545 transmission problems
09-16-2011, 12:23 PM
#31
Senior Members
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Toronto
Posts: 667
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 545i
Hehe. Yeah I would take it easy for a little while, just drive it normally in D, not DS or M.
11-03-2011, 06:28 AM
#32
Senior Members
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 2,163
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
My Ride: ///M5 BEAST
Model Year: 2006
Dropped mine off for final diagnostic by BMW USA before I make my final decision to keep or trade her in. I informed them of the valve body issues/mechatronics issues known with these cars. We will see what they say...
11-03-2011, 10:33 AM
#33
Senior Members
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Toronto
Posts: 667
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 545i
I have to admit, I am having 0 issues now with the transmission, it is no longer stuttering in 5th gear between 40 and 60 kms.
It may on occasion slam into gear but it'll do it once and that's it.
I will keep monitoring it.
It may on occasion slam into gear but it'll do it once and that's it.
I will keep monitoring it.
11-03-2011, 01:16 PM
#34
Senior Members
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 2,163
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
My Ride: ///M5 BEAST
Model Year: 2006
they had to keep her overnight. i should get an update in the morning....
did i mention ive only had the car a year so far? ive had a litany of problems from electrical to mechanical....so my salesman and the folks in the service department are very nice & apologetic. they have seen my transform my E60 from run of the mill to one of a kind....buying tons of OEM parts (all special order), asking the techs to do programming....then when they couldnt, learning how to program things myself and bringing it back to show them that it was actually possible. its been quite a journey so far. i hope things can be salvaged....
did i mention ive only had the car a year so far? ive had a litany of problems from electrical to mechanical....so my salesman and the folks in the service department are very nice & apologetic. they have seen my transform my E60 from run of the mill to one of a kind....buying tons of OEM parts (all special order), asking the techs to do programming....then when they couldnt, learning how to program things myself and bringing it back to show them that it was actually possible. its been quite a journey so far. i hope things can be salvaged....
11-22-2011, 11:51 AM
#35
New Members
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
First I would like to just thank you for documenting your experience on this forum. I'll try to keep my post as short as possible, but I'd like to also contribute my experience in detail for other 545i owners that may one day experience this problem.
I'm going through the same trouble. However, I bought the car as a CPO in 2007 and am out of warranty. I went to get an oil change and the mechanic told me my transmission is leaking and it looks like my pan is warped. He gave me a quote for $800. I called Valencia BMW (same dealer I bought the car) here in Southern California and the SA quoted me $665 with tax. I choose the dealership because of the price, reassurance it would be repaired right, and I would get a loaner while my car was worked on.
They diagnosed my car as having a leaking mechatronic sleeve. Because of that I was low on fluid in the transmission. So I authorized the repairs. They changed the sleeve and pan gasket, as well as adding fluid. I drove off and was on the freeway heading home. I was at a steady pace and needed to get in front of a car so I accelerated gradually (not aggressively) and then it almost seemed like the car didn't know what gear to keep me in. It would shift then not shit then the RPM just jumped up and i got the "Transmission Malfunction" error on my screen. The car locked me into the gear (i believe 4th gear). I couldn't manually change the gears with the shifter so I pulled over. I turned off the engine and sat and turned the engine back on. The problem went away and I was able to drive home. I called my SA and scheduled an appointment.
The mechanic at the dealership said the code that was being thrown was "tran slipping clutch e." The SA told me they noticed the transmission pan leaking from it being warped. They said to replace the pan, filter, and fluid, it would be $788. I should note that the SA explicitly stated that this repair will fix my problem. This service is what I originally brought my car in for but they diagnosed it as just the mechatronic sleeve the first time. I authorized the repair and got my car back 3 days later. I went home and on the way there it happened on a surface street. Same error code and same locking of the gears.
I just dropped off the car at the dealer AGAIN and they told me that whatever they did is covered under a 2 year warranty, but if they find out it's something else, then "we'd go from there". I told them, that it wasn't acceptable, and that I would not agree to paying anything additional, and that I need them to fix what they broke. They took me to the Service Manager, and he told me I can count out me getting a new transmission or fixing anything they feel they didn't do. He told me that my car had 100k miles on it, so it's been through a lot. I told him 100k is not suppose to be a lot for any modern car and to stop treating it like an antique automobile. I told him that I came here with a working transmission and only wanted the leak to stop. I authorized the repair that they suggested. I authorized the second repair that they suggested to remedy this problem. The problem still persists, they've misdiagnosed my transmission, and possibly damaged my transmission beyond repair. The manager also told me they would take the $1400 in repairs into "consideration" if the car requires a new transmission. I'm assuming he felt that I would pay the difference. I told him that I don't agree with that. We ended it shortly after and the SA wrote me up for the diagnosis and loaner.
