Test Drove an M3 and the DCT Immobilized the Vehicle

[aznclickster]

find another dealer...

[stega]

Originally Posted by sameh

OP; I can't believe you would even consider buying this lemon. Definitely DONT. I laughed out loud at 430 am reading the part says "he didn't know how to use DCT properly" this is priceless.

Yes.. How exactly was he using the DCT wrong..?? LOL what a scam/joke.

[ES_TRADER]

Originally Posted by E82Pilot

The Replacement cost of an M3 DCT is 12k-13k.

My understanding is they can’t repair a DCT, only replace it.

i thought it was only 3k? thats what they charging on build your own m3

[Krozi]

R..'1...3...5
|__|__|__|
..._|-'''|--,|
..'_2...4_''6

[Mr C]

Originally Posted by richpuer

i thought it was only 3k? thats what they charging on build your own m3

Yes, it is hard to believe that an option that costs 3k, when you buy the car, costs 12k to 13K if you need a whole new DCT transmission. This information just stated surfacing. Do a search, and you will find it!

I guess nobody knew until now, because the DCTs have only been in M3s since 2008, so they are too new, and not much information is known, as to what happens if they go out.

Here are a few posts about it:

It is part number 28007842377 which has a BMWNA MSRP of $12,215.70. Tischer BMW on-line site price for it is $9,772.56 if that makes you feel any better. I'd get the manual box too -- a lot more fun and involving to drive a stick imo too plus you get to control the clutch (and the amount of wear to the disc and throwout bearing) which is much more out of your control with the DCT (which btw a lot of E60 M5 owners are finding out as the cars age and t/o bearing issues are surfacing).

The 6MT box BMWNA MSRP is $5,616.25 with Tischer price of $4,493.00. As for finding internal parts to rebuild such a box, I think that thought is often met with "good luck" -- most likely you'd be buying a reman box for $5k+.


I'm about the order a 2011 M3 sedan with ZCP. Like a lot of people, I was trying to decide between a 6MT vs. 7DCT. I have driven both and still can't decide. Since I keep my cars for a while (98 E36 M3 purchased new is now my autocross car), I wanted to know how much would it cost to repair the DCT transmission out of warrantee. My friend and parts manager locally told me that there is no parts available for repairing the DCT. It is similar to other BMW automatic and are replaced when they fail. The cost for a new DCT transmission is approx $13200 and $1200 in labor. In contrast, a manual transmission is $780 in parts.

Can anyone confirm or refute this? If this is the case, then I'm buying a 6MT no matter how magical (and it was wonderful on the test drive) the 7DCT. I'm not about to pay 50%+ of the depreciated price of the car to fix it as it matures.

[sowliny@yahoo.com]

I've got my awsome E 92 Jerez Black Metallic and Beige Novillo Extended Leather M3 2008 with DCT. Everything with this transmission is excellent as well as the rest of this fantastic machine. I use DCT in three different ways. I love it more and more. playing with amazing transmission is absolutely fantastic and give me a lot of fun..

By the way ,do not buy this particular car.

[ss134]

Originally Posted by E82Pilot

Yes, it is hard to believe that an option that costs 3k, when you buy the car, costs 12k to 13K if you need a whole new DCT transmission. This information just stated surfacing. Do a search, and you will find it!

I guess nobody knew until now, because the DCTs have only been in M3s since 2008, so they are too new, and not much information is known, as to what happens if they go out.

Here are a few posts about it:

It is part number 28007842377 which has a BMWNA MSRP of $12,215.70. Tischer BMW on-line site price for it is $9,772.56 if that makes you feel any better. I'd get the manual box too -- a lot more fun and involving to drive a stick imo too plus you get to control the clutch (and the amount of wear to the disc and throwout bearing) which is much more out of your control with the DCT (which btw a lot of E60 M5 owners are finding out as the cars age and t/o bearing issues are surfacing).

The 6MT box BMWNA MSRP is $5,616.25 with Tischer price of $4,493.00. As for finding internal parts to rebuild such a box, I think that thought is often met with "good luck" -- most likely you'd be buying a reman box for $5k+.


I'm about the order a 2011 M3 sedan with ZCP. Like a lot of people, I was trying to decide between a 6MT vs. 7DCT. I have driven both and still can't decide. Since I keep my cars for a while (98 E36 M3 purchased new is now my autocross car), I wanted to know how much would it cost to repair the DCT transmission out of warrantee. My friend and parts manager locally told me that there is no parts available for repairing the DCT. It is similar to other BMW automatic and are replaced when they fail. The cost for a new DCT transmission is approx $13200 and $1200 in labor. In contrast, a manual transmission is $780 in parts.

Can anyone confirm or refute this? If this is the case, then I'm buying a 6MT no matter how magical (and it was wonderful on the test drive) the 7DCT. I'm not about to pay 50%+ of the depreciated price of the car to fix it as it matures.

E60 M5s do not have DCT.

[ss134]

Originally Posted by sowliny@yahoo.com

I've got my awsome E 92 Jerez Black Metallic and Beige Novillo Extended Leather M3 2008 with DCT. Everything with this transmission is excellent as well as the rest of this fantastic machine. I use DCT in three different ways. I love it more and more. playing with amazing transmission is absolutely fantastic and give me a lot of fun..

By the way ,do not buy this particular car.

+1

[OC3]

Originally Posted by ss134

E60 M5s do not have DCT.

To go off on a tangent a bit, anybody know if F10 M5 will have (beefed up) DCT?

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by OC3

To go off on a tangent a bit, anybody know if F10 M5 will have (beefed up) DCT?

Yes it will.

[Richbot]

This illustrates one of the few legitimate non-preference related reasons to not get a DCT (or any automatic transmission). In the end it's a very sophisticated and complicated piece of machinery that needs dozens of accurate sensor inputs and actuators working harmony to work properly and if anything fails it's just parked. Manual transmissions break all the time but very seldom in a way that prevents the car from moving entirely. Of course with the DCT it seems most things can be fixed with a few reboots, just like owning a PC.

Performance, fuel economy, engine overrev protection, all make a great case for the DCT and that's why it makes so much sense, but for me the "manual" nature of a manual transmission will always be worth sacrificing those benefits. I have a lot of fun driving a manual and not having a computer decide which gear I want to be in, but I'm not someone who thinks a DCT or SMG car is boring to drive, I think interacting with the SMG cars I've driven was a fascinating exercise in giving the car the inputs it needs to make a smooth shift, etc, and I'm sure the DCT which I've only driven briefly is fun to live with too.

<- Luddite

[OC3]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Yes it will.

Cheers!

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by Richbot

In the end it's a very sophisticated and complicated piece of machinery that needs dozens of accurate sensor inputs and actuators working harmony to work properly and if anything fails it's just parked.

That's simply untrue and you can prove it to yourself by reading relevant posts on the forum, that is assuming you are interested in facts vs. FUD.

Manual transmissions break all the time but very seldom in a way that prevents the car from moving entirely.

That might be true. I wouldn't care to speculate.

However, I would definitely not rule out using the word "seldom" to describe the frequency of DCT issues that prevent the car from moving entirely. It may happen more than with a 6MT, but it is hardly often or regular.

Of course with the DCT it seems most things can be fixed with a few reboots, just like owning a PC.

I can't say I am aware of single DCT problem that has been fixed by resetting the hardware. Most problems are fixed with a firmware update - in rare cases the transmission has been replaced.