The LURCH

[Entwicklung34]

Hoping to get as much data as possible here - please vote if you've had personal experience only!

[themoog]

What is 'the lurch'? Mine has/had shudder.

[Horizon]

[quote="Entwicklung34"]
Hoping to get as much data as possible here - please vote if you've had personal experience only!
[/quote]

Type LURCH into the search facility on the forum, there's pages of information on it from several members over the years, documenting what has been tried to rectify it.

[Steamyrotter]

I didn't have the lurch..
But I have had gearbox failures...

[Entwicklung34]

As always, thanks to folks for their useful input!

Horizon - Of course i've given this a thorough search and found answers of various usefulness. However, collating this information and updating it will be useful for other people in future as well as myself, hence the thread.

[crash]

Mine has had the "Lurch" for nearly two years, almost goes when new tyres fitted (* rated) and as they wear and the rolling circumference difference between front and rear increases it starts to get worse.
New tyres due soon as the rear tyres have scrubbed out a bit quicker than the fronts due to rear end needing a bush makeover so may get a gearbox oil change done and software check/ update to see if it makes any difference once bushes and tyres are fitted.

[Horizon]

[quote="Entwicklung34"]
As always, thanks to folks for their useful input!

Horizon - Of course i've given this a thorough search and found answers of various usefulness. However, collating this information and updating it will be useful for other people in future as well as myself, hence the thread.
[/quote]
Sorry didn't mean  it to come across as though you hadn't looked at previos posts, but sometimes new members aren't aware that certain topics have been well documented. And the search facility is a great way of instantly accessing loads of info in one search.( I didn't when I first came to the forum.)
I wasn't being patronising

[Entwicklung34]

Hey man, I appreciate that. I'm a noob on this forum as this is my first 'x', yet i'm a long term member of bmw/jaguar forums... I even managed to contribute a fair bit in the way of DIY 'how-to's' over the years (before I had kids of course!). Though I did my fair share of annoyingly pointless posts too :p

I've been doing much research on this 'lurch' issue, and no closer to a conclusion on what the likely outcome is or what to do about it, having bought the car only a couple of days ago.

[brewer]

Dec 2005 3.0D Sport Auto.

Had the lurch since I have owned the car - 8 years now.  Not particularly noticeable and no passenger has even once commented on it.  It seems fairly infrequent these days.

Over the years I have tended to put the car in Neutral when coming to a standstill.  This removes the possibility of the lurch effect completely.  When I first got the car I used to use Park when at a standstill, but changed this when I once read that this places greater wear and tear on the box.  I pretty much only use Park now when stopping for a sustained period or obviously parking and turning off.

I honestly believe it is a "feature" of these boxes and I would be surprised if it could be completely eradicated on an auto facelift E53.  My gut feel is you would struggle to claim it as a fault or succeed with a warranty claim as with ~80% of E53's having this feature and on the several occasions I questioned BMW over it when I first obtained the car, it was regarded as a standard "engine characteristic" - those were the words of the dealer and this was when the car was still in BMW warranty.

Just my two-penneth.
Brewer

[chelsea]

I have also had the "Lurch" for over a year and 14,000 miles now (owned 1 year), it was barely noticeable when I brought the car but I have noticed it a little worse lately. I am putting this down to the fact that the rear subframe bushes are on their way out (diagnosed by the thump at the rear I have experienced twice recently)??

I will report back if as expected, it's better when I swap out the bushes.

The Lurch is not just a BMW problem alone, it can also be found on other makes of car that also use the same ZF 6 speed box, landrover, jaguar etc, I did a bit of digging when I first brought the x5 and it is a universal problem with this box. I did read somewhere on another maker forum that the problem was down to a very cheap poly-plastic bush on the primary gear shaft that fails prematurely, whether this is correct or not I do not know but I remember thinking that it made much sense when reading it.

[Entwicklung34]

Really appreciate those responses guys. And Brewer, I'm inclined to agree with you. I did so much 'homework' before buying the car, and although it was documented in various places that the gearbox should be thoroughly checked in all modes/gears etc, I didn't come across this very annoying 'feature'. I doubt it's worth a battle on a warranty claim, particularly if it's not a sign of impending doom for the box.

The 'lurch' is certainly not happening all of the time, and it's sometimes more prevalent than others, but I know it will annoy me thinking I've been rear-ended every day I stop at traffic lights!

[TimX5]

Mines had the lurch since I've owned the car and it isn't the subframe bushes,  it's the gearbox going from 2nd into 1st gear it does it with my driving sometimes and rarely when the wife drives,  you get used to it lol

[Colin]

Ive owned the X, 3 years now and although it has lurch  its not that often now  because i slip it into S ( SPORT ) before slowing down or stopping , and then back before moving of again , dosent do lurch in S or manual , it may just be me but if  i drive in S or manual for a day or two and then go back to D the lurch seems to disappear for days ( week )

[Entwicklung34]

Just found this thread, lots of positive evidence for oil changes: http://xdrivers.co.uk/forum/https://xdr ... ic.php?t=6

I'm really glad to hear of so many others with similar 'lurch' issues not ending in a major box catastrophe!

[Colin]

forgot to say in last post that my mate and our wifes went away to north coast for weekend  around trip of say 200 mls ... now i think of it not one lurch in whole trip , probably do it tomorrow ..