curryinahurry 39 Report post Posted November 24, 2009 Hi there, Looking at getting a E46 but have heard that the automatic transmission has a VERY high rate of failure?! Is that true? Should I stay away from all Auto E46es? What are tell tail signs of failures? cheers! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
*Glenn* 854 Report post Posted November 24, 2009 Yes they can fail....without warning too. If your looking at buying... I can check it for you Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westy 614 Report post Posted November 24, 2009 (edited) Overhyped. The few that do break are jolly expensive to fix though. Edited November 24, 2009 by westy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westy 614 Report post Posted November 24, 2009 I'm pretty sure all E46s' are fitted with ZF transmissions. So at least you don't have to worry about the Jatco problem. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
curryinahurry 39 Report post Posted November 24, 2009 (edited) Another myth being perpetuated - BMW auto boxes are fine (I say this while openly disliking all auto boxes) Jatco boxes fitted to BMW and any car that has not been maintained has a higher rate of failure --- Eliminate these factors in your search process and you will most likely get a highly reliable car including gearbox (but not an import) So I should stay away from Jap imports? NZ News are rare and a bit more expensive though... Edited November 24, 2009 by curryinahurry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
*Glenn* 854 Report post Posted November 24, 2009 Heaps of my customers have import E46's and not had any problems. Yes they can fail...without warning like any other car. And what has been said before, they are expensive to repair. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zenetti 0 Report post Posted November 25, 2009 What gearbox is in your 330? I am guessing it will be an automatic one. Have you had any problems with it? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
curryinahurry 39 Report post Posted November 25, 2009 (edited) What gearbox is in your 330? I am guessing it will be an automatic one. Have you had any problems with it? My bros 330CI is a manual, but I'm looking for an automatic as I'm going to be stuck in traffic quite often And cheers for the info Glenn, I'll definitely get you to have a look at it if I decide to buy one! Edited November 25, 2009 by curryinahurry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hybrid 1043 Report post Posted November 25, 2009 They can come in GM or ZF variants. The earlier 02 backwards suffered from drum failure (loss of reverese gear). There is a revised replacement part for this that isn't too expensive (relativly speaking) however you only normally find out if it ruptures which then requires a full gearbox rebuild. This is due to the drum being made faily thin. It totally depends on how the person treated the car and if they waited for the gearbox to engage before putting their foot on the gas. Next that goes wrong with them which is also seen in the e39 is worn valve guide (this part) This causes the gearbox to thump between gears under certain conditions. This again can happen when ever and is totally on how the car has been treated. All in all they are fine, but if they are abused then they will cause problems like all gear boxes. Anything else that may go wrong with them is just normal auto gear box problems (torque converter, piston, soliniods etc etc) I wouldnt worry too much, Getting it plugged in and diagnosed (EGS) will be a good start, this is covered in the BMW pre-purchase inspection (not AA) you should get before purchase . And take a few for a drive to get an idea. They are generally one of the smoothest gearboxes around and are fantastic as far as auto gearboxes go. I can't speak for the GM version and to tell you truth I haven't heard of them in NZ (im not a mechanic so I dont get to see them) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elmarco 56 Report post Posted November 25, 2009 Sure there have been some "random" failures, but probably no worse than any other make (you don't even want to look at the issues with the Mini CVT/auto trans...). Any car that is abused will more likely be a candidate for failure as Josh says - so make sure you do get it checked. Drivewise, they are one of the best around. Smooth, quiet, and responsive. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tonylauno1 7 Report post Posted November 26, 2009 (edited) Hi there, Looking at getting a E46 but have heard that the automatic transmission has a VERY high rate of failure?! Is that true? Should I stay away from all Auto E46es? What are tell tail signs of failures? cheers! Exactly what Hybrid said, the failures you read about, which had scared me when wanting to buy a e46, is the loss of reversed gear. And the thump usually occurs from 1st to 2nd on a e39 when it is cold, no problems when warm. Just make sure it's cold like first thing in the morning and that it should shift so smoothly you hardly notice it. Lower kms are better so you can get an transmission flush. If you count the number of complaints vs the number of cars sold, it's a very small percentage. You will probably read more problems about BMW due to the younger generation of drivers who are computer savvy and usually it's car enthusiast who are attracted to BMW. You wouldn't expect Benz or Volvo owners to post about car problems. Edited November 26, 2009 by tonylauno1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
khairul23 0 Report post Posted November 26, 2009 Interesting. Please tell in detail what you guys mean by 'abuse'. I just want to make sure I'm not abusing my gearbox. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
curryinahurry 39 Report post Posted November 26, 2009 I see, thanks for the info. Am I correct in saying that the ZF is the better transmission? How do I know which comes with ZF and which don't? Should I try and look for a model that is later than 2002? thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westy 614 Report post Posted November 26, 2009 Interesting. Please tell in detail what you guys mean by 'abuse'. I just want to make sure I'm not abusing my gearbox. Just dont drop it into gear with any revs on and make sure you come to a stop when changing from forward gears to reverse and back again. Standard stuff really. I see, thanks for the info. Am I correct in saying that the ZF is the better transmission? How do I know which comes with ZF and which don't? Should I try and look for a model that is later than 2002? thanks! I dont believe model year makes a difference to trans. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
curryinahurry 39 Report post Posted November 29, 2009 So I am seriously looking at this car: http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index....showtopic=26701 Have asked the Dealer to take it to Glen for an inspection this morning... fingers crossed ;-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
