5L40E Overhaul Kit 2002, new and ready to install. Fits the 5L40E. Ships fast from the USA.
A 5L40E that flares on the 2-3 or 3-4 shift, drops into Reverse with a thump, or weeps fluid at the front pump seal or tail housing has usually reached the point where patching one circuit just moves the problem to the next. This 5L40E overhaul kit is built for 2002-and-up units, the BMW E46, E39 and Z3 six-cylinder cars that carried the GM five-speed that year and later builds of the same transmission. It packages the soft parts, the friction material, the bushings and both case seals so a full teardown is done once.
The 5L40E family runs single-sided frictions in its clutch packs, so the plate count you pull out may not match a traditional friction-and-steel stack. Lay the old packs out in order on the bench and compare them plate for plate with what is in the box before you discard anything. A filter is not listed in the kit contents; add one.
Every ratio in this transmission comes from one Ravigneaux gearset, so the shift you feel is really two clutches handing torque back and forth while sprags hold the rest. GM rated the unit at roughly 250 lb-ft, which is why it sits behind six-cylinder engines rather than V8s. That handoff only works when each apply piston holds pressure. As the piston lip seals harden and the sealing rings on the drums and pump stator wear, apply pressure bleeds off, the clutch overlap stretches, and the frictions glaze. The bushings matter as much as the seals here: a worn stator or case bushing lets the rotating parts wobble, which chews the sealing rings and starts the leak again. Replacing frictions, seals, rings and bushings together is what returns the unit to factory clearances.
Pull the pan and read the fluid and the magnet first. Clean fluid with harsh, erratic shifts more often points at the valve body or a solenoid than at worn frictions; our transmission slipping diagnosis guide walks through the checks in order. Transmission Digest has documented 5L40E reverse, direct and coast clutch failures traced to worn pump sealing rings and a cracked direct/reverse housing. This kit covers the rings and frictions; a cracked housing still has to be replaced, so inspect it at teardown. If the valve body is the culprit, we carry a remanufactured 5L40E valve body.
This listing is the 2002-up version. In 2002 the 5L40E went only into BMW cars, where BMW calls it the A5S360R; Cadillac and other GM brands used it in later years. Units changed over the production run, so match your case to the kit: the ID tag sits on the left rear of the case above the pan rail, and BMW tags carry a G or Z code. If your transmission is a 1999-2001 build, the earlier 5L40E overhaul kit is the place to start. Not sure which you have? Send us the year and VIN before ordering. Everything else we stock for this family is on the 5L40E and 5L50E parts page.
| Fits | 5L40E 2002 |
| Part type | Overhaul Kit |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | OEM |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
If the car has the GM-built five-speed (BMW A5S360R, the 5L40E), yes, this is the 2002-up kit. Some BMW models used ZF automatics instead, so check the transmission tag on the left rear of the case or send us the year and VIN.
Both. The kit lists a complete BorgWarner friction set and a steel set along with the Transtec gasket and seal package, bushings, and the front and rear seals.
A filter is not part of the listed contents. Add a 5L40E filter and pan gasket kit so the rebuilt unit starts on clean fluid.
Inspect the forward and coast drum, the sprags, and the direct/reverse housing for cracks. Worn pump sealing rings are covered by the kit, but a cracked housing or scored drum must be replaced separately.
Yes. Clear the adaptive shift values with a scan tool and drive the car through all gears so the module relearns clutch fill times on the new frictions.
