5satku

I have the same problem with 530dA year model 2005 driven 59000km. My dealer has noticed this problem but hasn?t found anything. They have put new software and I also ordered them to change air filter because I read your stories. BUT problem is still there but not so strong. Only reason for this according to my dealer is partikelfilter selfcleaning process, but I don?t personally believe in it, it can?t be in the premium car like bmw that car is cleaning some fuc...ing filter and your car is hesitating and rev counter jumping ! And when it?s always in low revs you really notice it and it makes you MAD ! If someone finds out something, please let us know.

smarty156

Hate to tell you this (and it may not be the same) but a guy on the BMWLand forum with an E39 530D auto had what seemed like identical problems.
He just posted to say last week he got a transmission failsafe warning come up and then he finally lost all drive. Turns out the lock up clutch in the torque convertor failed in a big way.
He got a recon gearbox fitted for ?1700 and now the hesitancy issues have gone away!
Sounds like the lock up clutch on the way out makes it struggle to hold onto a particular gear and so feels like it can't make it's mind up whether to be in one gear or another.
I've always thought it was gearbox related (hence the thread title) - the problem now is getting BMW to do something about it!

MacSid

I have, for some reason, noticed this thread only now. My 2006 530d has been doing the same thing since day one, and I have had 2 different dealers look at it multiple times for this complaint over the last year or so (I previously posted on the forum at http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=43911&hl=).

It was explained to me by both dealers that this has something to do with the particulate filter's burn-off and regeneration process. When the car has been driven in start-stop conditions for a while and is subsequently given a run at constant rpms (usually between 1,000 and 1,500rpm) as one does on a motorway, the particulate filter goes into particle burnoff and regeneration mode and it is this process which causes the symptoms we're seeing.

Gunny Sergeant D

Guys I have the same problem. I find that if I drive the car in manual mode its great. If left in auto its weird, even driving sedately it doesn't seem to change up until sometimes 3000 revs. You would think that it would try to grab the highest gear asap for economy?

smarty156

There is truth in this in that it will do this periodically (which mine does at which point the exhaust starts booming). However, it should (and does) only do this for a few minutes and then go back to normal. The BMW tech bulletin on this says you might notice a slight difference in performance.
However, my problem (and I believe the others on here that have the hesitancy/jerkiness issue) is not the same and it does it all the time. My dealer has reset the particle filter and had it apart for a manual check plus instigated the burn off process and all is fine (although I've now noticed the i-drive says this needs replacing at 88,000 miles when it was showing 90,000 before).
I'd put money on it being the gearbox. Something isn't working quite as it should be and so it jumps around. Also causes a huge delay if you floor it from rest or near rest. Just seems to rev and go nowhere and then suddenly take off. It's a lot worse than it used to be.

smarty156

Have now booked mine in again for 15th October. Fingers crossed.

5satku

I visited today a non bmw service place which is dedicated to auto gearboxes and turbodiesels. We went to a testdrive and he said that my problem is not related to gearbox. Box is working fine including turbine lock (or lock up clutch if it is the right word). With these miles/kilometers lock up cluctch shouldn?t be. And he said it is neither partikelfilter, it should not work that often. His conclusion was it is something to do with motor and mentioned flaps.

I also called one dealer today and he mentioned that they have had some cars with these kind of problems and problem was Injectors.

This has to be solved ! I can?t enjoy car like that knowing it is jumping if I drive in a certain way.

smarty156

BMW technical suggested taking the inlet manifold off my car and checking the swirl flaps. They did that but there was nothing wrong. I suggested other things like fuel pressure etc but every time they just say that it would register as a fault if it was something like that. They'll say the same about the injectors I'm sure.

Unfortunately the car has no faults logged.

I still think it's the gearbox or gearbox software (unlikely as it was fine originally). I've had it happen before that when it should change up a gear it gets stuck and jumps about trying to mnake its mind up if it should change up or stay in the same gear. How can that not be gearbox related?

5satku

I have no idea. I just listen "experts" in different places. Many people has said that BMW dealer guys just look PC monitor and if there is nothing they are just as "stupid" as me or you.
They said to me same things as to you that it can?t be swirl flaps and many other things BECAUSE there is no error codes seen, but they have not really checked those things in my car.

Rob Hall

i get rpm fluctuation around every 2 weeks at 1600 rpm lasts about 5mins, i just assumed it was the particulate burn off process and nothing to be concerned about, just part of the ever increasing need to lower emissions and to comply with euro IV regs. Maybe i should be a little more concerned ?