E46 Electronic Transmission Control Module Problem

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Tom - 29 Jan 2006 18:46 GMT

My 2002 330xi has a slipping transmission. A light came on inside the
gear selection display on the dash (a large round gear with an
exclamation point inside the circle) ......not a good thing, I'm sure.

When I put it in drive, and give it gas it sounds like it's in
neutral. Car moves forward slowly with lots of rpm's, but not a lot of
forward progress. When it finally gets up to about 30 or 40mph seems
to work okay, but from a dead stop it moves ahead very slowly with
lots of rpm's. Feels like I'm driving a manual and letting the clutch
out very slowly (too slowly).

My owner's manual says it's a problem with the electronic transmission
control module (Page 67).

This one sounds expensive.

Any ideas?

How much does a new transmission control module cost?

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RZ - 31 Jan 2006 04:33 GMT

I've run into this a couple of times before with other vehicle makes...the
first, and least expensive, step to take is to check your automatic
transmission fluid level. There has to be a sufficient amount of fluid in
the transmission case to provide adequate pressure...if not, the symtoms you
describe will occur.

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Dave Plowman (News) - 31 Jan 2006 20:00 GMT

> My 2002 330xi has a slipping transmission. A light came on inside the
> gear selection display on the dash (a large round gear with an
> exclamation point inside the circle) ......not a good thing, I'm sure.

> When I put it in drive, and give it gas it sounds like it's in
> neutral. Car moves forward slowly with lots of rpm's, but not a lot of
> forward progress. When it finally gets up to about 30 or 40mph seems
> to work okay, but from a dead stop it moves ahead very slowly with
> lots of rpm's. Feels like I'm driving a manual and letting the clutch
> out very slowly (too slowly).

> My owner's manual says it's a problem with the electronic transmission
> control module (Page 67).

> This one sounds expensive.

> Any ideas?

> How much does a new transmission control module cost?

Ignore that. You've got mechanical problems in the form of a slipping
clutch - not electronic ones. And even if an electronics fault had
initially cause the clutch to slip it's now toast.

Signature

*What happens if you get scared half to death twice? *

Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

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R. Mark Clayton - 01 Feb 2006 00:30 GMT

> My 2002 330xi has a slipping transmission. A light came on inside the
> gear selection display on the dash (a large round gear with an exclamation
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> How much does a new transmission control module cost?

If the electronics discover a problem, it puts the box into limp home mode.
This is very similar to snow mode (in slightly earlier switch mode boxes).
Whilst this results in poor performance* the symptoms you describe sound
like you have worn out a band and / or the fluid has run out, so it does
sound expensive.

* a neighbour offered me a lift one day when my car was having a service.
Whilst she dropped something off I noticed that she had accidentally engaged
snow mode (a manual setting on her Renault). I switched it off, and asked
her how the car felt. "So much more responsive - what have you done?"

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Tom - 01 Feb 2006 15:14 GMT

> My 2002 330xi has a slipping transmission. A light came on inside the
> gear selection display on the dash (a large round gear with an
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> How much does a new transmission control module cost?

Well, after talking to one BMW dealership and a second BMW independent
repair shop......the transmission needs to be replaced. I considered
the 'fix it' approach versus the 'replace it' approach and am worried
that if I dump $2000 into this thing for a fix it might crap out again
in 6 months. But the replace option gives me a 2 year unlimited
mileage warranty from BMW. I contacted BMW North America and pleaded
my case. They're giving me a 50% discount on a new transmission (car
is a 2002 with 82,000 miles....out of warranty). I'll still spend
between $2000 and $3000 but as of yesterday I was looking at $4000 to
$5000. Love those Steptronics, but I guess they do break.
Tom

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