Reconditioned BMW Gearbox

BMW Gearboxes: 6-Speed Manual or Automatic – Two Very Different Realities Depending on the Model

The collection covers eight BMW models — Série 3, Série 1, X3, X1, Série 5, Série 4, X4 and Série 2 Gran Tourer — spanning the period 2003–2022, in both petrol and diesel. One point must be made clear from the outset: every gearbox listed here is a 6-speed manual. There are no automatics and no dual-clutch units within this range. If your BMW is fitted with a Steptronic or a ZF 8HP, this page does not apply to you.

Diesel or Petrol: Engine Families That Don't Share the Same Gearbox

The first identification pitfall lies in the engine codes. On the diesel side, three generations follow one another: the older 6-cylinder units M57D30 (references 306D2, 306D3, 306D5) found on pre-2010 Série 3 and X3 models, then the 4-cylinder N47D20 and its variants (N47D20A, M47D20), and finally the B47 family (B47C20A, B47C20B, B47D20) fitted to F- and G-generation models from around 2014 onwards. The 1.6d N47D16A and the 1.5d B37C15A/B37D15A (X1, Série 2 Gran Tourer) use gearboxes of different dimensions: do not confuse the GS6-17 references (front-wheel drive, transverse gearbox) with the GS6-37 or GS6-45 (rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, longitudinal gearbox).

On the petrol side, the same logic applies. The 2.0 units bring together codes as varied as N46B20, N43B20, N20B20 and B48B20 — each potentially corresponding to a different gearbox reference depending on the platform (E84, F48…). The 3.0 petrol covers M54B30, N52B30, N53B30, N54B30, N55B30 (435i) and B58B30 (440i) — six codes for the same engine capacity: the generation of the engine block directly determines the compatible GS6 reference.

Key Points to Check When Identifying Your Gearbox

BMW 6-speed manual gearboxes are referenced under the nomenclature GS6, but the suffix varies according to the drivetrain configuration (front-wheel drive: GS6-17, rear-wheel drive: GS6-37, xDrive four-wheel drive: GS6X37, GS6X45). A rear-wheel-drive Série 3 E90 and a front-wheel-drive Série 1 F20 share no interchangeable parts, even with the same engine. The engine code stamped on the block and the drivetrain configuration (rear-wheel drive / front-wheel drive / xDrive) are the two essential pieces of information required before placing any order. The reconditioned gearboxes in this collection are available on an exchange basis or as a rebuild of your own unit, depending on the reference.