often, but not always. Some people have described the issue as "feeling like I just got rear ended".
Please, only vote if you have this specific problem. A slight hiccup or delay in changing gears is not the problem. If you are unsure, then you don't have the problem either.

For the record, I paid 350$ for dealer reprogramming, and it did nothing.
 
#3 ·
Some people claim that the Guibo fix will fix the tranmission, but I think the previous poster has made the right connection: The Guibo will fix a 'clunk' not a jerk when shifting.

Cmon people, more opinions!! if we get enough of one particular fix, It will probably motivate me and others to try that fix for ourselves.
 
#6 ·
I've got a '06 750i and I've got the problem. So far, they have reprogrammed it, replaced the air boxes, replaced the DME, and replaced the guibo. Regarding the guibo, the tech guy at the dealership said that the guibo was bad and that it was for a 745i. There is no recored of this ever being replaced. The dealer said that if the problem still persists they would call in a BMW rep. The problem still exists. When I called to complaina again and ask if the BMW rep was coming, they said they want to see if there are any "faults". I'm scheduled to go in on 11/8. This will be the fourth trip to the dealer for this problem.
 
#7 ·
Rob, it sounds like you've done everything but one thing: replacing the transmission/flushing the transmission.

Tell them to flush it and put in a new filter, quoting that many people have done it and it worked for them.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=389454&highlight=transmission+fluid post #6
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=458668&highlight=transmission+fluid post #1
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=482579&highlight=transmission+fluid post #1 (didnt have a problem before flush, but said it made shifting much smoother after)
 
#9 · (Edited)
I'm not voting yet because I have only done the first two of three steps one should do:

- Software upgrade/reprogramming
- trans fluid/filter change (assuming more than say 50K miles)
- and finally guibo...

I'm pondering guibo now, and I'll be honest - going into this my bet was that it would not be the fix as it seemed intermittent. Now that it seems to be all the time, and the amount of 2 - 1 slam depends on a number of parameters, but it is still there.

SO, I'm wondering if Bob750, canuckdownunder, revrun, and umbcumcp... have done anything, and what have they done to fix.

Perhaps the last category needs to be split into two - those that have not done at least the above, and those that have.

Replace the trans? Not me (at least I hope not...)
 
#10 ·
Well I can say that I have changed the transmission fluid (what a mess...) and it is still not fixed. But it is different. The car shifts differently now, it's hard to explain, but maybe the timing is different, or something. This fact does to show how a little change such has the transmission fluid can affect shift characteristics. I have my suspicions that the transmission is not completely full of fluid, so I will go and get it topped up this week to see if that makes a difference.
 
#11 ·
I'm in for my fifth time for the tranny issue. The service tech went for a ride with me and acknowledged the problem. He said they had problems with the 760 but not as many with the 750. He said they have to follow what BMW tells them to do. Again, my car is out of warranty and so far, other the the initial reprogramming they did, there has been no additioinal charges. Should hear something in a day or two.
 
#12 ·
I feel your frustration.

Just as an update on my end: I had 15 L of tranny fluid flushed through my transmission and it has not fixed the problem. At this point, I'm cutting my losses and not wasting anymore time and money on trying to fix an issue I no longer believe possible to be fixed for my car. Perhaps other will have better luck.
 
#13 ·
Well I just got the word from the dealership today regarding the transmission slam on my '06 750i. After reprogramming, replacing the air boxes, replacing the DME and replacing the guibo, they reported "this is the shift characteristic of the transmission". Nothing they can do at this point other than replace the transmission. Oh, by the way, they offered to replace the transmission for $8,133.69 (15% discount).
 
#14 · (Edited)
Holy Crap! I FIXED THE TRANSMISSION ON MY '02 745LI !!! I'm not even kidding! No more clunk no more hard shift, its fixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxed ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! wooooooooooohoooooooo! And it's as easy and cheap as 100 bucks!

I used EDIABAS to reset *ALL* engine codes, not specifying which module to rest. AS SOON AS I DID THIS IT WAS FIXED. Night and day difference. Before this, I tried everything short of replacing the entire transmission and NOTHING worked. Well, no wonder it didnt work! I needed to reset the codes!

I urge EVERYONE who has this issue to go to the dealer right now and tell them to do a blanket code reset. I don't know if there will be any difference between a DIS/GT1 reset and a EDIABAS reset, but believe me it is worth a try for 100$.

