2004 530i 6hp19 Transmission question

[BillyRyan84]

2004 530i 6hp19 trans question

Hello this is my first time here so please forgive me if this is been asked but I couldn’t find anything in the search. I’m looking for some professional insight on a transmission issue. I have a 2004 530i that I purchased for my son a few months ago ran and drove fine but was burning oil at an exponential rate so I decided to rebuild the engine that went fine but when I put the engine in and went to back it out of the garage transmission would not go into gear I’m getting two codes a 4f81 and 4f84. I have ordered a fluid and filter and seals which I have not installed yet. I put it on the lift yesterday and noticed kind of a rattling noise coming from the torque converter area. With car running I attempted to check the transmission fluid and gushed from the hole so to me it acts as if the front pump is not pumping fluid correctly. Does this sound typical of a sleeve and seal problem with the Mechatronics unit or do you believe I have bigger issues? I hate to just do a service and that not fix the issue. transmission was shifting fine before I put the engine in I’m really stumped here.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated, I am a mechanic but new to the BMW world!

[bmwdirtracer]

Welcome to the forum.

Firstly, I have to ask if you're sure that you checked the correct hole? The fluid should NOT gush from the hole when the engine is running, the trans is warm (30-50 degrees C), in park. If it does, the trans is overfull.

Um, how did you install the engine? Did you install the transmission AFTER the engine? This is how I would have done it. The reason for my question is I'm wondering if the torque convertor was properly seated, all the way into the trans. If not, you may have ruptured the pump.

Did you use bolts to pull the trans and engine together, or did they just "click in"? Did you install the torque convertor to flexplate bolts?


You're going to have to give the WORDS for those two codes -- no one memorizes the many thousands of code numbers.

EDIT: Sorry, just saw that you're a tech; please don't take offense at any of my questions - I'd ask myself the same questions if I had the same issue after my work.

[BillyRyan84]

Chris, Thank you so much for the reply greatly appreciated! And no offense taken again very new to the BMW world.

So I have asked myself all these same questions and this is precisely why I’m here, but to answer your questions the transmission was left in the car when engine was pulled I had already pulled the head when I decided I needed to dive into a complete rebuild. So essentially I was just pulling the short block at that time. Car has 230,000 miles on the clock but super clean inside and out, I don’t believe either engine nor trans had ever been out. With that being said I struggled a little getting the two separated. So going back in I did struggle a little getting the two pulled back together but not anything extreme. However as I was installing the converter bolts I was turning the engine by hand and as I was making my way to the third one the engine became difficult to turn, I rotated it by hand the opposite direction and worked it both ways a few times before it freed up. This of course was slightly alarming to me but didn’t really feel any of it was extreme enough to really be a problem but definitely running circles around my mind ever since.

To answer on the fluid check car was running in park but not up to temperature when I pulled the fill plug and fluid did gush out. In my mind it would be as if the pump wasn’t pumping like it should. Which got me thinking before I just do a service and hope for the best I should probably get some input from some more experienced BMW folks. I hate to waste the service just to have to turn around and tear it all back down.

Codes I currently have are
299A “error management electronic transmission control (EGS)”
4F84 Ratio monitoring clutch D
4F81 Ratio monitoring clutch A

Prior to this transmission had always shifted fine but I would get a couple random codes
P0700 transmission control system
and
P0706 transmission range sensor “A” circuit range/performance.

chances are I probably did mess up the pump but looking at them online I thought they looked a little more robust than what they might be

[BillyRyan84]

Looks like I lost part of my reply, at worst I feel like the converter may have pulled out 1/4 - 3/8 of an inch not like it had ever come completely out. Hind sight rookie mistake as it was late I was on a time crunch I did not check converter was seated all the way back before starting the re-installation of the engine. If it is believed I should just plan on replacing the pump is there anything else I should plan on needing? Want to make sure I have all necessary parts on hand when I tear into it.

Thanks again for your time!

[bmwdirtracer]

I'd do a service, and refill to the correct level with correct fluid. Expect to use about 5 quarts, but have 6 on hand. Put in about 2.5 to 3 before starting engine, then expect it to start coming our around 5 quarts; once it's bathwater warm to the touch, you can close the hole. Then clear all codes and adaptations.

Make sure car has had at least SOME software updates, because the original engine and trans software was probably updated a dozen times in the first five years; these updates can be the fix you need. ISTA is what you need to update, and you MUST follow the correct procedures, and use a trustworthy ISTA program, not a Chinese high school hack job.

[BillyRyan84]

Thanks again! Really appreciate you taking the time to help out!
I have decided to go ahead and proceed with the service just find it strange it drove in the garage with out an issue and when I went to pull it out there was no gears forward or reverse. But as a mechanic I have certainly seen stranger things like that happen before with no real rhyme or reason.

Thanks again!

[bmwdirtracer]

Hope this works for you.