528 Steptronic problems

[sjpalmer1]

Hi I am newe to this BMW thingy and wondered if any one could help.
I have a 97 R plate 528 with a steptronic box and it has become very jerky when pulling away as if the clutch is slipping.
Can any one let me know what type of clutch these have in them or any other problems that could give me these symptons.
Cheers in advance for any help

[Deutscher]

sjpalmer1
4 posts
3 months Friday 20th January
Friend has a 528 on an R plate with a steptronic box.
When he drivers away in either forward or reverse it is acting as if the clutch is slipping.
Can anyone shed some light on the issue, I have absolute no idea of what type of clutch assy etc the car has in it.
Cheers in advance for any help.


Does this mean you bought a dodgy car off a friend?

[sjpalmer1]

No still the friends car but no responces to first post, don't know if I worded it wrong or that no one had any ideas of what could be wrong so thought I would try again with a different approach. Do you have any ideas?

[Marshy]

Steptronic = automatic gearbox with manual control (if desired) of gear change points. Just like a normal auto being punted through the 1, 2, 3, 4 , D positions. (OK, there are slight differences but not much).

Which means it's got a torque converter not a clutch, and he needs to take it away to an auto gearbox specialist to be diagnosed. BMW will just quote for a new gearbox, so that route best avoided.

[rsvnigel]

I've recently started having problems with mine, see this post. It's also a bit lumpy shifting up from 1st -> 2nd gear.

Took the car to an automatic specialist, rather than my local dealer, and they more-or-less said straight away it'll most likely be a slipping F-clutch at the back of the gearbox which is a known weakness on that model.

They changed the transmission fluid, which BMW say should be good for the life of the vehicle, and spotted signs of contamination in the old fluid caused by a slipping clutch plate.

I was quoted between £1200-1500 to remove, strip, repair and replace the box. They said they'd also replace various other bits and pieces that are prone to failure whilst they had the box in bits on the bench.

Hope this helps.

[sjpalmer1]

Cheers for the help rsvnigel, Marshy not all auto's use torque converters, VW used a triple plate clutch with an electronic contorl on the Passat with steptronic box.

[rsvnigel]

btw the gearbox will be a ZF-5HP18, which is apparently also used by VAG in the Passat and A4/A6 (according to google).

[Marshy]

Didn't know that... Mind you, I believe the 5hp18 is a torque converter box (same one fitted to my old 730i).