Transmission Failure 2017 6 speed Competition

jlee403 · 03-27-2021, 09:16 AM

2017 m4 6 speed competition package w/ 60,200 miles.

To preface, I drive my car very lightly compared to my last m3. Rarely push the car to redline and have been warming up properly on EVERY drive. In short I have babied this car. The other day I did a 10 roll on first gear because I dont like launching the car often. Once I hit roughly 6k rpm on 3rd gear I heard an ungodly metallic rattling noise. Immediately slowed down to check the car, didnt see anything nor were any codes thrown. Turned around to make the 5 minute drive back home and I could hear the same noise when I went past 3k rpm 1st-3rd gear when I engaged the clutch to shift up. Could very faintly hear it at 3-3500 past 4th gear. Once home, I could hear the same sound when revving up to 3500 in N. Spent hours scrubbing forums and found this video which is almost exactly the same noise I was hearing

Sound clip at about 1:08 of the video

Took it into the dealership very next day explaining that I thought it was an exhaust leak. They first told me it was my aftermarket diffuser hitting my muffler. Told them cf hitting a muffler doesnt produce that sound, check again. They then told me my clutch and flywheel needed to be replaced. I had concerns seeing as the car is only 60k and the car had zero signs of the clutch slipping. Flywheel sounded plausible based on sound coming back when I engaged clutch while driving. Got a master m tech to look at the car and he agreed with me. Got car on a lift and could feel the trans vibrating when revving engine slightly. He thought it was a throwout bearing and recommended I replace the clutch anyways if hes ripping out the trans. I agreed and we came to an agreement on a price of 1,500 including parts and labor(bmw na covering 75%). freaking amazing I thanked him and left.

Got a call a day later saying the throwout bearing broke apart, and was rattling around in the trans which created nasty groves. Needs to replace the whole damn trans. Quoted 15k and again BMW came through and my total cost is 3500 even for new trans new clutch and labor. I dont know if I should be happy or sad right now.

Any thoughts? Is all of that even freaking possible? Anyone have or hear anything similar happening? I've had some issues with my e92 m3 but never anything with the damn trans. What a week.

jlee403 · 03-27-2021, 09:30 AM

btw if theres a better section to post this in, Id appreciate some direction. Thanks.

agentrnge · 03-27-2021, 09:37 AM

$3500 is a good amount of pain but compared to 15K+ not so bad... Curious why they are stepping to help like this, but glad they are. Good luck. What would the bearing have grooved other than semi external bits, like clutch/flywheel/bell. Would think the complicated internal bits would have been safe. Full trans swap seems excessive?

Poiseuille · 03-27-2021, 10:17 AM

sorry your gearbag went away OP but very glad to hear that BMW covered a good bit.
a little puzzled though: i've never heard of a throwout bearing spontaneously 'coming apart'. they certainly wear out but in my experience it's a slow process during which they give both audible and tactile warning (manifest by noise and light vibration in neutral that goes away with slight depression of the clutch pedal).
anybody else hear of a sudden throwout failure?

Poiseuille · 03-27-2021, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agentrnge

$3500 is a good amount of pain but compared to 15K+ not so bad... Curious why they are stepping to help like this, but glad they are. Good luck. What would the bearing have grooved other than semi external bits, like clutch/flywheel/bell. Would think the complicated internal bits would have been safe. Full trans swap seems excessive?

i agree with that, thowout etc not inside the gearbox, hard to see how it wrecks the gearbox. chew up the input shaft maybe but that should be replaceable. which is probably what BMW will do: rebuild your gearbox and put it on the shelf to replace the one you got, in which case BMW didn't actually 'cover' much of this.

uncle ben · 03-27-2021, 10:37 AM

This makes me second guess installing something as simple as a short shifter. Would be horrible to get stuck with a $15,000 bill because I voided my transmission warranty for shorter throws.

bsmf8x · 03-27-2021, 10:45 AM

Holdup, why is bmw not charging you the full 15k if you're out of warranty? Is this a thing that they just bless people with 70+% of coverage on stuff like this?

