Automatic is shifting only at higher RPMs

[Slade]

My '96 ti automatic doesn't want to shift earlier than around 4000+ RPMs unless I baby the gas pedal bigtime. The only way I can get this car to shift at 3000 RPM or less from a stop is if I have the gas pedal pressed down so lightly that a millimeter less and I wouldn't be able to pick up any speed at all... seriously just beyond idle.

I've basically had to accelerate, let off the gas almost entirely, wait for it to upshift, and start accelerating again to keep the RPMs down. The alternative of just letting it shift at around 4k+ RPM constantly isn't exactly helping the gas mileage.

I'm a lifetime manual transmission driver, and have never owned a BMW before either. Is this normal transmission behavior, or do I have a problem here?

[teetime4one]

mine does the same thing Slade...only mine shifts at a little lower RPMs then yours.
time for a new tranny i'm afraid.
let me know what you find out...i'll keep you posted as well.

[slow_ti]

Manual time

[familytruckster]

Could be a lot of things. A sensor, bad kickdown switch. Sounds like an issue with how it's calculating load or throttle position. Or, it could be a bad temp sensor and the trans thinks it's cold so it keeps the rpms up to warm it up.

And there is another way to make it shift. Manual mode.

[mohaughn]

My 328 was doing the same thing before I got rid of it. Transmission shop diagnosed it as a bad 2nd to 3rd gear solenoid.

You might be able to find a shop that will replace just that, but most of the shops I talked to felt that if you are going to drop the transmission and start replacing parts, you might as well rebuild it as they can't guarantee that replacing just the solenoid will get the transmission back to 'factory specs' in terms of performance.

Does it do it at every gear change, or just the 2nd to 3rd change?

[jca]

I won't hurt to check to fluid level. The car doesn't have a dipstick, so you have to loosen the fill plug on the side of the transmission. If (warm) fluid doesn't come out, it's low. In my experience automatic tranmissions low on fluid can do a lot of funny things.

[rochey6957]

im on my third transmision from simmilar issues. i also had a shop tell me it was a bad solenoid and i put a new transmission in and no improvement. i drove around in manual mode for awhile and burned it up. finally took it to the dealership and it ended up being a sensor on the engine needed replacing. when the sensor went it put a bad shift point in the transmission brain. when the sensor was replaced the brain had to be cleared out too.

just how mine went :)

[familytruckster]

a bad 2-3 solenoid affects the 2-3 shift only, and doesn't make the shift point higher. It makes it slip between shifts- Mine has been doing that for 70,000 miles.

If all of the shift points are high, it's something else.

[Monolith]

I would do a thorough cleaning of the gear range selector switch if you don't have an INPA interface to check the selected gear versus the gear reported to the TCU (transmission computer). Almost sounds like the transmission computer thinks you are in sport mode (3rd gear on the selector).

[Slade]

Could be a lot of things. A sensor, bad kickdown switch. Sounds like an issue with how it's calculating load or throttle position. Or, it could be a bad temp sensor and the trans thinks it's cold so it keeps the rpms up to warm it up.

And there is another way to make it shift. Manual mode.

I've been driving the car around a lot more since I got it last week. The transmission still does this everytime from a cold start, but it improves to what I'd consider normal shifting after the car heats up. Hadn't correlated the car temp with the shifting when I first posted about this.

I was wasn't aware that this car (or any) will run higher RPMs to warm the transmission when it's too cold, and it's been freezing cold outside too. Hopefully nothing major is wrong and it's just my lack of knowledge mixed with a little used car purchase paranoia.

I only have sundays off work (two jobs) so first thing tomorrow I'm going to get under there and check the fluid level.

Thanks for the replies, I'll keep everyone posted.

[familytruckster]

It's not to warm the trans, it's actually to warm the motor and catalytic converter for emissions... Very common complaint. First thing most people complain about when getting an auto trans ti.

