BMW GM 5-Speed Automatic Guide

GM5 · five-speed automatic · BMW designations A5S 360R and A5S 390R · US-market cars 1998-2006 · E39 525i, 528i and 530i, E46 six-cylinder cars, E53 X5 3.0i, E83 X3

Part of the BMW transmission guide. To find the gearbox in a particular car, use the E-series lookup or the F and G series lookup.

The GM5 is a General Motors five-speed automatic that BMW fitted to US six-cylinder cars from 1998 to 2006. BMW calls it the A5S 360R or the A5S 390R: the R is the maker letter for General Motors Powertrain, and the number is the maximum input torque in Nm. General Motors itself calls the gearbox the 5L40-E.

It shares cars with the ZF 5HP. A US E46 325i or 330i could be built with either one, so the data plate decides which service parts and fluid apply. In later cars BMW moved to six-speed automatics, the ZF 6HP and GM's own GA6L45R.

Quick read

• Ownership position: Not established yet. We are still researching how these gearboxes age in service.
• Reliability: No family-wide verdict. BMW has bulletins for specific windows, listed below.
• Cost to own: Not established yet.
• Power potential: Not established yet. BMW encodes the input torque in the designation: 360 and 390 Nm.
• Main watch item: Fluid. BMW lists ATF 1 or Dexron VI depending on the gearbox code, so check the table below before topping up.

GM5 At a Glance

Technical Specifications

Which BMWs Have It

Variants

• A5S 360R: the earlier unit, in the E39 528i and the E46 323i and 328i with the M52 engine.
• A5S 390R: the M54-engined E39 525i and 530i, E46 325i, 325Ci, 325xi, 330i, 330Ci and 330xi, E53 X5 3.0i and E83 X3.
• GM6 (GA6L45R): GM's later six-speed, listed separately by BMW, takes Dexron VI and has a total volume of about 9.5 liters. BMW parts data lists it in the US E82 and E88 128i, E83 X3 3.0i, and the E90, E91, E92 and E93 328i and 323i.

Fluid by Gearbox Code

BMW lists the approved fluid by model year, engine and the code letters on the gearbox plate. The rows below are the ones for US-market engines. A diesel or four-cylinder car in the same table is left out.

Service Parts at a Glance

These BMW part numbers were looked up in BMW parts data. Catalog fitment lists models, and some of these models also exist with the ZF A5S 325Z, so confirm the gearbox code first.

Known Failure Points and Service Items

Only items a BMW document or an NHTSA recall backs are listed. Frequency is not established. An NHTSA recall search on sample US model years from 2001 to 2006 found no recall naming the GM5. NHTSA recall 05V504000 (2006 X5, faulty parking pawl guide plate) does not name the gearbox; the 2006-era X5 was built with either this gearbox or the ZF 6HP, so see the hub page.

01 Muffled knock at load reversal, A5S 360R (E46 323i and 328i)

BMW's February 1998 service information says the A5S 360R in the E46 323i and 328i could knock after a load reversal, because of excess side clearance between the gearbox output shaft and the output flange. It covers cars up to gearbox number 7911, built up to August 1998, and the remedy is a new output flange with a spring washer. Watch for a muffled knock from the rear axle area right after you lift off the accelerator at 30 to 40 km/h with the car warm.

02 Hard 2-3 shift and rough warm-up shifting, A5S 390R (X5 with M54)

BMW's 2000 bulletin attributes poor shift comfort in warm-up and a hard 2-3 upshift when the load comes off to coordination, and covers X5 M54 cars with the GM5 up to 07/2000. The remedy is an updated control-unit data status, in series production from calendar week 31 of 2000. Watch for a hard 2-3 upshift when you lift off the throttle.

03 No 1-2 upshift after driving uphill (US E39, E46, E53 with M54)

BMW service information says some US E39, E46 and E53 cars with the M54 and the GM5, from series launch to 09/2002, might not shift from first to second after a climb or a journey with extra drag. It names a software fault in the transmission control unit, and the remedy is reprogramming. Watch for the gearbox holding first gear after a hill.

04 Delayed engagement of D after parking (E46, E53, E83)

BMW's service information describes a delay of more than two seconds the first time D is selected after a long stand, such as overnight. BMW says the cause is internal leakage that lets the C1 clutch empty while parked. The bulletin covers E46 cars built 10/2002 to 11/2003 with the N42, M54, M47TU, M57 and M57TU engines, E53 cars with the M54 and M57 up to 11/2003, E83 cars with the M54 and M57TU, and E39 cars with the M57 diesel. For the E46, E53 and E39 the remedy is a software change to the C1 clutch pressure build-up. For the E83 BMW says to replace the transmission. Watch for a delayed first engagement after the car has been parked for hours.

Reliability Verdict

Not established yet. We are still researching this gearbox family.

Power Potential

Not established yet.

Cost of Ownership

Not established yet.

Common Questions

What BMWs have the GM5 automatic?

BMW parts data lists the GM A5S 360R or A5S 390R in the US E39 525i, 528i and 530i, E46 six-cylinder cars, E53 X5 3.0i and E83 X3, built from 1998 to 2006.

What fluid does the A5S 390R use?

BMW lists Dexron VI for the M54-engined cars with the A5S 390R, for example the E46 M54B25 and M54B30 and the E53 M54B30, and ATF 1 for the 1999-2000 M52 cars. The part numbers are 83 22 2 167 718 (Dexron VI, 1 liter) and 83 22 2 305 395 (ATF 1, 1 liter).

Is the GM5 a lifetime-fill gearbox?

Yes, according to BMW. Its bulletin says the A5S 360R and 390R need no oil change for their service life and that only the approved fluid may be used after repairs on the gearbox or the oil cooler.

Where do I find the approved fluid for my GM5?

BMW's bulletin says the approved automatic transmission fluid is shown on a label on the transmission oil sump, and that the transmission code is on the type plate behind the serial number.

Is the A5S 390R the same as the ZF 5HP?

No. The A5S 390R is General Motors' gearbox, shown by the R in the name, while the A5S 325Z is a ZF 5HP19. Both were built into the US E46 325i and 330i.

Sources

• BMW service documentation: transmission designations and maker table.
• BMW Service Information SI 24 05 96 (143): automatic transmission fluids, enclosure 9 (GM transmissions).
• BMW Service Information 24 02 98 (366), 24 04 00 (621), 24 03 02 (924) and 24 02 03 (055): GM5 bulletins.
• BMW technical data: transmission filling capacities, group 24.
• BMW parts catalog data, December 2019 data date: fluid table, fitment and part numbers.
• Wikipedia, List of GM transmissions, for General Motors' own gearbox name.