XSeries-forum

Sorry to hear they're messing you about like this - you need to draw a line somewhere, though, and stop the endless messing about they're doing with you as when the car goes over the 3 month purchase mark its that much harder to reject. I'd be putting them on terms now and delivering a letter to them (if this attempt fails of course) giving them the option - repair / replace the gearbox with a recon unit or reject the car - otherwise prepare yourself for around £2-2.5K to do it yourself - your call.

I here what your saying and taking it all in, see what they say when they ring Tom. If they don't ring I'll ring erm around 17:00.

If they say it's fine I will ask for the key and I'll come back Tom, but leave the car with them. Then all who tested and said it's fine, can all jump in and see it's not.

If I bought it from autotrader then fine, I'd pay the bill.

No idea how good various folk are for gearbox rebuilds but have noticed various ebay listings from folk claiming to be experts at rebuilding X5 ZF & GM auto boxes &/or exchanging same......quoted prices vary from £995-£1395.

Ok they phoned me back, it did not do the fault.

So looks like i have to take a video of it faulting, the only thing i can think of is that the car's not parked flat, but at home and work it is.

So i get mi beastyX back for a day woopydoo

This must be the longest gear box thread of all time.

Well I finally might have some progress, phoned up today armed with iPhone 4 video evidence. Revs are at 3k with no movement in the speed. Then after 7 seconds or so bang and off we go, now the owner is coming to my house n the morning and seeing for him self.

So getting some where now

Hi again

Right the garage came to my house to test my car, and it worked with no faults. So i shown him the iphone 4 vid i did of it faulting, he said i dont under stand, funny because neither do i.

I worked sunday all day last week so the car was stud for 12 hrs, a bloke at work wanted to see it faulting as well. Thing is it just drived off with no faults, so now ity's what i'm doing thats making it fault.

Sunday i started the car in to D and drive no faults, wednesday started in to D no faults.

So this is how it faults, what i do when i'm on my own is.

1 get in the car
2 shut the door
3 start the car
4 put seat belt on
5 In to D
6 drive off

So if i wait 3-4 seconds after starting then put it in to D it dont work, if i start then in to D no waiting it works.

Any ideas on the above now.

Some guru may know the answer but I have no idea, you have no idea & IMO you don't need to have any idea !

Please put this into perspective you are an end consumer with a faulty car not a gearbox expert.

I can assure you it is not something you are doing as if that were the case we would all be telling you it is a non issue.

Your car has a significant major fault albeit at this early stage an intermitent one.

I can only repeat my advice & the advice of others, it needs sorting or failing that the car needs rejecting.

Personally I would reject the car but...............

If you are otherwise genuinely happy with the car & all other issues, (such as the tyres/wheels), have been resolved then I would either insist on them agreeing to a new/(proper), exchange box or a warrantied gearbox overhaul using a highly reputable specialist of your choice, with work agreed by you & on transparent recommendation to you by that specialist.

You have done everything they have asked of you & more, you even have video evidence of the fault.

The longer you leave this the harder it will be to reject the car.

With depreciation a factor the more reluctant will clearly be both motivated to resist your rejection.

Sorry to be so blunt but IMO It really is time to either accept matters or put an end to this nonsense !

good advice!

Cheers for your detailed reply

I'm happy with the car and all other faults problems have been sorted Just the gearbox fault. It did seem daft that the fault would only happen with me, but now I can tell them how to make it fault. Your right in what you say about it's got a fault and it's not up to me to pin point or find out why it's not working.

I will be phoning or may go down and tell them tom, because as from my first post this as been dragged out fare to long, I will tell them if they don't send it to quarry then I no longer want the car, as it will end up costing me in the near future.

Again I will keep updating when I get any more info

And cheers for responding

Thanks strummer

scooby1doo1 - Just to add ; it may be beneficial to at this stage be try to be unemotional towards the car.

Please don't be offended by my advice or it's apparent tone - I genuinely have your interests at heart

[quote=""AW8""]Thanks strummer

scooby1doo1 - Just to add ; it may be beneficial to at this stage be try to be unemotional towards the car.

Please don't be offended by my advice or it's apparent tone - I genuinely have your interests at heart [/quote]

It's ok mate it's all takin in and cheers

Thanks - appreciate that

Absolutely agree with AW8, its a known fault with a TSB on the issue and is documented in many places. The gearbox WILL suffer premature failure, might not be tomorrow or next week but it WILL fail prematurely as the fault has not been fixed, just bodged over with a variety of "fixes".

Either demand that its fixed satisfactorily, or keep it and pay up for a new box when it fails (and it will). No-one can give any further technical info AFAIK, as the problem has been very clearly described and accepted by BMW NA so no amount of asking for further details like : "if I stand on my head and point north while singing the national anthem then it works, otherwise not" will help - not meaning to be facetious, but its reached the "asked and answered" stage and the outcome depends on you - either insist on a proper repair, or reject the car, or keep it knowing you will have to fork out £2k at some undetermined stage for a recon box. Hope it works out for you whatever you decide. Just remember, if the box is not rebuilt or exchanged for a recon one, then it has not been "fixed". Don't know how to make it any clearer.

Well i phoned up friday afternoon when i got up, told them my findings. I have to ring back today when i get up, to make sure they got the super mini for me to use.

So it's going back in again, and hope this is the last time. But as you say if it's not been rebuilt or replaced then it's not fixed. I plan on taking it back monday as this is best for me, so i'll tell them to leave it over night and test it tuesday.

So i'll phone them on wednesday and confirm what the plan of attack is, as regards fixing it.

Some further advice.........

If you havent done so already I would create a chronological record of all issues thus far found & raised.

I would additionally detail who you have spoken to &/or emailed, what has been said/done or not as the case may be.

Ideally aim to get something from the seller agreeing that ther car has faults & detailing same. I appreciate you may be keen to keep things amicable thus a brief email from you confirming your car has an agreed gearbox fault & time/date booked in could be sent & asking for an acknowedgment by email.


I suspect they will only confirm the booking time & not the fault but ideally something from them in writing or email admitting failt(s) would be of great assistance in event you have trouble later.

Such seller are genuinely pleasant but some only so in order to make folk feel uncomfortable in making any later challenge re consumer rights.