Z4 E89 Gear Lever Won't Return to Park Position Unaided

[na51hog]

Hi,

I have a Z4 e89 35is (2011).

I drive in sport mode 90% of the time, shifting with my left hand rather than the paddles.

For the last year or so the gear lever has exhibited an odd behaviour when turning off the car. At the end of a journey, at power down, the expected behaviour is for the gear lever to go to Park and autonomously jump to the right, back into the ‘normal’ driving mode position.

However, what happens currently is that Park is selected and then the gear lever makes several abortive attempts to jump to the right before the Z4 bongs me a warning:

- move select. lever back into auto. gate!

I tap the gear lever to the right and get on with my day. To be explicit, the gearbox functions perfectly in all other respects.

I have searched generally on the interwibble, but come up with nothing. Do forum members have any experience of this problem, and as importantly, any possible diagnostic and repair processes leading to a fix? It’s a first-world problem, and if it can’t be cured (cheaply and by me) then it will be endured.

I have included a short video of the problem to help with explaining the issue.

Many thanks

Neil

[youtube]https://youtu.be/o2REBSJVGEY[/youtube]

 

[RobbiZ4]

Do forum members have any experience of this problem, and as importantly, any possible diagnostic and repair processes leading to a fix?

Hi Neil

I found the following on the German ZRoadster.com:

"Update on the defective parking position: After BMW had logged into the car, a part was ordered, a plastic part, which is located between the shifter and the end of the Bowden cable and was crushed. The new part was installed and was already destroyed in the workshop after being used several times. This also explains why we didn't notice it immediately at BMW Welt, and neither did the employees there. A video conference was then held together with BMW and the entire Bowden cable with coil and additional parts was replaced. Ultimately, the Bowden cable was too sluggish due to faulty workmanship and crushed the surrounding parts due to the increased use of force."

 

[Busterboo]

Evening, Neil.

I've driven my 35iS in all gear modes for 64k+ miles and not had your problem, most probably because I always return the gear lever to the right before pressing P, lifting the brake lever and stopping the engine. I thought this was how you were supposed to do it. Right or wrong, though, it works.

I like the DCT very much, except for the well known 'roundabout hesitation' and the fact that you can't stop and go directly from S+ (M) into R without moving the lever to the right first.

 

[wanderer]

Your car is a 2011.
Did it come with that gear lever from factory? Or is it an aftermarket add-on?

I ask because I just installed an aftermarket one on my car and it looks similar.

The wiring going into the connectors is flimsy and I ended up taping the connectors after installation.

It may be worthwhile to pry up the leather boot and check the connections and wiring.

While you are at it, ensure that all wiring and connectors are tucked away to the side away from the gear mechanism to prevent damage.

 

[na51hog]

Your car is a 2011.
Did it come with that gear lever from factory? Or is it an aftermarket add-on?

I ask because I just installed an aftermarket one on my car and it looks similar.

The wiring going into the connectors is flimsy and I ended up taping the connectors after installation.

It may be worthwhile to pry up the leather boot and check the connections and wiring.

While you are at it, ensure that all wiring and connectors are tucked away to the side away from the gear mechanism to prevent damage.

Thanks

The gear lever is factory fit.

I have had the gear lever and central console off a number of times - firstly to fit an MMI unit following AnnubisZed's exemplar youtube videos (BMW Z4 Mods channel) and to replace the PDC and Roof switches - again shoutout to AnnubisZed - would that all follow along videos were as clear and comprehensive as his

All that work was a long time after the first appearance of the problem which has remained persistent since it started. All the connectors are good as far as I can tell.

The behaviour exhibited suggests to me either that the completion of the action is being frustrated by some debris or dislocation of components or a weakening of the actuator.

What is frustrating me is a seeming lack of technical drawings and explanation of form and function anywhere, including it seems the PDF workshop manual I have.

 

[na51hog]

Evening, Neil.

I've driven my 35iS in all gear modes for 64k+ miles and not had your problem, most probably because I always return the gear lever to the right before pressing P, lifting the brake lever and stopping the engine. I thought this was how you were supposed to do it. Right or wrong, though, it works.

I like the DCT very much, except for the well known 'roundabout hesitation' and the fact that you can't stop and go directly from S+ (M) into R without moving the lever to the right first.

Hi,

Yes, it is a great box. And moving the gear lever over manually at journey's end is certainly the sensible solution. It's just some habits are harder to break than others. For example, I know all the pros of using the paddles to shift, but probably because I drove a manual in my youth, there is something satisfying about resting my left hand on the gear lever and shifting with that which paddles just don't replicate. Similarly, and almost certainly age-related, I just forget to move it back in the gate, switch off and then bonk, bonk, bonk dong! I have even given up being annoyed with myself now! It would be nice to fix though...

 

[na51hog]

Do forum members have any experience of this problem, and as importantly, any possible diagnostic and repair processes leading to a fix?

Hi Neil

I found the following on the German ZRoadster.com:

"Update on the defective parking position: After BMW had logged into the car, a part was ordered, a plastic part, which is located between the shifter and the end of the Bowden cable and was crushed. The new part was installed and was already destroyed in the workshop after being used several times. This also explains why we didn't notice it immediately at BMW Welt, and neither did the employees there. A video conference was then held together with BMW and the entire Bowden cable with coil and additional parts was replaced. Ultimately, the Bowden cable was too sluggish due to faulty workmanship and crushed the surrounding parts due to the increased use of force."

