FAQ: Steptronic Reverse to Forward Engagement Problem

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BMWBoard.com Steptronic Reverse to Forward engagement problem (aka Sliptronic) FAQ

This FAQ may be reproduced or reposted provided that the content is not modified, added to or deleted in any way. The information provided has not been reviewed by or endorsed by BMW North America.

Copyright 2004 BMWBoard.com


What is the purpose of this FAQ?
The purpose of this FAQ is to provide basic, factual information about the Sliptronic problem and to provide individuals that experience the problem with knowledge to help them decide on how to address and resolve the problem. All information provided is current as of April 2004.

Who compiled this FAQ?
The FAQ has been compiled from various posts by BMWBoard members who have experienced the problem, own or have ordered a car that may develop the problem, or have an interest in providing helpful information.

What is the Sliptronic automatic transmission engagement problem?
Sliptronic occurs when the vehicle has been unused for a period of around 12 to 24 hours or more. When the vehicle is started and shifted into reverse, backed up for a short distance, and shifted into drive, the transmission fails to immediately engage. The engine will rev to anywhere between 1500 and 4000 rpm. It may slip for several seconds up to 30 or 40 seconds. It will then engage and drive normally. The problem usually will not repeat until the vehicle has cooled down and is not used for 12 to 24 hours or more.

When was the problem identified by owners?
On the BMWBoard, owners first started reporting the problem in the summer of 2003.

What model and year of vehicles are affected?
Based on current information, certain 3 series and X5 models. BMW uses two manufacturers of Steptronic transmissions – GM (General Motors) and European manufacturer ZF. The problem has been isolated to a transmission design manufactured by GM. Some reports say that the transmissions were manufactured in France, but there is no BMW official confirmation of this information.

The problem appears to affect the following vehicles with GM transmissions. Note that the dates such as ‘03/’04 refer to model year. Some ’03 model year cars were built in 2002:
'03/'04(up to 11/03) E46 with M54 and GM5 Trans. 325iA, 325XiA, 330XiA, and from 03/03 325A/330A Coupe, Convertible, '03/04 (up to 12/03) E53 X5 3.0 with GM5 Trans.

Be aware that this information was posted by a BMWBoard member and has not been confirmed. Therefore, it should be used as a guideline only.

How many vehicles are affected?
There has been speculation about the number of vehicles affected but there is no firm information.

How can I reproduce the problem?
1. Allow the vehicle to sit unused for at least 24 hours.
2. Start the vehicle.
3. Immediately shift to reverse.
4. Backup 30 to 50 feet.
5. Immediately shift to D (not sport mode or M1)
6. Step on the gas pedal normally.

What has BMW said about the problem?
BMW has acknowledged the problem and has issued a TIS Bulletin. The following information was posted by a BMWBoard member and has not been confirmed. Therefore, it should be used as a guideline only.

=====================================================
BMW TIS 24 07 03 Dated Feb 2004:

Situation:
Customer may complain of a delayed P to D (2 to 30 seconds) during the first cold start in the morning.

Cause:
Unfavorable tolerances of C1 clutch housing causing internal transmission pressure leak after extended overnight parking

Correction:
On a customer complaint basis only after verifying the above situation, replace the transmission with the improved unit.
=====================================================

You can get a copy of the bulletin at http://www.bmwtis.com . BMW charges a subscription fee of $25.

Is this telling me that they are replacing my transmission with a new one?
No. The TIS as posted by a BMWBoard member refers to the problem as “Unfavorable tolerances of C1 clutch housing…” and states “…replace the transmission with the improved unit.”

Many owners have had remanufactured transmissions installed. According to multiple reports, this is a used transmission housing with all new components inside. All owners were told that the remanufactured transmission carries a full warranty.

Some owners have had a new clutch pack installed into the existing transmission by a GM technician at the BMW dealer. All owners were told that this replacement carries a full warranty.

Early attempts to fix the problem used only a software patch. By all accounts, the software patch alone did not solve the problem. However, software updates have been installed in conjunction with a new transmission or clutch.

I don’t think it’s right that a new BMW should have a remanufactured transmission or clutch pack installed!
As far as anyone can determine, BMW meets all legal warranty obligations with this solution. A later section of this FAQ provides information on other possible actions.

