XSeries-forum

My 04 4.8is X5 with 93000 miles recently started to, what appears, slip between 3rd and 4th gears when under hard acceleration or load like accelerating uphill. It only does it for a split second before engaging again and makes a noise like what I can only describe as when drilling into a brick wall. All other gear changes are smooth as silk. When driving steady it is okay and doesn't slip but it got to the point where I could easily replicate it.
At the recommendation of my Indy I took it to a local transmission specialist. After 2 weeks he still hadn't found the problem so I went to his premises unannounced with the view of taking the X back if he wasn't working on the transmission as by this time I was becoming a little dis-allusioned with him. Anyway the transmission was on the bench so I left it.  He states he has changed out the clutch packs, replaced the solenoid valves on the valve body and replaced some rubber seals ??. Picked the vehicle up a week later. It was a mess, more problems than it went in for. Harsh gear changes especially when slowing right down then accelerating away again. Felt like I was being rear ended. Plus it was still slipping. Took it back a few days later and left it.
He states he stripped it down again and rechecked everything and then had the software upgraded to the latest version. Picked the vehicle up again last week and I paid him £1800 cash. I asked him for some paperwork but he refused even though he said he gives a 12 month 12000 mile guarantee. Everything appeared to be fine for a few days. It has the exact same symptoms as when I first took it into him except it doesn't slip under load all the time, appears intermittent. It was off the road for a total of 5 weeks and and nearly £600 in hire cars. Warranty direct policy not worth the paper it was written on.
I have now got the vehicle booked into another transmission place for a diagnostics tomorrow. They appear to be a lot more professional than this other guy.
Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this. As the transmission has been re-built I suspect that it may be something external.
Any ideas ????

When mine was rebuilt (05 3.0d) a few years back there was a problem afterwards between 2nd & 3rd of the type you describe.  The rebuilder (appointed by Warranty Direct - who paid all but £75 of the £3,500 final bill) tried for weeks to solve it and eventually decided that the gearbox casing had been damaged and was outside tolerance so the whole thing was replaced with a different box and a new Mechatronics Unit - hence the higher bill - and that finally solved the issue.

The original fault had been caused by the torque converter breaking internally and wrecking the box when the oil pump blocked and the hydraulic pressure failed.

Richard

Hi,

" paid him £1800 cash. I asked him for some paperwork but he refused even though he said he gives a 12 month 12000 mile guarantee. "

Mmmm, tell you what to do here. Ask him politely again to give you a receipt. Then ask him under the warranty to fix the gearbox properly or pay someone else to do it. If he still refuses say ok. Then  just send HMRC ( the tax office ) a little letter , and it can be annonymous if you like saying that you had some work done at such and such a place and they refuced to issue you with a receipt.
Then stand back and watch the cash in hand/tax avoidance/ vat etc etc investigation.....................

Revenge..............a dish best served cold.

Wont get your gearbox fixed, but will geive you some satisfaction.

[quote="Nat"]
Hi,

" paid him £1800 cash. I asked him for some paperwork but he refused even though he said he gives a 12 month 12000 mile guarantee. "

Mmmm, tell you what to do here. Ask him politely again to give you a receipt. Then ask him under the warranty to fix the gearbox properly or pay someone else to do it. If he still refuses say ok. Then  just send HMRC ( the tax office ) a little letter , and it can be annonymous if you like saying that you had some work done at such and such a place and they refuced to issue you with a receipt.
Then stand back and watch the cash in hand/tax avoidance/ vat etc etc investigation.....................

Revenge..............a dish best served cold.

Wont get your gearbox fixed, but will geive you some satisfaction.
[/quote]

>:D >:D I have thought of this course of action.

I've had the vehicle to another transmission place this morning for a second opinion. Highly impressed with this 2nd place. Very professional. They managed to recreate the problem and get some codes read. Something to do with 2 of the clutches engaging together and then not releasing, I think. Anyway they are fairly certain that it is caused by a  mechanical failure of some part inside the transmission. Common one being a hairline crack in the E clutch casing and sometimes not visible to the naked eye. Good news as now Warranty Direct should pay out. My policy covers mechanical failure and wear and tear (but not on friction surfaces such as clutch plates and brakes).
I am loathed to take it back to this cowboy as he's had the transmission to pieces twice and generally gave me the impression he wasn't sure what he was doing. So i've bit the bullet and booked it into the other place next wednesday.
I have given my indy some grief also over his recommendation. I have been using him for 20 years with no problems but on this occasion he has let me down.

Now what was HMRCs number again  >:D >:D

Small Claims Court comes to mind...
Work done not fit for purpose...