Robbi,

Thanks - your posts are always deep tech, slightly left-field - A true enthusiast - I love them!

Do you know where I might get any technical info, particularly exploded diagrams of the parts and description of function so that I might have an outside chance of fiddling with the right bits? It seems like a pretty universal function in all automatic BMWs. I can't be the only person who has had the problem, can I?

Have you ever had the experience of Googling a problem and... not a mention of it anywhere on the web? Whenever that happens to me, it is almost always because I have so completely misunderstood the issue that the question I am posing is basically idiotic. It seems like tumbleweed out there on this one, but I just can't make out why?

 

[RobbiZ4]

Do you know where I might get any technical info, particularly exploded diagrams of the parts and description of function so that I might have an outside chance of fiddling with the right bits? It seems like a pretty universal function in all automatic BMWs. I can't be the only person who has had the problem, can I?

Unfortunately, I did not find any additional info in our forum. But I will ask another guy directly...

This is the Gearshift on realoem, part 01 seems to cover the parking function:
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/en/showparts?id=LM12-EUR-01-2012-E89-BMW-Z4_35is&diagId=25_0520


Well, you can find some discussions on Google regarding problems with this DKG shiftbox of other models as well.
All I found in between is, that a replacement of this box with a new or refurbished one will solve this issue.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/265548926587?epid=4019511404&hash=item3dd3f30e7b:g:vl0AAOSwbVViCffq

 

[na51hog]

Robbi,

Thanks - that has improved the state of my knowledge significantly. Do you know what the purpose of the cable is? - I assume the gear changes themselves are initiated electronically?

I guess it would be too simplistic to assume that the cable provided a means to mechanically tug the gear lever over? If that was the case then the question might be is it the tugger (cable) or the tugged (gear lever) that isn't working properly?

 

[RobbiZ4]

Well, that is not an electrical wire:



Already the elder GA6HP transmissions used both: wires for manually shifting and a cable for the PRND levels.

I would interpret my initial quote from the German ZRoadster forum as a cable problem.

 

[Busterboo]

Hi,

I have a Z4 e89 35is (2011).

I drive in sport mode 90% of the time, shifting with my left hand rather than the paddles.

For the last year or so the gear lever has exhibited an odd behaviour when turning off the car. At the end of a journey, at power down, the expected behaviour is for the gear lever to go to Park and autonomously jump to the right, back into the ‘normal’ driving mode position.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/o2REBSJVGEY[/youtube]

I tried it your/the correct(?) way today for the first time ever, Neil, and the lever snapped back so hard & loud that I'm not surprised something could bust. :wink:

 

[na51hog]

Hi,

I have a Z4 e89 35is (2011).

I drive in sport mode 90% of the time, shifting with my left hand rather than the paddles.

For the last year or so the gear lever has exhibited an odd behaviour when turning off the car. At the end of a journey, at power down, the expected behaviour is for the gear lever to go to Park and autonomously jump to the right, back into the ‘normal’ driving mode position.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/o2REBSJVGEY[/youtube]

I tried it your/the correct(?) way today for the first time ever, Neil, and the lever snapped back so hard & loud that I'm not surprised something could bust. :wink:

It was probably so pleased to finally get to do its job that it got a little over-excited :crazydude:

 

[na51hog]

Well, that is not an electrical wire:

Bild1.jpg

Already the elder GA6HP transmissions used both: wires for manually shifting and a cable for the PRND levels.

I would interpret my initial quote from the German ZRoadster forum as a cable problem.

 

[Busterboo]

I tried it your/the correct(?) way today for the first time ever, Neil, and the lever snapped back so hard & loud that I'm not surprised something could bust. :wink:

It was probably so pleased to finally get to do its job that it got a little over-excited :crazydude:

Having stopped laughing now, I wonder if the auto-return isn't in fact a safety/over-ride mechanism to prevent trying to start the engine with the lever to the left.

 

[na51hog]

I tried it your/the correct(?) way today for the first time ever, Neil, and the lever snapped back so hard & loud that I'm not surprised something could bust. :wink:

It was probably so pleased to finally get to do its job that it got a little over-excited :crazydude:

Having stopped laughing now, I wonder if the auto-return isn't in fact a safety/over-ride mechanism to prevent trying to start the engine with the lever to the left.

Sounds right - In fact, I have a sad safety override tale to tell which involves among other things BMW gear levers, an old chap running after his wife's tourer, a lake and Billy Joel - all captured on front and rear dashcams! Watch this thread 8)

 

[na51hog]

Well, that is not an electrical wire:

Bild1.jpg

Already the elder GA6HP transmissions used both: wires for manually shifting and a cable for the PRND levels.

I would interpret my initial quote from the German ZRoadster forum as a cable problem.

Ok, so I have done a little more research now. That cable is definitely the way in which the Gear Lever is automatically moved out of Sport mode when Park is engaged and the ignition is turned off. The free end of the cable attaches to the DCT (in the case of the 35is) gearbox, as you can see here:



I haven't been able to find any explanations of how to disassemble the Gear Lever system and in particular, part 1 from part 2, as shown in the diagram.



If nobody comes back to me here then I will get under the car and have a look at the cable attachment point on the gearbox and carefully try to separate parts 1 and 2 without writing off the car or having to apply for a second mortgage. After that, I should know if the cable's length can be adjusted or whether it is all just wishful thinking!