Identyfing The BMW X5 Transfer Case

Steve, an owner of a European garage from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was agitated when he called about a month ago. He ordered an output shaft for a 2002 X5 and it was not the correct one. 

I asked if he was working on an NV125 or an LWX500. He responded the LWX-500 according to the vin number. I then asked him to look at the rear of the transfer case, the side that faces the rear wheels, and look to see if there is a tag with NV125 on it and he said yes.

How can this be? Not sure why but in 2002-2003 the X5 could be equipped with the LWX500 or the NV125 transfer case. I've seen several instances where the vin number does not reflect the correct transfer case. I had one customer with a 2003 with the ATC500 and if you searched for the vin it gave two options, the LWX500 or the NV125. It was off completely for this vin.

So how do I know which one I have? The easiest way is to look on the rear case. The rear case will have a round tag with NV125 or an engraving with LWX or ATC. When ordering parts or a complete transfer case, especially for 2000-2004 you want to check to make sure.

And whether you need parts or a complete reman unit, we got you covered.

JF506E 09A Solenoid Not Shifting

Gary M. of North Carolina called a couple of weeks ago about a transmission issue of his 2003 VW Jetta. He explained when he turned the car on in the morning it would have trouble shifting gears and after 15 minutes or so it would shift just fine. I suggested he should take the car to have it scanned to see if any codes came up. He said he took it to his local auto parts store and the scanner came up with nothing.

So what is going on? What is this so-called morning sickness? How is this possible he asked? Can I just change one or two, or three solenoids to fix the problem?

This transmission is the Jatco JF506E, also known as the 09A by VW, is a 5-speed front wheel drive automatic with 9 solenoids. The solenoids are heavily tasked during shifting. More than one solenoid could be, and usually is, working in order to accomplish the shifting process.

The solenoids have a small shaft that moves in and out. The shaft sits on a small bushing, much like the bushing you find in the tail housing of a transmission. With time, the bushing starts to wear down. When the transmission fluid is cold it is thicker (more viscous) and the solenoid shaft gets stuck on the bushing. When the transmission reaches operating temperature the fluid is less viscous and the solenoids work as it should for the most part.

The N92 solenoid, one of two with a green connector, usually is the canary in the mine.  One solenoid could cost between $45.00 to $100.00 or more. Replacing three solenoids could end up costing more than the kit. Replacing all nine solenoids while you are there is a good idea. The oil is expensive and you don’t want to do this again.

Gary ordered a solenoid kit and called to let us know that it all went well and he is back on the road.

Things to check while replacing solenoids:

1 . Inspect the solenoid and sensor wire harnesses to make sure they are in good shape.

2 . Make sure all the solenoids to harness connections are lined up property and secure.

3 .  Use the vehicle manufacture’s recommended oil only.

4 . Have a pan gasket ready just in case you need one (our kit comes with a free gasket).

5 . Make sure you have an original solenoid kit for this transmission model like the one we sell, click here to see the listing. We hear a lot of problems with the aftermarket ones.

CD4E Sprocket Bushing

The CD4E is a four-speed front wheel drive automatic transmission used in the Ford Probe, Escape, Mondeo (Non-US Model); Mercury Contour, Mystique, Cougar; Mazda Tribute, 626 and MXS.

When re-manufacturing or rebuilding the transmission it is always a good idea to inspect the bushings and replace as needed. The bushing kit is a popular item for the CD4E.

One particular bushing to pay extra attention to is the sprocket bushing. This specific bushing is prone to nicks and damage like in the picture below.

 In any case, it is a good policy to replace the sprocket bushing. The part number is 96060 and if you need to purchase it please click here.

ATC400 ATC500 Thrust Bearings

The ATC400, ATC500 and ATC700 transfer cases used in the BMW X3, X5 and X6 use a very similar sprocket assembly.

The Sprocket assembly consists of the Drive Sprocket, Actuator Arms, Drum Plate, Thrust Bearings, Drum, set of Frictions, set of Steels, Pressure Plate, Wave Rings and a Snap Ring that hold it all together.

Sometimes the thrust bearings explode or come apart. If caught in time the two bearings could be replaced and the unit saved. Sometimes the damage is catastrophic and will need to be evaluated closely to see which parts will need to be replaced in the transfer case.

The biggest issue was finding the thrust bearings. Inventory was hit or miss because they were only available good-used.

We are excited to announce we have the thrust bearings new and ready to ship. Our part number is ATC400-ATC500-Thrust-Bearing.