Also the fact that you specifically don't drive this car hard and this happened is shocking

evoix · 03-27-2021, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsmf8x

Holdup, why is bmw not charging you the full 15k if you're out of warranty? Is this a thing that they just bless people with 70+% of coverage on stuff like this?

Also the fact that you specifically don't drive this car hard and this happened is shocking

I would have to think he has some sort of warranty. Bc bmw doesn’t even cover shit for people with warranties lol

Are you the first owner of this car ??

maddmatth · 03-27-2021, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsmf8x

Holdup, why is bmw not charging you the full 15k if you're out of warranty? Is this a thing that they just bless people with 70+% of coverage on stuff like this?

Also the fact that you specifically don't drive this car hard and this happened is shocking

They do "goodwill" repairs for major failures out of warranty, where they'll cover part of the cost depending on how far out of warranty you are.

Still heavily dependent on you meeting their service requirements and your relationship with the dealer. Eg you're more likely to get it if you bought the car from a dealer and serviced with them vs a privately purchased car they've never serviced.

aerostar · 03-29-2021, 08:44 AM

Throwout bearing shouldn't be coming loose like that.

Sounds like it was a manufacturer's defect and they didn't want you to press into it deeper hence the goodwill.

jlee403 · 03-29-2021, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsmf8x

Holdup, why is bmw not charging you the full 15k if you're out of warranty? Is this a thing that they just bless people with 70+% of coverage on stuff like this?

Also the fact that you specifically don't drive this car hard and this happened is shocking

Seriously most shocking of all is the fact that this even happened. Also I dont know much about the internals of the trans, but after looking up what the throwout bearing looks like, doesnt look like its something that would simply snap off.

Second owner of this particular car, but I've been servicing with this dealership for roughly 10 years now. Car is at 60,200 miles and GM said I was close enough that they could fight to have some of it covered. To be honest I think this all happened because a few boxes of donuts. I was extremely appreciative of the work my S/A and Tech did last time around and bought the service shop a few boxes of donuts as thanks and apparently the GM there loves me now.

To answer someone else here I have absolutely no warranty on the car whatsoever. I've also had some issues with getting work done within warranty with my e92 m3 this came as a shock to me too.

NickyC · 03-29-2021, 10:13 AM

Definitely sucks, but $3500 for a brand new BMW installed 6MT is pretty amazing. No way the thing should have broke, but if you had to get unlucky you actually dodged a pretty big one here. Hope you’re back on the road soon!

Rotary1 · 03-29-2021, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlee403

Seriously most shocking of all is the fact that this even happened. Also I dont know much about the internals of the trans, but after looking up what the throwout bearing looks like, doesnt look like its something that would simply snap off.

Second owner of this particular car, but I've been servicing with this dealership for roughly 10 years now. Car is at 60,200 miles and GM said I was close enough that they could fight to have some of it covered. To be honest I think this all happened because a few boxes of donuts. I was extremely appreciative of the work my S/A and Tech did last time around and bought the service shop a few boxes of donuts as thanks and apparently the GM there loves me now.

To answer someone else here I have absolutely no warranty on the car whatsoever. I've also had some issues with getting work done within warranty with my e92 m3 this came as a shock to me too.

I have had some really good experiences with my dealer (penske) and I would bet they would fight for me. So this is really good to hear the story.

McIntoshMotorSports · 03-29-2021, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlee403

Quote:

Originally Posted by bsmf8x

Holdup, why is bmw not charging you the full 15k if you're out of warranty? Is this a thing that they just bless people with 70+% of coverage on stuff like this?

Also the fact that you specifically don't drive this car hard and this happened is shocking

Seriously most shocking of all is the fact that this even happened. Also I dont know much about the internals of the trans, but after looking up what the throwout bearing looks like, doesnt look like its something that would simply snap off.

