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BMW X5 Transmission Problems

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134K views 30 replies 17 participants last post by  Johnny50  
B
#1 ·
Hi,
I have a BMW X5 V8 2002 Model. Basically after driving for about an hour or when the car heats up and driving it hard the transmission will automatically go into a sports mode where it will hold in gear until basically it red lines. We have
1. Changed the oil,
2. Changed the Throtle Sensor,
3. Cleaned all the wires that lead to the throttle box (as they did have corrosion on them).
4. And many many other things which i cannot remember as the problem started about 18 months ago and now worstening.
The Mechanics computer does not identify that there is a problem so it is very hard to find
I ask for any assistance
Regards Brad
Brisbane Australia
 
K
#2 ·
Hello,
I am having the same intermittent issue on my 2000 X5 4.4i. I can actually be on the highway and it be working fine when suddenly it will down shift and be at 4k rpms and then go back to normal 2k rpms. It can do that several times within 5 seconds of each other. Sometimes it shifts high the whole time I drive and other times it stabilizes and works OK with occasional high shifting. I noticed that when it high shifts, there is Nothing I can do to make it shift differently. In Sport mode it acts the same way and when in Manual mode it completely bypasses it. In Manual mode I will hit is to shift from 2nd to 3rd and it will go to '3' for a second and then back to '2'.
The high reving goes like this:

1st gear, shifts at 3k Rpm's
2nd-4th gear, shifts at 4k Rpm's

When it acts up it will always shift at those points regardless of how hard or soft I give it gas.

Then when down shifting it will drop gears at 3k rpm's which feels like the car is braking.
It seriously feels like a bad connection somewhere. I read on one of the forums that it can be the transmission harness which I am seriously considering replacing along with the fluids and filters.
The trany was already rebuilt by the previous owner for $7,000 so I think something might of happened to the harness during the rebuild.
This problem is getting worse as the weather is warming up here in California. During the winter it was only doing this every other week only when it was cold. Now it is doing it Every Day regardless of cold or hot.
Someone please advise if you know what this could be. If not I will update once I get it sorted out.

Regards,
Tomas
Southern California
 
#31 ·
KnightofDeeDee said:
Hello,
I am having the same intermittent issue on my 2000 X5 4.4i. I can actually be on the highway and it be working fine when suddenly it will down shift and be at 4k rpms and then go back to normal 2k rpms. It can do that several times within 5 seconds of each other. Sometimes it shifts high the whole time I drive and other times it stabilizes and works OK with occasional high shifting. I noticed that when it high shifts, there is Nothing I can do to make it shift differently. In Sport mode it acts the same way and when in Manual mode it completely bypasses it. In Manual mode I will hit is to shift from 2nd to 3rd and it will go to '3' for a second and then back to '2'.
The high reving goes like this:

1st gear, shifts at 3k Rpm's
2nd-4th gear, shifts at 4k Rpm's

When it acts up it will always shift at those points regardless of how hard or soft I give it gas.

Then when down shifting it will drop gears at 3k rpm's which feels like the car is braking.
It seriously feels like a bad connection somewhere. I read on one of the forums that it can be the transmission harness which I am seriously considering replacing along with the fluids and filters.
The trany was already rebuilt by the previous owner for $7,000 so I think something might of happened to the harness during the rebuild.
This problem is getting worse as the weather is warming up here in California. During the winter it was only doing this every other week only when it was cold. Now it is doing it Every Day regardless of cold or hot.
Someone please advise if you know what this could be. If not I will update once I get it sorted out.

Regards,
Tomas
Southern California
Click to expand...
I have a 03 X5 4.4 and mine did the same thing ,held 2nd and couldn't do anything to get it out still jumped back to 2nd parked it up , started up a couple of days later and all good interested to find out your result
 
#3 ·
How many miles on the car and on the transmission... BOTH POSTERS.

Tomas, who did the "rebuild"? Any warranty on their work?

How often has the ATF been changed? Both posters.

Both sound like hydraulic issues within the transmissions which will NOT show codes....

A
 
A
#23 ·
would you pls help me



i just bought my x5 4.4i 2004 and i have a problem with the gear box, when i move the lever to D position it moves for a short distance and the engine sound goes loud and it does not change from the gear to the next and the same happens when i change to the sport mode.
but when i go on manual the car goes fine and i change from gear to an other with no problem. by the way the car has 260000km
would you please help me with this
 
#4 ·
How many miles on the car and on the transmission... BOTH POSTERS.

Tomas, who did the "rebuild"? Any warranty on their work?

How often has the ATF been changed? Both posters.

Both sound like hydraulic issues within the transmissions which will NOT show codes....

