E53 6 speed auto gearbox swap

[mbtech01]

I've got an X5 with the ZF6HP26 6speed auto box that has now developed a couple of issues & in need of repair. I've been quoted astronomical money to repair gearbox & have been looking for alternative options.
I can get my hands on a complete 2nd hand gearbox but have been told i cannot just fit it & away i go. Im on the understanding the gearbox is coded with vehicle information & need to know is it possible for a complete replacement 2nd hand gearbox to be recoded to my vehicles information.
I cannot swap out the mechatronic unit from my gearbox as this is one of the issues on my vehicle.
Any advice would be appreciated on how to overwrite the replacement gearbox existing coding & if this is possible.
I've asked my local Bmw specialist who doesn't know as its not something they've ever had to do.

[4004]

E53? Keep forgetting they had 6HP fitted, but I'm guessing it's the older 26X or something.
For those old boxes, provided you get a direct replacement and wire it properly, there should be no coding complexities.
However, as you may've found already, it may be difficult to find knowledgeable people who would do it

[I-am-the-reverend]

mbtech01 said:

Im on the understanding the gearbox is coded with vehicle information & need to know is it possible for a complete replacement 2nd hand gearbox to be recoded to my vehicles information.

That's the 8 speed.

The 6HP is a straight swap.

Having been at the receiving end of recon auto gearboxes and rebuilds, I'd only fit a good used unit now. Far cheaper and possibly more likely to work as intended.

E53's aren't worth enough now for any fannying about.

[mbtech01]

Hi
Thanks for replies.
I tend to disagree that the Zf6hp26 6 speed auto box is a direct swap as not only have I spoken to an auto box repairer when getting a quote to repair my gearbox who said that they needed the whole car as they'd need to code the new Mechatronic unit when installed plus I know for a fact that the control module part of the gearbox is built into the conductor plate part of the gearbox which is fixed to the Mechatronic unit inside the gearbox.
As said I'm wasting my time swapping the Mechatronic part of the gearbox if I got another box as this is faulty on mine & that's why I need to know if & how it's possible to overwrite existing coding on another gearbox.
As said previously thanks for response so far & hopefully I'll find a solution eventually as the car has been a great family car/work horse for many years together with being well maintained & looked after.

[I-am-the-reverend]

Apologies - I was thinking 5HP and the GM boxes as used on the original E53.

Having said that, I fitted a used 6HP to an E60 5 Series (530d) and it worked perfectly with no recoding. It's probably later stuff that needs coding. New ones are uncoded.

8HP's certainly have the code in the Mechatronics ECU that needs to 'talk' to the rest of the car.

[Paul-s45no]

It's very simple to change the box

The TCU is coded to the car, remove the mechatronics unit from both boxes, put your TCU onto the valve body of the donor box and refit it. Change the seals above the valve body whilst your there.

Would recommended having your torque converter rebuilt whilst you're there as it's relatively cheap and they wear out.

[mbtech01]

Paul-s45no said:

It's very simple to change the box

The TCU is coded to the car, remove the mechatronics unit from both boxes, put your TCU onto the valve body of the donor box and refit it. Change the seals above the valve body whilst your there.

Would recommended having your torque converter rebuilt whilst you're there as it's relatively cheap and they wear out.

Thanks for replying but you've obviously not read my previous messages. I cannot swap mechatronics unit with conductor plate as these are some of the issues with my current gearbox ! All I'd be doing is transferring some of the faults from one box to another.