Automatic angst

eponymous · 08-09-2006, 01:34 PM

I've a 1996 318i Auto touring that has been really reliable in the last 15 months and 15K miles I've owned it. I'm the second owner and it's got a full BMW service history until last year, until I took it to a highly respected specialist. It's not let me down, until now.

The exhaust front pipe was blowing, so ahead of me getting hold of a front pipe/cat, I noticed that it was backfiring a bit. It then cut out and the yellow light came on. I stopped and it carried on just fine afterwards. I took it to the specialists, they had a look at the servicing and said there was nothing wrong with it. Then, it was revving very highly without any increase in power and then completely sapped any transmission to the wheels, before the light came on and it started grinding to a halt after about 1/4 of a mile. I managed to pull over, leave it and repeat, but it did it again. The new front pipe was fitted and the blowing stopped. However, the same happened again. None of the forward gears can hack it for more than a short distance, although the rear gear is fine.

What, and why can this be? It's the sealed box, so it's tricky to get a quick test to check the automatic gearbox oil levels. This was supposed to be a really reliable buy -I'm having to rely on my 22 year old Citroen CX, which was the reason the BMW exists!

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

I would start here, by checking / topping off the fluid. Read the section on why I believe that non-serviceable transmission fluid is bad...

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/E36-Tranny_Fluid_Auto/E36-Tranny_Fluid_Auto.htm

-Wayne

eponymous · 08-14-2006, 11:47 AM

Thanks for that. The problem might well be deeper. The garage tried it out and detected a burning rubber smell -could these be the bands burning and thereby ruining the 'box? It looks like the "maintenance free" box is the biggest timebomb on the car - a $2,000 bill for an exchange box may well be round the corner.

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

Burning rubber. Hmm, I don't think there are *any* rubber parts inside the automatic transmission (but I'm not an expert). Could it be your flex-disc / guibo? That part is made of rubber...

-Wayne