During cold start ups and drives, my transmission shifts fine (within the first 4 gears) but once I get into "5th gear" for the first time on a cold morning, and then slow down, it doesn't want to downshift, it. Once I get passed that first "upset" the tranny shifts smoothly. It shifts perfectly fine after everything is warmed up.

whats going on? Is it gonna make it? should I flush the fluid out and replace it?

I know its probably a valve body issue but what could I do first before I tackle any repairs.

Thanks guys

When in doubt, change the fluid and filter.

I've been having the exact same problem intermittently for a while now.

I took it to the shop that did the work (rebuilt tranny was put in 45K miles ago) and they said nothing was wrong with it and that it drove fine for them, which it does 90% of the time.

I've been having the exact same problem intermittently for a while now.

I took it to the shop that did the work (rebuilt tranny was put in 45K miles ago) and they said nothing was wrong with it and that it drove fine for them, which it does 90% of the time.

yea, doesn't it feel like when its trying to downshift for the first time, the transmission is trying real hard to do it but it can't. its almost feels as if the transmission is operating with glue in it or something (just a feeling of description).

I will try to get the fluid and filter changed and see if it solves the problem. Hopefully it's just the cold weather that is putting a damper on it.

yea, doesn't it feel like when its trying to downshift for the first time, the transmission is trying real hard to do it but it can't. its almost feels as if the transmission is operating with glue in it or something (just a feeling of description).

I will try to get the fluid and filter changed and see if it solves the problem. Hopefully it's just the cold weather that is putting a damper on it.

Ya.. that's exactly how it feels when its happening.

If it starts doing it I usually drop it into S4 for a while cuz it downshifts more readily and it goes away and never comes back until another cold start.

Let me know how it goes once you do the fluid/filter change.

I'll let you know Prash. So you got your tranny rebuilt 45k ago and its doing this now? are you still on your original fluid and filter? just wondering.

I'll let you know Prash. So you got your tranny rebuilt 45k ago and its doing this now? are you still on your original fluid and filter? just wondering.

Ya. They installed another rebuilt one. Never changed either since.

does anyone think that changing the tranny fluid (having not known when it was last changed) could cause it to fail/not work as well as before. I think we have all heard those stories of how changing the fluid after say 100k can cause the transmission to fail. Does anyone have any thoughts on this theory? I know we have all heard it a million times.

Thanks

If the fluid comes out milky and white.... put it back in. The white is basically the clutch. If you replace the milky white fluid, you'll most likely have even worse tranny slippage.

If the milky texture is not there you're in good shape

does anyone think that changing the tranny fluid (having not known when it was last changed) could cause it to fail/not work as well as before. I think we have all heard those stories of how changing the fluid after say 100k can cause the transmission to fail. Does anyone have any thoughts on this theory? I know we have all heard it a million times.

Thanks

I had the same worry. I'm takin it in this week to get checked out... we'll see.

well i have the exact opposite. On cold starts, it doesnt want to shift up. Driving through my parking lot(when warm) i ussualy get to 2nd gear. But every morning, im cruising along in 1st gear the whole time, and down the street. Its not until i hit the main street and accualy try to pick up speed that it shifts, once it shifts its fine after that.

well i have the exact opposite. On cold starts, it doesnt want to shift up. Driving through my parking lot(when warm) i ussualy get to 2nd gear. But every morning, im cruising along in 1st gear the whole time, and down the street. Its not until i hit the main street and accualy try to pick up speed that it shifts, once it shifts its fine after that.

That's warm-up mode, it is supposed to do that. It will hold 2nd gear at around 2.5k until a certain temp is reached.

oh, no one told me this. Theres so much about this car i dont know. lol

I was wondering the same thing about mine. Maybe I should surf these pages a little more often.

I know I had the dealer change the filter and fluid some time ago because if felt like the tranny was slipping. After that.. no problems. At all. except that warm up mode thing that always scared me.

oh, no one told me this. Theres so much about this car i dont know. lol

It is in the manual.

my manual is not for my car. Its for the 525i, and 535i

*update

I took my car into the shop and basically the tranny is dying a slow death. The tech said it sounded like the torque converter was dying. There was no point doing a fluid flush b/c the tranny would die instantaneously.

So I'm basically going to drive it until the tranny problems become serious enough to warrant swaping it out. The bright side to this is that when the tranny does eventually die it'll be replaced by a 6spd w/ a 3.15 LSD.

eehhhhh... I knew this would be the eventual answer. I guess I have no choice but to ride it out like Prash says. Thanks Prash for doing the research but yea this is kinda what I expected hear.

Hmmm... so lets see if it blows up on me, should i replace it w/ an MT swap? mine does have 264k on it so hmmm... lots of wondering as you can see.

Thanks.

The tranny shop I go to always has a bunch of BMW's and AUDI's sitting outside waiting for new tranny's to be swapped in. Today there were two E34's, an E46 and an A6 4.2 all about to get done.

He was telling me that these ZF autotragics are garbage. I told him that my tranny didn't even have 62K miles (100Km) on it yet and he was like .. ya that happens with these tranny's.

6spd won't cost that much more to swap in there + it won't breakdown on you.

yea we will see what explodes on it and where i'm at if/when that happens. I would love a 6spd in this thing... Prash, where would you get your 6spd swap done if you got one? or do would you do that yourself? Good luck w/ the tranny.

I just have to keep telling myself that if I Keep this thing, no matter what, I won't have a car payment.