[theduker456]

I have a 2009 E90 335i with Xdrive.

I posted something in the main forum but I'm hoping I get some additional advice here. The dealer says that the annoying noise that I hear at about 800-1000 rpm when gently accelerating in 1st and 2nd gear is due to my transfer case actuator motor going bad. I thought it sounded more like an exhaust or waste gate rattling.

Anyway, is there a way to disable the transfer case actuator motor by pulling a fuse or disconnecting the electrical connections? I just want to disable it and then do a short test drive in 1st and 2nd gear and see if the noise is still present. Obviously, if this is a bad idea, please let me know.

And does anyone know if (and why) any re-coding would be necessary after replacing the transfer case actuator motor? I have INPA so if you know what I need to do, please let me know.

Thanks

[bhmax16]

I realize this is a bit old, but you can try unplugging the actuator motor itself. You'll get a bunch of warning lights on the dash by doing so, but it will cut power and allow you to eliminate it as the source of your problem. However, I will add that typically when the actuator motors go, it is due to the plastic worm gear inside that strips out, which would cause noise when shutting the car off (it disengages when the vehicle is shut off, which is why you can spin the front wheels without turning the rest of the drivetrain when the vehicle is off). Hope that helps.

[stashtrey]

You can also pull the front drive shaft.

[theduker456]

Thanks guys. But I'm almost positive that my dealer is full of $hit and my noise is really an exhaust rattle. The noise has gotten a little easier to reproduce so I'll have my neighbor's service station check it out when I'm in for state inspection.

[TheBigYahi]

If you're checking for exhaust rattles, I found one of my underbody pans had pulled completely free of its mounting on the exhaust heat shield. I mean ALL the way, left a giant hole where the fasteners used to attach. Last time I was under there I used a self tapping screw to resecure the plastic pan to the heatshield. All quiet since.

[stopper]

Originally Posted by bhmax16

However, I will add that typically when the actuator motors go, it is due to the plastic worm gear inside that strips out, which would cause noise when shutting the car off (it disengages when the vehicle is shut off, which is why you can spin the front wheels without turning the rest of the drivetrain when the vehicle is off).

Just to offer a little bit of clarification for anyone that may have a similar issue and runs into this thread:

The worm gear powered by and inside the transfer case actuator motor in our e90 and e92 xi's is actually metal, not plastic. The plastic worm gears were on older x-Drive actuators, typically from X3's and X5's. That said, it STILL is a failure point and strips out from excessive wear, causing your dash to light up like a Christmas tree and can make unsettling chattering noises when starting up and shutting down the engine. I literally just replaced mine yesterday and have a some pictures of the old actuator taken apart. I'll be posting about it shortly for anyone that may run into this headache.

If you're trying to confirm or eliminate the culprit as the transfer case/actuator, the first thing I'd suggest is scanning for codes. A failing actuator will likely cause codes like 5F39 (transfer case internal error), 5462 (excessive force - servo motor), 5463 (actuator mechanism faulty), 5F3A (transfer case malfunction). You CAN pull a fuse...I believe it is #26 but I'd do a thread search before taking my word on it, but that will disable and mess with a TON of vehicle functions, including your DSC, DTC, ABS, speedometer, windshield wipers, turn signals. It will cut any electrical info to the actuator motor though, which should leave it open and keep your car in a 100% RWD configuration. If your noise is still reproducible, it's more likely then that it may be exhaust or wastegate related.

As far as re-coding goes, there should be no coding necessary for replacing a broken actuator motor with a new one, however if the transfer case fluid is flushed/replaced in conjunction with this, and it should be, that may be a different story. I was never able to get a definitive answer on whether a TC fluid flush requires a reset via ecu. Some ppl on here have said yes, some have said no. I had my TC fluid flushed about 20k miles ago and my shop noted that they DID do a reset. My fluid was flushed yesterday after the actuator replacement but I DIDNT reset anything yet and after 30 miles, no codes have show up.

[theduker456]

The mechanic at the dealership clearly did not hear the rattle that I wanted them it diagnose. Even though I gave them specific, written instructions on how to reproduce it. When I took my car to my neighbor's service station for my state inspection, they found an exhaust hanger had rusted through. They got a new one from the dealer and fixed it. I can't believe I drove around for 3 months or more with that freakin noise. I guess that when I went under the car I looked around the mufflers, not up towards the front of the exhaust.

So I'm thinking my transfer case actuator motor is fine.

