SMG Problems. My 2004 BMW e46 330ci has given me the cog of death on the instrument panel... The light looks like a gear with an exclamation point in the middle. Perhaps it should be a dollar sign in the cog instead. I asked a local mechanic the cost to look into this and it quickly became clear that the repair costs would exceed the book value of the car. This will be a boring video for 99.9% of you, but may just save the day for someone who had my problem. #smg #ssg #e46

This literally stopped the car from shifting out of first gear into neutral and I could not start it.
The car shifter says it's SMG it has a sequential manual gearbox, but it is NOT an M3. It has also been called SSG to not be confused with the M3 equipment which is very different. It seems to be a rare car with a funky transmission. Here I will show you part of the troubleshooting procedure I worked through to get the car running again. I use a ratcheting 10mm wrench, Torx t30 bits, a new hydraulic SMG Pump, a flex head ratcheting 17mm wrench for the best fit on the tank cap, a fluid pump, and Pentosin CHF 11s hydraulic fluid.

Watch here as I decide it needs more fluid to work.    • BMW 2004 e46 330ci SSG SMG Transmissi...   Ultimately, this was not enough, so here we are continuing to diagnose the problem and replace the pump.

The car is jacked up, the heat shield is removed to expose the hydraulic pump and fluid tank. I test the pump, replace the pump, refill the fluid, and test drive. Ultimately, this seems to have solved the problem of the car not shifting.

I do a test drive and show the shifting and dash readouts. Is the car fixed? Time will tell, but I think this was the answer to a serious problem that left me stranded in traffic.

Disclaimer I am not a professional mechanic, but I read a lot and have been wrenching longer than most viewers here have been alive. I am sharing this video to illustrate a problem I was presented with and the steps I followed to address it. Any work you do on your own car is done at your own risk. If you are a pro and can share your experiences, problems and solutions, they are welcome.

I had a really hard time finding much info on this topic, so I made the video to help. This is why I make the videos a way to pass it forward.

If you're looking for resources related to troubleshooting or replacing the SMG/SSG transmission pump in a BMW 330Ci E46 (nonM3), here are relevant keywords:

BMW 330Ci SMG pump replacement
E46 SMG transmission troubleshooting
SMG hydraulic pump issues
BMW E46 SMG transmission problems
NonM3 SMG pump repair
SMG transmission pump failure
BMW 330Ci SSG pump troubleshooting
E46 SMG pump noise
SMG pump relay problems
BMW E46 SMG actuator repair
330Ci SMG pump relay replacement
SMG transmission fluid pump
BMW SMG pump DIY repair
SMG pump electrical issues
E46 SMG pump fault codes
BMW E46 SMG actuator replacement
NonM3 SMG transmission fluid change
BMW 330Ci SSG transmission pump replacement
E46 SSG/ SMG pump bleeding procedure
SMG pump motor replacement

Always refer to your vehicle's manual and consider seeking professional assistance if needed.

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