1999 E39 Transmission question

I just bought a 1999 528i that is in emaculate shape.

It has 46,000 miles on it. It literally was owned the "a lady who only
drove it to church."

I already have a 2000 528i with 185,000 miles and bought the 99 with plans
to sell the 2000.

I noticed the 2000 shifts a lot smoother than the 99. The part that is the
most noticeable is going from 2nd to 3rd gear. The transmission is not
slipping or anything but in my opinion it's shifting "hard."

Any comments on this?

Today at lunch I stopped by the local transmission shop and the mechanic
took it out for a test drive. The computer is not picking up any codes and
he stated that it "shifts like a honda." but he feels nothing wrong with
it.

He said if I was that worried about it I should take it to the BMW
dealership. Well, we all know they won't test drive it and give an opinion
for free, huh?

does anyone have any experience with the 99's and do you think I'm being
too picky? It just doesn't shift like I would expect a $50,000 car should,
and especially since my 2000 feels so much nicer.

JB

PS, the Transmission guy said that becuase the car was sitting for a couple
of years I might want to have them change the fluid and filter. Should I?

In article >,
JB > wrote:
> I just bought a 1999 528i that is in emaculate shape.

> It has 46,000 miles on it. It literally was owned the "a lady who only
> drove it to church."

> I already have a 2000 528i with 185,000 miles and bought the 99 with
> plans to sell the 2000.

> I noticed the 2000 shifts a lot smoother than the 99. The part that is
> the most noticeable is going from 2nd to 3rd gear. The transmission is
> not slipping or anything but in my opinion it's shifting "hard."

> Any comments on this?

Do you know what make box it has? My '97 528 has a ZF Steptronic 5 speed
which is fine - apart from a very occasional hard shift from 1-2 at low
speed when cold.

--
*Acupuncture is a jab well done*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

> PS, the Transmission guy said that becuase the car was sitting for a couple
> of years I might want to have them change the fluid and filter. Should I?

Most certainly. Excellent advice.

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The E39 528 ONLY carries the GM 5L40E transmission. Other models of the E39
carry other transmissions, but the 528 got the GM5 from first production to
the end of production.

This tranmission has problems, but they are not fatal, and generally can be
cleaned up with a fluid change. One of the problems that this trans will
give is that it will randomly refuse to shift into R. It will sometimes
accept the gear selection and other times not. This is caused by dirty
screens and maybe a defective solenoid, called a TCC/PWM solenoid. The
solenoid costs $85-ish for the part plus some other parts that are routinely
replaced with a transmission flush -- other screens and gaskets, and stuff
like that.

The fluid is SUPPOSED to be "lieftime fluid" that never needs replacing, but
this turns out to be a pipe dream. Change the fluid.

Having said that, the 1st to 2nd shift is a bit on the harsh side for my
liking too. I haven't noticed the 2nd to 3rd shift so much. Your 2000 and
the 1999 should have the same transmission, so they ought to behave the same
way. Shifting smoothness is a function of the fluid, so changing fluid
should resolve most of the issues.





"JB" > wrote in message
31...
>I just bought a 1999 528i that is in emaculate shape.
>
> It has 46,000 miles on it. It literally was owned the "a lady who only
> drove it to church."
>
> I already have a 2000 528i with 185,000 miles and bought the 99 with plans
> to sell the 2000.
>
> I noticed the 2000 shifts a lot smoother than the 99. The part that is the
> most noticeable is going from 2nd to 3rd gear. The transmission is not
> slipping or anything but in my opinion it's shifting "hard."
>
> Any comments on this?
>
> Today at lunch I stopped by the local transmission shop and the mechanic
> took it out for a test drive. The computer is not picking up any codes and
> he stated that it "shifts like a honda." but he feels nothing wrong with
> it.
>
> He said if I was that worried about it I should take it to the BMW
> dealership. Well, we all know they won't test drive it and give an opinion
> for free, huh?
>
> does anyone have any experience with the 99's and do you think I'm being
> too picky? It just doesn't shift like I would expect a $50,000 car should,
> and especially since my 2000 feels so much nicer.
>
> JB
>
> PS, the Transmission guy said that becuase the car was sitting for a
> couple
> of years I might want to have them change the fluid and filter. Should I?

In article >,
Jeff Strickland > wrote:
> The E39 528 ONLY carries the GM 5L40E transmission.

Rubbish.

--
*The first rule of holes: If you are in one, stop digging!