[cmg5461]

Originally Posted by theduker456

The mechanic at the dealership clearly did not hear the rattle that I wanted them it diagnose. Even though I gave them specific, written instructions on how to reproduce it. When I took my car to my neighbor's service station for my state inspection, they found an exhaust hanger had rusted through. They got a new one from the dealer and fixed it. I can't believe I drove around for 3 months or more with that freakin noise. I guess that when I went under the car I looked around the mufflers, not up towards the front of the exhaust.

So I'm thinking my transfer case actuator motor is fine.

If your actuator worm gear is grinding you will get a code. Also the gear is steel, not plastic. The plastic rumor was from the x3/x5 transfer case.

[Joe NYCALIVE]

I still have a brand new transfer case motor if anyone needs it. I thought I had the same problem but it was the entire transfer case had to be changed. so if anyone is looking for one I will let it go for 550.

[WingMan42]

Hello , Im new to the forum. Ive been tackling a problem with my 07 335xi for a few weeks now. I get the three lights Red Brake, yellow ABS and DCS light, With the ABS over 4X4 message.


Currently not working:

ABS
DSC
AWD
Cruise Control
Adaptive Headlights(probably another issue in itself)
Start Assist

Things i have done:

Rear brake pad wear sensors
Brakes& Rotors
Alignment
Checked all fused
Wheel turn Left To Right
New VTG module(VSGS)
New Battery Coded
Alternator Tested


Codes Pulled:

D36A
D36B

Cleared all codes, Those are the ones that keep coming back

Took to a reputable indy shop..
Tech told me that they can't communicate with the VTG module to read it.! Soo… I bought another VTG unitas they suggested.., Installed and took back to get it programmed and the same thing..No Communication… Extremely Frustrated!

I just bought this car, and it has plenty of power, Everything else works
perfectly! I Don't want to sell the car, bc i do not want anyone else to inherit these problems like I did. If anyone has any info or can help, Id greatly appreciate it! Ive read through a lot of threads and tried a lot but i am open to any suggestions!!

[frenchi]

Originally Posted by WingMan42

Hello , Im new to the forum. Ive been tackling a problem with my 07 335xi for a few weeks now. I get the three lights Red Brake, yellow ABS and DCS light, With the ABS over 4X4 message.


Currently not working:

ABS
DSC
AWD
Cruise Control
Adaptive Headlights(probably another issue in itself)
Start Assist

Things i have done:

Rear brake pad wear sensors
Brakes& Rotors
Alignment
Checked all fused
Wheel turn Left To Right
New VTG module(VSGS)
New Battery Coded
Alternator Tested


Codes Pulled:

D36A
D36B

Cleared all codes, Those are the ones that keep coming back

Took to a reputable indy shop..
Tech told me that they can't communicate with the VTG module to read it.! Soo… I bought another VTG unitas they suggested.., Installed and took back to get it programmed and the same thing..No Communication… Extremely Frustrated!

I just bought this car, and it has plenty of power, Everything else works
perfectly! I Don't want to sell the car, bc i do not want anyone else to inherit these problems like I did. If anyone has any info or can help, Id greatly appreciate it! Ive read through a lot of threads and tried a lot but i am open to any suggestions!!

Did you change the control ecu unit of the transfer case or the actuator motor ? If there is no comunnication at all maybe your module is fried -

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=27_0042

Try to connect with Bmw icom and not with some universal interface already got some problems with transfer case and they are pretty sensible to software.

[WingMan42]

i put in a VTG unit(transfer case module) With no luck, I have not done the Actual transfer case servo motor.

I bought a cable to use with INPA but haven't had much luck with getting everything downloaded and working..

BMW ICOM? how can i obtain that?

thank you for responding!!

[frenchi]

Originally Posted by WingMan42

i put in a VTG unit(transfer case module) With no luck, I have not done the Actual transfer case servo motor.

I bought a cable to use with INPA but haven't had much luck with getting everything downloaded and working..

BMW ICOM? how can i obtain that?

thank you for responding!!

Did you put a new one or used ? This should be coded to your car and reset should be done on your transfer case so better try to find some indy that knows what to do...icom is a bit expensive for one time use. china clone is about 400-500 usd
Ask an indy to recode your VSGS module and also try to full charge your battery

[WingMan42]

put in a used module that came from a working car , same year and model. took to an indy shop around the corner and they told me it still wouldn't communicate with it to actually program the unit. they do a lot of bmw work so i trust they know what they are doing there. just throws me off that I'm getting communication codes. could be a cable connection from what the tech said but he would have to figure out the locations of the module connections that aren't talking to each other. DSC and VTG , says the the module has power going to it , so its not a chaffed or shorted wire, just not talking with the other unit.

