[WangTa]

So I just brought my 335i into the dealer to get the 40K service - which may be the last before the warranty runs out. They changed the brake fluid, spark plugs, microfilter, etc. No real issues, except the mechanic who worked on my car told me (he is a friend's friend) confidentiality that while there were no error codes, he noticed some slippage in the transmission when shifting, and this may indicate a larger problem with the transmission that could be costly if it broke down after the warranty expired.

I actually did notice the transmission acting funny at times - not always, but especially in the mornings when I'm pulling out of the garage and driving slowly around my complex to the main road, it doesn't shift up to 2nd (or 3rd) quick enough. The engine revs up to high RPMs then jolts, as it shifts up to the appropriate gear. Its as if there is a delay in shifting up. I rarely notice any transmission problems when the engine is warm or when I really accelerate - the transmission seems to shift quickly. I complained about the problem upshifting about 20K miles ago, and they said it was a software issue and they fixed it - it was never really fixed, and I just assumed it was normal. But I'm a bit worried now, I'd hate to be stuck having to replace the transmission 2 months after my warranty expires. How much does a new transmission cost? I'm guessing it's big $$???

[fdriller9]

The high revving is so the car warms up faster. The same happens with my car.

The bump you feel when slowing down is common....sticky brake issue.

Software update will help the sticky brake issue somewhat. It's caused by the neutral idle control. However if you disable it, you'll get worse gas mileage.

New transmission will cost in excess of 10k with labor, I think.

[am_ver]

maybe replace the transmission fluid? I know bmw tells us that this is lifetime; but then again the engine oil can be considered lifetime (you just replace the engine when it dies because of unchanged oil).

here is a useful link on this topic:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1332371

DIY: http://forums.5series.net/topic/8812...eb7a78115c22f5

[ceb]

Originally Posted by *********

The high revving is so the car warms up faster. The same happens with my car.

The bump you feel when slowing down is common....sticky brake issue.

Software update will help the sticky brake issue somewhat. It's caused by the neutral idle control. However if you disable it, you'll get worse gas mileage.

New transmission will cost in excess of 10k with labor, I think.

Correct. The shift issue when cold is intentional and is intended to warm the engine up faster and to prevent transmission damage while cold.

[808speed]

Does anyone know the expected life of the transmission? Have high mileage 335i's started to require new transmissions?

[kickdown]

If there were no transmission fluid changes performed during the life of the car expect, transmission life around 130 000 - 200 000 miles, depending on how hard the car was driven and so on.

[Verbiage]

Originally Posted by *********

The bump you feel when slowing down is common....sticky brake issue.

You know, I too believed something to be wrong with the car, as it happens quite often. But your explanation makes sense.

[reprod]

Ok, I wasnt going to post this but after reading the thread I would advise you to have your transmission checked out by the dealer thoroughly.

My car was in the shop for 2 weeks thanks to my transmission. I would have a jerky 2-3 gear shift and if trying to accelerate aggressively at speeds of about 40-50 (highway on-ramp) the transmission would slip into a "low" gear and almost redline. I would lose all acceleration (obviously) and since this happened multiple times on the FDR in NYC I almost got rear-ended multiple times by cabs, SUVs, etc. I would then get the Transmission malfunction light and then the car would no longer change gears whatsoever until I shut off the engine on the side of the road or at a stop-light.

I took it in the first time and they changed the mechatronic sleeve on the transmission, reprogrammed and then gave it back to me a couple of days later. 2 weeks later, i am back on the side of the road trying to restart the car.

I took the car back in again 1 month after the service and my SA calls me stating that they are ordering a new transmission for my car @ only 41,000 miles. They did not state what the issue with the transmission was, nor did the print-out state the issue but I was told that it was not repairable. I think I got a bad transmission since this seems like an isolated issue.

