E39 (530d) Problems with automatic transmission?

Hello,
i was owning a 2001 530dA and had a lot of trouble with the automatic
transmission. Because someone killed my car will buy a different one with
about the same age.

So my question is, if that is a general problem or it was just bad luck with
my car.

Regarding this informations i will decide to buy a auto or manual
transmission.

Thanx a lot for your help

best regards and greetings from good old germany
Marko Grossmann

In article >,
Marko Grossmann > wrote:
> i was owning a 2001 530dA and had a lot of trouble with the automatic
> transmission. Because someone killed my car will buy a different one with
> about the same age.

What were the problems?

> So my question is, if that is a general problem or it was just bad luck
> with my car.

> Regarding this informations i will decide to buy a auto or manual
> transmission.

It's a ZF, and the same basic box is used on many models. The one on my
528 has been fine - and it's an excellent performer.

--
*Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Hi Marko,

"Marko Grossmann" > wrote in message
...

> i was owning a 2001 530dA and had a lot of trouble with the automatic
> transmission. Because someone killed my car will buy a different one with
> about the same age.
> So my question is, if that is a general problem or it was just bad luck
with
> my car.

I have a 2002 530dA Touring - and no problems at all with the transmission.
The car has driven 135.000 kilometers.

> best regards and greetings from good old germany

Denmark here! :-)

** Lars

In article >,
Lars > wrote:
> I have a 2002 530dA Touring - and no problems at all with the
> transmission. The car has driven 135.000 kilometers.

Crikey. When do you sleep? ;-)

--
*24 hours in a day ... 24 beers in a case ... coincidence? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Marko Grossmann > wrote:
> > i was owning a 2001 530dA and had a lot of trouble with the automatic
> > transmission. Because someone killed my car will buy a different one
with
> > about the same age.
>
> What were the problems?
>
> > So my question is, if that is a general problem or it was just bad luck
> > with my car.
>
> > Regarding this informations i will decide to buy a auto or manual
> > transmission.
>
> It's a ZF, and the same basic box is used on many models. The one on my
> 528 has been fine - and it's an excellent performer.
>
Dave, sorry to be picky but it's NOT a ZF box on the 530d, it's the same box
as the 330d, an A5S 390R in BMW speak or a GM5L40E-GM5 in GM speak. It's
made in Europe by General Motors and bought in by BMW since 09/2000. Prior
to this date both the 3 and 5 with the 3.0d engine used the A5S 360R or
GM5L40E, depending whether you quote GM or BMW numbers.
You are perfectly right however in as much as your 528 might have a ZF box,
BMW designation A4S 310R, or the GM box, A5S 360R (both 5 speed, I wonder if
the "A4S" is a misprint?) depending on it's age, changeover being quoted as
09/1999.
Hope this info is of some use to you.
Badger.

In article >,
Badger > wrote:
> > It's a ZF, and the same basic box is used on many models. The one on
> > my 528 has been fine - and it's an excellent performer.
> >
> Dave, sorry to be picky but it's NOT a ZF box on the 530d, it's the same
> box as the 330d, an A5S 390R in BMW speak or a GM5L40E-GM5 in GM speak.
> It's made in Europe by General Motors and bought in by BMW since
> 09/2000. Prior to this date both the 3 and 5 with the 3.0d engine used
> the A5S 360R or GM5L40E, depending whether you quote GM or BMW numbers.
> You are perfectly right however in as much as your 528 might have a ZF
> box, BMW designation A4S 310R, or the GM box, A5S 360R (both 5 speed, I
> wonder if the "A4S" is a misprint?) depending on it's age, changeover
> being quoted as 09/1999. Hope this info is of some use to you.

Right. I was under the impression only the US got the GM boxes.

--
*A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

> i was owning a 2001 530dA and had a lot of trouble with the automatic
> transmission. Because someone killed my car will buy a different one with
> about the same age.
> So my question is, if that is a general problem or it was just bad luck
> with my car.

According to the "Tech Talk" section of the Oct 2004 issue of "Roundel"
magazine (ie, the BMW Car Club of America magazine), the BMW automatic
xmissions in general are short-lived.

A few quotes from the column:
"The ration of automatic-transmission to manual-gearbox problems I hear
about in my work is about 100:1, which is why I always recommend
manual transmissions. It isn't even 8:00am, and yours is the second
letter today on automatic-transmission problems."
...
"When they don't leak, we tend to seen an automatic transission
service life between 80,000 and 120,000 miles."

-Ted

> "When they don't leak, we tend to seen an automatic transission
> service life between 80,000 and 120,000 miles."
>
>-Ted
>

I see a lot of people repeating these "doom and gloom" stories on the BMW auto
trannys, but very few of them actually have any first hand knowledge of this
happening.

Just curious, Ted, how many BMW auto trannys have you owned that went bad? How
many friends with BMW auto trannys have you had complain of them going bad?

The major problem with BMW trannys going bad is that many owners fail to
realize that they need to periodically change the fluid and filter. One of the
primary reasons that this is so, is because many auto tranny techs tell BMW
owners that their transmission is sealed and/or has lifetime fluid, and the
owners take that to mean they never have to maintain them. In fact, I have
heard it often said, by auto tranny techs, that the fluid never needs to be
changed and that is a crock, even for the mis-labeled "lifetime" fluid. It is
amazing to me that so *few* BMW auto trannys fail in spite of this lack of
maintanance.

It is very frustrating to me when I read this sort of overstated comment in
periodicals that are devoted to BMW's. I have written pointed letters to the
editors of these rags whenever I have seen such stuff written, and always get a
polite response that mostly agrees with me that the BMW auto trannys are
actually robust, in comparison to other auto trannys. They usually say
something like, all auto trannys are suspect and subject to premature failure,
not just BMW's, but since their focus is on BMW's they only report on that
marquee. They agree that the premature failure rate is not all that alarming
or unusual, but feel that prospective owners of these older cars need to be
aware of the potential for an expensive repair.

Well, yeah, the engine could also fail anywhere between 80,000 and 120,000
miles if they don't get an oil change! :-)

I own 2, 1991 525i's with auto trannys, both of which work perfectly, and have
160,000 and 140,000 miles on them. Everybody I know or have talked to, and
that is quite a few, that own E34's (my focus) with auto tranny's have also had
similar longevity with no problems.

I wish somebody would start some rumors about the premature failure of the M5
engines - perhaps then I could afford to buy one. :-)

Dick Schneiders

Hi Dave,

"Dave Plowman (News)" > wrote in message
...

> > I have a 2002 530dA Touring - and no problems at all with the
> > transmission. The car has driven 135.000 kilometers.
> Crikey. When do you sleep? ;-)

Sleep? What is that? ;o)


** Lars

> The major problem with BMW trannys going bad is that many owners fail to
> realize that they need to periodically change the fluid and filter. One of the
> primary reasons that this is so, is because many auto tranny techs tell BMW
> owners that their transmission is sealed and/or has lifetime fluid, and the
> owners take that to mean they never have to maintain them.

I, too, am reluctant to change the trans fluid with that big "lifetime
fluid" sticker on it. Even if I wanted to, the lack of a dipstick
makes it awkward at best to change it. Even the shop manual cautions
that it is a tedious procedure involving monitoring of temperatures to
determine the fluid level. I would estimate that BMW dealers would
expect a huge outlay of cash to be bothered with the procedure.

Anyone have any experience with changing the lifetime fluid?

Matthew
00 528 Steptronic