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

JB > wrote:
>I just bought a 1999 528i that is in emaculate shape.
>
>It has 46,000 miles on it. It literally was owned the "a lady who only
>drove it to church."
>
>I already have a 2000 528i with 185,000 miles and bought the 99 with plans
>to sell the 2000.
>
>I noticed the 2000 shifts a lot smoother than the 99. The part that is the
>most noticeable is going from 2nd to 3rd gear. The transmission is not
>slipping or anything but in my opinion it's shifting "hard."
>
>Any comments on this?

Yes. It's probably way, overdue for a fluid change. Change the thing with
Red Line or Royal Purple or whatever high grade synthetic your personal
religion is.

While you're at it, you'd better change the brake fluid, the coolant, and
the differential fluid since those are probably way overdue also. And power
steering fluid.

If it were me, I'd change out all the fuel hoses and radiator hoses and
belts too.

>Today at lunch I stopped by the local transmission shop and the mechanic
>took it out for a test drive. The computer is not picking up any codes and
>he stated that it "shifts like a honda." but he feels nothing wrong with
>it.

He's probably about right. Also note that when the brake fluid gets old
and gunked up, the clutch won't feel quite right and that can make the thing
feel screwy too. That's another reason to change the brake fluid in the
process.

>does anyone have any experience with the 99's and do you think I'm being
>too picky? It just doesn't shift like I would expect a $50,000 car should,
>and especially since my 2000 feels so much nicer.

You've got yourself a mountain of deferred maintenance under the hood, so
you should not expect it to act like a $50,000 car. Do some fluid changes
and check the condition of every rubber part under the hood, and I think you
may find it behaves a bit better.

>PS, the Transmission guy said that becuase the car was sitting for a couple
>of years I might want to have them change the fluid and filter. Should I?

There's no filter on the manual, the fluid change is a ten-minute job. You
can do it yourself in the driveway. Do not forget the differential!
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

"Dave Plowman (News)" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Jeff Strickland > wrote:
>> The E39 528 ONLY carries the GM 5L40E transmission.
>
> Rubbish.
>

Say w2hat you want, but I did loads of research when I bought an E46 323 two
weeks ago and found that there are two transmissions used on that car,
depending on the production date. The 328 and 528 (E46 and E39) all got the
same automatic transmission throughout the production run. Other

Sorry, I said they only got the GM 5L40E, I ignored the possibility that
they may carry a manual transmission, and I ignored the possibility that the
car may have been destined for a different delivery port than the USA.
Assuming an automatic transmission and US delivery, all E39 528s and E46
328s only have the GM 5L40E.

I did make a mistake though, the E39 528i and iT carried the GM THM-R1 from
first production until Aug. 99, where it carried the GM5L40E from Sep. 99 to
the end of its production run. I have no information of any problems with
the THM-R1.

The main complaint that I can find with the automatic transmissions from
this vintage is the refusal to select Reverse. The GM5 has a problem where
the screens get clogged and the fluid gets burned causing tarnish to make
some of the solenoids sticky, which leads to random poor operation of
Reverse -- Reverse might work fine one time you select it, and not work at
all the next, then work again later on in the same drive cycle. The other
automatic transmission used in the other E46 and E39 cars is the ZF 5HP19.
This transmission has a clutch drum that breaks apart, causing a complete
and total failure of Reverse - once the drum breaks Reverse will never work
again and the transmission must be rebuilt or replaced, which as far as I
can tell costs about the same..

"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
> JB > wrote:
>>I just bought a 1999 528i that is in emaculate shape.
>>
>>It has 46,000 miles on it. It literally was owned the "a lady who only
>>drove it to church."
>>
>>I already have a 2000 528i with 185,000 miles and bought the 99 with plans
>>to sell the 2000.
>>
>>I noticed the 2000 shifts a lot smoother than the 99. The part that is the
>>most noticeable is going from 2nd to 3rd gear. The transmission is not
>>slipping or anything but in my opinion it's shifting "hard."
>>
>>Any comments on this?
>
> Yes. It's probably way, overdue for a fluid change. Change the thing
> with
> Red Line or Royal Purple or whatever high grade synthetic your personal
> religion is.
>

I wish I knew more about transmissions, but I don't. The fluid guide for the
THM-R1 says to use Dexron III / Mercon, but the GM 5L40E fluid guide says to
use only Texico ETL 7045, or a specific BMW part number. The THM
transmission fluid is _NOT_ shown as a "lifetime" fluid, whereas the 5L40E
fluid is indicated as "lifetime."

I was once a believer in the engineer's recommendations, but my "lifetime
fluid" experience gives me pause on that. I found that the lifetime is
defined as the life of the fluid, not the life of the mechanical workings.
One can extend the life of the workings if the fluid is kept fresh.

