BMW X5 Trans Issues? Bad Torque Converter Symptoms & Fix

Hi there! I have some experience with cars and went through something very similar with my 2017 BMW X3. The symptoms you described are almost identical to what I experienced. My transmission was also acting up, jerky shifts, weird noises, and those dreaded warning lights. After trying a few workshops, I found a good BMW specialist who diagnosed a faulty torque converter. They had to replace the entire converter assembly, which set me back around 2120 Euro. But it fixed all the issues completely. Before I share more specific details about my repair experience, could you share: How many miles/kilometers are on your X5? Did these symptoms appear gradually or suddenly? Have you had any transmission service done before? This info would help me better understand if you're dealing with the exact same problem I had. BTW, if it is the torque converter, don't wait too long to fix it. I learned that continuing to drive with this issue can cause more damage to other transmission components.

Hey thanks for the response! My X5 has about 150938 KM on it and I just had it serviced a month ago. Actually, the symptoms started appearing quite suddenly, over just a couple of days. At first I thought it was just acting up because of the cold weather, but it got worse really fast. Appreciate you sharing your experience. That repair cost sounds painful but at least it solved the issue completely. I'll definitely get it looked at ASAP, would rather fix it now than risk more expensive damage down the line. Did you happen to notice any warning signs before it completely went bad?

Hey again! Yeah, looking back at my X3 situation, there were actually a few subtle warning signs before everything went sideways. About a week before the major issues started, I noticed some slight hesitation when shifting from first to second gear, especially when the transmission was cold. I brushed it off thinking it was just the weather, but was I wrong! The really interesting thing is that my symptoms also appeared super quickly after that, just like yours. Within about 3-4 days, it went from that minor hesitation to full-on problems. The transmission started acting crazy, especially during highway driving when trying to engage the lock-up clutch. Since you mentioned yours was just serviced, I'm curious, did they change the transmission fluid during that service? In my case, when they replaced the torque converter, the mechanic showed me how the old fluid had tiny metal particles in it, apparently that's a classic sign of converter wear. One thing I learned from my experience, if you're hearing those grinding noises, try to avoid using the sport mode or heavy acceleration. I made that mistake and probably made things worse before I got it fixed. Trust me, limping to the workshop is better than getting towed there!

Thanks for all those details! No, they didn't change the transmission fluid during my recent service, it was just a regular oil change and basic inspection. That's really interesting about the metal particles in your fluid though, I'll definitely ask my mechanic to check that. I've actually been noticing that slight hesitation you mentioned when shifting from first to second gear for about a week or so, but like you, I just ignored it. Definitely won't make that mistake again! And thanks for the tip about sport mode, I've been avoiding it since the problems started, but good to know I made the right call there. I've got an appointment with a BMW specialist tomorrow morning. Your experience has been super helpful, at least now I know what I might be dealing with and roughly how much I should budget for. Really hoping it's just the torque converter and nothing else got damaged. I'll probably just take a cab to work until it's fixed rather than risk making it worse. Better safe than sorry!