5 series auto box advice/info please.

[SLCZ3]

The 5 series 3.0 D my wife runs has a vibration when accelerating from about 60mph to higher speeds. It is similar to when driving over a change of road texture profile. It seems to be during the auto gear changing sequence.
Any ideas what the problem is chaps, mileage is about 65000 and it is a 2002 model.
I assume this problem will not occur once we get the 50 mph limits introduced.

Edited by SLCZ3 on Monday 4th May 08:08

[Bizzybirdy]

Hi, just to let you know my 02 X5 30d had the exact same problem for months , was'nt sure what to do. Yesterday the "Trans Fail-safe prog" message came up on the dash, as i slowed i lost all drive,engine would only rev. I had the car relayed to BMW , today they checked the codes, checked the oil and found burn oil caused by excess slippage. They changed the oil as this has cured this problem on other cars before,but not this time. They say auto box is Kaputt. To fix needs a new box fitted inc vat £3900. Kerching!!

Iv'e found a local reliable guy to recondition my gearbox and fit it with oil for £2550 inc vat I hope this helps. Good luck, Bizzy

Edited by Bizzybirdy on Friday 31st July 00:13

[SLCZ3]

Hmmmm, very interesting, thanks for the info.

[eliot]

Bizzybirdy said:

Iv'e found a local reliable guy to recondition my gearbox and fit it with oil for £2550 inc vat I hope this helps. Good luck, Bizzy

Even that sounds a tad high. A box rebuild is around £1000 at a ZF authorised centre. On 2wd car you are looking at around 4 hours work to swap it - a little more on a 4x4 though.
http://www.zf-group.co.uk/car_service.htm

[miniman]

Are you sure it is the gearbox? It sounds like it might have "the shimmy" whereby worn suspension bushes cause a judder at certain speeds. Mine does it between 50 and 60. Have you tried holding it in gear (say, 3rd) and accelerating to the same speed, then try it i 4th to see if the judder happens at 60mph or a certain rpm?

[eliot]

miniman said:

Are you sure it is the gearbox? It sounds like it might have "the shimmy" whereby worn suspension bushes cause a judder at certain speeds. Mine does it between 50 and 60. Have you tried holding it in gear (say, 3rd) and accelerating to the same speed, then try it i 4th to see if the judder happens at 60mph or a certain rpm?

Just slayed my e39 shimmy with new traction struts and wishbones. Inspected the old traction struts and they were shagged to put it mildly. Wishbones were fine though and were needlessly changed.

[530dTPhil]

SLCZ3 said:

The 5 series 3.0 D my wife runs has a vibration when accelerating from about 60mph to higher speeds. It is similar to when driving over a change of road texture profile. It seems to be during the auto gear changing sequence.
Any ideas what the problem is chaps, mileage is about 65000 and it is a 2002 model.
I assume this problem will not occur once we get the 50 mph limits introduced.

I had a similar thing on a 2002 530dT. It turned out to be the rubber doughnut at the front of the propshaft where it fits onto the back flange of the gearbox; worth checking at £80. Happened at a similar mileage too.