i dont suppose any body in oz has a spare 540i auto tranny?

[mattyb]

well it happened! thats what happens when you talk about issues when you dont have them. The idea is suddenly out there in the cosmos and just waiting for you to share it!

On the way to Sydney i was driving up a series of bends that I ussually do in sport and would make a bloody great piece of commercial footage. However due to the vehicles ahead and the onset of grey hair i decided that i would coast up the hilly bends like a normal member of society. i was required to accelerate further to maintain speed and slowly and gently applied pressure to the pedal. as I did and as the gearbox adjsuted up a gear i felt 2 little hesitations and shudders from the rear end. bugger me what is that i thinks?

arriving at the top of the hill i coast to a stop in preparation for the impending red light before me. OBC says "trans program" then "see owners manuel". hang on the only manuel i know is in faulty towers. no hang on thats manual. well is I begin to move away as the lights turn green to my horror she doesnt want to go any where in a hurry but eventually gets moving ok. proceed down the freeway, no worries at 120k but I know its fingered. contact comrade GPin AU and request HELP!!!!!. very kindly he advises that Bee Emms is the place and its half an hour away.

arrive asquith and leave my baby there for the weekend with a diagnosis on Monday. feel stangely numb about it all as i do not want to or need to consider implications if not a simple blocked filter or low flluid level etc.
Thoughts and advice( educated or not), condolences, experiences, knowledge, diognosis( not about my spelling thank you) are all welcome and sought during this very tragic time.

Q. gayle, how am i supposed to compensate myself emotionally for this this very trying time?
Q. 632- how much should I drink yto forgwet the pain?
Q. Why Why Why Why?
Q. Can I put a celica 5 speed in my car?
Q. should I have paid more attention to the lifetime trany fluids thread?

[shogun]

Order a valve body kit from Kirt Koeller and do it yourselves. So many people have done that meanwhile and it is not that difficult. On my website is a detailed instruction with pics, valve body rebuilt.

http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/141358

[mattyb]

Thanks Eric i knew youd be in the shadows some where. Does this sound like a valve body issue to you? sliiping in first. the car is at the shop at the momement so ill wait until i hear back from them. Thanks again mate

[shogun]

Better wait till the specialists say something after checking.
Usually on this trans the reverse gear fails, but I also have heard of these probs.
Just in case........

[632 Regal]

Kirt Koeller
direct (616)748-5735

Showgun is correct. This is a common problem with the 5hp30 trans. As long as you havent smoked the clutches this is the most likely fix. Mention this to the shop when you hear from them.

A couple litres of vodka should help the uneasy feeling. :D

[mattyb]

only a couple? cheers mate!

[mattyb]

many thanks

[mattyb]

by the way any body aware of what the valve body kit cost?

[BigKriss]

Ohhh Noooo

[632 Regal]

i think its a couple hundred US $

[slupregime]

well i just did a 1990 535i i had reverse but no foward it was the 2 srteel seals on the imput shaft and replaced 1st and 2nd gear clutches and steels $240 to do it yourself this is a very common problen in zf4hp22 transmissions which is the steel seals that cause the problem to burn out the 1st and 2nd gears

[mattyb]

ohhh yeeeeeeeees

[Tiger]

Most likely you need valve body rebuild... that is assuming you didn't burn out the reverse clutch pack.

[Traian]

I don't really have any suggestions for you, but that is scary stuff. Trans prog errors and burn 5hp30 clutches keep me up at night, no kidding.

[Tiger]

Then get your valve body rebuilt and no worry at all!

[GJPinAU]

Should've rung when you got there. Did you get one of their loaners?
Powerhouse Mazda 2 with BMW racing stip LOL (How embarrasment)

[mattyb]

mate i had a colluegue in the area and he drove me hiome to terrigal where my brother has a spare 2003 s pack commodore that I can use for a few weeks. Not bad for a commodore but boring yet practical. only minor shame.

[mattyb]

UPDATE: assesment is that due to fluid level normal but fluid sample dispalys more clutch material and other bits than fluid, box is going to be rebuilt to new by a highly recommended facility, includes warranty aust wide.

