BMW E39 5 series Auto box wont work in "D"

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 10:42 am

My cousin rang me up yesterday complaining about her car. She drives a 5 series auto with a tiptronic box. She can reverse fine, put the car in P/N, but when she puts the car in D it wont do anything, in order to drive she has to manually select gears using the +/- selection. Any ideas what the problem could be and what I need to check for?

Thanks all

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 12:27 pm

The fact that it will drive in manual mode would suggest to me that it is electrical, would have to have the ecu read to find any faults. Your local BM specailist is her route.
Hope this helps

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 12:33 pm

nicey wrote:The fact that it will drive in manual mode would suggest to me that it is electrical, would have to have the ecu read to find any faults. Your local BM specailist is her route.
Hope this helps

Thanks for the reply, I am going to go do just that tomorrow (thank god for my snap on scanner), so hopefully I will get a fault code read off, just thought if anyone had any idea what it could be then I wouldn't be taking a blind dive and could be prepared for when I get there tomorrow, as I'm not au fait with the way auto trans work.

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 2:07 pm

If it is an electrical issue, does anyone know off hand what it could be? I'm assuming as it's such a "specific" problem (i.e just doesn't engage D but everything else including the manual), so what could these electrical issues possibly be?

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 2:10 pm

Sensor bt looks of it.
Plug in scanner will tell you

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 2:14 pm

Which sensor would it be Rav? Any idea where it would be located?

Is it this by any chance? http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=24&fg=20

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 2:31 pm

Could be an ECU problem.
Pm me year, car and engine, if you need an ecu my mate will probably have one.

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 5:02 pm

I don't suppose anybody would know what type of diagnostics port is on the engine? According to real oem this is the car info:

02/1998 E39 520i Saloon M52 Europe Right hand drive Automatic

So if I'm not mistaken it's an M52 engine?

Would it still be the 20 pin port in the engine bay or an OBD II socket under the dash?

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 8:08 pm

Diagnostic port is on the driverside under the dash, right hand corner, pull the flap down, plug in a diagnose

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 8:10 pm

OBD II?

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 8:11 pm

Have you got a "Snap on", if so you should have different plug in ports, do you'll be ok.
So now go forth and diagnose

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 8:13 pm

I have but I don't have all the bits as some have disappeared overtime, if it's the 20 pin port then I need to borrow a adaptor, if its OBD II i'm ok as I have one

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 8:14 pm

it will be obd II as its after 1995.

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 8:18 pm

I was trying to point it out nicely, lunnytix, let me know when your done.

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 8:21 pm

Rav335uk wrote:I was trying to point it out nicely, lunnytix, let me know when your done.

No worries Rav, you know me I can be a bit

sometimes....

Once I got the fault codes tomorrow I will let you know if I need a replacement ecu!

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 9:00 pm

Give me the fault code too!!!

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 9:08 pm

Of course!

Post Sat Jun 20, 2009 10:44 pm

Modern cars today, its a bit hopeless to give any diagnostic over a car forum due to they are so modern and there is so much electronic and software aborad on the car - who is the reason why you see less and less of DIY tbh.

I think this car needs to go to service where they have the tool to take a diagnostic on the car to see whats wrong with it. An autobx isnt so much trubble shooting you can do for your self apart for chaning oil and filters (and maybe do some WD-40 on the electic contacts)