M5 SMG3 / late model clutch life.

[ecain63]

Ive done a bit of searching as to what the expected clutch life is on the late model E60 M5's and E61 M5's with SMG 3. Cant seem to find any comparison to the earlier SMG boxes. Anyone got any info?

My E61 is on 43k and drives like new but it would be nice to know what to expect. Ive never launched it and its previous owner assured me he never launched it as he was scared he wouldnt be able to handle it. lol. I drive S3 in Manual only.

Eddie

[B19TOY]

Clutch/Flywheel replaced at 99,700 on my 2006 M6, track days occaisionally, always in 500bhp unless there is snow but never launched to my knowledge. Gearchange started to lose some smoothness at around 90,000.

Also had the rear dampers and brake discs at 90,000 and it drives like new now. Looking forward to the the next 100,000 miles.

[ecain63]

Did you have the car from new? That's a fantastic figure to reach.

[KTMboy]

Mine had a new clutch just before I bought it, at around 46K miles.

I did a lot of research at the time and came to the conclusion that you were lucky if it got past 50-60K miles and unlucky if it didn't make 40k miles. Thats why I bought one with a new clutch.

The only blot on the landscape, save of course the whole VANOS noise thing, and the appauling fuel range, and the crap sevice you get from BMW....................

Still a flippin ace car though.......and I fall in love with it every time I drive it [despite a new noise, whirr, or rattle apearing almost every time too]. I have reconciled that okay, some people have had a nightmare with these cars, and the odd noise here and there is a bit disconcerting. Get a warranty, turn the radio up, and just drive it. When the noise stops, meaning whatever was the cause has finally broken, take it to the dealer and pull up a chair....

[B19TOY]

ecain63 said:

Did you have the car from new? That's a fantastic figure to reach.

I had it from 3,600 miles.