Automatic transmission RPM shifting too high

[xsalernox]

i got a 98 ti...201,000km on it...when i start the car and give it a few minutes to warm up then i accelerate the rpms are going to 5-6 before it shifts to the next gear..when the car is warmed up fully after driving for a bit it shifts fine. i find this problem occurs when the car is accelerating from a stand still only. is this normal? or is my tranny on its way out? any tips or advice would be very appreciated. thanks

[familytruckster]

Are you sure it's 5-6K? 4K is normal for a cold shift. Once it warms up they shift normal, it's to reduce emissions.

I would suggest checking the fluid level.

[KSKarl]

Ditto, it's programmed to shift at higher revs before its warm to help emissions.
In contrast, with a standard transmission, I shift a lower revs to warm the engine up gently.

[xsalernox]

yes now that i tested it...it does shift at 4000rpm when cold...but when warmed up and im at a red light then it turns green to go...if i put the hammer down but not all the way..it almost redlines unless i take my foot off the gas. i find its odd because im not hammering it to the floor...i just accelerating quickly instead of just softly accelerating from a stand still. is that normal?

[KSKarl]

Probably normal.
Throttle position is another input to the computer controlling the transmission shift points. Our other car is a 525i auto and shift points seem to be set to take advantage of the motor's willingness to rev. Accelerating hard but not full throttle gets 1->2 shift above 5000rpm. Full throttle shifts close to the red line.

[318tiGuam]

i know this thread is old but i think i might be having the same problem and i hope someone can give me some suggestions on how to fix it. i have a 97 318ti auto with 78k miles on it. the car runs fine when the engine is warmed up. but, usually in the morning or when i first start the car after it has cooled down for hours it makes this weird growling noise but after a minute or so after i started it the noise goes away. what might be causing this noise? another problem is i kinda need to warm the car up first because if i dont it feels like the car has a hard time shifting to 2nd and 3rd gear. it sounds like its just reving but not shifting. but again once the car has warmed up everything seems fine? and how fast should i be going for the car to shift to 4th gear? around 40-50mph should i still be crusing in 3rd gear? its just that the car sounds like its strugling after 45mph and im not too sure at what speed is the car supposed to shift to 4th. im not too sure if its the fluid because theres no sign of any leak. but im just gona replace the atf (Napa atf dexron 3 ok?) and see if it gets better. but if it doesnt what do u think is the problem? i hope to read some suggestions. thanks .

[KSKarl]

Guam, your shifting is probably normal. When the engine is cold, the transmission shifts at higher revs so more exhaust flow will heat up the catalyst quicker. But it should not make more noise. Start by changing the fluid.