2009 328xi no gears

kok · 05-02-2020, 09:14 AM

My car was making a single clunk or thud coming from underneath me when going into any gear, but it was more noticeable at lower speeds. It would make the noise as soon as the gear was engaged, even at a dead stop. Yesterday, when going from first to second, it made that noise and then there were no gears. It seems to me like it has something to do with the driveshaft. The car is unmodified. There are no codes other than transfer case oil wear. Now, when I put it in gear, it makes a loud whirring noise coming from where the thud was coming from. The higher gears make a slightly faster whirring noise depending on the gear when trying them. The car does not move and had to be towed. Any ideas? I also plan on DIYing the fix, if in any way possible. Car is 6-speed manual 328xi N52 sedan with 144k miles. Thanks.

Efthreeoh · 05-02-2020, 10:38 AM

Take no offense with what I'm going to say, none is meant.

The language of the description of the events that led to your car being unable to move sort of indicate you have little experience with automobiles. Being this is your first post, you found the internet site that is most suited to gaining knowledge for owning an E90, so that tells me you just searched in a WTF mode of what happened with your car. Also, you gave no history of the car. The E90 drivetrain is very robust and rarely breaks as you have described, especially at just 144,000 miles. These cars last way longer than 144,000 miles without a major driveline failure.

My first guess is the transmission is broken somehow. It could be as simple as a clutch replacement, or as bad as a broken input shaft or output shaft in transmission. Or possibly really least amount of damage is a broken vibration joint called a Giubo (a driveshaft problem). But when you say "underneath me" that points to the clutch or transmission (and possibly the Giubo). If it were a s simple as a Giubo, being your car is x-drive, it would be logical that the front-drive would still propel the car.

What you don't write about is what is the status of the clutch (pedal) operation. It would help to know how the clutch feels now, and how it felt the weeks before the event that something broke. You also do not indicated how long and how many miles the clunk was present for. A "single clunk" kind of points to the clutch going bad, or the dual-mass flywheel broke, which is known to happen. Being the car does not move, and makes whirring noises indicates the issue is either the flywheel, clutch or main transmission (i.e. not the front-drive transfer case). Being that you didn't discuss the clutch operation, I'd bet the transmission is broken and needs to be removed and replaced. The flywheel going bad usually is indicated by a vibration at speed while the car is in gear.

Now as far as DIY'ing this, if you do not own a floor jack, jack stands, a transmission jack (or rent one), and a really decent set of automotive tools, a good close work space like a garage with a concrete floor, and no or little automotive technical experience, you really have no chance of DIY'ing this on your own. Removing the transmission, to either repair the transmission or replace the clutch, is a very involved procedure and requires special tools and the aforementioned lifting and supporting equipment. The only way to resolve the issue is get the car in the air, remove the exhaust (no easy task), remove the heat shields and then start moving parts around and listening and observing movements of the driveline. If you have no tools to lift the car and remove the exhaust, then you have no real ability to move forward with a DIY. Lack of knowledge, experience, and tool set is countered by simply writing a check to a professional auto mechanic (not meant as offensive, just realistic).

kok · 05-02-2020, 11:22 AM

Thanks for the detailed reply.

The thud has been happening since I bought it a couple months ago. It happened almost every time I would put it in gear, as soon as the gear engaged. It could be slightly behind me, I'm not sure, it was just coming from underneath the car somewhere. The clutch feels fine, and hasn't noticeably changed since it happened. I'll have to get underneath it and take a look, I was just hoping to see if it's a common problem on these or if the same thing has happened to anyone else. Transmission replacement would be the worst case scenario. I was thinking possibly the u-joint on the driveshaft has failed, as in this video -

I'm really not sure what else to look for when diagnosing this problem. I could get a video of the sound it makes now when I put it in gear if that would help. It makes no noise when the clutch is in, no noise when the clutch is out (in neutral) and makes the whirring noise when the clutch engages in gear.

Efthreeoh · 05-02-2020, 11:57 AM

If the clutch seems fine, and no noise in neutral, and whirring in gear, I think the output shaft of the transmission is suspect. Being you have AWD, the chance of both drivelines breaking past the transmission (i.e. at the driveshafts) would be highly unlikely.

I'm going to amend my diagnosis a bit. I'm not real familiar with the xi drivetrain, but it could be as simple as the transfer case failed. You indicated codes regarding old fluid, so hopefully the guys with better knowledge of the xi drivetrain will chime it.

But as far as DIY'ing, pretty much what I said still goes.

Good luck with it.

gbalthrop · 05-02-2020, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kok

My car was making a single clunk or ]thud coming from underneath me when going into any gear [most likely suspect: FAILING Drive shaft U-joint]... Yesterday, when going from first to second, it made that noise and then there were no gears [most likely suspect: Failing U-joint NOW separated = COMPLETELY Failed]. It seems to me like it has something to do with the driveshaft. [Me TOO

]... Any ideas?... Car is 6-speed manual 328xi N52 sedan with 144k miles. Thanks.

Welcome to the Forum!

I'm NOT an expert on Transfer case in x-Drive models, but I can think of several reasons its clutch COULD be setup to NOT engage the Front Drive Shaft if the REAR shaft has failed.

Relatively simple to Jack car on ONE SIDE (both front & rear jacking points), place stands, and get UNDER it to examine the rear drive shaft attachment to the Transmission Output Flange. Please post photos of anything that looks unusual.

George

kok · 05-02-2020, 12:51 PM

Thanks George!

