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Transmission problem - Sometimes will engage then it will not???

3K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  jmo69 
#1 ·
I have a 2001 330xi and while driving it I lost power to the wheels and had it towed to a mechanic. He is trying to diagnose the problem and he told me sometimes the transmission works and sometimes it doesn’t. You’ll shift it into park and you’ll hear a grinding noise like it’s trying to shift itself out of gear. Right now he’s thinks it's an internal transmission failure. Yesterday he was talking about a bad transfer case. I did change out a bad front passenger CV Axle 2 weeks ago. This E46 has 218,000 miles on it. The thing I’m stumped on is that the mechanic mentions sometimes it shifts into drive and sometimes it doesn’t! Am I missing something here? Thanks!
 
#11 · (Edited)
Thx for pic jmo69. If axle is pulled out and simply spinning instead of engaging at the differential, is there an easy way to fix to pushing it back in? Or would I need to install a whole new axle? Can I test this problem by holding one front tire stationary and seeing if other tire rotates? If 2nd turns then there is a problem correct?
 
#12 ·
You can just push the axle back in. There has to be someplace on the inner CV joint that you can put a pry bar on and pound it back in. With the system being open turning one wheel won't make another one turn. But might make the driveshaft turn. I'd think there would have to be quite the gap between CV and the dif for it disengage.

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