[M-technik-3]

How many miles? Thinking drop the pan, clean it, new seal new fluid and especially a new filter. The fact BMW went too lifetime fills on their automatic gear boxs was a very poor decision imho.

How don't know how many times Mike Miller says this to people who write in about poor shifting on an automatic car. I would suggest if you don't have a nice level way to do this in the air or from a pit style repair area then to have a independent bmw shop to do the work.

[Monolith]

The Euro spec software for the transmission controller does not have the cold start high revving "feature" of the US spec software.

[Slade]

Checked the transmission fluid levels today when I was changing the oil/filter and they looked good.

How many miles? Thinking drop the pan, clean it, new seal new fluid and especially a new filter. The fact BMW went too lifetime fills on their automatic gear boxs was a very poor decision imho.

How don't know how many times Mike Miller says this to people who write in about poor shifting on an automatic car. I would suggest if you don't have a nice level way to do this in the air or from a pit style repair area then to have a independent bmw shop to do the work.

It's a 1996, but only has 55k miles on it. I'm probably going to take your advice and just go ahead and get this done now so that I don't have to worry about further issues later.

The only thing I have to lift the car are your basic drive-onto front wheel ramps that I use for oil changes, the car is fairly level but not perfectly. Is this not recommended for transmission fluid changing? I did a little research on a step-by-step how-to for this project, didn't seem too difficult. I'd take it to a shop if it made sense to, but I'd rather do the work myself if it's nothing too risky or difficult.

The Euro spec software for the transmission controller does not have the cold start high revving "feature" of the US spec software.

How might someone go about switching the software? If this is something a shop or dealer can do fairly easily, I'd love to ditch this setup for the more conventional Euro one.

[Monolith]

The most exact way is to find the software number and match it up with the Euro TCU (each TCU has a VIN number, generic part number and a specific software part number on a sticker on the TCU). Take your VIN to RealOEM.com, then change to a Eurospec of the same time period and you should be able to find the software part number for the Euro TCU. The manufacture date of your car is important because the pin interface changed over the years and you want the same generic part number so it will just plug in.

However, checking ebay UK and matching the engine would probably be close enough. You want to make sure, at a minimum, that the VIN number on the sticker of the TCU is for a euro spec car with a 1.9 engine. I would look for something around the $50 USD range.

For more info and sport mode:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1565043&highlight=e36

[M-technik-3]

96 does it have a drain plug and a dipstick? If does not have a dip stick for the auto box you need to do filter and fluid changes in a very unorthodox method of dropping the pan to drain/fill.

My 99 does not have a dipstick, this is why I ask. I had to do it on the lift vswhen I did my Vert's pan it was just like changing the oil. Lift drain pull pan, clean so forth then fill through the fill tube.

[Slade]

I'm definitely going to look further into this changing the software, thanks for all the info Monolith.

No, I don't have any dipstick. I'm definitely going to have to drop the pans to change the fluid and filter. Going to have to buy new gaskets for the pans too I'm sure. I'll get under there again another time and see if I have enough room to work comfortably. Might be too awkward to try and balance full pans while working the bolts. May end up being something I get done at a shop.

[Monolith]

Basic fluid change primer:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/E36-Tranny_Fluid_Auto/E36-Tranny_Fluid_Auto.htm

You can use a jack to help stabilize the pan while you undo the bolts.

[jca]

I've changed my transmission fluid and filter with the car on a lift, and having done so, I would not try to change the fluid and filter on drive up ramps. Just me. Any competent shop can do this for you. You don't have to take the car to a BMW specialist for this particular job.

[teetime4one]

i did mine on 1/2 ton floor stands...the little guys. it was a bit claustrophobic under there...but got it done lickety-split. there is a gasket kit that comes with the filter. look into getting it beforehand.
then buy a fluid pump that fits onto an ATF bottle. they have a hose that ya stick into the fill hole and then ya pump the fluid into the pan.
on a 1-5 scale for tough jobs...it's a 2. and wouldn't have been that tough had it been on a lift versus those tiny stands i had to work with.