Second owner of this particular car, but I've been servicing with this dealership for roughly 10 years now. Car is at 60,200 miles and GM said I was close enough that they could fight to have some of it covered. To be honest I think this all happened because a few boxes of donuts. I was extremely appreciative of the work my S/A and Tech did last time around and bought the service shop a few boxes of donuts as thanks and apparently the GM there loves me now.

To answer someone else here I have absolutely no warranty on the car whatsoever. I've also had some issues with getting work done within warranty with my e92 m3 this came as a shock to me too.

Man you are giving me hope. My F80 is in for 7 speed DCT diag, pretty sure it's the clutch packs but the first owner reported all the way back at 21K but it was never taken care of; I am second owner vehicle is at 65K. BMW of NA was told about the situation so here's for hoping for the best!

Really don't want to take apart the whole thing and do a clutch pack rebuild but we shall see...

jlee403 · 04-01-2021, 10:57 AM

Update from dealership. Car is ready to go they did the work really quickly; less than a week of down time for a full trans swap. They confirmed they put in a brand new trans and clutch and used existing flywheel as it was in good shape. Was told that the tech that I trust road tested the car and all seems good. Ill give you guys an update in a few weeks on how the cars doing.

amrazM · 04-01-2021, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aerostar

Throwout bearing shouldn't be coming loose like that.

Sounds like it was a manufacturer's defect and they didn't want you to press into it deeper hence the goodwill.

they dont have to goodwill shit honestly but sometimes bmw NA will pick up the tab to keep a customer happy within reason. this guys car had 60k miles, once you hit 4y/50k youre SOL.

jlee403 · 04-01-2021, 12:21 PM

Just picked up the car and it feels amazing. Got a new car lol
Final bill had little over 80% covered by BMW NA. Paid and picked up my car but still cant believe it.

icebiker · 04-01-2021, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlee403

Just picked up the car and it feels amazing. Got a new car lol
Final bill had little over 80% covered by BMW NA. Paid and picked up my car but still cant believe it.

Awesome! Very good outcome on what could have been a raw deal. I think the 10 years of service you've given the dealer played a hand. Loyalty counts!

