SMG = ‘Serious Money Gone’

[chicane]

This is bound to get the party started:

https://sandiegobmw.wordpress.com/?s=SMG

[TexaZ3]

Article from 2011. 90-s want their title back.

[Stepstools]

Pretty incredible how much the level of available knowledge about the system has improved over the last 10 years. I'm about to swap out the electric motor in mine. Hopefully that solves my issues like it seems to do for most people. The most promising solution to SMG troubles back in 2011 was the temp sensor "resistor fix."

[chicane]

Article from 2011. 90-s want their title back.

I'm sorry is it less relevant in 2020...or more.

[oceansize]

I think we've moved past this discussion as a group since we all understand the options that are out there at this point and our understanding of SMG is much more complete as a a group as well.

However, since m3forum.net vanished here is a summary for those who stumble across this thread and aren't aware of where we are stand with SMG in 2020.

Common Options
1. Refresh your hydraulic unit with some combination of seals, o-rings, motor, sensors, or accumulator (this isn't cheap if doing it all at once as an elective or forced by a break down).
2. Swap (This isn't cheap if you don't DIY and lets face it most don't)

Other items:
1. Gear Position Sensor (expensive piece new, ~$500)
2. Actuator (can be had rebuilt these days, SMG society for instance will rebuild for $225, but labor intensive to replace)
3. Compression Springs (labor intensive)
4. Solenoids (can be had individually but rarely go bad)
5. Relay (cheap)
6. Clutch slave cylinder (more expensive than manual version)
7. Relocation (not cheap, need bracket, extended harness and lines)

Diagnostics:
1. You absolutely need someone, if you aren't a DIYer, that has lots of experience dedicated to the SMG system otherwise a person can throw away a bunch of money.
2. DIYer? Then you need INPA with the full suite of SMG utilities. Life just got a lot easier. I have the schwaben as well but INPA is better as it has real time temp and pressure readings.

Bottom line:
SMG is more expensive to own in time and money over the long term even for a DIYer.

[Arith2]

"I’ve got countless documented cases of this symptom/fault with the SMG and they have all resulted in the replacement of the gearbox, with the shop eating a large amount of the bill and the customer being irate about their bill. Ugly, ugly, SMG."


Pics or it didn't happen.

[TexaZ3]

I'm sorry is it less relevant in 2020...or more.

Is that a serious question or trolling?

[chicane]

"I’ve got countless documented cases of this symptom/fault with the SMG and they have all resulted in the replacement of the gearbox, with the shop eating a large amount of the bill and the customer being irate about their bill. Ugly, ugly, SMG."


Pics or it didn't happen.

The guy is a veteran BMW technician with an impressive blog. I think his work speaks for itself.

[oceansize]

The guy is a veteran BMW technician with an impressive blog. I think his work speaks for itself.

Irrelevant. In 2011 most people who worked on the SMG system had no idea what they were doing. It was 100% guesswork which is why people paid through the nose. In 2020 most shops still have no idea what the SMG system entails hence most people still pay way too much for simple, or not so simple, repairs.

His blog post has no bearing or relevance to an individual such as myself and many many others on this board. Been there done that. Battled the problems and came out the other side due to our own, as a team sharing information, diligence. I'm not even sure who you were targeting with this thread. We are a group of DIYers with excellent skills in research and collaborative work via this forum.

Now, if your target for this thread is the average owner then yep that person is in trouble when SMG problems occur unless they have a really experienced shop that they can defer to.

[chicane]

Irrelevant. In 2011 most people who worked on the SMG system had no idea what they were doing. It was 100% guesswork which is why people paid through the nose.

He's not MOST people chief, he is a BMW technician, a guy who works on BMW's for a living and communicates daily with other BMW technicians to solve technical problems. How many SMG's have you personally rebuilt? If the answer is zero or my own then your post is irrelevant.

[oceansize]

He's not MOST people chief, he is a BMW technician, a guy who works on BMW's for a living and communicates daily with other BMW technicians to solve technical problems. How many SMG's have you personally rebuilt? If the answer is zero or my own then your post is irrelevant.

Who is this chief you reference? LoL. Is that your way of letting me know you are annoyed?

Anyways I rebuilt my hydraulic unit and relocated it just last fall as many others here have. Definitely fought some diagnostic battles along the way. I'm assuming your referencing the hydraulic unit and not the transmission itself. The SMG gearbox is the same as the manual and I've not heard any horror stories of transmissions failing due to it simply being SMG. That blog post isn't representative of what we know today, as enthusiasts and not the average owner, which I laid out in my earlier post which was fairly detailed for a summary.

Let us backtrack.

1. Why did you post this thread with a click-bait title and one sentence of "This is bound to get the party started"?
2. What are you trying to accomplish?
3. Are you personally mad at an SMG car?
4. Are you looking to have the old tired conversation that is my manual is better than your SMG or that all SMG cars suck?

[r4dr]

What if OP is the author of that post??

[Mspir3d]

I preferred DIS to INPA for working on the smg though both had pros and cons. Now I think ISTA + has pretty much all the features the older two had but with a more user friendly and easier to install interface. Getting DIS to work correctly was a real PITA.

[oceansize]

I have a couple working versions of DIS and if I have any doubts I will compare results between INPA and DIS. I left DIS out because for many it can be technically challenging to set up, as you pointed out, since it requires virtualization and some other hoops to jump through to get up and running. Also I don't like the interface at all in DIS, for those less technically inclined it presents some real challenges just in day to day use.

Out of curiosity have you come across anything in DIS that isn't in INPA? What I have in INPA will do accumulator tests, temp, pressure, SMG adaptation procedures, changing gears via the software, displaying current adaptation settings, actuator bleed, clutch slave bleed, etc.

[Arith2]

I like my SMG. It's 14 years old and it hasn't failed soooo. I doubt the fluid has ever been changed but the fluid in the lines looks really good. It basically looks new.