Ok, So we've been fighting some gremlins in our X3... We've owned the vehicle for about 1.5 years and only put about 7K miles on it... Of course it's just outta warranty and falling apart...
Apparently the previous owner replaced the battery for whatever reason and put one in that was too small which caused low voltage computer errors... So we replaced it, but apparently the vehicle wasn't in the right state electrically and continued throwing error codes. Took back to dealership and they reprogrammed the computer to the battery and aligned a steering sensor.
Today it went back in due to intermittent fault lights of the DSC system (Brake, ABS, 4x4) combo... Result = transfer case actuator motor beginning to fail... I would really appreciate any feedback concerning this issue... thanks!
I have replaced several of them. It's not uncommon.
ASE and BMW Master Certified Technician
How many miles are on the vehicles you've worked on... 43K seems pretty early for that type of failure.
I have an 06 X5 with 91K and my actuator seal started leaking. Extended warranty covered the replacement of the entire unit.
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In many cases when it's the transfer case actuator motor it's actually just a small nylon (read plastic) gear inside the actuator motor that is stripped by the worm gear inside it. This is a very common problem on a lot of X series cars including the X3s and X5s. A new actuator motor is about $800 online ... or if you're feeling adventurous you can try just replacing the gear inside the motor (a new gear is about $50-100 depending on where you get it).
I did my wife's X3 and it was a little tight getting the motor off but I was able to replace the gear and do the whole job in about 4 hours (taking my time as I usually do since I'm not a mechanic).
Here is a write up and consolidation I put together of all the videos/info on the stripped gear problem:
BMW Transfer Case Actuator Problem And Fix
I finally uploaded the DIY video for repairing the transfer case motor with a new gear. I completed the repair in December 2015 and we have had zero issues since!
We also did a drain and fill of the transfer case with fresh BMW fluid after replacing the gear. Hope this helps someone get back on the road!
Here's a quick 5 min video on diagnosis of the transfer case gear failure:
link: https://youtu.be/Rn6fEjPcXzk
You don't have to replace the gear if it is stripped out. Take the motor off the transfer case. Take the small drive motor off the gearbox. Make sure you pull the complete motor so the amateur doesn't separate or the brushes will drop out. Once you separate the motor from the gearbox mark the position of the white plastic gear. Once you have it marked turn the white plastic gear one half turn (180°). Then put it back together and install. That motor only uses about 30% of that gear. So the other 70% of the gear is never used. Don't forget to disconnect the battery. Good Luck.
True, but for $20-30 for a new gear, after going through the time and labor of removing and dismantling the actuator, why not just replace the heat-stressed and weakened gear? I'd avoid the bronze replacements; gears are cheaper than worm drives.
I'm at 170k on my original gear, actuator's never even been out. Time oil changes on the TC have a lot to do with that.
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