Has the transmission replacement really fixed the problem?
July 2003 through November or December 2003 can best be described as a troubleshooting period. Work performed by BMW did not fix the problem. It appears that sometime in November or December the source of the problem was correctly identified and the problem was resolved. The exact time frame is unknown.

As of the writing of this FAQ (April 2004), a number of transmissions and clutch packs have been replaced in January and February. Almost all owners who are reporting state that the problem appears to be solved. Some are reporting that they notice all-around improved transmission performance. There has been one owner on BMWBoard who continues to have problems. In this case, the owner indicated that additional non-transmission related problems developed after the replacement and suggested that the problems may be with the dealer’s work performance.

Are new cars that have been sitting on the lot being retrofitted if they have the bad transmission?
This is unknown.

Are brand new cars being produced at the factory since January shipping with new, corrected transmissions?
This is unknown. It up to the reader to decide whether BMW would continue to ship defective transmissions after identifying the problem. Refer to the dates referenced in the TIS.

Did BMW sell known defective cars? Don’t they have an obligation to new buyers and/or stop selling vehicles until the problem was corrected?
This FAQ is not intended to address legal or liability issues. A later section of this FAQ provides information on organizations to contact if you feel this situation occurred.

Are there any safety issues related to this problem?
There have been no reports of accidents, fires, injuries, etc. by BMWBoard members. The issue has been raised that while backing out into traffic, the transmission has slipped and created a potentially dangerous situation.

Has BMW issued a safety recall?
At this time BMW has not issued a safety recall. There are unconfirmed written and verbal reports that a voluntary safety recall is being considered by BMW.

I tried this and it did not occur! Does this mean I will never have the problem?
Some individuals report that the problem has occurred with a few hundred miles on the vehicle. Others have reported no problems until 1500 to 3000 miles. It is difficult to predict if or when a particular vehicle with the GM transmission will fail.

My car has the Sliptronic problem! What should I do?
This FAQ is not intended to recommend any single path to resolution of your problem. With that said, your FIRST step should be to contact your dealer and report the problem. Regardless of any other decisions you make or problems you do or don’t encounter, it is important that you report the problem with your local dealer so that it is on record.

Explain the problem clearly to the dealer and reference the TIS number. The dealer will have access to this information. Take a copy of this FAQ along as supporting documentation. Any further decisions should be based on the results of your particular situation and values.

I refuse to accept anything other than: a brand new transmission, a new car, a complete refund, a cancellation my pending order and get all of my deposit back, etc. My dealer worked on my car and it is worse than ever!
It is up to each person affected to decide what is acceptable or not acceptable for their own personal situation and values:

- You may be able to pursue the Lemon Law. Note that the specifics requirements for Lemon Law vary by state.
- You may be working with a less than competent dealer. Is there another dealer in the area?
- File complaints with local, state and federal agencies
- File a complaint with BMWNA.

The following resources have been suggested by BMWBoard members:

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/tsbsearch.cfm

You can register a complaint, search for previous complaints, investigations, bulletins and recalls. When performing your search the following criteria will be helpful:
Select "Search"
Select type of search "Vehicle"
Select "Year" 2004
Select "Make" BMW
Select "Model" 325 Ci
Select "Component" Auto-Transmission
Select "Document Search"

As of March 2004, there were a number of complaints and an investigation active, with supporting PDF documents online.

BMW North America
BMW of North America, LLC.
300 Chestnut Ridge Road, Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677
Telephone : +1 201 307-4000
Telefax : +1 201 307-4095
Web sit : http://www.bmwusa.com

Chairman & CEO : Tom Purvis
Exec. V.P., Finance & CFO : Dr.Thomas Wittig
V.P., Marketing : James McDowell
V.P., Aftersales & Engineering : Hans Duenzl
V.P., Operations : Ed Robinson

Your state Consumer Protection Agency :
Example: New York - http://www.consumer.state.ny.us/

Lemon Law Information - useful information about the Lemon Law, note that it does promote services by legal firms specializing in Lemon Law litigation.
http://www.lemonlawamerica.com/

Your local Better Business Bureau
 

TJ Hart

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#2
I have a 2004 330xi with 1,500 miles on it. It sat in the garage all weekend, this morning when I backed out and put it in drive "no engagement". I called a local dealer who took the VIN down and told me he would call in a few days when the new trans was in. It would take a day but would like the car for two days. I told him about all the things I have been seeing on the net, he told me "we are just changing the trans, out". I will keep you posted.
 