I don't know what the impact would be of replacing the fluid with a
different fluid -- switching to your favorite brand of synthetic for
instance. I was lead to believe that it's damn near impossible to get all of
the fluid out of the transmission and torque converter, which makes me
wonder if the remaining old fluid would contaminate the new synthetic fluid
one was switching to.

Jeff Strickland > wrote:
>
>I wish I knew more about transmissions, but I don't. The fluid guide for the
>THM-R1 says to use Dexron III / Mercon, but the GM 5L40E fluid guide says to
>use only Texico ETL 7045, or a specific BMW part number. The THM
>transmission fluid is _NOT_ shown as a "lifetime" fluid, whereas the 5L40E
>fluid is indicated as "lifetime."

There is no such thing as a lifetime fluid. I don't care WHAT GM says
or what BMW says. They just want to sell you a new car when yours fails.

>I don't know what the impact would be of replacing the fluid with a
>different fluid -- switching to your favorite brand of synthetic for
>instance. I was lead to believe that it's damn near impossible to get all of
>the fluid out of the transmission and torque converter, which makes me
>wonder if the remaining old fluid would contaminate the new synthetic fluid
>one was switching to.

Yes, when you do a fluid change, you only change about half the fluid in
the system, if it's an automatic transmission. This means that whatever
fluid you use needs to meet the BMW specs and it needs to be compatible with
the original materials. That's why I recommended the Red Line and Royal
Purple fluids, both of which are certified to meet the BMW specs.

There are others out there, too.

I was under the impression that the original poster had a manual, though,
and with a manual things are a little different in that the stuff is not
being used as a working fluid, just for lubrication. So the characteristics
that are important are different ones. Again, Red Line and Royal Purple
make fluids that meet the BMW specs, but the good news is that it's a whole
lot easier to flush everything out and there's no torque converter to hold
fluid in.

Rough shifting into second and third on the manual can also be caused by
linkage alignment issues and the linkages possibly needing lubrication.
Still, it's more than time to change the fluid and I'd do that first.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

"Scott Dorsey" > wrote in message
...
> Jeff Strickland > wrote:
>>
>>I wish I knew more about transmissions, but I don't. The fluid guide for
>>the
>>THM-R1 says to use Dexron III / Mercon, but the GM 5L40E fluid guide says
>>to
>>use only Texico ETL 7045, or a specific BMW part number. The THM
>>transmission fluid is _NOT_ shown as a "lifetime" fluid, whereas the 5L40E
>>fluid is indicated as "lifetime."
>
> There is no such thing as a lifetime fluid. I don't care WHAT GM says
> or what BMW says. They just want to sell you a new car when yours fails.
>

I get that. My point was that the THM transmission does not claim to be
lifetime, and therefore should have a published fluid change interval in the
Owner's Manual. The GM 5L40E claims that it is lifetime fluid, and the
Owner's Manual states this plainly. I don't happen to agree with the claim
of "lifetime," anymore because of the experience I had with one car.





>>I don't know what the impact would be of replacing the fluid with a
>>different fluid -- switching to your favorite brand of synthetic for
>>instance. I was lead to believe that it's damn near impossible to get all
>>of
>>the fluid out of the transmission and torque converter, which makes me
>>wonder if the remaining old fluid would contaminate the new synthetic
>>fluid
>>one was switching to.
>
> Yes, when you do a fluid change, you only change about half the fluid in
> the system, if it's an automatic transmission. This means that whatever
> fluid you use needs to meet the BMW specs and it needs to be compatible
> with
> the original materials. That's why I recommended the Red Line and Royal
> Purple fluids, both of which are certified to meet the BMW specs.
>
> There are others out there, too.
>
> I was under the impression that the original poster had a manual, though,
> and with a manual things are a little different in that the stuff is not
> being used as a working fluid, just for lubrication. So the
> characteristics
> that are important are different ones. Again, Red Line and Royal Purple
> make fluids that meet the BMW specs, but the good news is that it's a
> whole
> lot easier to flush everything out and there's no torque converter to hold
> fluid in.
>
> Rough shifting into second and third on the manual can also be caused by
> linkage alignment issues and the linkages possibly needing lubrication.
> Still, it's more than time to change the fluid and I'd do that first.
> --scott


I was thinking he has an automatic because he just bought, or was still
considering the purchase, the car from an old lady that only drove to the
grocery store. Certainly there are old ladies out there that are adept at
the workings of the extra pedal and the near constant manuvering of the
lever, but most 5 Series cars in the States are automatics so the old lady
on her way to fill the fridge can slip the lever into D and forget about it.
I don't think I have ever seen a 5 Series with a stick shift. Sure there
might be some, but I don't recall seeing one. Well, the exception being the
M5, where I would expect more sticks that automatics, but I haven't looked
all that closely to say one way or the other.