Baby BMW Forum banner

Gearbox whine, but new variety?

955 views 15 replies 6 participants last post by  NHerrero 
#1 ·
Hi there everyone!

I very recently purchased a German, automatic, 2016, 40k miles m140i and everything seemed absolutely perfect on the long trek home.

When I took it out for some spirited driving the day after arriving home, I noticed that the gearbox whined, but only when driven hard. When shifting at redline and using full throttle, it'll start whining after a little while, and will continue to do so even when letting up and driving normally. A minute after that, it's gone...

I've been reading up on the ZF 8hp whine and it seems to be a rather common thing, but from what I read in all cases it's a permanent whine and it tends to happen only in specific gears. My whine isn't at all like that, it happens in all gears and only when driving it hard. I've checked the transmission temperature via OBD while flogging it and it never climbs above the engine coolant temp, and it's generally a bit cooler than that...

I'm not overly worried since even though the whining seems a rather prevalent problem with these automatic transmissions, I haven't ready of many of them grenading...

Any idea of what it might be? I'll be visiting a ZF specialist when the lockdown is lifted, but I'd like to know as much as possible about what might be going on.

Thanks and best regards!
 
See less See more
#5 ·
I'll find an official ZF service to get the oil changed as soon as the Lockdown is over then.
I've heard that oil changes in these boxes can be finicky and should only be done by specialized mechanics and that even then sludge buildups and get disloged and cause trouble down the line. Is this true?
Also, isn't 40.000 miles a bit early to need an oil change? I seem to remember reading about people doing them at around the 60.000 mile mark?
 
#7 ·
NHerrero said:
I'll find an official ZF service to get the oil changed as soon as the Lockdown is over then.
I've heard that oil changes in these boxes can be finicky and should only be done by specialized mechanics and that even then sludge buildups and get disloged and cause trouble down the line. Is this true?
Also, isn't 40.000 miles a bit early to need an oil change? I seem to remember reading about people doing them at around the 60.000 mile mark?
It is a bit early, assuming normal use. Might have been thrashed up and down the Autobahn though (high gearbox speed/load/temperatures), you never know.
 
#9 ·
NHerrero said:
I'll find an official ZF service to get the oil changed as soon as the Lockdown is over then.
I've heard that oil changes in these boxes can be finicky and should only be done by specialized mechanics and that even then sludge buildups and get disloged and cause trouble down the line. Is this true?
Also, isn't 40.000 miles a bit early to need an oil change? I seem to remember reading about people doing them at around the 60.000 mile mark?
Very finicky, you have to pour oil into a hole and watch for it leaking back out. Level 12 wizards and witches only. [emoji23]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#10 ·
NISFAN said:
Very finicky, you have to pour oil into a hole and watch for it leaking back out. Level 12 wizards and witches only. [emoji23]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Apparently, the oil change procedure according to ZF is quite a bit more involved than that... Oil pan change, Specific gearbox temperatures, cycling through the gears several times in a specific order...


Sure, not rocket science, but not something I would trust the corner garage with either...
 
#11 ·
Well, I did mine on my own on the driveway, with basic tools that any technician will have. It included changing the plastic pan (which houses the filters and magnets) and filling back up including the running engine in gear. You need to do 2 fills, one cold fill with engine off, then start engine (put into gear) and complete second fill until the fluid runs. Then leave engine running (in gear) to warm it up. I actually went for a drive as it's not possible to select all gears when stationary. I learned this wasn't necessary as it didn't take any more fluid than before. The fluid expands in volume slightly with temperature, so will continue dribbling until the temps are reached. An emphasis on dribble.

I did have a temperature probe to check oil temps, but really not needed. You can feel 30-40 degrees through the casing with your hand. And if you happen to be 10 degrees out, that will only amount to around a tablespoon of fluid. I really doubt it needs to be that accurate.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#12 ·
NISFAN said:
Well, I did mine on my own on the driveway, with basic tools that any technician will have. It included changing the plastic pan (which houses the filters and magnets) and filling back up including the running engine in gear. You need to do 2 fills, one cold fill with engine off, then start engine (put into gear) and complete second fill until the fluid runs. Then leave engine running (in gear) to warm it up. I actually went for a drive as it's not possible to select all gears when stationary. I learned this wasn't necessary as it didn't take any more fluid than before. The fluid expands in volume slightly with temperature, so will continue dribbling until the temps are reached. An emphasis on dribble.

I did have a temperature probe to check oil temps, but really not needed. You can feel 30-40 degrees through the casing with your hand. And if you happen to be 10 degrees out, that will only amount to around a tablespoon of fluid. I really doubt it needs to be that accurate.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I used to do all of the work on my vehicles myself, but as i've gotten older I've become lazier to the point that I'm not even doing my own oil and filter changes anymore... However I might just consider doing this myself...

How much was the complete kit and where did you buy it? I hear the OEM gear oil is freakishly expensive.
 
#14 ·
NISFAN said:
I bought a genuine ZF kit with ZF fluid 8 litres and the new pan, paid around £230 I think. However it came with new bolts and a electrical connector socket. These aren't needed.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Excellent, good to know. That's significantly cheaper than I've been able to find. Did you buy it online?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top