Transmissions

[Papa_Joe]

Everytime I turn around I am hearing all this negative stuff aobut my transmission. Where are the stats that they only last 100-150k. Has everyone had this issue. I am concerned as my baby has hit 102k. I dont seem to have any issue so far. No clunking when engaged, shifting seem smoth. Last I2 seemed to go well.


Just curious if ANYONE has gone past 150 with THEIR tranny

Papa

 

[andreyiv]

I got a little over 120k on mine and shes been acting up a little lately. If the car is cold and I stomp on the brakes to lets say avoid an accident, it pops out of gear and I am stranded there, after a few seconds it jerks back into gear and all is well again. When it warms up I don't have this issue. A long long while ago I had this but during the summer, it would pop out of gear everytime I had to brake sharply and initially I went for the gas pedal and the revs would just climb until it engages at 3.5kRPM and lurches the car forward, later I felt when it would pop out of gear and would just sit there like an idiot waiting for it to kick back in, not pleasant.
Turned out the fluid was low and since the fluid pick-up is in the rear, it would starve as all the fluid flies up front under heavy braking. After adding some ATF it was fine, until now; don't know if its the same problem or not but I am worried that it will not last me till next summer.

 

[Papa_Joe]

ouch

This does not put a smile on my face. Is there a way to check the fluid levels (accurate check). I have it on services regularly but they are not happening until the 30K interval. ( Inspection I and II).

 

[Kirby]

The only thing you can do is to have it serviced regularly. On the later models, and I think on yours, they say it is "lifetime" never needs changing fluid. See what they say. I would "force" them to change it the next time around.

 

[grasutu]

I got my last bemer ( 535i) at 220 000 miles and it's still running with his original transmision !!!!

 

[andreyiv]

The way you check oil level is by unscrewing the fill plug at proper fluid temperature, with tranny in neutral and engine running; believe it or not, there is more to that precedure. If the level is fine, the fluid is pouring out, so you have to close the fill plug while the fluid is pouring out, so you can't just check it, you have to fill it too. It didn't sound like a simple precedure, I had the fluid added for 20 bucks at a local transmission shop. Not many wanted to do it though, so good luck on it.

 

[sinisterE36]

175000 miles when i bought mine and was slipping and acting as said above like everyone else.
i should have changed or checked the fluid but i didnt know how to thought it was the same as my e30 but nope it wasnt .
and now it finally gave out at 195000 so now im getting it replaced by the dealership for a cost i cant say cause i'd get fired .
so in other words if its acting like its about to die or slipping get the fluid and both transmission filters changed and that should make things better if not then time for a new tranny

 

[Papa_Joe]

So far so good

Mine is not having any issues at this point, but being a new BMW guy, I was asking questions from other postings. i was concerned as the 102K that I am at now is close to the UH OH mode for the tranny.

 

[My Toy 95]

I have 85,000 miles on mine and I don't believe the transmission fluid has ever been changed. I am thinking about having it done even though they say its lifetime fluid. How much should this cost and would you recommend?

 

[k00lkf]

I had my fuilds changed at 125,000 and now at 153,000 i'm going to have it changed agian. I got the car when it had 102,000 and had no problems with the tranny until it hit 124,000. I went to a bmw shop to have it looked at and they told me it would be 300 to get the fuild and filters changed. so i called another place and ask what they would charge, they said 200. so i finally took it to a nissan dealership (only because my brother worked there) to have the service done. it only cost 125 and that was because i had them change the spark plugs aswell. if i din't get my brother dicount it would have been 100 or so. other than that i have had no problems with my tranny. although i have been thinking of changing from an auto to 5spd just because i can get one for free and has less than 70,000 on it.