03-27-2021, 09:16 AM	#1
jlee403 Private 17 Rep 89 Posts Drives: F82 M4 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Northern Virginia iTrader: (0)	Transmission Failure 2017 6 speed Competition 2017 m4 6 speed competition package w/ 60,200 miles. To preface, I drive my car very lightly compared to my last m3. Rarely push the car to redline and have been warming up properly on EVERY drive. In short I have babied this car. The other day I did a 10 roll on first gear because I dont like launching the car often. Once I hit roughly 6k rpm on 3rd gear I heard an ungodly metallic rattling noise. Immediately slowed down to check the car, didnt see anything nor were any codes thrown. Turned around to make the 5 minute drive back home and I could hear the same noise when I went past 3k rpm 1st-3rd gear when I engaged the clutch to shift up. Could very faintly hear it at 3-3500 past 4th gear. Once home, I could hear the same sound when revving up to 3500 in N. Spent hours scrubbing forums and found this video which is almost exactly the same noise I was hearing Sound clip at about 1:08 of the video Took it into the dealership very next day explaining that I thought it was an exhaust leak. They first told me it was my aftermarket diffuser hitting my muffler. Told them cf hitting a muffler doesnt produce that sound, check again. They then told me my clutch and flywheel needed to be replaced. I had concerns seeing as the car is only 60k and the car had zero signs of the clutch slipping. Flywheel sounded plausible based on sound coming back when I engaged clutch while driving. Got a master m tech to look at the car and he agreed with me. Got car on a lift and could feel the trans vibrating when revving engine slightly. He thought it was a throwout bearing and recommended I replace the clutch anyways if hes ripping out the trans. I agreed and we came to an agreement on a price of 1,500 including parts and labor(bmw na covering 75%). freaking amazing I thanked him and left. Got a call a day later saying the throwout bearing broke apart, and was rattling around in the trans which created nasty groves. Needs to replace the whole damn trans. Quoted 15k and again BMW came through and my total cost is 3500 even for new trans new clutch and labor. I dont know if I should be happy or sad right now. Any thoughts? Is all of that even freaking possible? Anyone have or hear anything similar happening? I've had some issues with my e92 m3 but never anything with the damn trans. What a week.
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03-27-2021, 09:30 AM	#2
jlee403 Private 17 Rep 89 Posts Drives: F82 M4 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Northern Virginia iTrader: (0)	btw if theres a better section to post this in, Id appreciate some direction. Thanks.
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03-27-2021, 09:37 AM	#3
agentrnge Lieutenant 381 Rep 486 Posts Drives: 2018 M3 6MT, 2001 740iL Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Morris County, NJ iTrader: (0)	$3500 is a good amount of pain but compared to 15K+ not so bad... Curious why they are stepping to help like this, but glad they are. Good luck. What would the bearing have grooved other than semi external bits, like clutch/flywheel/bell. Would think the complicated internal bits would have been safe. Full trans swap seems excessive?
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03-27-2021, 10:17 AM	#4
Poiseuille Brigadier General 5393 Rep 3,737 Posts Drives: 2016 M4 DCT Tanzanite/Amaro Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Princeton iTrader: (0) Garage List [0.00] [10.00]	sorry your gearbag went away OP but very glad to hear that BMW covered a good bit. a little puzzled though: i've never heard of a throwout bearing spontaneously 'coming apart'. they certainly wear out but in my experience it's a slow process during which they give both audible and tactile warning (manifest by noise and light vibration in neutral that goes away with slight depression of the clutch pedal). anybody else hear of a sudden throwout failure?
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03-27-2021, 10:37 AM	#6
uncle ben Captain 293 Rep 624 Posts Drives: 06 330i Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Edmonton iTrader: (0)	This makes me second guess installing something as simple as a short shifter. Would be horrible to get stuck with a $15,000 bill because I voided my transmission warranty for shorter throws.
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03-27-2021, 10:45 AM	#7
bsmf8x Lieutenant Colonel 777 Rep 1,636 Posts Drives: F82 Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: NY iTrader: (1)	Holdup, why is bmw not charging you the full 15k if you're out of warranty? Is this a thing that they just bless people with 70+% of coverage on stuff like this? Also the fact that you specifically don't drive this car hard and this happened is shocking
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03-29-2021, 08:44 AM	#10
aerostar Major 746 Rep 1,247 Posts Drives: 2018 F80 Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: NJ iTrader: (0)	Throwout bearing shouldn't be coming loose like that. Sounds like it was a manufacturer's defect and they didn't want you to press into it deeper hence the goodwill.
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03-29-2021, 10:13 AM	#12
NickyC Lieutenant General 17474 Rep 10,662 Posts Drives: M4 CS. Former G82, x2 F82, F80 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Jacked out of my mind iTrader: (23)	Definitely sucks, but $3500 for a brand new BMW installed 6MT is pretty amazing. No way the thing should have broke, but if you had to get unlucky you actually dodged a pretty big one here. Hope you’re back on the road soon!
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04-01-2021, 10:57 AM	#15
jlee403 Private 17 Rep 89 Posts Drives: F82 M4 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Northern Virginia iTrader: (0)	Update from dealership. Car is ready to go they did the work really quickly; less than a week of down time for a full trans swap. They confirmed they put in a brand new trans and clutch and used existing flywheel as it was in good shape. Was told that the tech that I trust road tested the car and all seems good. Ill give you guys an update in a few weeks on how the cars doing.
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04-01-2021, 12:21 PM	#17
jlee403 Private 17 Rep 89 Posts Drives: F82 M4 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Northern Virginia iTrader: (0)	Just picked up the car and it feels amazing. Got a new car lol Final bill had little over 80% covered by BMW NA. Paid and picked up my car but still cant believe it.
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