I'm new to all of this and am trying to figure it out. never owned a bmw. My wife has an 07 range rover sport supercharged and I'm dreading the day anything goes wrong with that.. but so far this 335xi has given me more problems than that has so far...

[frenchi]

hmm still seems to me like a module problem are you sure the second one you bought is good ? same part number ?

[WingMan42]

Part numbers are the same and the unit was good when it came out of the donor car. I'm stumped , been trying to use INPA, but I keep getting API errors. Very discouraging trying to troubleshoot this car.. I'm open to anything to try so if you know any sure fire ways to tell I'm pretty handy.

[Twinkie93]

Originally Posted by stopper

Just to offer a little bit of clarification for anyone that may have a similar issue and runs into this thread:

The worm gear powered by and inside the transfer case actuator motor in our e90 and e92 xi's is actually metal, not plastic. The plastic worm gears were on older x-Drive actuators, typically from X3's and X5's. That said, it STILL is a failure point and strips out from excessive wear, causing your dash to light up like a Christmas tree and can make unsettling chattering noises when starting up and shutting down the engine. I literally just replaced mine yesterday and have a some pictures of the old actuator taken apart. I'll be posting about it shortly for anyone that may run into this headache.

If you're trying to confirm or eliminate the culprit as the transfer case/actuator, the first thing I'd suggest is scanning for codes. A failing actuator will likely cause codes like 5F39 (transfer case internal error), 5462 (excessive force - servo motor), 5463 (actuator mechanism faulty), 5F3A (transfer case malfunction). You CAN pull a fuse...I believe it is #26 but I'd do a thread search before taking my word on it, but that will disable and mess with a TON of vehicle functions, including your DSC, DTC, ABS, speedometer, windshield wipers, turn signals. It will cut any electrical info to the actuator motor though, which should leave it open and keep your car in a 100% RWD configuration. If your noise is still reproducible, it's more likely then that it may be exhaust or wastegate related.

As far as re-coding goes, there should be no coding necessary for replacing a broken actuator motor with a new one, however if the transfer case fluid is flushed/replaced in conjunction with this, and it should be, that may be a different story. I was never able to get a definitive answer on whether a TC fluid flush requires a reset via ecu. Some ppl on here have said yes, some have said no. I had my TC fluid flushed about 20k miles ago and my shop noted that they DID do a reset. My fluid was flushed yesterday after the actuator replacement but I DIDNT reset anything yet and after 30 miles, no codes have show up.

Originally Posted by stopper

Just to offer a little bit of clarification for anyone that may have a similar issue and runs into this thread:

The worm gear powered by and inside the transfer case actuator motor in our e90 and e92 xi's is actually metal, not plastic. The plastic worm gears were on older x-Drive actuators, typically from X3's and X5's. That said, it STILL is a failure point and strips out from excessive wear, causing your dash to light up like a Christmas tree and can make unsettling chattering noises when starting up and shutting down the engine. I literally just replaced mine yesterday and have a some pictures of the old actuator taken apart. I'll be posting about it shortly for anyone that may run into this headache.

If you're trying to confirm or eliminate the culprit as the transfer case/actuator, the first thing I'd suggest is scanning for codes. A failing actuator will likely cause codes like 5F39 (transfer case internal error), 5462 (excessive force - servo motor), 5463 (actuator mechanism faulty), 5F3A (transfer case malfunction). You CAN pull a fuse...I believe it is #26 but I'd do a thread search before taking my word on it, but that will disable and mess with a TON of vehicle functions, including your DSC, DTC, ABS, speedometer, windshield wipers, turn signals. It will cut any electrical info to the actuator motor though, which should leave it open and keep your car in a 100% RWD configuration. If your noise is still reproducible, it's more likely then that it may be exhaust or wastegate related.

As far as re-coding goes, there should be no coding necessary for replacing a broken actuator motor with a new one, however if the transfer case fluid is flushed/replaced in conjunction with this, and it should be, that may be a different story. I was never able to get a definitive answer on whether a TC fluid flush requires a reset via ecu. Some ppl on here have said yes, some have said no. I had my TC fluid flushed about 20k miles ago and my shop noted that they DID do a reset. My fluid was flushed yesterday after the actuator replacement but I DIDNT reset anything yet and after 30 miles, no codes have show up.

