Assembly tool found in my gearbox...forgotten by ZF!!!

[Roch M4]

I have a 2013 E84 X1 28i Xdrive. With 96 000 km, I decided to do a first transmission fluid change with a new pan and filter.

I followed all the steps to do this procedure as described by FCP Euro. Everything was going fine until I removed the oil pan...and then I noticed a small piece of metal, 12 cm long (4,5 inches) and 6 mm diameter (1/4 inch)...in the bottom of the pan. A number was hand written on it with the reference 5x46 004 187

I inspected the gear box thinking maybe it was a sort of an pin alignment...but no way that this pin was coming from the gear box....my car was working fine anyway. I did a search on the internet and was only able to fin a similar number starting with 5X46 00X XXX in a catalogue from ZF for a repair manual of an other ZF gearbox. I contacted ZF and they answer me that the pin could be a mounting pin from the assembly process of the transmission....

I had the same conclusion as well...but how that can even occur and stayed there for more that 8 years without any issue of noise...

I reinstalled the new pan, new transmission fluid...gearbox works fine...

[bosstones]

Damn... that's crazy! Glad to hear there doesn't appear to be damage from it. Probably not the type of metal that magnetic plugs are meant to trap! At least you get a cool souvenir out of it(?).

By the way, in your 2nd paragraph, did you mean transmission pan instead of oil pan?

[Roch M4]

Originally Posted by bosstones

Damn... that's crazy! Glad to hear there doesn't appear to be damage from it. Probably not the type of metal that magnetic plugs are meant to trap! At least you get a cool souvenir out of it(?).

By the way, in your 2nd paragraph, did you mean transmission pan instead of oil pan?

Yes I mean transmission pan...your are right the magnet do not attract at all the pin...it was hanging there for 8 years without causing any visible damage. I contact ZF and they just said " It appears to be some sort of alignment pin for factory assembly. I looked in the repair manual and I couldn't find the tool.." and " You can dispose of the tool. We do not need it.."...not a single excuse or that they are going to make an internal quality control investigation regarding the issue...

[05X3lover]

Originally Posted by Roch M4

Yes I mean transmission pan...your are right the magnet do not attract at all the pin...it was hanging there for 8 years without causing any visible damage. I contact ZF and they just said " It appears to be some sort of alignment pin for factory assembly. I looked in the repair manual and I couldn't find the tool.." and " You can dispose of the tool. We do not need it.."...not a single excuse or that they are going to make an internal quality control investigation regarding the issue...

I'm sure that situation has happened more than once. If surgeons fairly routinely leave items inside patients, I'm guessing auto assembly-line workers forget plenty of small things. Glad it didn't damage something, though.

[bosstones]

Originally Posted by Roch M4

Yes I mean transmission pan...your are right the magnet do not attract at all the pin...it was hanging there for 8 years without causing any visible damage. I contact ZF and they just said " It appears to be some sort of alignment pin for factory assembly. I looked in the repair manual and I couldn't find the tool.." and " You can dispose of the tool. We do not need it.."...not a single excuse or that they are going to make an internal quality control investigation regarding the issue...

Thanks for clarifying. I ask because I was gearing up (no pun) to change the fluid and pan/gasket on my transmission and thought maybe I missed something.

Not sure what your plan is but I'd keep the communicae w/ ZF as well as the pin.....just in case something happens to your trans down the line.

[Gamb1t]

Originally Posted by Roch M4

Yes I mean transmission pan...your are right the magnet do not attract at all the pin...it was hanging there for 8 years without causing any visible damage. I contact ZF and they just said " It appears to be some sort of alignment pin for factory assembly. I looked in the repair manual and I couldn't find the tool.." and " You can dispose of the tool. We do not need it.."...not a single excuse or that they are going to make an internal quality control investigation regarding the issue...

Were they assuming you are going to return? Seriously?