E39 530iA touring slipping in reverse

[skoff]

Hi Chaps,

Not the best birthday weekend for me, all the festivites cancelled due to a sick daughter, so decided to do some work on the new house instead... Sadly the 5 has had different ideas.

Putting it in reverse it engages the gear and starts to creep backwards VERY slowly, then give it a few revs and it sounds like it's slipping, even the slightest incline defeats it.

I have tried lots of revs, selecting all the gears in manual mode, going to P and back to reverse... No joy. Just slip, slip slip.

My wallet is terrified.

So, anybody had the same problem? My car has done 107K, not had the 'box oil changed, that was going to be done at the next service.

Does anybody know any auto box specialists near Bridgwater in Somerset? Or anybody know of an auto box going cheap? I really don't want to write the car off, it's just too good at what it does...

Thanks

[davidwilson666]

Hi Skoff,

You should try J P Automatic Transmissions

Don't know if they are any good or not, but they are listed on ZF's own site, who I believe make your autobox.

[skoff]

davidwilson666 said:

Hi Skoff,

You should try J P Automatic Transmissions

Don't know if they are any good or not, but they are listed on ZF's own site, who I believe make your autobox.

Thanks David, they have a place pretty close to me, definitely worth a call.

Got to love PH, somebody always has a contact..

[skoff]

Well, I got the car to the car doctor...

The prognosis is not great. The 'box needs a rebuild. £1100 +vat it's some clutch thing inside that's not doing the business.

Gonna have it done, as it's been a terrific car apart from the box and the usual hedgehog problem. 30k in 2 years with pretty much only servicing and tyres to pay for. Plus I get a warranty with the re-build, so there's a bit of peace of mind there.

C'est la vie.

[confused_buyer]

It's is a very common problem and about the usual mileage it happens. As you have correctly concluded a rebuild is the only solution.

The price quoted is very good, I suspect it is a partial rebuild to fix the fault rather than a complete one which would be more like £1800.

[bolide]

confused_buyer said:

It's is a very common problem and about the usual mileage it happens. As you have correctly concluded a rebuild is the only solution.

The price quoted is very good, I suspect it is a partial rebuild to fix the fault rather than a complete one which would be more like £1800.

And I'd pay the extra and have a rebuild. Most "repairs" have no warranty but "rebuilds" do

Nick Froome

[skoff]

bolide said:

confused_buyer said:

It's is a very common problem and about the usual mileage it happens. As you have correctly concluded a rebuild is the only solution.

The price quoted is very good, I suspect it is a partial rebuild to fix the fault rather than a complete one which would be more like £1800.

And I'd pay the extra and have a rebuild. Most "repairs" have no warranty but "rebuilds" do

Nick Froome

Not sure about the partial / full rebuild thing, but I definitely get a warranty on the gearbox, I specifically asked the question. With any luck I should have the car back by the end of the week.

I reckon I could easily lose the cost in depreciation on a new ford fiesta over the next year and 30k miles, so I don't feel like it's that unreasonable considering the car wasn't too expensive in the fist place (and I know which I'd rather be driving up and down the motorway).

I'm also enjoying using the TVR as a daily drive for a while, though it requires a lot more effort to drive it and I reckon the novelty will wear off soon, especially since the weather seems to be a bit damp...

[skoff]

So, I got the car back today.

It feels like a familiar old pair of slippers.

It's all working, can't say it feels better or worse than before the problem, which is fine as it drove very well before then.

Nice to be able to stay out of the TVR in the horrible weather, though the TVR was better in a cross wind than the enormous 5. But at least I don't have to be quite so delicate with the right foot.

There was no fuel in the thing when I got it back grrr... but that's par for the course I suppose. Only option to put some in on the motorway as I was late for work. 122.9 per litre

total cost was £1345 including VAT. That gets me a warranty, so I'm as happy as one can be having spent a small fortune on a car problem, and not even a TVR car problem!!

Still the peace and quiet in the car, the decent heater and effortless motorway cruising remind me why I got the 5.

To anybody thinking of buying one of these - be under no illusions, they are FAR from being bulletproof, and they are damned expensive when they break... BUT they are very good cars when they work. Ok, I have had mine less than a year, but in that year I have done 30k miles, so whilst probably having cost me more than a mondeo to run, it's not really 'that' much more. I am sure a mondeo can have a gearbox failure too.