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Thread: trans. failsafe zf 5hp18

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    trans. failsafe zf 5hp18

    hey, I'm new to the forum and my English is really bad, but i will try to explain my problem.

    So it started with an overheated engine witch is m50b28, changed the whole engine to a good one and when we changed it we spilled out a little of trans oil from the clutch(i don't know how its called on automatic transmissions) so, when we started the car and tried to drive it, it was moving very slow at the high rpm's. the backwards gear (R) is working perfect, has torque and so but if you try to drive it forward it looks like the tranny slips, so after like a minute of trying to move forward the car gives me an error on the dash witch tells me ,,TRANS. FAILSAFE PROG." and it stuck's on 4th gear, as I researched its an limp mode to drive back home. so first thing on my mind was that there is not enough oil in the gearbox so i drove back to the garage and after few days filled the oil in it with the car running as it should be done, it was missing around 4liters of oil. i tried to drive it again but still the same prob. drove back to garage took off the fill plug on it and it started to spit oil on the ground as it would be to much oil in it. shut of the car, disconnected the battery for 5 mins cuz i thought that the limp mode is still on and gives a loot of pressure to gearbox, started again with no limp mode, and when i unscrew the fill plug it still spits oil. what to do? what could be the problem? before engine swap the gearbox was more then perfect, all gears was switching perfectly no bumps or nothing. Again sorry for my bad English and waiting for response

  2. #2
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    Welcome here. Check your battery. Low voltage can cause Trans Failsafe on the E38.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mayorchuck View Post
    Welcome here. Check your battery. Low voltage can cause Trans Failsafe on the E38.
    Thanks for replay,
    I assume that there is no pressure in the gearbox cuz its feels like it, it driving forward realy slow at high rpms and the fault goes on when you ate driving less then 5mph at high rpms, at least thats what i read on other posts, the main problem is that there is no pressure not the fault. Battery is good, i read that the valve body may be clought is there any chanse to clean it to make it work or just get a new tranny? The oil filter was nasty as ****

  4. #4
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    Check and clean electrical connections to transmission. Research and follow the transmission fill procedure and reset computer by disconnecting negative battery cable or a code reader. My zf5hp-24 needs to be filled with engine running between 30*-40*C lifted on a flat surface. Did you change the transmission filter?

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by jjthesavage View Post
    Check and clean electrical connections to transmission. Research and follow the transmission fill procedure and reset computer by disconnecting negative battery cable or a code reader. My zf5hp-24 needs to be filled with engine running between 30*-40*C lifted on a flat surface. Did you change the transmission filter?
    Yes, the filter was changed, about witch connections you are tallking? I ran a diagnostics on the car, there was few faults on a transmision as such as speed sensor and few others, cleared them, tried to drive still same, again read the fault and there was none, so i assume that its not an electrical issue

  6. #6
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    First of all, here's the fill procedure (for 5HP30, but 5HP18 just the same):

    http://www.meeknet.co.uk/Gen_BMW/ZF_5HP30_Gearbox.pdf

    Unfortunately it sounds to me as though the A clutch pack has been burned out by driving when short of fluid - the high revs and little torque is the clutch pack slipping - and just like slipping a clutch on a manual transmission it burns the friction material - which is why the old oil was black.

    The 'speed sensor' error is probably the output speed sensor - it is reporting that the output shaft is not turning when the gearbox is in gear and the turbine is turning - which indicates that the clutch pack cannot transmit any torque.
    Timm..2007 E64 650i Individual Sport..1999 E31 840ci Individual Sport..ex owner of 2000 E38 740..1999 E38 740i V8 M62..1998 E38 735i V8..1993 E32 730i V8..1988 E28 518i


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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Timm View Post
    Unfortunately it sounds to me as though the A clutch pack has been burned out by driving when short of fluid - the high revs and little torque is the clutch pack slipping - and just like slipping a clutch on a manual transmission it burns the friction material - which is why the old oil was black.
    This.

    Though it's good part is that 5hp18's are cheap.
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  8. #8
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    Will the 5hp18 from e36 fit? It doesnt have steptronic like mines, it has 2nd and 3rd instead, im pretty new to automatic transmissions

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