2003 E85 3.0 smg failure

[Saulenbuch]

Hi everybody,

Let me explain what my issue is. A few months ago, my 2003 E85 Z4 3.0 smg system failed. It began with the car not starting. It wouldn’t go into N but eventually it did and I noticed that a the smg failure light came up (that small orange gear). Then the car when running didn’t engage any gear over the third so I decided to stop it and turn it on again. That was when it failed completely, no gears engaged anymore so I had to be towed to my own garage. I have already browsed the forum but havent found anything.

After trying to figure out what the problem was I decided to take it to the BMW official garage and they quoted me €5500 to solve the problem but did not say what the problem was, they just told me they needed to replace the whole hydraulic thing. I decided then to take to other garage and they quoted me exactly the same. This time, the guy did tell me about the problem. Apparently it was something related to a sensor of the selected angle, or something like this. He told me this sensor was an internal thing so I had to buy the whole hydraulic system as well… I did not believe it is not sold separately to be honest. Anyway, since I cant afford such an expensive repair at the moment I decided to bring the car back to my garage and keep it there till I find a solution.

My surprise was that yesterday I started the car in order not to waste the battery and the gears engaged!! How? I don’t know. I drained all the fluid from the system and it is supposed to work out with that fluid on it, so, is it possible that someone had refilled it? Anyway, the problem persists because the gear light is still on and the gear now and then comes off. I haven’t tried the car on the street and I don’t wanna take the risk, to be honest till this is not sorted.

I guess it must be some sensor related problem but it cannot be that bad when the car is engaging gears again, it must be some sensor stuff related problem and as long as I know, all the sensors are sold separately (I’ve had a look on partslink database).
This afternoon I’m trying to fill up all the fluid if it is not still refilled.

Does anybody have any idea what this problem can be related to? Has anybody experienced anything similar?
Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Chris_D]

Damn, bad luck fella! eur5500?? i spat my coffee out when i read that!
In any case i would certainly be looking to get it seen by an independent BMW specialist rather than a BMW dealer - you'll just get your pants pulled down with the cost. The other garage sounds like it may just have referred to a generic BMW price list to replace the system in its entirety.
Where are you based? You sound like you might be Dutch due to your good level of English? If so, I know a few BMW specialists in Holland which I have used.

 

[Saulenbuch]

Thanks a lot for your reply Chris, No, I'm spanish but been living for a couple of years in England, thats where my english comes from...
No one really knows how to fix this gerboxes in spain, the only thing they know is to plug in the computer and read an error code and replace parts... even my grandma would be able to do that... I am starting to be a little fed up with this s**ty gearbox.

I have been trying to get the car running before and, as I expected, the gears were engaging correctly till it has stopped working. I suppose it has been because of the temperature that might have affected some component of the gearbox. Then I could hear the actuator trying to push the gear in but it was not able to manage doing so. I think that one of the three valves that move the main actuator is likely to fail at some point and the actuator does one of the movements but fails doing the complete movement to engage the gear. What you guys think?
As I said, its happened after a while, when the engine was hot and I had not been moving the gears, so it leads me to think that it might be the ecu that gets too hot and since it is already faulty it starts going wrong.

Anyways, I am seriously considering to turn my car into manual. After all, I have my own garage where I can carry the conversion out. as far as I know, the gearbox is the same, it just needs to be adapted and I need to install the gear selector, the clutch pedal and actuator and it should be it. What Im the most concer about is the electronics stuff, it could be a pain in the a**e to get it working. What do you think about it?

Anything you could help me out with? Many thanks in advance.

 

[Chris_D]

It does sound like a complex intermittent issue and unfortunately i can't suggest anything more helpful than doing lot of research online first and possibly contacting an independent bmw specialist close to where you are.
I'm sure there must be bmw specialists somewhere in spain is its a big bmw market after all?
If it was me i would be looking to establish actually how terminal the issue is as it sounds at this point that you only have a couple of uninformed/generic diagnoses.
It could be a simple fix via a new actuator or sensor etc. Conversly it could mean a new gearbox. At this point you're not in a position to establish definitively what the issue actually is yet.
I briefly owned an audi tt with the infamous dsg gearbox which suffered actuator failures. This didnt mean the gearbox necessarily needed replacing- only th mechatronic unit- the actuator part of the system. My car benefitted from a new mech unit and was perfect but if left unaddressed could have meant an expensive repair.
Research/diagnosis from a specialist should be your first milestone in addressing this issue imo.
Good luck!

 

[mac27040]

have you replaced the smg relay, low fluid and check battery condition can cause problems.

 

[mac27040]

read this

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33849

 

[Saulenbuch]

I have already checked the relay and it is ok. The other day I checked the fluid level and it seems to be fine, I mean, it seems to be full. I am going to fill it up this afternoon though and I have already connect the battery to the charger and see what happens. I will update tonight.

Thanks!!

 

[Saulenbuch]

SMG relay you mean the orange one, dont you? the one called salmon? or is it the blue one?

Cheers

 

[mac27040]

SMG relay you mean the orange one, dont you? the one called salmon? or is it the blue one?

Cheers