Luckily it is a lease and going back in a few weeks(which is probably why BMWNA was down their throat in reference to getting this resolved the right way urgently). To compensate my troubles they even gave me a 2011 5 series w/ Nav and cold-weather for the 2 weeks my car was in the shop. I got awesome , no hassle customer service from my dealership and regular updates on the status of my car. I cannot complain.

Nevertheless, if you think there is something funky about your transmission, ask questions and get it looked into.

[fdriller9]

Originally Posted by Bavarian III

You know, I too believed something to be wrong with the car, as it happens quite often. But your explanation makes sense.

Yea expanding on what I said earlier. I can't remember if it was the torque converter or the diffs disengaging. Neutral Idle Control, NIC, will disengage our diffs (or TC) when coming to a stop to increase gas mileage, decrease emissions, and stress on the drive train.

The sticky brake issue is actually when starting up from a stop. The diff (or TC) will re-engage and that's why it feels like your brakes stick because your car will take a second to re-engage the diff (or TC) and allow you to move.

It's a cool idea but it was horribly implemented by BMW.

Like I said before, a software update improved the issue on my car. However it's still there. I have gotten used to it and let off the brake a bit when coming to a stop.

Try drive in DS or M mode. It's not as noticeable in these programs but it still does it sometimes.

[Verbiage]

Originally Posted by *********

Try drive in DS or M mode. It's not as noticeable in these programs but it still does it sometimes.

That uses more gas though lol.

[jackassroomie]

Make sure you tell them about the transmission before the warranty expires. I had a 540i that had a weird transmission issue right before the warranty was going to expire and they made a note of it. If the transmission craps out on you a little after the warranty expires, then they might be more inclined to do a goodwill replacement.

[Forcefed3]

Any update on this? My transmission is acting like this but not as bad:

[reprod]

I hope the OP got it looked into and tranny replaced. I had similar symptoms and mine only got worse until the car was no longer able to drive.

[Forcefed3]

Originally Posted by reprod

I hope the OP got it looked into and tranny replaced. I had similar symptoms and mine only got worse until the car was no longer able to drive.

Did it start out like the video I posted? Mines like that but not as bad.

[RaceBlood]

Auto Transmission failures are not uncommon, and they tend to not show symptoms until well broken in and many miles until the issues become apparent, so have the SA CK the the tranny, and get it noted on service. If you detect anything wrong before the car is out of warranty, again take to dealer so its on record.

The best of car have tranny issues, just the hair of the beast...

[reprod]

Originally Posted by gbreeE90

Did it start out like the video I posted? Mines like that but not as bad.

Mine started out as some harder than normal shifts resulting in a slight delay and "jolt". Then one time upon heavy acceleration my car slipped out of gear and fell into a lower a gear sending the revs to almost redline and reducing my acceleration drastically. This continued to happen upon heavy acceleration and trying to go from 3rd to 4th gear. I ended up driving like a granny until my service appointment.

Whenever the car slipped gears I would get a "Transmission Malfunction" error on the i-Drive screen and the car would no longer change gears forcing me to pull over and restart the engine.

Cliffnotes: My symptoms were a bit more extreme and didn't begin until almost 40K miles. Upon receiving a brand new tranny I fell in love with the car all over again.

[Forcefed3]

Originally Posted by reprod

Mine started out as some harder than normal shifts resulting in a slight delay and "jolt". Then one time upon heavy acceleration my car slipped out of gear and fell into a lower a gear sending the revs to almost redline and reducing my acceleration drastically. This continued to happen upon heavy acceleration and trying to go from 3rd to 4th gear. I ended up driving like a granny until my service appointment.

Whenever the car slipped gears I would get a "Transmission Malfunction" error on the i-Drive screen and the car would no longer change gears forcing me to pull over and restart the engine.

Cliffnotes: My symptoms were a bit more extreme and didn't begin until almost 40K miles. Upon receiving a brand new tranny I fell in love with the car all over again.

Mine started one night when I was near redline and it didnt want to shift. I guess my problem is pretty much like yours.