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Andrew Rolland 
Moderator Group
Go away rain
Joined: 19-August-2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 6579
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 Topic: Autobox Problems
Posted: 23-September-2004 at 04:28 |
Hi everybody
My Steptronic gearbox on my 523i is playing up.
I drove home from work o.k. yesterday, went out about an hour later and the warning light for the gearbox didn't extinguish once the engine had started. I pulled it into drive and sure enough it had gone into limp home mode pulling off in third gear.
Drove it around the block, parked switched it off and re started it and the light still refused to go off.
I phoned Douglas Park, main agent where the car was bought brand new and the previous owner had it fully serviced by them and they can't do anything for two weeks! I bought it from an independant over a month ago and I only had a months warranty from them.
Can't wait that long. Going to phone a local autobox specialist now.
Its one of those "sealed for life" boxes with no dipstick so I have no way of checking the fluid.
Anyone got any ideas?
Andrew
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Jimbo540i
Groupie
Joined: 05-May-2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 80
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Posted: 23-September-2004 at 05:13 |
Nooo!
Couple of things i can suggest - not all that techcie though!
1) The 'system' reboot. Basically disconnecting the battery, pressing all the buttons to discharge anything, reconnect the battery and see if the problem disapears.
2) I thought I was having a probelm with my Autobox - I took it to a mian dealer and they had the car for a couple of days to examine it - mine was showing no fault, but I know they waited until the car was cold and somewherre on the bottom of the autobox there is a seal/opening into the autobox (no idea exactly where). I believe they open this up and then start then engine, slect a gear and if the fluid then 'jump'/'trickles out of ths whole then the level is good. My level was good so the dealer then said to bring it back and they would examine all the wiring/control modules around the box. I took it home
3) Tyres. Despite paying the dealer several hours of 'diagnostic' time they failed to notice that the new whell/tyre combo I had purchased had two uneven tread depts (one was 4mm the other 2mm). I change the tyres thinking that 'hey maybe it will make the difference' and low and behold it cured it!
Two weeks is a long time to wait for dealer, although I think it might be something to do with the electronic gubbins that controls the gearbox as you didn't seam to nitice any mechanical noises?
Good luck with tgetting it sorted!
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Jimbo
540i Auto
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Jimbo540i
Groupie
Joined: 05-May-2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 80
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Posted: 23-September-2004 at 05:14 |
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Must take more care when typing in the morning - apologise for bad spelling and grammer and typing!
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Jimbo
540i Auto
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Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group
Go away rain
Joined: 19-August-2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 6579
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Posted: 23-September-2004 at 05:19 |
Jimbo
I spoke to a tranny specialist that I have used before and he said he can't help cos his gear has just been nicked. AND if it has gone into limp home mode only a BMW $tealer can reset it. Disconnecting the battery doesn't cure it some I'm told! I had thought of that but I'll don't think I'll bother.
Henry Bros said I could leave it with them and they may be able to look at it if they can.
Surely any difference in tyres would be taken out in the diff and not up the prop shaft to the box? I have new tyres on the back with even tread so that can't be the fault. Could be any electrical gremlin though! Or hopefully summat silly like low fluid but there are no drips!
Let the fun and games commence!
Andrew
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Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current
'13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto
Previous
'04 04 E60 545i SE Auto
'03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen)
'98 S E39 523i SE Auto
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Jimbo540i
Groupie
Joined: 05-May-2004
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: 23-September-2004 at 09:05 |
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Not sure about the tyre thing to be honnest, I'm sure when I posted before somebody said something about speed sensors on the wheels or something?!? Also the tech in the dealership I first went to mentioned that 5's autoboxs have been know to fault due to incorrectly matched tyes or worn tyres. I measured my tyres and one was significantly less thatn the other and I also notices that both were fitted with the same direction tyre - one in the wrong direction. Like I say cured my problem, but then I had no light or limp home mode activation - just a hesitation in changing down to 1st...
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Jimbo
540i Auto
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Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group
Go away rain
Joined: 19-August-2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 6579
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Posted: 24-September-2004 at 03:23 |
Latest on my Tranny problems.
Was getting a lift into work today from the Mrs but had to get stuff out of the Beamer to take to work so I thought I would turn the ignition on to get the mileage so I could give this to the dealer on Tuesday morning.
Turned the key and guess wot, the gearbox warning light went out!!!!
Now I didn't get a chance to have another look as the Mrs was giving me brain damage but I was lead to believe that these things would only reset themselves after being plugged into BMW's computers.
I didn't start the engine though. Is this just another electrical gremlin, like my sunvisor vanity lights work now when they didn't earlier in the week?
Anyone out there with any comments on this.
Andrew
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Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current
'13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto
Previous
'04 04 E60 545i SE Auto
'03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen)
'98 S E39 523i SE Auto
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Jimbo540i
Groupie
Joined: 05-May-2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 80
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Posted: 24-September-2004 at 05:13 |
Andrew
I think...
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...
"If it ain't broke don't fek with it!" - to rephase you signature and para-phrase Father Ted.
sounds like a glitch - congrats on a 'cheap' remedy!
