Thread: 2005 X5 4.4 Transmission Problem?

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Please help me. My dealership thinks I am crazy. Every once in a while when my transmission is shifting from 1st to 2nd gear and I have the pedal floored, I hit the rev-limiter and the car lurches hard, throwing me against my seatbelt. It is almost like it forgot to shift. It does eventually shift but take about 2 seconds.

I can never replicate it on a drive with a tech (of course) and the dealership says "its normal". I'm sorry but bull$11t. I have owned quite a few BMW automatics in my life and never had this happen. I now have to watch the rpms ultra carefully when accelerating hard. You can only imagine how dangerous that is.

Has anybody else experienced this?

Thanks,

Each time the rev-limiter is engaged, it is recorded in the computer. Ask you dealer to read the computer and explain how the rev limiter keeps getting hit in an automatic car, and could this be evidence of the problem you are explaining to him that he cannot reproduce. Ask him to contact BMWNA and explore the issue with them to see if they can explain the problem to the dealer.

I had the same problem with my 2001. I was told it needed a software upgrade.........

Did the software update fix the problem? And why wouldn't they have the update installed already on a 2006?

Thanks,

Christian

Thanks, I didn't know that it was recorded. I will ask them to look at it when I take it in on the 4th of April for the 15k oil change. Which by the way I had to pony up $80.00 to change myself at 7k because I seem to have burnt up a good chunk of the oil and was told to shut off the engine when I started it.

had this same problem with my wife's 2005 4.4-there is a software upgrade which I found on this board, took a long time to convince the dealer it existed, they eventally reprogrammed and fixed the problem, never reoccurred-sorry I can't give you more details-opgraded to 4.8, 4.4 records gone with it

Have you found the solution to your transmission problem? I am having similar problems with the car shifting strangely when I am coming to a stop. I also experienced a huge "kick" when I was going uphill. It was so hard and loud that I thought someone had hit us from behind. It was really scary. Have taken to the dealer several times and they have reprogrammed the computer and state that it has been fixed, yet I still feel the same things happening.

I have a 2005 4.4 with about 16,000 miles.

Appreciate your take on this problem.

Did you ever fix the problem?

Nearby relative just had enough of her X5, early '05, transmission did it and other things from day two, two replacements under warranty, they would start doing it inside a month, best service writers advice-"Don't full throttle it-"HA!, last one was the final straw-instead of the banging, revving, etc, all forward gears quit!
Replaced the trans again, Dealer tried to get her to pay substantial $$ on it, gets lawyer on phone, finishes trans replacement, drives "OH SO CAREFULLY" down the street, trades for a Toyota, takes huge bath $$wise, but is not going to be whammed around ANYMORE!

I have a 05 X5 4.4 and had the same problem and it happened a few time while going uphill after a stop. Took it to the dealer and told them the trnsmission was "free wheeling" and would slam into gear as I accelerated. They ended up reprograming the CPU and it hasn't occured since.

I recommend telling your current dealer to F-off and go to another dealer. We pay too much money to not have them help.

I just rebuilt my transmission on a 2001 x5 3.0L. Same problem.
I was told that the oil pump was faulty and a piece of the pump went into the gears. The dealer could not help. I went to Mr. Transmission. 6,500 dollars later no problem.
They knew right- a- way what the problem was.

All:
My 02 X5 4.4 is in the shop today for this very matter. So far, they suggest to replace the tranny for $7,600 (out of warranty). No way I'm doing that unless they pay for it. From the research I've done on this so far, it is a common problem on ZF built transmissions in a number of BMW and Jaguar models. Sometimes software helps, sometimes not, apparently. I believe there's a class action lawsuit being pursued in the U.K. This problem has existed now for over 3 years and BMW continues to deny it. Suggest you file a safety defect report with the NHTSA Hotline at www.nhtsa.gov. This could potentially lead to a mandatory recall. In the meantime, please post any new info on this subject as will I.

She says she was contacted by someone supposedly from the 'Zone?' would she please stop telling her X5 Transmission story? We rolled on the floor a while then said "Next time they call, please-oh-please, record it?"

We have a 03 X5 and for the last two years, when the car is cold and we back up out of our driveway in the morning, our car will take about 10 seconds to go into gear. We have taken the car into the Valencia dealership twice and both times they say they can't find anything wrong with it. They have even kept it multiple days so they could check it out in the morning and each time they say it's fine and that there are no error codes coming up. That's such crap, since it happens EVERY MORNING to us without fail. This is so dangerous because if we back up into the street and another car is coming, we can't get out of the way. If we were to ever get hit and I had my boys in the car, I would go to every extent to sue BMW over this. I'm so disillusioned with BMW and their customer service. I swear they are like used car salesmen!!!

Hi, I'm having the same exact problem, even to the point BMW finally changed the transmission, and it is still doing the hard stop. However, I take to them and they say that cannot get it to repeat itself. It is always on a slope, and if I have some weight, i.e. like funiture in the back, it always happens. Do I have a lemon? Help with any suggestions.