This I thought was going to be $4-5 grand aussie, but to my suprise its $2-3 grand only. Given that I accept that we are beyond valve bodies etc and a second hand box with no history will be $2500 plus shipping and install. and i am keeping the vehicle for years to come the rebuild seems a financially reasonable option.

From this experience i would suggest that for anybody who has read the Replaicing lifetime fluids thread go back and read it and have a think about it if u werec not in agreeance with changing the fluid. whether or not changing it fuks it, it will fuk up anyways sooner or later. just a thought, an expensive one as I was not of the opinion that i needed to think about it.

I thought that it was all good in my case and my opinion has been null and voided by reality, both financial and of the conversations i have had with credible persons in the field.

That is not to say that those who made contrbutions here are not experts or credible but that at the time I did not place enopugh value on the information provided, my bad!

Looks like i' ll have to put my fuzzy dice group buy from Fukem5 on hold for now, sorry guys.

Cant have recommended Bee-mms highly enough for all their help to this point. They are even driving the car to the tranny place for me at no cost.

[genphreak]

Mate I'm glad the ominous cloud has a silver lining; rebuilt gearbox will bring much better performance and a new lease on life for your car.

Is it going to ZF in Arndell Park (an hour's drive from Hornsby... :})

They're the best I know of but Bee-Ems would know better... Nick

[mattyb]

its going to allstates transmissions in Horsnby. ever heard of them? Rob from bee mms recommended them and they said they do a lot of bm work. they said if its commo or falcon they do them within a week but bms they take their time and give 2-3 weeks for a rebuild. this idea i liked. gives a bit of time to sort some cash out too.

[Tiger]

So are you saying that you never changed your fluid? If so, they all look like that... with lots of clutch material. When I drained mine at 110,000 miles, it was full of c.utch cruds... It was like fluid cloudy full of sediments. I changed the fluid along with valve body... everything is perfect again.

My symptom was I cannot go foward... it takes extreme acceleration to go forward as my reverse and drive is BOTH engaged...

I'd still recommend you to do the valve body first... change all fluid and see what happen. I suspect one of your actuator on valve body went shot... giving you this problem. From your description... it seems to me that the mechanic simply drained the fluid to check and that was it. ANY DUMMY can do that.

BMW tranny is electronic and can be diagnosed by BMW diagnostic machine to determine which part of tranny is bad. That shop of your don't seem to have that... as it is BMW dealer only item.

I highly recommend you to call Kirt Koeller to get second opinion.

[632 Regal]

I agree but he has made a decision. Bet they job the rebuild out is why it takes longer, hopefully it works out.
So are you saying that you never changed your fluid? If so, they all look like that... with lots of clutch material. When I drained mine at 110,000 miles, it was full of c.utch cruds... It was like fluid cloudy full of sediments. I changed the fluid along with valve body... everything is perfect again.

My symptom was I cannot go foward... it takes extreme acceleration to go forward as my reverse and drive is BOTH engaged...

I'd still recommend you to do the valve body first... change all fluid and see what happen. I suspect one of your actuator on valve body went shot... giving you this problem. From your description... it seems to me that the mechanic simply drained the fluid to check and that was it. ANY DUMMY can do that.

BMW tranny is electronic and can be diagnosed by BMW diagnostic machine to determine which part of tranny is bad. That shop of your don't seem to have that... as it is BMW dealer only item.

I highly recommend you to call Kirt Koeller to get second opinion.

[Tiger]

It is never too late. I just hate to see fellow BMW owner lose such a large chunk of money when we actually know the answer.

[632 Regal]

maybe he is rich beyond means?
It is never too late. I just hate to see fellow BMW owner lose such a large chunk of money when we actually know the answer.

