BMW Werkz banner

2001 330 Ci Tranny Problem (Reverse Gear) Need Advise

6K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  EXtech 
#1 ·
My name is Joe and i bought my 2001 330ci When it first came out in 2001.
I never had any problems with my car at all just alot of pushing have to be replaced every 2 years nothing more and once i reached 75,000 miles my revesed gave out but all my other gears and my steptronic work no!!!!!!!!! gears are sliding its been 7 months it has been running well without reverse!!
I have taken it to 5 places here locally in El Paso and called seveeral places.
Most places that i call have told me i need to buy a new tranny so prices are about 3,000- 5,000 i even called the dealership and they also said it was fried and i told them so why does by car still run , its been 7 months. So one guy doesnt even scan it and tells me $1,500 he will get the job done on the tranny , Then my friend refered me to suppose a great location that specializes on foreign cars i he said they got equipment that will tell them if its a chip, cylinuid, ect. So it take it to him and the stupid machine cant get any code at all!!!!!!!!!! So one of the machanics says it must not be serious and he asks his boss and his boss says the impossible if it doesnt scan there should be a problem but when he gets in my car and notices the reverse doesnt work they he says its fried!!!!!!!!!! So he was trying to charge me $2,500 for a rebuilt and i told him someone was charging $1,500 he laughed So right now i dont know who to belive hes the only one tha scanned the car and yeat no dam coded and others just by riding the car or hearing my problem on the phone assume!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLease Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
See less See more
#2 · (Edited)
Hi ! That was a common problem on these models, suddenly lack of reverse without warning.BMW North America knows about it , and never admited it! you are not first and last it happened for.The lack of reverse is cause by broken "drum" inside transmission, it developes very slowly with small cracks on it and with a time it breaks completelly. There is a theory , that changing gear from "reverse" to "drive" without completely stoping car cause that( many people have this habit)-the solution, new transmission.These transmission are difficult to fix and I do not think anybody will touch it .Scanning the commputer for this will shaw nothing.To make sure what is the problem, before anyone puts a wrench to it, they need to check the pressures. Not with a computer, but with gauges. And if you don't know what the results mean. Post them here, and ask other transmission shops. The pressures will tell if there is a problem with the valve body, or pump, or any springs and valving, seals to clutch packs, servos, accumilators if that applies to that transmission. Good luck !
 
#3 ·
Thanks For the Great Info

Thanks for the information , at least i know this mechanics are either trying to rake me nor ever ran into this problem before and dont want to deal with so much work just the easay way out " Buy A NEW TRANSMISSION"
zibby said:
Hi ! That was a common problem on these models, suddenly lack of reverse without warning.BMW North America knows about it , and never admited it! you are not first and last it happened for.The lack of reverse is cause by broken "drum" inside transmission, it developes very slowly with small cracks on it and with a time it breaks completelly. There is a theory , that changing gear from "reverse" to "drive" without completely stoping car cause that( many people have this habit)-the solution, new transmission.These transmission are difficult to fix and I do not think anybody will touch it .Scanning the commputer for this will shaw nothing.To make sure what is the problem, before anyone puts a wrench to it, they need to check the pressures. Not with a computer, but with gauges. And if you don't know what the results mean. Post them here, and ask other transmission shops. The pressures will tell if there is a problem with the valve body, or pump, or any springs and valving, seals to clutch packs, servos, accumilators if that applies to that transmission. Good luck !
 
#4 · (Edited)
Well, the guy who told you to fix it for $ 1500 perhaps is worth to try for this money, new one in Canada cost $5000 cdn and in US probably around $ 4000, a big diff. betwen $1500 he offers to do the job.Remember one thing, if you decide to go for that deal make sure in writing ,if he fail to repair, it you pay "NOTHING" !!! Lots of these guys on the market will try to screw you by saying- "well, I could not fix it, but I spent 8 hours and have to charge you $700 bucks for my time"- NO WAY ! $ 1500 for job than with warranty(at least one year and 15000 miles), so be careful and all the best. Zibby.
 
#6 ·
I hope you get this resolved. That is why I am still not sold on SMG. The concept is great, -- better than the traditional manual gearbox, in my opinion -- but the implementation is still not reliable enough. I will only get SMG if under warranty and will sell before warranty expires.
 
#11 ·
drz said:
I hope you get this resolved. That is why I am still not sold on SMG. The concept is great, -- better than the traditional manual gearbox, in my opinion -- but the implementation is still not reliable enough. I will only get SMG if under warranty and will sell before warranty expires.

Basically any new technology, just wait several years let it get refined and re-tuned by the thousands that are trying the new technology. Same goes about buying a first year new model.
 
#12 ·
he doesnt have an smg transmission.
Zibby is right though. I cannot tell you how many trannies I have replaced for the same issue. I subscribe to the same theory about throwing the car into drive from reverse before stopping and vice versa. While these transmissions are very smooth and precise, they are also very fickle and fragile. BMW had issues on their trannies and I never understood why they haven't come out with a better engineered unit. Nobody can rebuild these things especially some run of the mill trans shop. The only way to go is with a factory rebuilt unit... period. Those will have warranties and outlast any that you find elsewhere because they will be rebuilt by those who built them originally. Just have it installed by a independent shop and you'll save $$ on the labor. Good luck!!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top