Transmission and Drivetrain: Application and ID

Transmission Identification

BMW uses three different transmission suppliers.

1. Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen: A German supplier of BMW transmissions. Commonly referred to as ZF. ZF manufactures both manual and automatic transmissions.
2. Getrag: A German supplier of BMW manual transmissions.
3. Hydramatic: A French supplier of BMW automatic transmissions. Hydramatic is a manufacturing division of General Motors Powertrain.

The BMW identification code system is the method used for parts ordering, information research and identification within BMW technical organization.

The breakdown of the BMW transmission identification code is as follows:

BMW Designation:

Each manufacturer has it's own internal identification for it's products. For example: the A5S 360R is the GM 5L40E, and the A5S 325Z is the ZF 5HP 19.

OEM Manufacturer Designation:

Vehicle Transmissions

Automatic Transmissions
The following table contains a list of automatic transmissions and the models they are used in.







Manual Transmissions

The following table lists the manual transmissions and the vehicles they are used in







Transmission Data Plate

Data Plate:

The transmission ID can always be determined by the data plate attached to the transmission.

The data plate contains the transmission model number, serial number, manufacturer and 2 digit character code.