[mattyb]

definatley not rich. advice received and will act upon tomorrow. Bee emms is a very respected BMW workshop that has been operating for 30 years. I did ask robert of the valve body replacement option first up. after conversing with some knowlegable chaps that u guys know as well i decided that in the absence of my own deopth of education regarding this matter that a rebuild was the safest if not only my solitary option. I did in fact never think that the mighty 540i would secumb to a fate such as this, and believe me if I had $3 grand spare id be getting my balls waxed and have the queen of England lick them for high tea while a tribe of abos claim the mother land as their own cause they was ere first. sorry guys its late and i havent slept for a day and am losing the plot but i see what u r talking about and will make a call in the morning.

many many thanks

[wingman]

ANY DUMMY can do that.

BMW tranny is electronic and can be diagnosed by BMW diagnostic machine to determine which part of tranny is bad. That shop of your don't seem to have that... as it is BMW dealer only item.

.

Be-emms has all the gear. They do handbook service work on even the latest cars including the 7's. I have known Rob for a number of years both as a customer and socially. He is not inclined to rip people off and on the contrary has helped me out on many an occassion for free. I, like many of his valued customers, accept his word as gospel. A 2nd opinion is great but how is a guy in the states going to be able to plug his diagnosis machine into Matty's car? He would only be giving advice from the symptoms that Matty described over the phone. I know where i'd be taking my advice from.

[mattyb]

thanks mate

[rob101]

Be-emms has all the gear. They do handbook service work on even the latest cars including the 7's. I have known Rob for a number of years both as a customer and socially. He is not inclined to rip people off and on the contrary has helped me out on many an occassion for free. I, like many of his valued customers, accept his word as gospel. A 2nd opinion is great but how is a guy in the states going to be able to plug his diagnosis machine into Matty's car? He would only be giving advice from the symptoms that Matty described over the phone. I know where i'd be taking my advice from.
performing a Pseudo hijack
but is Be-emms any good at rebuilds of engines and/or manual transmissions?

[mattyb]

engines apparently yes. transmissions are referred to a specialist as far as i know.

[djlost]

I would just like to mention, that, when my transmission on my 530i started to display 'Trans Program' on the dash, after taking the car to 2 different reputable transmission places, and having both of the said reputable transmission places, hooking up their computers, and following instructions telling them that Solenoid 3 needed replacing, got the car back, and within a week, had the same problem. Took the car to a 3rd tranny place, Ringowood Automatics, and had the guy there have my car for a day, and returning it to me, working 200%. The problem, in the end, was, the wiring loom which comes out of the transmission, is normally supported by a bracket. After 10 years of driving, this bracket had come away from the underside of the car, and the loom had rubbed through on the tailshaft, causing an intermittent short, which was tricking the computer into putting the car into limp mode, and displaying the Trans Program, and indicating a faulty solenoid. Basically, what I am getting at here, is, have now done a further 15000km on this tranny, and she runs a dream, even after having fluid drained, and having the 1st tranny shop suggesting I need a rebuild. ITs often, the simplest thing, such as a shorting wiring loom, which trips our cars out, so be weary of what ur spending your money on.

[mattyb]

thank you, one more thing to have alook at before it gets ripped apart. cheers mate

[Paul in NZ]

a short is one thing causing the trans program message but Did you also have the mechanical symptoms that Matty described?...Hope everything gets sorted matty with the least possible fu$$.

[mattyb]

thats a point. if it wasnt slipping in first i would nt be so bothered but mechanically there is no doubt that its up tha creek.

[djlost]

The symptoms matty described in his original post are, basically, while driving, the clunk he heard and felt, (I too felt it), was the car dropping down to either 3rd or 4th (not sure which gear it is in the 5speed auto) and then just driving in limp mode. As I am sure many people know, but for those that dont know, Limp mode is a feature BMW use to save any further damage to their trannys. Basically, your car matty, which feels like it is slipping, is actually attempting to take off in 4th (or 3rd). One or the other. Anyway, thats why, I would again be looking at either a) the wiring loom , or b) getting another opinion from another shop, and have them hook up their computer to tell them what your problem actually is. Anyway. Bedtime for me. Cheers for now Matty. Lost in the mexican state. cya.