[DetectiveLoki]

So I opened up my center dash today and was able to repair the broken wires. I am able to shift again!!

[83k]

i follow the steps and did checked all wires for any damages. None found. I lost my DS mode after i installed a new transmission, the light still comes on when I pull the knob to DS mode, but no response on the dash. Would this be a coding issue instead?

[DetectiveLoki]

I believe I read somewhere that you need to update software after installing a new transmission. I could be wrong.

[njboy732]

[IK6SPEED]

what if my car won't go into DS and paddles don't work either? could that be the same thing? broken wires?

[IK6SPEED]

bump!!!! can someone help out? i checked all my wires and they're good, also tried replacing the top PRND plastic and it didn't help, but also my paddle shifters don't work...

[Husky]

Thanks so much to all who contributed to this thread; in particular…. ‘LaLakers91tc’, ‘njboy732’ & ‘DetectiveLoki’ ….you are the people who make this forum and community such a valuable resource. Well Done and thanks again!!

[dbudh001]

Just had this problem pull off the cover and the trim. Look for broken wires. Splice and add length to the wires and the sauder them. I can't recall what gauge wire I used. I'll let you know later. Then use the plastic tubing that you can heat shrink wrap around the wires and bam it's fixed

[dbudh001]

Originally Posted by igor_ki

bump!!!! can someone help out? i checked all my wires and they're good, also tried replacing the top PRND plastic and it didn't help, but also my paddle shifters don't work...

You may want to really pull it apart like u see in the pics above. The first time I looked I didn't see it either I had to remove that nasty sticky wrap to see it

[SlimE92]

Originally Posted by DetectiveLoki

I believe I read somewhere that you need to update software after installing a new transmission. I could be wrong.

Can anyone confirm this?

[2fast4]

Thanks guys, and DetectiveLoki. I had the same problem Loki had with PURPLE wire broken. It happened yesterday and got it fixed today.

In manual mode, it will upshift w/o a problem but wouldn't downshift.

I see other wires wiring sheath also broken too. I pulled on them to see if it breaks off. They didn't. So I just soldered the purple wire together, put some electrical tapes on couple a places for reenforcement, straightened out the wiring loom, took it off the loop tab, tons of slack now. DONE!

I saved hundred$$$. Took me about 3.5 hours. Cheers

[rscs]

I'd like to give a big thanks to LaLakers91tc, DetectiveLoki, njboy732, and anyone else I missed for the detailed information, photos, videos, and instructions about the wiring issue.

I, too, have been a victim of this poor engineering. A few months back, I noticed that some of my orange PRND lights on the shift indicator bezel stopped working. I didn't think much of it because it was just a cosmetic issue.

Then, earlier this week, my DS mode stopped working and I immediately noticed since I use DS mode every time I drive. I'm so used to downshifting this way that it's "driven" me crazy not having it.

After some basic Internet searching, I came across the threads on this site relating to the wiring issue. Thanks to the previous posters, I was able to open everything up, re-splice the wires, and everything is back to normal again. All but two of my wires were completely cut and the two that weren't were very stressed so I cut them myself and re-spliced.

I started with these instructions for removing the shift knob, boot, and bezel:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/tech...eplacement.htm

Then a lot of your photos of the wiring issues helped, but this video was especially helpful:

[328iwagon]

Originally Posted by IK6SPEED

bump!!!! can someone help out? i checked all my wires and they're good, also tried replacing the top PRND plastic and it didn't help, but also my paddle shifters don't work...

Hi three, i am having the dame problem with my car, i know this post is Very Old but i would like to know if you found the problem that was causing the ds mode and paddle shifter to not work.

Thank you and I really appreciate and help on this

I checks all my wire and not one is broken or cut not where,

[328iwagon]

Originally Posted by Lshaw

Nope, car has 50k and i have a paddle shifter harness with m3 wheel/paddles. I took a decent look at the wires earlier today and i cannot see anything visibly broken. i couldnt get enough slack to check the bundle of wires either.

My car wont go into DS mode, when i attempt to use the manual mode, the car usually reverts back to D right away.

Any advice would be great! No more warranty...

Hi LSHAW, sorry that i bother you on this thread that is so old already but i would like to know if you remember what was your problem back then with the ds mode and manual mode.

i have a e91 328i 2009 full converter into e91 335i and i having the same problem right now that you had back then. DS mode does not work, only works for manual mode but after driving a little bit it goes back to d mode. even i f i change the get shift to the left, the dash board won show ds mode either,

i hope you remember what was the propellant that you had cause i check everything and i can not find the problem not where.

thank you and sorry again

[IK6SPEED]

Originally Posted by 328iwagon

Hi three, i am having the dame problem with my car, i know this post is Very Old but i would like to know if you found the problem that was causing the ds mode and paddle shifter to not work.

Thank you and I really appreciate and help on this

I checks all my wire and not one is broken or cut not where,

Hey, sorry i haven't been on in a while. I took my car to a shop and the guy said the problem was in my paddle shifter, something with the wire, he took it apart and put it back together and everything worked. I think the wire either came lose or was shorting something.

[torn08]

I'm having the no ds problem, started last night. Going to rip the console out this weekend and see if it's just the broken wire issue.