I hope it's not major and the repair is simple so I can go back to driving my car. However, I will not let them get away with this. I came to them with a functioning transmission that has never thrown that code before. Now I can't drive this car on the freeway without locking up. This car is unsafe to drive in its current state. It's a shame because my SA Michelle has been really great, and I'm not looking to get work done for free. I don't care how it gets fixed, I just want it fixed the right way.
I'm going through the same trouble. However, I bought the car as a CPO in 2007 and am out of warranty. I went to get an oil change and the mechanic told me my transmission is leaking and it looks like my pan is warped. He gave me a quote for $800. I called Valencia BMW (same dealer I bought the car) here in Southern California and the SA quoted me $665 with tax. I choose the dealership because of the price, reassurance it would be repaired right, and I would get a loaner while my car was worked on.
They diagnosed my car as having a leaking mechatronic sleeve. Because of that I was low on fluid in the transmission. So I authorized the repairs. They changed the sleeve and pan gasket, as well as adding fluid. I drove off and was on the freeway heading home. I was at a steady pace and needed to get in front of a car so I accelerated gradually (not aggressively) and then it almost seemed like the car didn't know what gear to keep me in. It would shift then not shit then the RPM just jumped up and i got the "Transmission Malfunction" error on my screen. The car locked me into the gear (i believe 4th gear). I couldn't manually change the gears with the shifter so I pulled over. I turned off the engine and sat and turned the engine back on. The problem went away and I was able to drive home. I called my SA and scheduled an appointment.
The mechanic at the dealership said the code that was being thrown was "tran slipping clutch e." The SA told me they noticed the transmission pan leaking from it being warped. They said to replace the pan, filter, and fluid, it would be $788. I should note that the SA explicitly stated that this repair will fix my problem. This service is what I originally brought my car in for but they diagnosed it as just the mechatronic sleeve the first time. I authorized the repair and got my car back 3 days later. I went home and on the way there it happened on a surface street. Same error code and same locking of the gears.
I just dropped off the car at the dealer AGAIN and they told me that whatever they did is covered under a 2 year warranty, but if they find out it's something else, then "we'd go from there". I told them, that it wasn't acceptable, and that I would not agree to paying anything additional, and that I need them to fix what they broke. They took me to the Service Manager, and he told me I can count out me getting a new transmission or fixing anything they feel they didn't do. He told me that my car had 100k miles on it, so it's been through a lot. I told him 100k is not suppose to be a lot for any modern car and to stop treating it like an antique automobile. I told him that I came here with a working transmission and only wanted the leak to stop. I authorized the repair that they suggested. I authorized the second repair that they suggested to remedy this problem. The problem still persists, they've misdiagnosed my transmission, and possibly damaged my transmission beyond repair. The manager also told me they would take the $1400 in repairs into "consideration" if the car requires a new transmission. I'm assuming he felt that I would pay the difference. I told him that I don't agree with that. We ended it shortly after and the SA wrote me up for the diagnosis and loaner.
I hope it's not major and the repair is simple so I can go back to driving my car. However, I will not let them get away with this. I came to them with a functioning transmission that has never thrown that code before. Now I can't drive this car on the freeway without locking up. This car is unsafe to drive in its current state. It's a shame because my SA Michelle has been really great, and I'm not looking to get work done for free. I don't care how it gets fixed, I just want it fixed the right way.
11-22-2011, 12:04 PM
#36
Senior Members
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Toronto
Posts: 667
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 545i
Sorry to hear about your problems, hopefully they will fix it. Though from the sounds of it (clutch slipping) can only be fixed if they open the tranny up and start replacing parts. I really hope it's not a major issue.
And I totally agree with you, a BMW should last a very long time, this whole 100k on the cars bit is not right at all.
Thank god, my tranny issues have been resolved, the sputtering in 5th gear is gone (knocking on wood) and the shifts are smooth. Hopefully this lasts as long as I keep the car.
Good luck!
And I totally agree with you, a BMW should last a very long time, this whole 100k on the cars bit is not right at all.
Thank god, my tranny issues have been resolved, the sputtering in 5th gear is gone (knocking on wood) and the shifts are smooth. Hopefully this lasts as long as I keep the car.
Good luck!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post