Need Help Fast!! (Who Is The Guru?)

[bernieb]

Hi Fellas,
First post here but I am a regular to many Porsche and various motorcycle forums.

I have the possibility to buy a 1994 325i.
This is a 4-door autobox but it has a problem.....

The tranny warning is coming on and the car will not go to top gear. It will shift initially through the first three gears with no problems. If you push it, the warning lamp illuminates and then the car sticks itself into third for the duration. According to the user manual, this is a normal Protect Mode for the car. The manual states that this could be the transmission module or the tranny itself.....

Questions:
What do you think, is it more likely to have a failed transmission or a module?

How can I perform a test to confirm that it is NOT the module without swapping it out? Is there a procedure or is swapping it the only way....

Where is it located?

What are these E36 cars notorious for? If you say auto tranny failure, I'm gonna laugh!

Thanx Fellas and its great to be here.....

Oh, where is this site located? Is this US or European?

BB

[headbang]

 

[Kirby]

Welcome!!

I do not know of any way to test the module other than swapping it out. The dealer can download the error codes to determine the source of the problem.

BMW auto transmissions are known to live 100K - 150K, and then start to fail. How many miles on the car?

This site is based in the US.

 

[bernieb]

Hi Kirby,
Car has 152K on it but I think I can get it for maybe $3500.00....
Does that sound reasonable for a car with a botchy tranny?

I did some web research and discovered that when the car won't shift up to the OD gear, it usually ends up being the OD Solenoid or an electrical problem.

Is the solenoid accessible without dropping the tranny?
Where is it located and how could I diagnose the solenoid as the problem?

Is there any code sequences that can be run on the car without a reader that would detect a problem with the solenoid?

Thanx and great to be here....

BB

 

[Big Daddy]

Is it one of these parts?

And Kirby is correct, BMW autos last between 100-150k. They are generally expensive to rebuild.

 

[bernieb]

Thanx BD.....
I have located rebuilt trannies (actually a friend of mine) for around the 1K mark. Not such a bad deal as my friend and I are more than capable of putting it in if need-be. We have built up at least 6 Porsche 928's in the last 3 years so I am pretty familiar with that particular breed.
I am not at all familiar with Beemers.
I did a bunch of research and it seems that this is a pretty common problem amongst 3-series owners so it surprises me that I cannot find readily available information and even a complete procedure for diagnosing one's own transmission? As I said, it may be just the solenoid according to some info I found.

Do you guys have a links to sites that may offer DIY info on working out this particular problem? I would hate to miss out on a good deal just because I failed to find the right info.

Thanx for the diagram --- it helps but I need more info.

BB

 

[Big Daddy]

Pelican parts has an excellent tech article section, however I think your going to find most articles and knowledge here is on manuals. Most auto owners do not work on their own, I could be wrong on that one. Have you tried google searching bmw e36 auto transmission failures, etc.? Best of luck to you and we will help with what we can.

Try this site as well: BMW E36 DIY

 

[bernieb]

I had a friend at a shop read my codes and it came up as 64
Apparently, this is a speed sensor inside the transmission.

It is very strange that the problems are not consistent?
Sometimes the tranny slips and sometimes it doesn't?
If I cycle the key 2-3 times, the car seems to shift again pretty good but still will not hit the top gear. If I try to drive in manual mode and then shift to auto, the car will do all sorts of funky stuff. Shut the car off and cycle it a couple of times and it seems to be pretty good again.
Not sure what it all means but I am aimin' to?

BB

 

[double00]

hi can any tell me if a 3161 2 door coupe has the same exhause as a 3161 saloon 4 door

 

[double00]

any 1 there

 

[Kirby]

Most of the users here are in the US, we don't have 316s.

 

[jazfe]

This may or may not work. Since the car is an electric vehicle, I would disconnect the battery and turn on the warning flashers for about five minutes to discharge all voltage. This resets the computers on the vehicle. Have your radio code handy. Good luck.