Cooling Fan causing automatic gearbox problem

[Z4/71]

Hello,

Please be gentle with me as I've never used forums before, but this seems the ideal time to ask the experts a question.

I own a 3.0S Coupe Auto and can't select manual gears on either the shift or paddels on the sterring wheel.

I've taken it to BMW today and they informed me that 'it's a cooling fan issue'!

Can anyone help? Is this the case as I don't understand how a cooling fan can cause the manual selection of a gearbox to fail.

Yours hopefully.

 

[Taz]

hello and welcome to the forum

i have never heard of this before

 

[moe]

any errors showing on your guages?

 

[Z4M-2006]

I cant understand why that would be...

I do have a spare cooling fan unit if your close and your indy would like to try plug it in..

 

[Pete C]

I've got an auto Z4 and never had this happen even driving in 43 C weather! I guess the auto gearbox's cooling is tied to radiator cooling and the computer management doesn't want manual mode if temperature is high and fans on. It will be very interesting what you find fixes this.

 

[moe]

Actually try to have the gearbox switch diagnose and cleaned, this happened to my BMW 330ci cabriolet It might help

 

[Z4/71]

Thanks for the info. guys, I had it check out with an independent garage and the computer told him it was the cooling fan, so he checked all the outputs from the gearbox and got signals.

Actually found a break in the cable in the wiring loom going to the fan, repair the break and gearbox and fan work fine!

Just goes to show you don't know whats linked into what!

The garage is Bolton Motor Works in Farnworth, great service and very good rates if anyone is interested.

Thanks again.

 

[Z4M-2006]

Great news and thanks for posting the fix..

Very handy for the future..