Transmission Malfunction fault message

WhiteCollar · 09-03-2014, 11:12 AM

First of all, please direct me to a related post if this was discussed before. I couldn't find it on F30 forums, even though this is a documented issue with X6.

I was driving towards NY this long weekend and around Scranton, going downhill at 120km/hr, on cruise control, the transmission disengaged and the "transmission malfunction, please drive moderatelly" error message came on the display. It showed the front axle on the display (I don't know if this is the default, my F30 is XDrive). Basically, the car went numb, the gear switched to neutral and couldn't be changed and the engine died (no rev response from the gas pedal). No audible foreign sound was heard when the transmission disengaged. Going downhill I could maintain the speed for a little bit before I limped on the side of the road and came to a stop. I tried to restart the car, but couldn't on the first try. Switched off the engine completely (at that point I still had my music player on, the AC was still running) and then gave it another try after 1 minute. It turned on and the car took off like nothing happened.

I went to NY as scheduled and drove back a few days later. No problems since. Was this a fluke? I will talk to my dealership to have it checked but I cannot understand how the car can be driven after a "transmission malfunction" message.

Another weird thing is that the Concierge Services doesn't seem to work in the US. Are we grounded to Canada only with this service?

Has anybody had this message before?

WhiteCollar · 09-08-2014, 09:16 AM

An update after a trip to the dealership:

Nothing was found faulty with the car. They attributed the message to either a power surge or a power loss, or a software glitch. They told me that until the issue comes back again they are going to treat this as a random occurrence, which doesn't need any further identification. Also, apparently, until a fault comes back regularly, BMW does not allow any service to be made to the car...

I understand their view, but if this happens again and I am on the 401, in traffic, at full speed, I can only imagine the havoc I will create around me. Scary.

I will keep updating this thread if anything new develops.

sharkef30 · 05-13-2019, 04:52 PM

Hi WhiteCollar,

Do you have any updates on this issue you were experiencing? The same thing happened to my F30 last week. Thanks!

09-03-2014, 11:12 AM	#1
WhiteCollar Private First Class 5 Rep 137 Posts Drives: 2016 4 Series Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Canada iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 BMW 428 GC [0.00]	Transmission Malfunction fault message First of all, please direct me to a related post if this was discussed before. I couldn't find it on F30 forums, even though this is a documented issue with X6. I was driving towards NY this long weekend and around Scranton, going downhill at 120km/hr, on cruise control, the transmission disengaged and the "transmission malfunction, please drive moderatelly" error message came on the display. It showed the front axle on the display (I don't know if this is the default, my F30 is XDrive). Basically, the car went numb, the gear switched to neutral and couldn't be changed and the engine died (no rev response from the gas pedal). No audible foreign sound was heard when the transmission disengaged. Going downhill I could maintain the speed for a little bit before I limped on the side of the road and came to a stop. I tried to restart the car, but couldn't on the first try. Switched off the engine completely (at that point I still had my music player on, the AC was still running) and then gave it another try after 1 minute. It turned on and the car took off like nothing happened. I went to NY as scheduled and drove back a few days later. No problems since. Was this a fluke? I will talk to my dealership to have it checked but I cannot understand how the car can be driven after a "transmission malfunction" message. Another weird thing is that the Concierge Services doesn't seem to work in the US. Are we grounded to Canada only with this service? Has anybody had this message before?
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09-08-2014, 09:16 AM	#2
WhiteCollar Private First Class 5 Rep 137 Posts Drives: 2016 4 Series Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Canada iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 BMW 428 GC [0.00]	An update after a trip to the dealership: Nothing was found faulty with the car. They attributed the message to either a power surge or a power loss, or a software glitch. They told me that until the issue comes back again they are going to treat this as a random occurrence, which doesn't need any further identification. Also, apparently, until a fault comes back regularly, BMW does not allow any service to be made to the car... I understand their view, but if this happens again and I am on the 401, in traffic, at full speed, I can only imagine the havoc I will create around me. Scary. I will keep updating this thread if anything new develops.
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05-13-2019, 04:52 PM	#3
sharkef30 Registered 4 Rep 2 Posts Drives: 2015 BMW F30 Join Date: May 2019 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0)	Hi WhiteCollar, Do you have any updates on this issue you were experiencing? The same thing happened to my F30 last week. Thanks!
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