I think BMW should recall all those faulty transmissions which appears to be spanning from early 2003 to NOW! I couldn't believe that BMW would've allowed this kind of situation to last that long. I will call BMW NA again to ask for the update on this issue, which they have been working on for a while.
It's Baaaack!! '04 330cic Steptronic slipping AGAIN
- Thread starter Kirby
- Start date
Yeah RIGHT!!! They pretend like its not that big of a deal. I called them and they have nothing to say! The dealerships also ignore it. I think they (BMWNA) rather deal with it very slowly and avoid bad press in the popular media. Your average BMW driver probably will not ever notice it.
One Question: If the clutch pack is the "final fix", then for those who had new or refurbished trannies installed, why was the problem not solved? Assuming the new tranny would have the "new" clutch pack?
Maybe somone should call one of those guys on the local news (The Troubleshooter) that has the power to expose unfair big business practices in the name of the "little guys"!!
One Question: If the clutch pack is the "final fix", then for those who had new or refurbished trannies installed, why was the problem not solved? Assuming the new tranny would have the "new" clutch pack?
Maybe somone should call one of those guys on the local news (The Troubleshooter) that has the power to expose unfair big business practices in the name of the "little guys"!!
Just a quick question..... What if the dealership refuses to perform the clutch pack fix, because I definately know that I do not want their rebuilt transmission in my car, I am almost sure that those new trannys are bound for major problems throughout the life of the car and will hurt BMW's reputation and value.
That's the problem that I'm having. They claim that they are giving me a new tranny, and I am skeptical. So asked them "what if I wanted the clutch pack instead" and they told me I'd be crazy ... and that I need to have some faith in him (my SA).
They CLAIM that they do not want my car back in the shop just as much as I don't want it back in the shop. It's more trouble for them ... and more cost to BMW ... so this motivates them to fix it right the first time.
BTW ... my dealership is claiming that BMW does have a fix and it has been implemented in the latest clutch packs and replacement trannys. Check out user dotsen's appends ... his clutch pack was replaced and he's doing just fine. I do believe that there was a point where BMW was replacing trannys (maybe back in October/Nov.) and didn't have the correct fix. But not so sure they haven't isolated it by now. I will let you know later in January when I have my new tranny put in.
They CLAIM that they do not want my car back in the shop just as much as I don't want it back in the shop. It's more trouble for them ... and more cost to BMW ... so this motivates them to fix it right the first time.
BTW ... my dealership is claiming that BMW does have a fix and it has been implemented in the latest clutch packs and replacement trannys. Check out user dotsen's appends ... his clutch pack was replaced and he's doing just fine. I do believe that there was a point where BMW was replacing trannys (maybe back in October/Nov.) and didn't have the correct fix. But not so sure they haven't isolated it by now. I will let you know later in January when I have my new tranny put in.
Didn't know that, thanks for the info. A quick search on the net found this article:
GM and BMW Agreement
Kirby and Larry E. So far so good with the clutch pack fix. My buddy @ the dealership tells me that BMW DOES know what the issue is. And you guys are correct that replacing the tranny is quicker because the BMW Tranny Specialist is not required to be there like they are with the clutch pack replacement. If I were you guys concerned about the tranny replacements I would push you dealer to do the clutch pack swap....
-Carl
-Carl
BMW 325i 7803,
Here is my take. My buddy at the dealership told me that the clutch pack is a 3 phase process. The dealership drops the tran, the specialist comes in and opens the tran and replaces the pack (about a 5 min process)... The dealership then replaces the tran back into the car. This way you keep your existing tran.
If you get a tran replacement you will most likely be getting a rebuilt. Although I'm sure both will be covered for the full warranty period. What happens after that? I would rather have my existing tran with the fix. Just my 2 cents.
-Carl
Here is my take. My buddy at the dealership told me that the clutch pack is a 3 phase process. The dealership drops the tran, the specialist comes in and opens the tran and replaces the pack (about a 5 min process)... The dealership then replaces the tran back into the car. This way you keep your existing tran.
If you get a tran replacement you will most likely be getting a rebuilt. Although I'm sure both will be covered for the full warranty period. What happens after that? I would rather have my existing tran with the fix. Just my 2 cents.
-Carl
Carl, I agree with you. I'm not sure I trust them even though they tell me I am getting a new one (they claim that they will stand behind it no matter what). I asked for the clutch pack replacement but they told me I'd be crazy to turn down a new tranny. They also told me that it wasn't until just recently that BMW fully understood the problem ... so it is not possible at this point to even get a rebuilt tranny with the final fix in it. Can you find out from your buddy how long ago it was that they fully understood the issue?
To Bmw 325i 7803. It's a toss up. There is not a clear-cut winner:
Tranny Replacement:
1. If rebuilt, risk of future problems from old parts (this is solely my opinion; dealer says in rebuilts, all parts are replaced except for casing).
2. Faster job
3. May take longer to get replacement tranny.
4. Covered under warranty
5. If new, piece of mind if car has low mileage.
Clutch Pack Replacement:
1. You keep your existing tranny.
2. Longer repair job.
3. May have to wait for appt. once part arrives cause GM-trained repairman must be present.
4. Covered under warranty.
I frankly don't see a distinct advantage with either.
To Bmw 325i 7803. It's a toss up. There is not a clear-cut winner:
Tranny Replacement:
1. If rebuilt, risk of future problems from old parts (this is solely my opinion; dealer says in rebuilts, all parts are replaced except for casing).
2. Faster job
3. May take longer to get replacement tranny.
4. Covered under warranty
5. If new, piece of mind if car has low mileage.
Clutch Pack Replacement:
1. You keep your existing tranny.
2. Longer repair job.
3. May have to wait for appt. once part arrives cause GM-trained repairman must be present.
4. Covered under warranty.
I frankly don't see a distinct advantage with either.
I wasn't given the option of the clutch pack replacement or a replacement tranny. My shop forman told me the clutch pack was the only way to go, and I agreed. I didn't want a rebuilt tranny in a brand new car. It took me three weeks to get an appointment with a tranny tech, which is only one week longer then a regular appt takes to get. My SF told me that the tranny tech actually brings all of the parts with him to the job that he needs to fix the problem, because BMW doesn't want their dealerships personally working on this problem. My car was in and out in 1 1/2 days, plus they had a whole list of other probelms to fix. Its been almost two weeks since my clutch pack replacement and all is well......so far ![[:)]](/images/smilies/smile.png "Smile [:)]")