This post just saved me ahead ace yo literally just described what mine had been doing and I've done so much extra crap trying to figure it it. My next step is to replace the actuator motor do u happen to know any dyi vids I'm gonna do a search next for those then order my part and hopefully it clears up my Christmas tree dash haha I have a '08 328xi coupe btw

[Twinkie93]

Originally Posted by stopper

Just to offer a little bit of clarification for anyone that may have a similar issue and runs into this thread:

The worm gear powered by and inside the transfer case actuator motor in our e90 and e92 xi's is actually metal, not plastic. The plastic worm gears were on older x-Drive actuators, typically from X3's and X5's. That said, it STILL is a failure point and strips out from excessive wear, causing your dash to light up like a Christmas tree and can make unsettling chattering noises when starting up and shutting down the engine. I literally just replaced mine yesterday and have a some pictures of the old actuator taken apart. I'll be posting about it shortly for anyone that may run into this headache.

If you're trying to confirm or eliminate the culprit as the transfer case/actuator, the first thing I'd suggest is scanning for codes. A failing actuator will likely cause codes like 5F39 (transfer case internal error), 5462 (excessive force - servo motor), 5463 (actuator mechanism faulty), 5F3A (transfer case malfunction). You CAN pull a fuse...I believe it is #26 but I'd do a thread search before taking my word on it, but that will disable and mess with a TON of vehicle functions, including your DSC, DTC, ABS, speedometer, windshield wipers, turn signals. It will cut any electrical info to the actuator motor though, which should leave it open and keep your car in a 100% RWD configuration. If your noise is still reproducible, it's more likely then that it may be exhaust or wastegate related.

As far as re-coding goes, there should be no coding necessary for replacing a broken actuator motor with a new one, however if the transfer case fluid is flushed/replaced in conjunction with this, and it should be, that may be a different story. I was never able to get a definitive answer on whether a TC fluid flush requires a reset via ecu. Some ppl on here have said yes, some have said no. I had my TC fluid flushed about 20k miles ago and my shop noted that they DID do a reset. My fluid was flushed yesterday after the actuator replacement but I DIDNT reset anything yet and after 30 miles, no codes have show up.

Originally Posted by stopper

Just to offer a little bit of clarification for anyone that may have a similar issue and runs into this thread:

The worm gear powered by and inside the transfer case actuator motor in our e90 and e92 xi's is actually metal, not plastic. The plastic worm gears were on older x-Drive actuators, typically from X3's and X5's. That said, it STILL is a failure point and strips out from excessive wear, causing your dash to light up like a Christmas tree and can make unsettling chattering noises when starting up and shutting down the engine. I literally just replaced mine yesterday and have a some pictures of the old actuator taken apart. I'll be posting about it shortly for anyone that may run into this headache.

If you're trying to confirm or eliminate the culprit as the transfer case/actuator, the first thing I'd suggest is scanning for codes. A failing actuator will likely cause codes like 5F39 (transfer case internal error), 5462 (excessive force - servo motor), 5463 (actuator mechanism faulty), 5F3A (transfer case malfunction). You CAN pull a fuse...I believe it is #26 but I'd do a thread search before taking my word on it, but that will disable and mess with a TON of vehicle functions, including your DSC, DTC, ABS, speedometer, windshield wipers, turn signals. It will cut any electrical info to the actuator motor though, which should leave it open and keep your car in a 100% RWD configuration. If your noise is still reproducible, it's more likely then that it may be exhaust or wastegate related.

As far as re-coding goes, there should be no coding necessary for replacing a broken actuator motor with a new one, however if the transfer case fluid is flushed/replaced in conjunction with this, and it should be, that may be a different story. I was never able to get a definitive answer on whether a TC fluid flush requires a reset via ecu. Some ppl on here have said yes, some have said no. I had my TC fluid flushed about 20k miles ago and my shop noted that they DID do a reset. My fluid was flushed yesterday after the actuator replacement but I DIDNT reset anything yet and after 30 miles, no codes have show up.

This post just saved me ahead ace yo literally just described what mine had been doing and I've done so much extra crap trying to figure it it. My next step is to replace the actuator motor do u happen to know any dyi vids I'm gonna do a search next for those then order my part and hopefully it clears up my Christmas tree dash haha I have a '08 328xi coupe btw