Wrightbenz

I am having some minor shift flares nothing terrible but I figure I will do a trans service.
Question is while I am in there changing the fluid and filter should I just go ahead and change the sealing sleeves and the 8 shaped seal? Then I start thinking about replacing the solenoid valves as well bu I am not sure how far I want scope creep to come into play here.
Car has 128k miles on it and again shifts good just some minor flaring mostly when cold.

Any advice appreciated the solenoids are $300 so that's a pretty big hit if I don't really need them but I really don't want to go back in there either.

seanjordan20

Definitely change the seals. You can test each solenoid to see if they are good. I forget the correct reading but I'm sure I can find it. With what you're describing they seem to be good. Seems like a fluid/filter/gasket change is all you need. Eventually the solenoids do go but you should be doing a fluid change every 50k so that can wait if not bad now

Wrightbenz

So your approach woudl be drop the valve body and change the seals but leave the solenoids as long as they pass the resistance test? I guess my thought was if I have the VB out why not change the solenoids and be done with it. I mean its a bit of money but I woudl guess they are getting tired by now. I just really have know idea how long the solenoids last.

seanjordan20

Their is not set mileage. One of mine went around 80k I've seen them last to 200k and beyond. I wouldn't waist money if it's not needed at the time. I sent my VB out to get remanufactured which cost me around $500 not including shipping but that was almost 8 years ago. It's up to you what you want to do and I'm all for if it's out just change it if you have the money to put into it right now especially if this is a car you're expecting to keep for at least 5 years. Ultimately is up to what you feel comfortable doing and what makes since to you. I would not have gotten my VB done if it was not having issues.

gman6262

I've got a 2010 535xi - in 2018 at 115k miles I redid turbos, and pulled the transmission - changed fluids, pan, filter, mechatronic sleeve, input shaft bearing (preventative). I thought about doing the solenoids at that time but didn't. I noticed an improvement with new fluids in the transmission and transfer case. Now the car is at 140k miles - and I'm starting to get some slightly noticeable hiccups in shifting - still very driveable and I don't think my passengers would ever feel anything. I can see the solenoid replacement looming sometime in the near future for me - I'll try to get though this year as-is and maybe that's a project for next year. I don't know if that helps at all - just my experience. Let us know what you decide to do.

tjkarch60

I have a 2005 545 that was a CPO when I bought it in 2010 with 86,000 miles. I now have 197,500 miles that have been mostly trouble free. Around 110,000 the car felt like it was going over speed bumps when accelerating and I changed the transmission fluid and filter and added some Seafoam TransTune. Within a 100 miles the stutter was gone and it shifted like new. Since then, I've changed the fluid to get rid of some of the older stuff and it continues to run perfectly. I should note that before the second fluid change, very occasionally it would slam into gear and I thought it might be the rear end, but after the fluid change it hasn't happened once. I think these things are tougher that we give them credit for! You MUST keep up on the changes of all oils and filters to keep them happy. I actually have no oil or water leaks in the engine compartment and it was a task to get it that way, but not hard at all. I even did the dreaded oil leak behind the motor mount and it was very involved, but not difficult. WHY didn't they put in a metal plug to seal that passage! AAAARRRGGG

Wrightbenz

always good to hear positive stories about these cars. All you ever hear about the n62 is to avoid it. So far I really like mine. I haven’t had it long enough to speak to its reliability but performance is great. I think the oil seals would be a pain but mine seems fine.

as for my trans I found out that the previous owner recently had the fluid changed due to a large leak. So I thought about it and decided to reset the adaptations for the trans and WOW! The things shifts perfectly now.

gman6262

Excellent outcome.

habbyguy

I wouldn't change perfectly good solenoids. They're very reliable, and chances are that even if they are a little sluggish, it's because of old, dirty fluid.

Also, it's a REALLY good idea to do a fluid counter reset and transmission adaptation reset (using INPA or ISTA or the BMW-specific scanner of choice), AND to do a "training drive" (basically, 20-30 minutes of specific driving conditions that allow the transmission to learn how to adjust to the new fluid and seals). All this will ensure that your transmission is shifting like it should almost immediately.

The other gotcha I'd mention is to be VERY sure you get the Mechatronics tube (the one that goes around the electrical plug) is fully seated. Contrary to what I read on the 'net (and unfortunately, believed...) it IS possible to close the white "latch" without the Mechatronics tube being fully seated. If this is the case, the gap between the Mechatronics connector plug and the tranny case will be more than 2mm (and your transmission will lose touch with the mothership sometime after your fix). Put a schmear of Vaseline on the Mechatronics tube O-rings, and use a lever (I used an 18" 1x2" piece of lumber) to add a bit of force to seat that tube fully, THEN push in the latch.