You took a shower with your transmission parts. That is dedication!

But seriously, great write up. I will be doing this sometime soon and will be referring back to the op and your post. Due to this part shortage I had to take mine in and just get a couple things replaced and it's been driving fine, but I will be doing this overhaul in the future. Nice work!

Did you replace everything that came in the overhaul kit or just the mechatronic sleeve, 4 oil passage seals, 1 bridge adapter seal?

 

Haha... I was wondering if anyone would catch that. I actually stood outside the shower enclosure, but ended up so wet from the spray anyway that I might as well have stood inside.

I only used those items mentioned out of the overhaul kit (... and maybe the fill plug, I forgot if I did that). It also include a oil pan gasket and drain plug, but since I got a new oil pan which already includes those items, so those will be set aside as spares. The rest of the kit are piston o-rings, various seals and new casing plugs that goes inside the transmission drums and shafts aka the spinny parts. I hope I never have to use those parts, but I had a worst case scenario plan where I would have the shop pull the tranny for me to crack open and completely rebuild it.

 

Oh ok. And there is only one type of separator plate for the 6HP19? Some of the others have multiple type of plates that need to be checked before ordering, right?

 

That was actually one of my biggest concerns while collecting the parts. I knew I had to order the parts in in advance, but everywhere I read says the only way you know which of the 5 or 6 separator plate version to get was to drop the oil pan and actually have eyeballs on the old one. That wasn't an option for me because the shop with the lift doesn't have any space for storage while I have a plate shipped in.

In the end, I ordered my separator plate from the shop where I got my solenoids from, and they said they only need my VIN to check which plate I need. The one they sent me was A51/B51, and it was a big relief when the pan was dropped and I saw the old one was indeed the '51.

My theory is that the different plate versions are for 6HP19 valvebodies for other makes/vehicles, and that BMWs with the 6HP19 will probably use the '51 plate. This theory stems from the fact that I think I remember someone with a E90 having the same plate version. But with a sample pool of 1 confirmed and 1 maybe, this is probably the most rickety theory in the universe.

So anyways, if you're doing this by yourself on jack stands or you have a lift where you can leave the car on for a few days, it would be best to drop the pan and confirm.

 

I just attempted a pan replacement, mechatronic adapter sleeve and mechatronic sealing sleeve replacement on my 08 535xit. Thought it all went well. Got about 6Q back in. On the lift, it seemed to shift into D and into 1, 2 and 3 while in sport mode and even into R. It would not go into Park, however and the idrive gave a warning that P was not available and to go to the dealer. On the ground, the trans is locked even in Neutral and the car will not move or shift out of Neutral. I thought the mechantronic wiring harness connector went in properly and locked properly. Looks like it, feels like it.

Any ideas?

 

Did you drop the mechatronic assembly (aka valve body) ?

If you did, it sounds like you didn't properly engage the parking thingy when you put it back.

 

Yes, I removed and reinstalled the valve body. What is the parking thingy that I was supposed to engage when putting it back?

I don't think I disturbed the manual release device that is on the outside of the trans. I am getting gear sign with exclamation point in the middle. The idrive fault says transmission malfunction, position P. The idrive explanation above the fault says transmission malfunction, position P may not be possible. The reality is I cannot get the car into park. I did have it in neutral while putting it on the lift and I did open the door while it was in drive to look to see if the wheels were moving during the fill process. I may have triggered a hold or lock of some sort. Or perhaps I am just 1 quart underfilled and the hydraulic pressure is insufficient -- the level is easy enough to recheck (I was using an infrared on various spots on the plastic pan to get temperatures of 30C to 40C while filling and filled until it began to dribble back out steadily).

 

Take a look at page 3 of this:
http://www.zftranspart.com/images/custom/mecha.pdf

That thing they call the "park rod cylinder" basically mechanically engages the transmission when you put the car in park so the car can't roll.

 

Yes, the park cylinder rod was the issue. I did not make sure it was in the slot when I reinstalled the mechatronic valve body. That was a 2.5 hour setback to drain and repull the pan and reinstall the valve body and put the pan back up and refill it. All is fine now. Messy job.

 

Glad it worked out. Not the biggest error. I wouldn't be too hard on myself if I missed that. Worst part is having to do it over, but no harm to the car. I had a misstep when I pulled the valve body on my daughter's Mazda3. I got it all back together only to find I was missing one oil pan bolt! The oil pan has no gasket on that car and uses silicone sealant. I hadn't filled it up, but I just couldn't find the last bolt. Well, now I'm not sure the bolt isn't in the pan You know what happens next -- I take the pan down again. Never found the bolt, I must have thrown it out with some rags.