Also, for those who are technically inclined and interested, I also know why it was fixed. In my case, my hard shift was always from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to first. And, always, when decelerating to a stop, the car would shift into first. As it turns out, after I cleared the codes, the car does not go into first gear when coming to a stop, unless you are on a hill, or perhaps other circumstances. So the car only goes down to 2nd, and you take off from 2nd as well. Honestly, 2nd gear is so short, I cant even tell the difference in power between taking off on first and second.

Fantastic. I am so happy.

IF this works for other people, someone should sticky it, cause this issue has been the root of much heartache.
 
#15 ·
Holy Crap! I FIXED THE TRANSMISSION ON MY '02 745LI !!! I'm not even kidding! No more clunk no more hard shift, its fixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxed ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! wooooooooooohoooooooo! And it's as easy and cheap as 100 bucks!

I used EDIABAS to reset *ALL* engine codes, not specifying which module to rest. AS SOON AS I DID THIS IT WAS FIXED. Night and day difference. Before this, I tried everything short of replacing the entire transmission and NOTHING worked. Well, no wonder it didnt work! I needed to reset the codes!

I urge EVERYONE who has this issue to go to the dealer right now and tell them to do a blanket code reset. I don't know if there will be any difference between a DIS/GT1 reset and a EDIABAS reset, but believe me it is worth a try for 100$.

Also, for those who are technically inclined and interested, I also know why it was fixed. In my case, my hard shift was always from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to first. And, always, when decelerating to a stop, the car would shift into first. As it turns out, after I cleared the codes, the car does not go into second gear when coming to a stop, unless you are on a hill, or perhaps other circumstances. So the car only goes down to 2nd, and you take off from 2nd as well. Honestly, 2nd gear is so short, I cant even tell the difference in power between taking off on first and second.

Fantastic. I am so happy.

IF this works for other people, someone should sticky it, cause this issue has been the root of much heartache.
Yep, that is what I was referring to in the above posts. Glad it worked. And again, doing the gas pedal (myth) does not do the above.
 
#19 ·
Uh oh, bad news everyone - The problem is coming back :(

I took a 120 km round trip after work today and by the end of the trip, the slamming was becoming apparent again :bawling: Not as bad as before the reset, but I think its eventually going to revert. #$@$%@#%

Once it gets really bad again, Ill do the reset again and see if it fixes it. Now it seems like this is an adaptation issue. Why the hell did bmw program the transmission to adapt to shifting like balls?
 
#20 ·
^^^ i knew it would be back. i just didn't want to rain on your parade. thats why i asked how long you actually had it running smooth. has dealer run urban program on your car yet? that was eventually what got rid of the the hard downshifts for me.
 
#22 ·
2005 BMW transmission bucking between 2nd and 1st gear

I'd sure like to find a solution to this problem.
I have a 2005 645 with the exact same problem. I've already spent $$$ on having the whole computer reset. Like flipstar, it only worked for about a week and its back.
I asked the BMW technician what was and here is their reply...

I have not heard of EDIABAS before and I'm not sure what it will do. Our programming system will reset the transmission adaptations of the EGS (transmission control module) and the DME (digital motor electronics).

How can this issue be fixed? It doesn't feel like a mechanical problem. It feels like the computer isn't shifting correctly.

I'm not a car buff. Maybe I shouldn't own a BMW. I should have got the manual transmission.
 
#23 ·
I'm not a car buff. Maybe I shouldn't own a BMW. I should have got the manual transmission.
This is some of the most sound logic I've heard yet. Also +1 on the manual transmission: The fewer electronics you allow BMW to put in your car, the happier you will be! Sometimes I wish I had to even inject the fuel manually :)

I know you are saying "but I WANT to own a BMW, they look so good" and I agree, but they are nothing but headache. The only other solution I see is to pony up and buy new, with warranty. Even then you can expect to see your car in the garage frequently, but at least you aren't paying.
 