A
 
K
#5 ·
Hello,
My X5 has 137k miles. It has maybe 15k miles on the rebuilt transmission. I don't have the name of the shop on me but it was done by a reputably shop in Orange County. The job was done almost 2 years ago and it carried a 1 year warranty which is obviously expired. ATF was changed when it was rebuilt 15k miles ago. Also I do pull a code from the EGS with my P.A. Soft 1.4.0 diagnostic tool. I cant quote it but it's something like "Transmission Sump Temp Sensor". And I have cleared it but it keeps coming back. I know it has to relate somehow to my issues. Which brings me back to the possible solution that the Valve Body harness is faulty, since the harness has the built in temp sensor.
I can get the harness from the dealer for $150.00.
What do you think?
Tomas
 
#6 ·
1. A BMW transmission is factory remanufactured, which means that it has not JUST the parts that come in a rebuild kit, but every single part including the valve body replaced or reworked.

2. BMW reman has a 2 year warranty.

3. Buy the harness. Worth $150.

4. What does the shop that did the rebuild say? Have them try a diagnosis.
 
B
#7 ·
HI Guys,
I posted the original thread and i have resolved my problem . There were many issues which caused the problem and i will explain.
basically my mechanic said it would go into this mode once the transmission hit 128 degrees. We found that the transmission oil cooler was not cooling to its capacity (it was intermittedly working). Along with that we found the the bottom of the radiator has a pipe going to cool the transimssion. This has an internal thermostat (something he has never seen) and this was seized. So it also got replaced as.
The car now runs constantly at 115 degrees and the A/C is also working so much better...
I have been running the car for about 1 month now and the problem hasn't returned (touch wood).
Hope this helps
Brad
Brisbane Australia.
Weather here 29 degrees hot and sunny but starting to cool down.
 
#8 ·
Wow. That is interesting. So is there a transmission cooler that is integrated into the radiator (this is pretty common) but also with a thermal valve integrated into the cooler??

With some vehicles, a tranny replacement requires VERY specific flushing of the hydraulic cooler lines- under the theory that when the tranny fails the particulates will disperse into the cooler and. if not cleaned out, will cause the new tranny to fail.

Clean fluid, changed often, is essential for long tranny life. IMHO.

I guess simply hot fluid- perhaps so hot it no longer performed within the range of hydraulic performance required- was causing the tranny to not shift properly.

Thanks for posting the fix- very helpful

A
 
K
#9 · (Edited)
I FOUND THE SOLUTION!!!! It is a faulty Valve Body Wiring Harness. Part number: 24.34-1 423 719 $198.11

The transmission always registered 'Transmission Sump Temp Sensor' and the harness has the integrated temp sensor.

Took me 4 hours to fix it but got it all squared away. You also need 7 Quarts of ATF OIL which ran me $80.00 (Bought the Red Line Synthetic on eBay), and new Filter with O-Ring.

So if your beloved X5 is Up Shifting at 4k RPM's and is Down Shifting at 3k RPM's, with all of the symptoms I described in my previous posts. Then this is Most Likely your problem since it was mine.

Prosedure:
-You need to drain the ATF Oil
-Drop the Transmission Oil Pan (T27 Torx)
-Clean the magnets and everything
-Remove the Oil Filter
-Unplug the valve body harness and remove (the large round connector plug must be maneuvered out since it is in a very tight place)
-Plug in the new harness
-Install new filter and O-ring
-Install the Pan and gasket if necessary
-Top off the transmission with a Hand Held Oil Pump. about 5 quarts
-Turn the car on with the car level and go through all the gears
-Go back under the car with the car running and top off the transmission oil again. about 2 quarts, watch out for the Hot Exhaust!

This is a rough step through but should give you an idea of what to expect if you decide to do it yourself. All of this is MUCH easier if you have a lift. Pretty much everything is easier with a lift.
Hope this helps lots of you out there. This harness has also cured my hard shifting which felt like I was getting rear ended through each gear, vice versa when downshifting also.
Tomas
:)
 
O
#18 ·
Question

KnightofDeeDee said:
I FOUND THE SOLUTION!!!! It is a faulty Valve Body Wiring Harness. Part number: 24.34-1 423 719 $198.11

The transmission always registered 'Transmission Sump Temp Sensor' and the harness has the integrated temp sensor.

Took me 4 hours to fix it but got it all squared away. You also need 7 Quarts of ATF OIL which ran me $80.00 (Bought the Red Line Synthetic on eBay), and new Filter with O-Ring.

So if your beloved X5 is Up Shifting at 4k RPM's and is Down Shifting at 3k RPM's, with all of the symptoms I described in my previous posts. Then this is Most Likely your problem since it was mine.

Prosedure:
-You need to drain the ATF Oil
-Drop the Transmission Oil Pan (T27 Torx)
-Clean the magnets and everything
-Remove the Oil Filter
-Unplug the valve body harness and remove (the large round connector plug must be maneuvered out since it is in a very tight place)
-Plug in the new harness
-Install new filter and O-ring
-Install the Pan and gasket if necessary
-Top off the transmission with a Hand Held Oil Pump. about 5 quarts
-Turn the car on with the car level and go through all the gears
-Go back under the car with the car running and top off the transmission oil again. about 2 quarts, watch out for the Hot Exhaust!