[1QuikWS6]

Couple month ago I had the same problem, 1st indication something was up is when I lost my shift indicator lites on console, then progressed to no DS

Tore into the console & found that just about EVERY one of the tiny wires were cut thru, with the rest having the insulation cut

Went thru the fix using soldering technique & cleared all the errors, but some connections were questionable as the cut wire end was very close to the shifter carriage.

Car ran fine for a couple months & I didn't shift in to DS much - just this past weekend, shifted into DS on a hiway on ramp & punched it - at about 90mph I lost DS again


Turns out some of the wires came loose again - tired of pissing with this thing so here is my FINAL solution:



New Steptronic Shifter for $480 shipped from FCPEuro (cheapest I could find one new)

I will be sure to remove the wire harness from under the bracket 1st so this never happens again

Sad that a $40K car has this butt sucking problem due to a bunch of wires tucked where they shouldn't be, & that a problem with the shifter can totally stop the car - gone are the good old days when a shifter was purely mechanical & never broke

[328iwagon]

Originally Posted by 83k

i follow the steps and did checked all wires for any damages. None found. I lost my DS mode after i installed a new transmission, the light still comes on when I pull the knob to DS mode, but no response on the dash. Would this be a coding issue instead?

hi there, i saw this post by you and i know it is from long time ago but do you remember what was your problem here with your transmission?

i am having th same issue after i swap engine 335i and the transmission to my wagon.

[Laggrider]

I've got a new shifter. How did you remove and reinstall a new one? Was unbolting the shift cable difficult?

Originally Posted by 1QuikWS6

Couple month ago I had the same problem, 1st indication something was up is when I lost my shift indicator lites on console, then progressed to no DS

Tore into the console & found that just about EVERY one of the tiny wires were cut thru, with the rest having the insulation cut

Went thru the fix using soldering technique & cleared all the errors, but some connections were questionable as the cut wire end was very close to the shifter carriage.

Car ran fine for a couple months & I didn't shift in to DS much - just this past weekend, shifted into DS on a hiway on ramp & punched it - at about 90mph I lost DS again

Turns out some of the wires came loose again - tired of pissing with this thing so here is my FINAL solution:



New Steptronic Shifter for $480 shipped from FCPEuro (cheapest I could find one new)

I will be sure to remove the wire harness from under the bracket 1st so this never happens again

Sad that a $40K car has this butt sucking problem due to a bunch of wires tucked where they shouldn't be, & that a problem with the shifter can totally stop the car - gone are the good old days when a shifter was purely mechanical & never broke

[1QuikWS6]

Well, it wasn't a particularly hard job, just tedious, as you must remove the entire front center console to be able to remove/replace the entire shifter

• Put car up in front on rhino ramps so as to be able to get uder car to shift linkage on tranny
• Have to remove a piece of heat shield that is in the way to get @ linkage
• Remove shift cable from tranny linkage
• Go back up top & totally remove center console
• (3) bolts and the shift mechanism is then loose
• Go back under car and securely tie some heavy string to end of shift cable (if you don't do this all is lost)-this will enable you to pull new cable back thru. If you don't do this IDK how you would get the cable thru (see why below)
• Back up top, pull out the shifter & cable-string will go along for the ride
• Untie string from old cable & securely tie on to tranny end of new cable-I also tied a heavy flat washer on to the other end of string.
• Thread string with washer down into hole & let the weight of the washer pull the string thru & out bottom of car
• Now comes bitch part, last 4" or so of cable that attaches to tranny is rigid & no bendy+it has a curve to it. BMW in their infinite wisdom made the tunnel out of 2 layers of sheet metal with a space in between & that is where cable needs to pass thru. Even better is that the space makes a 90 deg bend down along side of tunnel inside
• Here is where it's 100% easier if you have (2) people. Even though the string is out thru space and showing under car, when you pull on it to pull the cable thru - the rigid end of the cable gets jammed in the space at the 90 deg bend in between the sheet metal & no matter how hard you pull from underneath car the cable gets jammed worse. I tried in vane by myself for 30min pulling on string from underneath car, till I gave up & got my wifey to help
• So you need (1) person up top jiggling the cable and pushing/pulling it slightly-while you are under car pulling on string. When the cable aligns itself correctly to make it thru passageway you can tell while pulling string. Once you feel it coming thru with out resistance you need to keep pulling steadily to get the cable to pull entirely thru
• After that it's just putting everything back together

>> There is also a step after all is attached where you need to adjust the cable at tranny linkage, don't remember exactly, but it's in the Bentley Manual - quik & EZ


I'm so glad I did all that work, cause not too long after that I got a good deal on a new F32 MSport 435 N55 & traded that car in...

I did however, get relief whilst using the old for shit shifter as target practice with my AR15

New car has electronic shifter & have never heard of problems with those like the mechanical versions in the E9x series

[The Nightman]

Thanks for the info. I use DS all the time so I'll reroute the wiring to give it more slack. Haven't noticed any issues yet (70k mi) so hopefully the wires are okay.

Edit: Just did it and it only took 15 minutes

[smithbro]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

Chalk another win for Germany and their requirement for biodegradable wire insulation.

Mid to late 80's Volvo's had the same harness degradation! Ridiculous!