[Kaikun]

Hello Everyone,

So I own a 2008 535i with the N54 and recently my transmission has been slipping a lot more through some of the gears when under load. A while ago I did do the service which replaced the pan, those small tube rubber gaskets, and the big rectangular one with new fluid. After doing the service, it did help a little bit but didn't necessarily fix the problem. the car does have 175,000 miles on it so I wouldn't doubt that the transmission could be worn out.

I've thought about swapping it to a manual but that is a long process, hard to find parts, and more complicated to a YouTube mechanic like me. So I am wanting to just get another auto trans to just swap in and I have done some research about it. As far as I have looked into it, all you would need to do is get another transmission, swap valve body since they are coded to the car. then obviously do the maintenance with the gaskets, pan, and fluid. I also was thinking about getting some new shift solenoids as well since I will already have the valve body out.

Ive been looking around for another transmission from another 535i to make the process a little easier but Ive heard that the 335i's also came with the same ZF6hp transmission.

If anyone knows more about this please let me know as I am wanting to do the swap pretty soon. My transmission has been slowly getting worse. Any parts info and tips on doing the swap will help me out a lot. Thanks!!!

[rjahl]

Originally Posted by Kaikun

Hello Everyone,

So I own a 2008 535i with the N54 and recently my transmission has been slipping a lot more through some of the gears when under load. A while ago I did do the service which replaced the pan, those small tube rubber gaskets, and the big rectangular one with new fluid. After doing the service, it did help a little bit but didn't necessarily fix the problem. the car does have 175,000 miles on it so I wouldn't doubt that the transmission could be worn out.

I've thought about swapping it to a manual but that is a long process, hard to find parts, and more complicated to a YouTube mechanic like me. So I am wanting to just get another auto trans to just swap in and I have done some research about it. As far as I have looked into it, all you would need to do is get another transmission, swap valve body since they are coded to the car. then obviously do the maintenance with the gaskets, pan, and fluid. I also was thinking about getting some new shift solenoids as well since I will already have the valve body out.

Ive been looking around for another transmission from another 535i to make the process a little easier but Ive heard that the 335i's also came with the same ZF6hp transmission.

If anyone knows more about this please let me know as I am wanting to do the swap pretty soon. My transmission has been slowly getting worse. Any parts info and tips on doing the swap will help me out a lot. Thanks!!!

The ZF trans is really a very good transmission and 175k is nothing. Unless you are running crazy HP or ran it with leaking sleeves for a long time it should last.

Before swapping, do you know if the Tran fluid has been changed at regular intervals or only after 175k when it started to complain?

I'f it's been treated well, run a good diagnostic on it using INPA. The adaptation values will give you a clue towards the problems. Could be something really simple, like a Solenoid.

After that, just be aware the you probably have the ZF 6HP19 TU, which is different from the early versions of the ZF 6HP 19. So don get the wrong one.

Good luck.

[Kaikun]

Thanks for the reply!

I have stage 2 with MHD and I've only had the car for a couple years and I don't know the history of the maintenance with the car.

It did start to slip out of gear as a clutch in a manual would and give very random transmission malfunction warnings. This would mainly happen in 5th gear but recently it is starting to do that in 4th. It also doesn't like shifting when getting on it when high in the rpms. From 1st to 2nd it sometimes won't go into gear so it does a weird like "money" shift. Then from 2nd to 3rd, once under load in 2nd, it doesn't like it and would immediately shift to 3rd even in manual mode.

Is it possible to check adaptation values with xHP flashtool. I currently don't have anything to run INPA.

When it comes to the transmission, is there a way I can check which type of 6hp I have in my car by running the vin possibly? Or even just a location of the number on the transmission itsellf?