BMW Automatic gear box knackered

sassychick

so as the title suggests my cars gearbox is on the way out !!! Can anybody suggest anywhere I could find a 2nd hand gearbox ,ive tried partfinder but to no avail its a bmw 520 I 04

jimgoose

When you say "on the way out", what exactly is it doing, or not doing? Is it the six-speed auto or the seven-speed "automated manual"?

canhefixit

I've know a few people who thought there automatic box was was on the way out when they were advised to change the box filter and fulid and all was good then
I've read it's rare enough that auto boxes fail as well so maybe a simple fulid change might do the trick
It's a simple enough job as well if your handy with the spanners

jimgoose

canhefixit wrote: »

I've know a few people who thought there automatic box was was on the way out when they were advised to change the box filter and fulid and all was good then
I've read it's rare enough that auto boxes fail as well so maybe a simple fulid change might do the trick
It's a simple enough job as well if your handy with the spanners

This. ATF works bloody hard in there, and in this case it's probably done so for over ten years.

biko

How do you know OP? Did a mech tell you this or are you guessing?
Get a second opinion from a local specialist. The specialist can also suggest where to get a box.

sassychick

it is driving well but sometimes when I come to a stop it will go into safe mode it dispays transmission failure,ive plugged it in and the code I was getting was for a fuel injector fail,i went to a local garage on a good reccomandation he said it was rare for these to go but wen he plugged it in he got a gear box fault,he going to flush it out and replace filters ,but on inspection he found some foil scrapings and very little oil in the gearbox ...ive tried everywhere to locate a gear box to no avail ,he explained to me by flushing it out I may get a little time out of it but it needs to be replaced

sassychick

jimgoose wrote: »

When you say "on the way out", what exactly is it doing, or not doing? Is it the six-speed auto or the seven-speed "automated manual"?

its driving normally but sometimes it throws up a transmission fail its a 6 speed automatic ,it generally seems to go into safe mode when im coming to a stop and sometimes it says I am unable to use the reverse gear

landmarkjohn

On the BMW 7 series there is a an auto gearbox reset procedure, one guy had to go through it every 20K miles or so on a very high miler and then she was good for another whilst.... might be worth a google or search bmwland.co.uk

jimgoose

sassychick wrote: »

it is driving well but sometimes when I come to a stop it will go into safe mode it dispays transmission failure,ive plugged it in and the code I was getting was for a fuel injector fail,i went to a local garage on a good reccomandation he said it was rare for these to go but wen he plugged it in he got a gear box fault,he going to flush it out and replace filters ,but on inspection he found some foil scrapings and very little oil in the gearbox ...ive tried everywhere to locate a gear box to no avail ,he explained to me by flushing it out I may get a little time out of it but it needs to be replaced

I think that would have been an excellent time to flush it and replace the filter. An even better time would have been about six or seven years ago. It sounds like it's past it at this stage, right enough. More's the pity. Ah well.

Voodoomelon

You say its a 2004, is it an E39 or E60, they can overlap in this year.

How did he determine the fluid level was low? Neither model has a transmission dipstick as far as i'm aware. Otherwise, determining the fluid level is a lengthy enough process at an exact fluid temperature.

Did he drop the pan of the transmission (a one hour job). If he didn't, he couldn't have detected foil shavings as the magnets are inside, on top of the pan. He could have drained some of the fluid and then put it back in again, but I wouldn't be overly concerned about a small amount of metal found in the fluid after 11 years.

I'd be going to a good independent for a filter and fluid change, shouldn't be much more than €250. Even if you need a replacement box, those ZFs are quite easily found, reconditioned.