Jimbo
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Jimbo
540i Auto
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kevin
Bavarian-Board Contributor
Joined: 29-November-2002
Location: Camberley, Surrey
Status: Offline
Points: 3189
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Posted: 24-September-2004 at 05:21 |
 Andrew Rolland wrote:
Is this just another electrical gremlin, like my sunvisor vanity lights work now when they didn't earlier in the week? |
I hope it has cleared itself but you will only know for sure after you have driven it for a while.
On a lighter note...maybe you have to choose which you want to work, the gearbox or the sunvisor vanity lights 
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Kevin
'04 E46 330Ci Convertible
'08 E61 535d Touring (TorqueMeister Towbarge)
’95 E34 M5
’89 E30 M3 (Cecotto)
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Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group
Go away rain
Joined: 19-August-2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 6579
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Posted: 24-September-2004 at 06:14 |
Jimbo540i wrote:
"If it ain't broke don't fek with it!" - to rephase you signature and para-phrase Father Ted.
sounds like a glitch - congrats on a 'cheap' remedy!
Jimbo
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So Do you think I should cancel the trip to the main $tealer on Tuesday morning?
Are these kind of glitches common? Something doesn't work then two days later it does work?
I haven't drive it yet, only turned on the ignition and the light seemed to go out. Hopefully it has cured itself somehow, but I'll keep you all posted on the outcome.
Andrew
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Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current
'13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto
Previous
'04 04 E60 545i SE Auto
'03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen)
'98 S E39 523i SE Auto
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Jimbo540i
Groupie
Joined: 05-May-2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 80
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Posted: 24-September-2004 at 09:50 |
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Methinks if you have an appointment at the dealer and they are hard to get hold of it would be worth going in. I understand that they can call up stored faults on the gearbox - just like the engine... May give you some insight into something you can sort now rather than catostrophic failure later! Be prepared to haggle over the charge for 'diagnostic' time...
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Jimbo
540i Auto
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Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group
Go away rain
Joined: 19-August-2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 6579
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Posted: 24-September-2004 at 10:01 |
Will do.
I had decided to keep the appointment.
I'm sure as anything that the light went out this morning as the only lights that stayed on were the airbag and seatbelt lights which seem to take an age to go off anyway.
The tranny warning light always goes out really quickly and it wasn't on this morning.
Very very odd!
I always make a point of only starting the engine once all the lights are out.
Andrew
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Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current
'13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto
Previous
'04 04 E60 545i SE Auto
'03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen)
'98 S E39 523i SE Auto
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Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group
Go away rain
Joined: 19-August-2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 6579
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Posted: 29-September-2004 at 02:57 |
Guys
The latest on my tranny woes are as follows....
Droped the key into Henry Bros at 8.15 yesterday morning and got a phone call at 9.30 to tell me what was wrong. Not bad for a rush job they said they would 'fit in' over two days.
The following is what the garage printed off form the car's brain.
Diagnosis Faults
- 31 Soleniod valve 4
- Fault is the 1th fault to be detected
- Open circuit or short circuit to B-
- Fault currently not present
- Fault not sporadic
- The fault was detetected for the first time 1 h 0 min operating hours ago at:
- Last gearshift: select speed
- ATF temperature: 67 deg C
- Battery Voltage: 12.2 V
Diagnosis Fault Survey
- 31 Solenoid valve 4
- Since the last time the fault memory was cleared, the control unit has been in operation for 844 h 18 min
I know what some of that translates to in English and hopefully it will make sense to a tranny specialist.
The light was out when I drove it yesterday to the dealer hence the blurb fault not present and I have just driven into work today and while parking the car the warning light came on but I switched her off and then turned the ignition back on and the light went out.
Going to phone the tranny specialist that the dealer put me on to.
Andrew
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|
Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current
'13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto
Previous
'04 04 E60 545i SE Auto
'03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen)
'98 S E39 523i SE Auto
|
|
Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group
Go away rain
Joined: 19-August-2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 6579
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Posted: 04-October-2004 at 03:09 |
Tranny now fixed!
Needed a new solenoid bank and the valve body overhauled, yes it was expensive. but the car runs very very smoothly now thru all gears and the downshift is sooo much better. Something must have been well on its way out.
Problem is now the Mrs wants to drive it more now that it is fixed.
Andrew
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|
Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current
'13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto
Previous
'04 04 E60 545i SE Auto
'03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen)
'98 S E39 523i SE Auto
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|
Badger 540
Really Senior Member I
Joined: 23-October-2003
Location: West Midlands
Status: Offline
Points: 451
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Posted: 04-October-2004 at 15:47 |
What sort of mileage has the gearbox covered, Andrew ??
Andy
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Badger540 West Midlands
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Andrew Rolland
Moderator Group
Go away rain
Joined: 19-August-2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 6579
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Posted: 05-October-2004 at 03:09 |
Andy
A smudge under 48k at the time of it going capoot.
I bought it privately from an independant and the warranty I got from them had expiredby the time it went capoot.
Car has FBMWSH from a dealer in Glasgow. Yes mileage is genuine.
Tranny specialist said it was just one of those unfortunate things.
Andrew
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Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!
Current
'13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto
Previous
'04 04 E60 545i SE Auto
'03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen)
'98 S E39 523i SE Auto
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Autobox Problems