hello,
I changed out the thermostat on my R56 at 32k miles after getting a P0599 code (edit: automatic transmission). It was a pain to do for the first time and everything seemed fine and the code cleared. However, when I got ready to drive, I'm able to shift into reverse, kind of in neutral (barely though) and not at all into drive. I'm not sure what I've done wrong. I was told there may be a neutral safety switch and would have to basically take the whole thermostat out and basically start all over to get to it. I'm not sure if this is the case and if it is, where this switch is and how to adjust it... any help would be appreciated. I tried doing a bunch of searching but cant seem to find much info on this...


thanks!

 

You might also look at the shifting control linkage. The manual xmission has it right on top, near the thermostat, and some of the plumbing / wiring might have become tangled up with the linkage during your repair. 'Course, if the auto is laid out completely different from the manual, I'm way off base. Easy enough to check tho.

Then, to locate this neutral switch, try browsing the REALOEM illustrated parts diagrams http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/select --- very helpful to ID parts.

 

thank you for the reply. I'll look into this. I forgot to mention that it's an Automatic trans..

 

You bumped the cable or something is not set back right.

Check around # 7 connection to #1


http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=25_0448

 

hmm..interesting. do you know if this can be done without undoing the thermostat?

 

You maybe did not clip the cable into place or its caught on the corner of the engine or a tab. Look down on top of the transmission and flow the single cable back. Take a picture and post up.

I would not touch the thermostat at this point.

 

Very interesting. Thanks for the tips.. Interestingly, I found this cable over the transmission that seems disconnected. At the moment, I'm not sure what it is or what it goes to (I dont see anything in its vicinity that it would plug into--hopefully it's not severed...?). It may or may not be the only culprit. I know i connected everything that I consciously disconnected when changing the thermost at, but obviously messed up some other things. I sure hope to not redo the thermostat...took me a couple days to do it.

 

You are welcome.


That is just the vent tube for the transmission, Just leave it as it is , no issues.






You will have to take off that lower intake tube for the airbox and see what was missed and not clipped in for the transmission cable.

 

Ok.... I've had a chance now to take the plastic tubes off to get a better visual..here's some pictures. I don't really see anything obvious to me that would be off. At least the cable appears to be seated in it's retaining clip. Unless I'm looking in the wrong spot?

 

Now find someone to move the shift lever thru the gears and you watch the cable for anything wrong --- something interfering with its movement, loose clips, etc.

 

+! Looks like its seated, now have someone shift it back and forth while siting still and look to contact or binding on the cable.

 

thank you for the guidance. So, this has helped me narrow down what's going on. When I shift from P to R to N. The end of the shifter cable with the nut on top interferes with this coolant hose/pipe.

The question I have for you is, is this shifter cable/nut assembly supposed to clear this hose and go underneath it? Or does the hose need to be pulled out more from the ends where the cable clamps are? I know when I reconnected everything after changing out the thermostat, I pushed the hoses down to the base of the couplers and thermostat housing. I pulled it out some, but I think I need a good half inch more before I can remove inferences, if half an inch is even achievable. I'm not sure if this is the right approach and wouldn't want to do this if the shiftercable/nut/lever is really meant to go underneath it all. If that's the case, I not really sure how to go about this....

If someone can tell me which approach to take, I would appreciate it...

The attached picture is when the car is in Neutral after I pulled the the interfering coolant hose in the picture back a little from the base of the thermostat housing.

 

From what I've been reading on this thread --- transmission was shifting normally before you changed the thermostat. After changing the thermostat, the transmission wouldn't shift properly. We gotta assume you didn't mess with any of the linkage during the replacement. If you used parts from a Mini dealer, all should have gone back together nicely --- maybe minor hose-to-fitting adjustments. If you used parts from the local parts house, you should compare the new parts to the old parts to ensure you have the correct ones, and not missing an extension that would raise the thermostat a little higher. I'd try rotating the thermostat a bit, to move the hose connection farther away from the linkage.

Unfortunately, mine is a manual shift, so I can't go out and take a photo of how it's supposed to clear.

 

thanks for the reply. I'm not sure if it's easy to tell in the last picture I attached, but the interference is quite a bit. All I changed was the thermostat/housing which was from the Mini dealership. They did say that they "redesigned" this part, although I couldn't say what all the differences are. There is probably some amount you can move the thermostat in terms of positioning, but I am certain it won't be to the extent that would remove the interference.

In any case, I was able to pull both ends of the hose out to the maximum extent which allows the clamp to still engage just before the lip on the coupler and the lip on the thermostat housing. I'm not sure if this is how it's supposed to be. But I am now able to shift in to drive fully, however when I am in drive, the nut still just touches the hose, barely. I'm not sure if vibration could be an issue long term. I'm still open to any suggestions on what the proper assembly should be. At least I can drive the car again, and I didn't have to spend $800 on a thermostat change!
thanks.

 

Sorry to dig up this old post. Wondered if you had changed this sensor. I'm trying to find one, having trouble finding a part number for it. If you have any info that would be great. Thank you

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ryman-s-2.html

Post #38

No part # for the elbow part, but we did find the sensor part. If you get a thermostat, you bypass this and get a sensor up in the thermo stat with a new adapter, what year and model is your MINI.