DIY Nightmare!

[X5Sport]

It never ceases to amaze me how an apparently simple job can occasionally go very wrong!

I thought that I would change the gearbox oil on our 13 year old 3-series.  Simple enough to do, and the TIS shows just two items to come off (fuel filter cover and under body shield) to allow access to the gearbox fill and drain plugs.

Got the car in the air, took what I mistakenly thought was the fill level plug out, realised it wasn’t and tried to put it back in again.  Except no matter what I try, the thread just won’t work.  Nothing in the hole to block free movement and the threads look OK with a dental mirror (best I can do with that space).  I’ve spent hours trying to get it to ‘bite’ and wind back in by hand - not enough room to more than an Allen key in the tunnel - including carefully checking the state of the threads but to no avail.  It feels as if it trying to cross thread but it shouldn’t be.  Aluminium on Aluminium so utmost caution needed.

Now had to bring the car back down off ramps and stands for safety and I’ll need to go to our local ZF transmission specialist, get them to recover the car and no doubt have to pay a small fortune to do what is probably a 30 second job with an appropriate tap to clean the thread.  The gearbox will have to come out and I don’t have the tools or time to have a go myself.  I can’t even get the car high enough off the ground to attempt it.

Today just wasn't my day!  First time in 40 years of working on cars that I have ended up in this level of poo!  So much for a simple oil change.

:rant: :rant: :cry1: :cry1: :cry1: :cry1:

[Colin]

OMG    you did have a bad day    if that had a bin me i'd still be out there trying and trying and trying  and i'm sure you did
Hope you get that sorted

[Alan Gunn]

I had something like that some years ago not on a bmw.
Went to my m8's garage the next day up on the ramp i gave him the part and 10 seconds later he said what was the problem.
The bas***d thing had gone in the first go for him.

[X5Sport]

Car recovered to a ZF specialist this morning.  He sniggered when I told him what had happened.  I’m still mad at myself two days later  >:(

Tother half is steaming - it’s her car 

I think this year’s birthday pressie may need to be a tad more expensive..........

[Colin]

Im sure they all had a good giggle at your expense
Hope its a simple fix ,
full tank of fuel and maybe a nice meal out  might cheer her up ..

[X5Sport]

Expense is the right word!

It seems that I pulled out a 1-time-fit special bolt that provides the axle for the main selector fork to swivel on.  There is also supposedly a shim inside to keep the fork off the casing and that will almost certainly have dropped off.  As you aren’t supposed to remove it there is a high risk of swarf in the thread and that as I now know, is that!

Box off the car, open it, recover and refurbish (box has 60k on it so rude not to do) then refit.  Somewhere between £1,600 and £1,800.  Might need a new clutch too - and as the car has a dual-mass flywheel then that is supposed to be replaced at the same time.  It’s the most expensive error I have made and yes we’re going to get things that will need doing done as the car is appreciating in value, but... :doctor: :cry1: :cry1: :cry1: :cry1: :cry1:

Apparently I am not the first to do this!  Should get it back in about a week.

[Alan Gunn]

Scary 

[X5Sport]

And on top of that I was involved in an RTC in the big car this afternoon. Only scuffs and scrapes, no one hurt, and some of it will polish out.  Insurers can deal with it and as a claim is in progress I’ll say no more for now.

Got home to find the surround system on my PC has failed, and the cat wee’d behind the TV too, so it just is not my day/week/month* (*delete as necessary).

Not sure whether to laugh or cry at present.

[Colin]

Richard luck not on your side at the moment  but it will change soon
maybe a short break away  like i'm about to do tomorrow    or something else to change the luck pattern

[pvr]

There is nothing more to add to what Mrs X5Sport no doubt has already told you  )

[X5Sport]

After this morning, you’re both wrong.  She has broken an ankle!!  They say trouble comes in threes so that had better be it!  Currently at home playing nurse.......no comments about uniforms from you lot either  :doctor: O:-)  )

[pvr]

Sorry about the ankle, but you know nowadays you don’t need to wear anything though  )

[Reusch]

Wow get a lottery ticket surely your lucks got to change

[X5Sport]

Got the car back.  Fully refurbished gearbox and a brand new clutch, cover and dual mass flywheel.  12-month warranty.  £2k

From the short distances driven so far the rebuilt box is better than when it was new.  The 1st > 2nd shift and 2nd gate was awful and it was easier to go 1st>3rd.  Now it is really smooth and works as it should.

The last time I went there (after my E53 gearbox ate itself!) their yard was full of BMWs.  Today it had almost 70 Audi, VW and SEATs all with DSG faults and out of warranty!  Only three other BMWs were in there.

Perhaps I saved a future load of trouble by sending the Superb 3 DSG back.

........and Mrs X5Sport only has to keep her surgical cast (a Velcro device in place of a traditional cast) on for 4 weeks rather than 9 so things are looking up again 

[Reusch]

Glad your sorted pal