2015 F82 M4 DCT Clutch Overheating - Seeking Advice

[worldiseli]

Hey guys,

I’ve got a 2015 F82 M4 with 70,000 miles and the DCT, and I’ve been running into some clutch overheating issues. I had been driving the car tuned with MHD Stage 0 (just mild burbles), and after a few weeks, I started getting a clutch overheating error. At first, it was intermittent, but it became more persistent over time. I eventually removed MHD completely from the DME, cleaned the DCT cooler and the error disappeared for a couple of months, but it recently came back.

The error always seems to pop up at random times, mostly when cruising at low speeds in auto mode. It’s never appeared when I’m pushing the car hard. Just today, it came on while I was going about 5 mph in a parking lot.

After letting the car sit for 1–2 hours today, I checked the clutch temps, and they were reading around 150°C!, but there was no error on the dash, and the car was driving fine.

I’ve read that the RPM or temp sensor could be faulty, but I’m not sure. MHD also recommended changing the transmission fluid since I don’t know if it’s ever been replaced, but I’ve seen others with 100k+ miles without any issues.

I’m trying to figure out what’s going on before I spend a lot of money on repairs. Has anyone else experienced this, or have any suggestions on what I should check next?

Thanks for your help!

[xwilkinx]

Have you inspected the DCT pan for any leaks? You could have low fluid resulting in the higher temps.

[worldiseli]

Sorry for the late response, but I have fixed the temperature error. However, now when I read the temperatures, they appear normal again after the car has been off for a long time. The clutch temperatures seem to always sit 5-15 degrees higher than the transmission temperatures. When fully warmed up, the clutch temperatures read 100-115 degrees (sometimes creeping into the high 90s) depending on how hard I’m driving, but they go right back down to 100 after letting off the throttle. I was just wondering, is 100 degrees the normal clutch temperature as I couldn't find much online other than the transmission temp? I have the DCT kit and was debating sending it back after fixing the error. Should I do the service?

[MetzgerMeister]

Doing a DCT oil change will help reduce your temps. I found that after a spirited drive I would get out of the car and my shins would be met by a blast of heat from beneath the car. After I did the oil change it hasn't been anywhere near as warm.

As the DCT oil gets older and gets more use its ability to dissipate heat reduces also. It's just the way it goes.

It's quite a messy job and somewhat fiddly but you'll get a great sense of achievement afterwards. Make sure to use OEM parts especially for the oil pan and drain plug. I didn't and the drain plug leaked until I replaced it with a BMW one.

For refilling the oil I would highly recommend THIS. The nozzle fits into the fill hole perfectly and stays there.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask here or PM me.