This has come up twice now, once today and other time 2 weeks ago, the warning goes out when I turn the engine off and I restart it then it's fine, this only started when I had a new battery fitted 

2007 520d E60

Morning Michael

Welcome to the Forum

You say a New Battery was fitted so a couple of questions first 1. Is the battery correct for the car ? 2. Was the battery correctly registered to the car.

If the battery is incorrect or not registered correctly it may not be charging correctly and low voltage is a possible trigger for the message, you are seeing. Another could be lots of short journeys where the battery can't recover. After start it needs at least 20 mins driving to bring it back to full charge. Test the battery at the charging points under the bonnet you should see 12.5v to 12.8v with the engine off 14.5v to 14.8v withe engine running.

If all is OK with the battery, what miles have you covered and when if ever was the gearbox serviced.

Good Luck

Dave

 

45 minutes ago, Greydog said:

Morning Michael

Welcome to the Forum

You say a New Battery was fitted so a couple of questions first 1. Is the battery correct for the car ? 2. Was the battery correctly registered to the car.

If the battery is incorrect or not registered correctly it may not be charging correctly and low voltage is a possible trigger for the message, you are seeing. Another could be lots of short journeys where the battery can't recover. After start it needs at least 20 mins driving to bring it back to full charge. Test the battery at the charging points under the bonnet you should see 12.5v to 12.8v with the engine off 14.5v to 14.8v withe engine running.

If all is OK with the battery, what miles have you covered and when if ever was the gearbox serviced.

Good Luck

Dave

 

 

Thanks for your reply Dave, regarding the battery it is the correct one for the car and was professionally fitted it was then tested on a computer to ensure all was correct, with regards to a gearbox service I'm not sure the car has a full service history 

 

Regards Mike 

Hi Mike

I would still test the battery even a new one can fail or if there is a charging issue be low on charge.

BMW always used to say Gearbox is sealed for life what that actually means is 3 years or 60k the end of their warranty responsibility, so I very much doubt it has been done. ZF who make the box state change Fluid and Filters every 60 to 80k dependent on use. 

Dave

1 hour ago, Greydog said:

Hi Mike

I would still test the battery even a new one can fail or if there is a charging issue be low on charge.

BMW always used to say Gearbox is sealed for life what that actually means is 3 years or 60k the end of their warranty responsibility, so I very much doubt it has been done. ZF who make the box state change Fluid and Filters every 60 to 80k dependent on use. 

Dave

Thanks Dave do you know what a Automatic transmission service entails and the cost

Thanks Dave do you know what a Automatic transmission service entails and the cost

regards Mike

Hi Mike

It depends on whether you can DIY or whether you use a transmission specialist or a trusted garage 

I would think the correct ZF fluid and filter would be between £150 and £200 depending on where you buy if your DIY skills are up to it a Couple hours maybe 3 of your time.

If you're paying someone, I would expect around £400 + VAT all in, by comparison a Box rebuild could be £2k +

Or you could do nothing, and it may just not get any worse. In your position I would get a Diagnostic Scan done then you would have better information.

Dave

6 hours ago, Greydog said:

Hi Mike

It depends on whether you can DIY or whether you use a transmission specialist or a trusted garage 

I would think the correct ZF fluid and filter would be between £150 and £200 depending on where you buy if your DIY skills are up to it a Couple hours maybe 3 of your time.

If you're paying someone, I would expect around £400 + VAT all in, by comparison a Box rebuild could be £2k +

Or you could do nothing, and it may just not get any worse. In your position I would get a Diagnostic Scan done then you would have better information.

Dave

 

Thanks Dave I've had a full diagnostic done and it was clear 

 

Regards Mike

When they did the scan did they clear the fault? Or has it returned? Or since your Diagnostic is it all clear ?

Was the scan carried out using a BMW specific system that was capable of reading the Transmission ECU?

Dave

1 minute ago, Greydog said:

When they did the scan did they clear the fault? Or has it returned? Or since your Diagnostic is it all clear ?

Was the scan carried out using a BMW specific system that was capable of reading the Transmission ECU?

Dave

 

No fault showed up regarding the transmission, not sure if it was a BMW specific system 

 

Regards Mike 

So, you have a car that seems to think there is an issue, and a Diagnostic result which says there isn't? 

The best Diagnostic would be BMW ISTA/INPA which is BMW Dealer level access. Autologic is very good as are iCarsoft for BMW and some Foxwell systems though I have no experience of them other than what I have read. 

If I had a Fault showing with the transmission I would investigate and find the cause (i do have the software on a laptop) When a fault occurs the ECU records it, and it is held in the memory so a diagnostic should show "Fault Not Present" even if it is clear at the time of the scan. A dealer would record the fault for reference then clear it, if the fault was a spurious fault (caused by low voltage for example) once cleared from the memory it shouldn't return. If it does, then more investigation is needed to determine why. It could be low fluid level, or dirty fluid due to lack of service.

Dave

2 minutes ago, Greydog said:

So, you have a car that seems to think there is an issue, and a Diagnostic result which says there isn't? 

The best Diagnostic would be BMW ISTA/INPA which is BMW Dealer level access. Autologic is very good as are iCarsoft for BMW and some Foxwell systems though I have no experience of them other than what I have read. 

If I had a Fault showing with the transmission I would investigate and find the cause (i do have the software on a laptop) When a fault occurs the ECU records it, and it is held in the memory so a diagnostic should show "Fault Not Present" even if it is clear at the time of the scan. A dealer would record the fault for reference then clear it, if the fault was a spurious fault (caused by low voltage for example) once cleared from the memory it shouldn't return. If it does, then more investigation is needed to determine why. It could be low fluid level, or dirty fluid due to lack of service.

Dave

 

Thanks Dave it looks like it's a trip to BMW then

 

Regards Mike

Hi Mike 

There is a Register of BMW Specialists try a Google search you should find one close to you, generally they will be around half the Main Dealer costs in terms of hourly rate and most of them are ex BMW Technicians who have the knowledge and the kit to do the job.

Dave

25 minutes ago, Greydog said:

Hi Mike 

There is a Register of BMW Specialists try a Google search you should find one close to you, generally they will be around half the Main Dealer costs in terms of hourly rate and most of them are ex BMW Technicians who have the knowledge and the kit to do the job.

Dave

 

Hi Dave just come back from a registered BMW specialist, they plugged it in and nothing came up they suggested it was a glitch. Apparently the gearbox is a sealed unit and there is nothing to worry about 

Thanks for your help Mike 

 

That is a worry

A BMW specialist saying that ??

The gearbox is made by ZF not BMW and ZF recommend service EVERY 60k depending on use. So my question would be why do BMW sell the fluid? if its sealed how do they put it in???

The scan may have shown nothing and hopefully he cleared the memory, and it was only a glitch but if it returns find someone who actually knows these gearboxes to help you

Your gearbox is a ZF GA6HP19Z Google it or watch this ZF video