I appreciate your sense of humor in this unfortunate situation I have brought upon myself with my first BMW. I will update with some pictures in the coming days when I have time to take a look at it if I can't figure it out.

05-02-2020, 09:14 AM	#1
kok New Member 1 Rep 8 Posts Drives: E90 328xi Join Date: May 2020 Location: NY iTrader: (0)	2009 328xi no gears My car was making a single clunk or thud coming from underneath me when going into any gear, but it was more noticeable at lower speeds. It would make the noise as soon as the gear was engaged, even at a dead stop. Yesterday, when going from first to second, it made that noise and then there were no gears. It seems to me like it has something to do with the driveshaft. The car is unmodified. There are no codes other than transfer case oil wear. Now, when I put it in gear, it makes a loud whirring noise coming from where the thud was coming from. The higher gears make a slightly faster whirring noise depending on the gear when trying them. The car does not move and had to be towed. Any ideas? I also plan on DIYing the fix, if in any way possible. Car is 6-speed manual 328xi N52 sedan with 144k miles. Thanks.
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05-02-2020, 10:38 AM	#2
Efthreeoh General 19164 Rep 19,710 Posts Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	Take no offense with what I'm going to say, none is meant. The language of the description of the events that led to your car being unable to move sort of indicate you have little experience with automobiles. Being this is your first post, you found the internet site that is most suited to gaining knowledge for owning an E90, so that tells me you just searched in a WTF mode of what happened with your car. Also, you gave no history of the car. The E90 drivetrain is very robust and rarely breaks as you have described, especially at just 144,000 miles. These cars last way longer than 144,000 miles without a major driveline failure. My first guess is the transmission is broken somehow. It could be as simple as a clutch replacement, or as bad as a broken input shaft or output shaft in transmission. Or possibly really least amount of damage is a broken vibration joint called a Giubo (a driveshaft problem). But when you say "underneath me" that points to the clutch or transmission (and possibly the Giubo). If it were a s simple as a Giubo, being your car is x-drive, it would be logical that the front-drive would still propel the car. What you don't write about is what is the status of the clutch (pedal) operation. It would help to know how the clutch feels now, and how it felt the weeks before the event that something broke. You also do not indicated how long and how many miles the clunk was present for. A "single clunk" kind of points to the clutch going bad, or the dual-mass flywheel broke, which is known to happen. Being the car does not move, and makes whirring noises indicates the issue is either the flywheel, clutch or main transmission (i.e. not the front-drive transfer case). Being that you didn't discuss the clutch operation, I'd bet the transmission is broken and needs to be removed and replaced. The flywheel going bad usually is indicated by a vibration at speed while the car is in gear. Now as far as DIY'ing this, if you do not own a floor jack, jack stands, a transmission jack (or rent one), and a really decent set of automotive tools, a good close work space like a garage with a concrete floor, and no or little automotive technical experience, you really have no chance of DIY'ing this on your own. Removing the transmission, to either repair the transmission or replace the clutch, is a very involved procedure and requires special tools and the aforementioned lifting and supporting equipment. The only way to resolve the issue is get the car in the air, remove the exhaust (no easy task), remove the heat shields and then start moving parts around and listening and observing movements of the driveline. If you have no tools to lift the car and remove the exhaust, then you have no real ability to move forward with a DIY. Lack of knowledge, experience, and tool set is countered by simply writing a check to a professional auto mechanic (not meant as offensive, just realistic). __________________ A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission." Last edited by Efthreeoh; 05-02-2020 at 10:48 AM..
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05-02-2020, 11:22 AM	#3
kok New Member 1 Rep 8 Posts Drives: E90 328xi Join Date: May 2020 Location: NY iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the detailed reply. The thud has been happening since I bought it a couple months ago. It happened almost every time I would put it in gear, as soon as the gear engaged. It could be slightly behind me, I'm not sure, it was just coming from underneath the car somewhere. The clutch feels fine, and hasn't noticeably changed since it happened. I'll have to get underneath it and take a look, I was just hoping to see if it's a common problem on these or if the same thing has happened to anyone else. Transmission replacement would be the worst case scenario. I was thinking possibly the u-joint on the driveshaft has failed, as in this video - I'm really not sure what else to look for when diagnosing this problem. I could get a video of the sound it makes now when I put it in gear if that would help. It makes no noise when the clutch is in, no noise when the clutch is out (in neutral) and makes the whirring noise when the clutch engages in gear.
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05-02-2020, 11:57 AM	#4
Efthreeoh General 19164 Rep 19,710 Posts Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	If the clutch seems fine, and no noise in neutral, and whirring in gear, I think the output shaft of the transmission is suspect. Being you have AWD, the chance of both drivelines breaking past the transmission (i.e. at the driveshafts) would be highly unlikely. I'm going to amend my diagnosis a bit. I'm not real familiar with the xi drivetrain, but it could be as simple as the transfer case failed. You indicated codes regarding old fluid, so hopefully the guys with better knowledge of the xi drivetrain will chime it. But as far as DIY'ing, pretty much what I said still goes. Good luck with it. __________________ A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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05-02-2020, 12:51 PM	#6
kok New Member 1 Rep 8 Posts Drives: E90 328xi Join Date: May 2020 Location: NY iTrader: (0)	Thanks George! I appreciate your sense of humor in this unfortunate situation I have brought upon myself with my first BMW. I will update with some pictures in the coming days when I have time to take a look at it if I can't figure it out.
	Appreciate 0 Quote