#24 ·
Flipstar, why do you say that about BMW? Why would BMW make a car that will always be in the garage for repairs? Makes no sense to me. Such a huge company making flimsy cars? How long can you last doing that? If that was the case, then they would have been out of business years ago. I'm speaking from just my experience. I've owned many bimmers and still own 3 bimmers. Since 1998 to now, I can say that yes, BMW or any other German maker does need a little more TLC then your average tin can Japp auto. But lets think about why are people having to take there Bimmers to the shop so many times? Have we thought about that maybe the mechanic or shop has no CLUE about what they are doing? Or maybe they do it to keep bringing people back to keep making money either from the warranty or the customer.... Its not fair to say that if you buy a bimmer to watch out that you will have major issues. I to thought the same way, but once I found a solid mechanic that specializes in bimmers, I now understand why people have bad experiences owning bimmers. People never had someone be honest with them and fix the issues the first time around. My mechanic used to work for a bimmer dealer and the horror stories he has told me are out of this world. The dealers are raking in the cash, and they are taking advantage of all those customer that never will ever open there hood to just add simple washer fluid....

This is again my opinion. Just my 2 cents....Thanks.
 
#25 ·
I have my reasons, and one of them is in your sig picture...
I had an e39 as well. I still on the E66 but will be getting rid of it soon.

It's about bottom line for BMW. They make a (relatively speaking) inexpensive luxury auto (compare to true luxury brands thtat have been around for much longer like Bentley). How can they do so? Make money after the sale. Even if you have your warranty with your new BMW, you'll still spend 15K+++ over the next 6 years on repairs that are routine or not covered. Parts, repairs and maintainance is basically pure profit (oil change - $250? hah, break rotors: $1500? hilarious). So BMW sells you a car made with cheap parts that will break for cheaper than the competition (and cheaper than last year), knowing that they'll make it back later. Don't you wonder why cars keep getting cheaper in a world where everything is getting more expensive? How is that possible? Simple: cheaper parts (of course there are other things like economies of scale and automation). and yes, even if you car is new, it's going to be in at the dealer all the time. Do a quick search on their new cars and you'll cringe at the stories of how many times people have to go to the dealer within a week.. Or you can just go visit the local dealer and watch the cars line up down the street to be fixed.

BMW are not the only bad guys here, they are just an excellent example. Don't get me wrong, I love their styling, the engines are bulletproof, and are a blast to drive. BUT I would not buy another one because I do not like the way they do business. I'd rather pay the premium for good parts up front than wasting time at the dealer later on, even if the repairs are covered. The solution? Buy a Japanese auto. You will say "oh they're just the same" but have you owned one? do you know that? I've owned a number and they have all been better than my Audi, Porsche and BMWs. The downside: you lose the exclusivity of the luxury german auto. However if I may I would add that BMW won't likely be exclusive forever, since their goal is mass production (2 million cars for 2012), and with the introduction of the cheap new "i" line. Essentially the brand name will become diluted, sadly. Or maybe the other option is to buy a Bentley. I don't see many in at the dealer for repair, and they are rumoured to be built to last for 100 years, but not having owned one I can only speculate.

As with you, just my 2 cents. My analysis is certainly based on facts and experience, but that does not make it true for everyone. Maybe I have been the unlucky one, and everyone else has had a great time with their bimmers like you.
 
#26 ·
Flipstar, do you have the slamming transmission problem in normal mode? I have begun to notice it more, always from 1-2 or 2-1, but like others I have read about, I only have the problem in sport mode.
 
#27 ·
All modes. I can get rid of it if I time my shifts nicely in Manual Mode. But if I time them just the same as they would be in normal mode, they still slam.

It doesn't matter much to me anymore. I truly think there is no fix short of a new transmission at this point. I'll let the new owner sort that one out.
 
#28 ·
I agree with you. The only thing I want to add is that "Bentley" is an exclusive auto. They cost a lot brand new and that is why you don't see to many on the road and that is why you don't see to many in service. This is not a fair comparison. I do believe you have a bad taste in your mouth with BMW. I get that. But lets not lose focus on the subject. We can't compare apples to oranges here. BMW over all, is a great auto. Now is it as reliable as lets say a Lexus, no way. I've owned 2 of those as well. But the drive, performance and experience is so choice when you by a bimmer. The two are not even close. Once again, this is a friendly conversation, and I appreciate your opinion. And as you know, my 2 cents... :)

And as for your reason being in my sig pic, I'm being honest, I've never had any major issues with my E66. I swear to you. The only major repair was my A/C compressor was making noise and I had to replace it. That was it. I'm an honest guy and if I hated it, I would totally let you and everyone know my 2 cents on that.... FYI
 
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