Tranny Work?

[Ross]

The fluid is toast and no forward drive. You need all the clutches and steel rings and seals, minimum. The trans is junk if you need many hard parts. That'll be $650 please.
Find someone who does ZF boxes on a regular basis or buy an overhauled unit. The r&r is no big deal.
Don't get f'ed. If you agree to $2450 it will be $2450!

[BFEINZIMER]

The fluid is toast and no forward drive. You need all the clutches and steel rings and seals, minimum. The trans is junk if you need many hard parts. That'll be $650 please.
Find someone who does ZF boxes on a regular basis or buy an overhauled unit. The r&r is no big deal.
Don't get f'ed. If you agree to $2450 it will be $2450!

So far I've aggred to let him do the $650 labor/inspection...I need the car back up...and he seems liek thebest in this area...so I mean I'm just asking, does it SOUND liek I'm getting screwed?

[bigfoot]

No tranny shop is going to give you an exact estimate until they pull the tranny and look at it. That usually costs $300 to $500 depending on the model and make vehicle. After they pull it and look at it you should get a firm estimate of total rebuild cost. The pull and relace cost (autopsy) is what you pay if you don't get it fixed, and its always part of the total cost of rebuild if you have the work done. $650 does not sound way out of line for the rci, since the exhaust system has to come off to get to the tranny and it includes the time breaking down and looking at the tranny and coming up with a repair estimate. Sounds like the $2450 covers the replacing of all soft parts. I'm assuming they have diagnostically eliminated solennoid and other external electrical problems or mounting issues. Make sure you ask if the price covers any hard parts, like gears or pump, and if price includes fluid and torque converter. $2450 for total rebuild with all soft parts does not sound out of line if he has a good rebuilder. Warranty is probably cost specific, so if you get a lifetime warranty with the job you are probably not getting screwed. Get BMW customers references and call them. Generally I would think the RCI for that tranny would be about $350-450 and complete soft part overall with converter (rebuilt) would be in the $2000 dollar range, making it about a $2450 job, depending on warranty (should be lifetime) or about $2000 for 1 year warranty. Call around and see what others would charge, although they are going to resist quoting over the phone.

[barry 90 525i]

buy another car for that much, sell yours for 500

[BFEINZIMER]

Thank you very much bigfoot...I'm about to go talk to him about what he found upon taking apart the tranny...thos their warranty is only 2 years/24000 miles...thanks..

[Jon K]

BFEINZIMER -

Honestly bro, you can spend $2450 and have a 100% working unit for another 100k, or it could blow up 3 months down the road who knows. That same $2450 could get you a 5spd swap and you could sleep easily at night.

[93 525 Paul]

The repair is mostly labor. Tranny parts just aren't that much. Anyway, by the time you have the car all pulled apart and the tranny pulled down and sitting in pieces on the bench, are you going to only correct what might be wrong and not do a full rebuild? Hell no. The parts are a not the majority of the cost.
From Import Performance Transmissions' website, "IPT now offers High Performance Master Rebuild Kits for Audi, BMW and VW transmissions. These kits include all necessary seals, gaskets, filters, shifting bands, friction clutches and reaction plates that are required when rebuilding transmissions. The materials and parts that are selected for inclusion in these kits are the same as the ones that are installed in our Performance Transmissions. We utilize only the type of clutch and reaction plate material that we feel is best suited for each particular unit.
ZF4HP22 Performance Transmission Rebuild Kit Price: $579
ZF5HP24 Performance Transmission Rebuild Kit Price: $689"

I haven't rebuilt a ZF4HP22 or 24 but it's a 4 speed auto tranny and it's not brain surgery. It is a tedious process involving a ton of cleaning and meticulous assembly. Nevertheless, those quoted prices seem steep (metric dollars?) and the parts don't go anywhere near $1600.
From another source:
Stator Shaft ZF4HP22 stator tube $ 21.05
Correction kit ZF4HP22 (valve body kit) $ 59.01
Transmission repair manual ZF4HP22 1984-up $ 16.95
Solenoid master kit ZF4HP22 $269.51
3 shift and 1 EPC 7-pin connector L89 and up
Sprag ZF4HP22 overdrive roller clutch $ 26.20
Filter ZF4HP22 with 1-inch p/u tube 88-up $ 4.10
Master kit ZF4HP22 1984-up $257.04
Includes standard frictions, standard steels, paper gaskets, sealing rings, o-rings, lip seals and metal clad seals.
You can spend more money on higher end frictions and steels.

Either way, putting that much money in a car worth marginally more than that, is a bad idea. But you seem determined to go forward, irrespective of what's said here.
Good luck. Hope it's a broken solenoid wire and he sticks it back in and you are good to go for $650.

[BFEINZIMER]

Well its defenatly internal damage...I'm sorry if it seems I'm ignoring what people say here, but I NEED a car...between work, school and my private life lol...I'll take to him tomorrow about using performace parts...or POSSIBLLY a 5spd swap, but then I'd havta learn stick...which is kinda appealing...and all $ is USDollars...

[BFEINZIMER]

I just came back formt he shop and he showed me physically what happening...I was looking at the broken down tranny...he gave me a quote of $2150 USD for everything...so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go through with it.