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      10-05-2011, 09:10 PM   #1
andrewbmw
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transfer case replacement?

Fellow X3 owners,

Our 2011 X3 has gone through quite some repairs after wife hit the curb a month ago, two rims+wheels, front suspension, wheel bearing, :-(.

The car drives fine now except some minor vibration/noise when accelerating around 40 mph. Shop foreman couldn't notice it when he was in the car alone but then heard the sound after I ride with him. He suspected that the transfer case might be the cause but think it's still safe to drive.

I am kind of debating whether to replace the tc or not:

On the one hand, I felt the issue is kind of minor for now so probably not worth all the trouble to take things apart and install a new tc. In fact, I am afraid that doing so might cause some new problems as I felt it might be a relative rare job for a mechanic. So more likely to screw things up especially that it's the first year of F25 might make it even harder.

On the other hand, if I don't get it replaced now but down the road it became a lot worse, will my insurance still be responsible to pay for some of the repairing cost? I guess dealer will most likely not cover it under warranty by then as they will blame the hitting curb.

Your comments are truly appreciated!
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      10-06-2011, 12:01 AM   #2
Lotus7
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Whew...That's a tough call. Before going for a transfer case replacement, I'd want to know what the service department will do if the TC replacement does not correct the problem. Does the mechanic think he hears or feels the vibration/sound coming from the transfer case? It's pretty far back in the vehicle.

A front end impact that did the amount of damage you noted,(especially the wheel bearing) could have damaged the clutch pack, the chain drive and/or the center differential, all of which are in the transfer case. However, such a severe impact could just as well have damaged one or more of the (4) front axle CV joints and /or the front differential ring and pinion or the smaller internal differential gears themselves, or even one of the many differential bearings. All those parts are turning all the time and any of them could cause the "vibration/noise" you're experiencing. A severe shock can easily damage ball and roller bearings, and will only get worse over time.

It could even be a damaged engine mount. BMW has had engine mounts that cause unusual noise/vibration issues when they wear, and a severe drive-line shock could possibly trigger a problem.

I did have the transfer case changed under warrantee in my 35i with no problems. They have to take off a lot of cladding and insulation to get to it, but the replacement itself is not that hard. Most dealerships have someone who has done it since it's not an uncommon failure on older X5s if the fluid is not changed often enough.

Good Luck isolating the problem.
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      10-06-2011, 12:13 AM   #3
greg2step
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few things

1. If you feel the X3 is not right after repairs and something else needs to be done contact your insurance claims adjuster ASAP hopefully the work done after the accident comes w/ a 90 day or 1 yr warranty anyway. can't imagine BMW warranty will cover it if they know it results from a curb hit.

2. minor vibration doesn't seem like the whole transfer case is damaged. I agree w/ Lotus7's assement of maybe a mount - engine, or transmission or whatever. would do alot more diagnostics and trying to find where that noise is coming from long before pulling apart the drivetrain to replace a transfer case.

Taking that much apart...will it get better? will it get worse? i would be wary of a major repair like that unless you are sure the noise is inside the TC.
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      10-07-2011, 10:14 AM   #4
andrewbmw
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Thank you so much, Lotus7 and gre2step. You comments are truly helpful.
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