[quote="kena"]
[quote="Nat"]
Hi,

" paid him £1800 cash. I asked him for some paperwork but he refused even though he said he gives a 12 month 12000 mile guarantee. "

Mmmm, tell you what to do here. Ask him politely again to give you a receipt. Then ask him under the warranty to fix the gearbox properly or pay someone else to do it. If he still refuses say ok. Then  just send HMRC ( the tax office ) a little letter , and it can be annonymous if you like saying that you had some work done at such and such a place and they refuced to issue you with a receipt.
Then stand back and watch the cash in hand/tax avoidance/ vat etc etc investigation.....................

Revenge..............a dish best served cold.

Wont get your gearbox fixed, but will geive you some satisfaction.
[/quote]

>:D >:D I have thought of this course of action.

I've had the vehicle to another transmission place this morning for a second opinion. Highly impressed with this 2nd place. Very professional. They managed to recreate the problem and get some codes read. Something to do with 2 of the clutches engaging together and then not releasing, I think. Anyway they are fairly certain that it is caused by a  mechanical failure of some part inside the transmission. Common one being a hairline crack in the E clutch casing and sometimes not visible to the naked eye. Good news as now Warranty Direct should pay out. My policy covers mechanical failure and wear and tear (but not on friction surfaces such as clutch plates and brakes).
I am loathed to take it back to this cowboy as he's had the transmission to pieces twice and generally gave me the impression he wasn't sure what he was doing. So i've bit the bullet and booked it into the other place next wednesday.
I have given my indy some grief also over his recommendation. I have been using him for 20 years with no problems but on this occasion he has let me down.

Now what was HMRCs number again  >:D >:D
[/quote]

Fair enough if you don't want to name names but is there any part of the country one would avoid for others sake?

Leeholme Industrial estate, Billingham, Cleveland. Only transmission place on there I think.

Just an update. I took the vehicle into this other transmission place in Newcastle yesterday. I have just been along to see the gearbox stripped down. The previous guy has used the wrong oil when he rebuilt it, has put a cheap alternative in. He has used old clutch plates which are showing signs of corrosion, these seem to think he has had them on the shelf for years. He has only changed certain friction plates instead of the whole pack. There is debris in the oil but they can't find where it is coming from, they think it's from the torque converter but this has to be sent away to be opened up as it's a sealed unit. Due to the debris it also requires a new valve body/mechatronic unit. Hopefully, if it's the torque converter then the warranty will cover it. I am absolutely livid about this, more so with myself for being taken in like this. I am thinking of going to see my solicitor but with no receipt I doubt there will be any paper work so thinking it will be difficult to prove, just my word against his.
Anyway I'm away to corfu next week so should have time to calm down and the vehicle will be ready to collect direct from the airport on my return. I am loathed to name companies at the moment until all is resolved.

That's not good news at all.  Sounds like a real cowboy!!

A brand new torque converter is (or was) about £250.  A 'major overhaul kit' was another £250 and that was at a ZF specialist used by Warranty Direct.  I'm surprised they would want to send it off when new ones are a better bet.

Mechatronics Units were £1,800 for a new one which then has to have the BMW codes 'blown' into it.  The gearbox is used in various cars so it needs to have the right map loaded.  BMW themselves wanted £3k for one of them!!

I needed a new TC, major overhaul kit, oil pump, filter and gasket set, oil and then a second rebuild to add the new Mech Unit.

Good luck, and I hope you can nail the original 'fixer' down and get some money back.

Richard

I had choice of a new or a refurb TC for my GM box
Difference was only £40+vat so no brainer!!

I think they have to send the torque converter away to get it opened up so that they can get a report as to whether it is faulty or not as they can't find any other damage in the box which may be causing the debris.
They have quoted £3k inc VAT for a full rebuild including valve body. Lets hope Warranty Direct decide to play ball. I have a feeling that the cowboy hasn't contacted them and told me a few porkies.
And the tax/vat man has been informed. They could cause the cowboy more damage/aggravation than I ever could.

Further update. Got the X back yesterday after having a full trnsmission rebuild. It drives like a dream. Can hardly feel any gear change at all, so smooth. 12k miles or 12 months warranty. For anyone in the north east I had the work done by Austrin Engineering, Holystone, Newcastle. Can highly recommend this company, very professional and obviously know what they are doing.

Glad it's all sorted, and hopefully WD will play nice too.

Richard

WD weren't interested  >:D
I've had the policy almost 2 years and this is the 2nd claim they've dismissed. Last one was for the front air suspension. They claim to cover everything including wear and tear after the first 90 days. Like i said previously not worth the paper it's written on and I won't be renewing the policy.

I've said in many threads warrenty exept oem one seem useless better to just save a set amount each month.

Do not pay cash for anything unless its a simple thing you can see straight away (my local tyre place seem to fit in tyre change and balance if you see the boss anytime on a Saturday morn if I pay cash)

bad news about the billingham place I think I would name and shame him on here fully and make it a sticky so he cant con anyone else on here.  If I needed major work like this I would certainly travel a long distance to somewhere proven