E36 328i needs overhaul

[ezee-t]

Hi All,My '96 328i GM gearbox is giving some problem lately. It is slow in engaging into gears and slippage during gear change. I believe it is due to the clutch wearing off.I've sent to a auto transmission specialist for a quote. It is RM 3300 with 3 months warranty only. Anyone has a good place to introduce that does good job with reasonable price?:wink:Appreciate your input. My beloved UDM is kept at home now until i send it for rebuild.

 

[anaksarawak]

Sorry to hear............. why not go for manual ??? More fun with your car!

 

[ezee-t]

how much will it costs to convert? is it easy to source?

i've not thought of it yet because auto will be more comfortable even driving around in kl with jam.

 

[mizhan]

ask around for a ZF 5-speed box.. your car will be much nicer to drive with one.

 

[ezee-t]

haha...maybe will slowly find and keep it for future project

any other advise from fellow owners? hope you can share your experience on gearbox overhaul.
1. price
2. location
3. warranty period

 

[seech]

I would recommend M-Scope in Batu Caves if you want the job done right. Posted it earlier but here's the thread with my experience.

http://www.bmwclubmalaysia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25801

Most definitely not the cheapest but 1 year warranty and good workmanship.

 

[ezee-t]

I would recommend M-Scope in Batu Caves if you want the job done right. Posted it earlier but here's the thread with my experience.

http://www.bmwclubmalaysia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25801

Most definitely not the cheapest but 1 year warranty and good workmanship.

Thanks seech...your grandfather/grandmother story is very interesting indeed :wink:

Btw, anyone experience before RGB in kinrara Puchong? They are auto gearbox specialist too. I saw merc, toyota harrier, jaguar among the cars there. They test drove my car and then did a diagnose to check if there is any error. The boss is confident that they can fix my gearbox since they have a lot of experience with the GM gearbox.

However, I'm still open to suggestions and looking around to find some good recommended shop with good deal.

 

[loafer]

Personally I would rather brave the jams in KL than worry about having an auto gearbox that will not last over a period of time. Most times the auto gearbox will start failing after 150,000km, maybe more if it's well taken care off with frequent oil change.

A full rebuild on the auto gearbox can cost in the range of RM6k-7k from M-Scope. A 5 speed manual ZF gearbox will cost the same and this includes all the necessary thingamajigs ie. pedals, linkages, pump etc.

Having an auto gearbox is of course convenient. There is no jams that is too annoying to drive in. There is no where you wouldn't mind heading to given that you're not in a hurry. Acceleration is a breeze with your 2.8 beast. You never have to worry about missing a gear with a prickly JDM up your ass.

But then, that's where the fun ends......Thrash your auto gearbox too much and you'll have to worry about it slipping in the future. Imagine you're coming up to your favourite long sweeping corner which is best taken in 3rd gear and OOPS.....you can't heel toe.....Gotta brake hard and hope your gearbox downshifts to the right gear then accelerate.

Next comes the maintenance part. If you're a diligent driver who cares for his car a lot (like most of us do) you'll want to change the gearbox oil as often as you can afford it. That would mean somewhere in the region of 20k KM traveled. Each time you'll use up to 6.5 litres of transmission fluid which is roughly RM40++ per litre. There's a shit load of other stuff that can go wrong with an auto gearbox which I'm sure the other sifus here can tell you.

Of course at the current age of the car I'm pretty sure you won't keep it for another 150,000 kms so I guess keeping the auto gearbox would be the right choice.

Anyway this is just my personal view on the pros and cons of having an auto gearbox over a manual gearbox.

 

[ezee-t]

wow...loafer, u do make me feel like my e36 is a racer car. my heart beats to the rhythm when u describe on taking the corner haha
anyway, i've another manual car with me already. i do like spirited driving and manual does give more control of the car...however, i thought of keeping my e36 with an auto tranny, so that even a female can handle the beast during emergency.

fyi, my car just clocked 150k km after 13 yrs. just cross my fingers that it will last me another 150k after the overhaul. :wink:

 

[loafer]

Just trying to apply some poison

 

[ezee-t]

haha...poison only have 15% effect. I'll be sending my car for gearbox overhaul tomorrow.

guys, any more suggestions?
1. price
2. location
3. warranty period

 

[Slide]

i went with m scope in batu caves. got a 1 year warranty. they are good, however i will say this, my gearbox is not 100% like original. 95% maybe, can't out my finger on it, may be is just in my mind.... ask for ah hong, or vishnu. drop me a pm is u want me to bring you there, am due for an oil change soon. mines a 96 328 too.

 

[ezee-t]

i went with m scope in batu caves. got a 1 year warranty. they are good, however i will say this, my gearbox is not 100% like original. 95% maybe, can't out my finger on it, may be is just in my mind.... ask for ah hong, or vishnu. drop me a pm is u want me to bring you there, am due for an oil change soon. mines a 96 328 too.

thanks for the offer...however, i've sent my car this morning to RGB in Kinrara. Hopefully they do a good job too...:joyman:

btw, how much it costs for ATF change inclusive labour in M scope? what oil you use?

 

[ezee-t]

got my car back from gearbox rebuild/ overhaul...
gear change is so much smoother now. will use it more frequent to see if anything is wrong as i only get 3 months warranty from them

btw, i was told to go back after 1k km to flush the gearbox. reason being that the clutch is new and the oil will get dirty very fast. to those who have experience it, is that normal that u need to flush it after 1k km?

 

[ezee-t]

any sifu can share your experience?

 

[loafer]

got my car back from gearbox rebuild/ overhaul...
gear change is so much smoother now. will use it more frequent to see if anything is wrong as i only get 3 months warranty from them

btw, i was told to go back after 1k km to flush the gearbox. reason being that the clutch is new and the oil will get dirty very fast. to those who have experience it, is that normal that u need to flush it after 1k km?

I guess it makes sense. You need to run in a new engine also in the same manner.

 

[ric1504]

got my car back from gearbox rebuild/ overhaul...
gear change is so much smoother now. will use it more frequent to see if anything is wrong as i only get 3 months warranty from them

btw, i was told to go back after 1k km to flush the gearbox. reason being that the clutch is new and the oil will get dirty very fast. to those who have experience it, is that normal that u need to flush it after 1k km?

bro loafer...hows the gearbox running now?
i think my gearbox needs overhauling as well...sighhhhh
do u mind telling me where exactly is RGB in kinrara?

 

[MalzE36]

Guys. Correct me if i'm wrong. but my e36 comes with a ZF 5 speed, but it's automatic. Is there also a ZF that is manual? And i am starting to feel some slippage. How much would it cost roughly to remedy this problem?

 

[ICEMAN 68]

for manuals there are 2 type
1) ZF which could be used for 325 , 328 and the ///M
2) Getrags could be used for 325 and some say 328

i've got a ZF 5 sp autobox to let go ... PM me if interested ....going cheap below the chop shop price ....

 

[MalzE36]

i was just wondering if i were to service the gearbox, meaning changing the clutch and stuff. how much would that cost? i did a mini overhaul on it once, changed the valve body. It was ok for awhile but now its starting to show signs of slippage. So i think its the clutch. Anyone done this for a ZF 5 speed auto before?