This is a rough step through but should give you an idea of what to expect if you decide to do it yourself. All of this is MUCH easier if you have a lift. Pretty much everything is easier with a lift.
Hope this helps lots of you out there. This harness has also cured my hard shifting which felt like I was getting rear ended through each gear, vice versa when downshifting also.
Tomas
:)
Click to expand...
Hi waht type of test you did to detect the problem?
 
#10 ·
Thanks for posting.
 
Y
#11 ·
Hi Tomas,

I have exactly the same problem with my 2001 X5 4.4i. I am planning to change the Valve body Wiring Harness that you mentioned. But before I do, I wanted to make sure that this was the problem. I mean, it has been almost a year since you changed it, has the problem gone away completely?

Thanking you in advance for your reply.

Yannos
 
Y
#12 ·
Hi guys,

I finally placed the order for the part that Thomas mentioned in his post and I asked BMW service to replace it. The problem is now completely gone!!! I am very glad.... This definitely saved me a lot of money.... If I took BMW's mechanics advise I would have to change the entire transmission...!! :)

Yannos
 
K
#13 ·
Follow Up on this issue

Thought I would give a follow up on the Hard shifting issue that the harness was causing. I am now at 155k miles and no hard shifting! The harness was for sure the problem to the hard shifting and high rev shifts. Sad thing is that I now have a bad pulse generator to the output speed sensor so I will going under the X again either today or tomorrow. Its causing the Trans Failsafe and SES light. Reverse works just fine.
IKE Error:
8D EGS Signal Line Disturbed (Not Active/Intermittent)
EGS Error:
(059) 3B Stall Speed Monitoring (Always Active)

Not looking for a solution. Just thought I would post up my findings. If you do change the harnes though, its better to replace the two pulse generators that are held on by a torx screw, since they are only $50.00 each. Its better to do it the first time so you dont have to go under the truck twice like I am.

Regards,
Tomas
951-522-4032
www.BMRPRTS.com
 
K
#14 ·
Another A-Drum Failure

KnightofDeeDee said:
I now have a bad pulse generator to the output speed sensor so I will going under the X again either today or tomorrow. Its causing the Trans Failsafe and SES light. Reverse works just fine.
IKE Error:
8D EGS Signal Line Disturbed (Not Active/Intermittent)
EGS Error:
(059) 3B Stall Speed Monitoring (Always Active)
Click to expand...
Update to my latest post:
Though the above Errors could very well be a pulse generator issue, after hours of diagnosis on the GT1 and checking the electrical system nothing could get my 1-4 gears back. So I took it to a mechanic to remove the tranny and sure enough it was a bad A-Drum that bursted at the retainer ring causing the pressure to escape. The A-Drum controls gears 1-4. I had a couple bad bearings in there also. Total job was $2,750 with the enhanced A-Drum sold on eBay for $250.00. 3 months and no issues.

Tomas
www.BMRPRTS.com
951-522-4032
 
A
#21 ·
Hi just seen your message on the fore room. I have a 2002 bmw x5 4.4 and the transmision failed to, bmw wont sort it but they should by law, mine has 70,000 miles on but bmw said not enough people have complained. I have now gone to watch dog and to trade and standards. They just dont want to put it on recall as it will cost thousands, regards karl we need as many numbers to give to bmw so customer service can call, if we get enough then they will have to fix them all. Please email me antiquesworld@outlook.com
 
H
#22 · (Edited)
It's amazing, how BMW car is built, all components ties together so closely.
I had trans faint vibration, during upshift, which I thought was a problem with tranny when indeed it was weak water-pump, like OP posted (from Australia), his was bad temp-sensor by the trans oil cooler under the radiator causing the tranny to behave strangely(the trans fluid is running hotter than optimal cause the coolant is not circulated onto the cooler). That;s why I flush my coolant very regularily every 2-yr, funky stuff arise when you don't.

But some indeed, experience tranny problem, I saw alot of posts where this ZF-5 tranny torque-converter just dies.
 
H
#30 ·
Hi all. I had a problem for some time with the gears not changing up when after driving for about an hour (Brisbane, Australia) on my 2001 X5 (E53). Often it would get stuck in 2nd and not change or would only change to 3rd at 80km and 4th over 100km per hour. I replaced the thermostat in the coolant/heat exchanger housing (attached to the right hand side of the radiator) and changed the auto transmission fluid however, the problem did not go away. I considered replacing the gear change wiring harness in the auto transmission. This solution with the wiring harness replacement was not required. When a slight crack in the radiator inlet housing appeared I decided to do a full refurbish of the cooling system. I replaced the radiator, thermostat, water pump, valley pan and o rings and the auto transmission heat exchanger. All parts were OEM. After the coolant system refurbishment the gear changing problem has not reoccurred, all fixed and after six months still operating correctly. It is possible that the old auto transmission heat exchanger was faulty and when replaced, the coolant and or the auto transmission fluid flowed sufficiently to keep the auto transmission fluid at the correct temperature and therefore the auto transmission operating correctly. Hope this helps others that may have had early X5 gear changing issues.
 
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