Some ti questions for a new owner...

[MarcMyWord]

Hello everyone,

I recently purchased a '95 with 65K miles and had a few questions I was hoping some of you could answer. You can either reply here, or e-mail me at MarcMyWord@aol.com. Thank you!

1. My auto trans does not go into torque lockup as expected, unless I'm really into the throttle. Once I let off, and cruise at 65 mph or so, it unlocks. Actually, I didn't even realize was able to lock up at all until today after driving it for three weeks. Any ideas?

2. With the factory installed alarm, unlocking the tailgate with the key will not cause the doors to unlock. Yet locking the tailgate with the key WILL lock the doors too. Is this normal with the alarm installed?

3. I assume there's no charging socket for the rechargable BMW flashlight that most other models have?

4. I have no belt-driven cooling fan, yet every picture I see of other car's engine compartments has this fan and cowling. Why is my fan electric (on the engine-side of the radiator)?

5. I'm getting about 25 mpg (mixed highway and city) with the torque converter problem. Is this normal or should I expect higher?

6. According the Bentley manual, holding the door key in the LOCK position will roll the windows up and close the sunroof. Well, my windows go up, but the sunroof stays open. Again, is this normal or do I have a problem somewhere?

[Phil Marx]

"1. My auto trans does not go into torque lockup as expected, unless I'm really into the throttle. Once I let off, and cruise at 65 mph or so, it unlocks."

I'm not sure from your description but it may be normal. The lockup occurs only in top gear and only after shifting into 4th and reaching cruising speed. If you then step on the gas it will unlock and the engine speed may increase at a faster rate than the vehicle speed. That's because the torque converter is slipping again as it's supposed to. You may be confusing "locking" with "slipping". You may need to try another car just to be sure.

"2. With the factory installed alarm, unlocking the tailgate with the key will not cause the doors to unlock. Yet locking the tailgate with the key WILL lock the doors too. Is this normal with the alarm installed?"

Mine locks and unlocks from the trunk, but it's a '98 and they may have changed it. I don't remember.

"3. I assume there's no charging socket for the rechargable BMW flashlight that most other models have?"

You'll never miss it. The factory flashlight is a dead battery waiting to happen.

"4. I have no belt-driven cooling fan, yet every picture I see of other car's engine compartments has this fan and cowling. Why is my fan electric (on the engine-side of the radiator)?"

Belt-driven fans take engine power, even with clutches working properly. The clutch can also fail so don't long for what you don't need. It'll cool fine with the electric fan even in the worst traffic on the hottest days.

"5. I'm getting about 25 mpg (mixed highway and city) with the torque converter problem. Is this normal or should I expect higher?"

Could very well be normal. depending on your driving. You'd have to measure an all-highway trip to see if the torque converter is really causig a drop in mileage. BMW rated your year automatic at 21/29 city/highway mileage. The later 1.9L motors were rated at 22/31 and I've gotten 32mpg on the highway and average about 28 in mixed rural (not really urban) driving in my 1.9L Auto.

"6. According the Bentley manual, holding the door key in the LOCK position will roll the windows up and close the sunroof. Well, my windows go up, but the sunroof stays open. Again, is this normal or do I have a problem somewhere?"

If yours has it, the sunroof closing will commence after the windows are both closed. Just keep on holding the key against the lock position to see.

[Rhys]

Hmm, I'll have to try this on mine..
Does this only work when you use the key in the lock itself? As I know it doesn't work on the remote locking.. not mine anyway.

[Phil Marx]

Okay, I found a reference. It doesn't answer all the questions but it does indicate that not all these features were on all years of the ti.

BMW says:
"What's new for 1996?:
•Central locking system can now be locked and unlocked via trunk lock as on other 3 Series models (phased in 9/95 production).
•Closing of sunroof from exterior door locks (closing of windows in this manner was already standard)."

And yes, this only works using key, not the (Alpine) remote

[TiPerformance]

Change the Fuel filter, plugs and you might get better gas milage

[Phil Marx]

And, perhaps more importantly, change the air cleaner element. All this under the assumption that you don't know when they were last done.

[MarcMyWord]

Thank you all for your responses.

It looks like my torque converter is not functioning correctly. At highway crusing speeds it is definitely not locked up. I used to have a 325ix and it was clear when it went into lockup. It was as if it shifted into another "gear" after 4th, and the rpms would not move if you goosed the throttle slightly. This is not the case with mine.

I need to try to determine if I actually experienced lockup yesterday during an acceleration on an up-sloped on-ramp. I was unable to repeat the scenerio today, so I will need to convinve myself what I saw wasn't just an upshift before I begin troubleshooting. I might have to take it to the dealer for a diagnostic check!

-Marc

[MarcMyWord]

Oh, and the previous owner had the car BMW serviced at all the appropriate intervals, so I know the fuel and air filters have been changed. I suspect a slipping torque converter is probably the cause of my less-than-expected mileage!