XSeries-forum

Hi all
Just bit the bullet and dropped the X5 off at my auto Gearbox specialist. Im having a gearbox service, ( oil change, filter pan etc. ) I had a long chat with the guy who runs the shop, he has been in the game for 30 years, owned his own automatic G/box garage for 20 years.
I aproached him with the usual concerns that if you look sideways at a BMW auto box it will fall over and die !!
He said he had heard it all before.  The same ZF 6 speed gearbox is fitted to a majority of modern cars these days including Hiundi ( spelt wrongly ) Jaguars, Fords, Audis, Mercs etc.  and they sell the oil and filter kits at a reaseonable price over the counter, without the stigma attached to the fact that new oil is better than oil, that has done 100K miles.

He also said that customers usually wait until the gearbox starts to slip and malfunction before getting them serviced, and then blame the impending failure on the service, when the damage has already been done.

I will keep you all informed if I need a new gearbox after my service, on my 98K X5.

I think part of the problem is also caused by BMW telling everyone that the box is 'Sealed for Life'.  Now whether they get that from BMW HQ or ZF isn't clear.  What has become clear is that the terms 'life' actually means 60k miles to BMW - or what my Dealer told me was 'the useful life of the car as far as BMW are concerned'.  I wasn't impressed!  These cars should have a useful life far in excess of 100k, but then that doesn't sell many.....

It is also fair to say that every manufacturer who uses the boxes has the same issues with reliability.  However I have yet to see much in the way of issues being reported on the Mk2 version fitted to the E70 up to the LCI and in the X6 up to 2010.  Maybe ZF found what was wrong and fixed it?

And of course BMW don't touch the boxes anyway. Their Dealers are forbidden to do anything, and that includes an oil service unless it is absolutely necessary!  If there are any issues that need work then they just swap it out (at vast expense) and send it back to ZF for work.

Good call, X5 Sport,
But have they ironed out the problems with the new gearbox, only time and many cars doing over the 100K mark will tell.

Think that's a good call, get preventative maintenance done before the problem has a chance to occur.

Mine was done at 35k. Ask him the condition of the old oil - burnt, filings, etc.

Good luck.

[quote="Sanj"]
Think that's a good call, get preventative maintenance done before the problem has a chance to occur.

Mine was done at 35k. Ask him the condition of the old oil - burnt, filings, etc.

Good luck.
[/quote]

Why so early in its life, were you having problems?
What was the condition of the oil?

Horizon,
Let me know how you get on.
I've just booked my Merc CLK in for a service at a main dealer and the MB service schedule specifies one fluid change at 37k and then that's it. I'm just short of that mileage so it will be done- and will cost me £300. For various reasons at this stage I want to keep main dealer history.
Interestingly MB seem to be quite inconsistent. From looking around the web, older models are "sealed for life" and others such as mine have this single change.
My X5 is getting on towards 70k and I can see myself keeping it well beyond 100k so feel it would be good preventative maintenance.

hope it all goes well.  did you have any lurch problems with yours?
i had mine serviced a few months ago and a software update, but it didnt cure the lurch and now i have a slight slippage on 1st to 2nd gear when cold aswell! 


i would take along a large clean sealable container and ask the garage to drop the old oil into that for you to keep.
if you have any issues in the future like i did, then you have the option of putting some of the old oil back to see if it resolves it.  i wish i had thought of it then.. :doh:

[quote="weirdfish"]
Why so early in its life, were you having problems?
What was the condition of the oil?[/quote]

Mine was a no option and then a no brainer at the time. The gasket started to weep.

So I had new oil, gasket, etc. Oil condition was good (touch wood)! No bad burnt smell or filings in it.

Used the low mileage to my advantage and had a £300 plus bill partially covered by goodwill - I paid £100.

Back in the days of studying mech engineering, "sealed for life" was commonly referred to as "sealed for death" ........

Absolutely!!  Mine failed at under 42k miles - so the 'life' was well below expectations!!

I've hit nearly 102k miles on my 4.8 and I'm not sure it's ever been changed.

The thing is, I'm debating whether it could do more harm than good? No issues with the box at the mo and the thinking is the new oil, etc could have the opposite effect as the odd cases seem to show.

Confused.

Nnnoooooooo!!  Not that debate again!!! . We could have the longest running thread ever....... :blink:

You're at the mileage I would expect as a minimum acceptable useage before anything needs doing!  And yes there is a huge debate over the shall I, shan't I for changing it with equally vocal opinions in support and against either option.....it's enough to make anyone.. :crazy1: :crazy1:

[quote="X5Sport"]
I think part of the problem is also caused by BMW telling everyone that the box is 'Sealed for Life'.  Now whether they get that from BMW HQ or ZF isn't clear.  What has become clear is that the terms 'life' actually means 60k miles to BMW - or what my Dealer told me was 'the useful life of the car as far as BMW are concerned'.  I wasn't impressed!  These cars should have a useful life far in excess of 100k, but then that doesn't sell many.....

[/quote]

mine's way EOL then! damn!

It's a tough call. I know someone who owns an E53 with ZF 5HP24 he is a highly qualified BMW Mechanic. He used to work alongside a ZF gearbox guy who dealt with dealt with UK ZF gearbox failures on BMW's including E53's..........He changed his own ATF properly & twice - his gearbox has recently failed.

Mine never done. Mileage 102k..........Would love to get it done but don't have the bottle on back of some reported failures on cars after fluid change & speculation a drain & refill could dislodge/disturb unsettle the box. From an engineering point of view this simply seems a nonsense but it's enough to leave me on the fence - for now at least.   

Hi Horizon i am thinking of having my auto box serviced as its done 62000mls and it might help the life of the box !! could you let me have the name of the garage that is doing yours as i only live 3 to 4 miles away from you in Whitefield.