TJ Hart

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#3
I dropped my car off the morning. The service advisor was polite and remembered my name. I talked to him at 3:30 PM, car almost done. They will complete it and let it set over night and call me tomorrow. So far so good.
 

TJ Hart

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#4
Got my car back this afternoon! The dealer called me about 10:00 this morning saying it was all set. The dealer told me when I picked the car up that it was the last one to have the trans. swapped out right away. From today on they are to re-program the trans. for higher pressure first. So I feel lucky so far.

It was all cleaned and vacumed, seems to run good so far. Tomorrow will be the test!
 
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TJ Hart said:
The dealer told me when I picked the car up that it was the last one to have the trans. swapped out right away. From today on they are to re-program the trans. for higher pressure first.
Aaaggggghhhhhh! They did that twice to mine in September '03 and it fixed it for about two weeks. What the heck are they thinking?????
 
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#8
My car is in the shop today getting "reprogrammed". Service guy told me it's the latest from BMW, they are not pulling the trannies now.
 

TJ Hart

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Update,

My car shifts great now! The problem is that now it vibrates at 60 - 75 when under moderate power. Smooths out when you let up on gas. I will be calling the dealer tomorrow.
 
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#12
Update on the trannie. It's working perfectly, no problems at all. (did I just jinx myself) I use it in all three modes and often drive pretty hard. It's all good. Now if I just the HK sound system to work right then all would be right in the universe [headbang] [:D]
 
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#13
My dealer in Birmingham, Al. put a new trany in my car last Dec. it workes fine. They did not hesitate when I told them the problem. I would not accept any other fix besides a new trany, any thing else is just a bandade and will not fix the problem.
 
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Oreland, PA
#14
Actually BMW has many different sanctioned repairs..BMW has done Clutch Pack swaps and tranny replacements - both of these were sanctioned repairs.. Now BMW is saying that they have a new software fix that fixes the issue also. To be honest, who cares as long as the problem gets fixed and BMW warrants it.

-Carl
 
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Location
New York
#15
Agreed. The latest fix is now a sw fix. Even though I had my tranny replaced last December, I had them upgrade the sw also. I'll let you guys know how it goes. Now that the weather is getting cooler again, I should be able to tell.

BTW ... BMW does not provide "new" trannies ... they are all REMANS. I was also told I was getting a new one ... until I saw REMAN on my receipt. I wasn't happy, but that is the way it is.
 

Mick

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#16
I had the software patch done and the thing is rock solid now, and has been for months. Band aid fix? Hardly, not if you know what exactly the problem was to begin with. The were replacing trannies early on before they figured out it was simply a problem in the software. I'm glad nobody had to rip into my car and pull something as major as a tran out.
 

i325xi

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#17
2005 325XI sliptronic QUESTION
I am in the proccess of buying a new 2005 325XI . I read with horrow about the transmission problems in 2003-4 models. To buy a new car only to have them rip the trannie out? Am I crazy? Does anyone know if the problem occurs in the 2005 models, or has it been solved?
Quick responce will be quickly apprecciated:) HELP!!!
 
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#18
It's been fixed. Like I said, they discovered it was a software issue, nothing to do with the Tranny itself. The '05s will simply be programmed the right way from the factory.
 

i325xi

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#19
Thanks, Mick for a quick response! Makes me feel much better sinking all that cash in to the car. Like the rest of you: it was all over for me after a test drive. I used to be very skeptical, but the car sure puts the fun back into driving.
Does the 2005 have a GM, or a European transmission?
 
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#20
I've had my 330xi for a year now, and I still get goosebumbs when I drive it. My wife gets sick of me telling her, "this is the greatest car ever!" everytime we go someplace. 15,000 miles and the love affair is just beginning, enjoy yours :)
 


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