Help with 540I

[93525I]

I just bought a 1994 540I auto today at an auto auction. Of course the guy tells me that it runs great bla bla bla. Well it does run good but.... When your first taking off it seems to be very sluggish like. What I mean by that is it feels almost like the parking brake is on and then you realize that it is on. So at a dead stop it feels like the parking brake is on and once you get it moving it is fine? Any one ever experince this. I was thinking either the tranny or maybe a caliper is locked up.

Thanks guys for any help

[shelbyz4u2nv]

hmmm could be a number of things...parking brake sticking...but to tell you the truth, w/o a true diagnosis its hard to tell...to me it sounds like maybe a bad torque converer...which i hope its not

[93525I]

I sure hope it is not. What is a torque converter cost now a days. I guess maybe I should look into taking it to a german shop around me huh?

[shelbyz4u2nv]

yea i would take it to a shop just to be sure...hard to diagnos via internet...but as to the ans to your question...seems that RealOEM.com calls for the converter to be $1634...ouch im sure u can get it cheaper...but who knows maybe its something stupid

check the atf fluid, hows the level? smell?

[scyrusurcys]

Could also been a failed catalytic converter. This will make acceleration extremely sluggish because of the back pressure your collapsed cat is causing. If that's the case and you plan on replacing it, get an aftermarket high-flow cat or just replace it with a pipe [if it's legal there].

[shelbyz4u2nv]

Could also been a failed catalytic converter. This will make acceleration extremely sluggish because of the back pressure your collapsed cat is causing. If that's the case and you plan on replacing it, get an aftermarket high-flow cat or just replace it with a pipe [if it's legal there].

+1 agreed

[gboezio]

Could also been a failed catalytic converter. This will make acceleration extremely sluggish because of the back pressure your collapsed cat is causing. If that's the case and you plan on replacing it, get an aftermarket high-flow cat or just replace it with a pipe [if it's legal there].


yea i would take it to a shop just to be sure...hard to diagnos via internet...but as to the ans to your question...seems that RealOEM.com calls for the converter to be $1634...ouch im sure u can get it cheaper...but who knows maybe its something stupid

check the atf fluid, hows the level? smell?
+1 on both of them, but for the cats get the magnaflow units they sells for 60 $ each they just need to be welded on.
To know if something is holding the car just go where there is a slight grade and put in neutral. If the car is stuck the jack it up and try moving all the wheels by hand. If the car was parked for a while the brakes probably seized, specially the drums of the handbrakes inside the rear disc hub. Trust me they are a real PITA to get moving. Just check trough the wheels to see if there is a lot of rust on the discs.
Good luck and welcome to e34 forum.

[93525I]

I am going to try a few things like you all said tomrrow when I get home. car is sweet it would be a shame for it to have costly repairs. My brother wants my 525 So I figured I would take this baby. Yall are great people and I will post tom evening what I am getting. Worst case I will then take it to the shop.

[gboezio]

A pleasure, check those oil pan bolts as well, see link below. This is the most likely to fail on M60 engines. It may have been done before tough, just a tought.

[93525I]

Good looking out on that. I am not to mechanically inclined but Its worth me looking at it. I tell you what once I got that baby up to speed today she flew across the parking lot. I would be so excited if it was just something small. Knowing BMWS its never something easy or small. I did look at the discs and they looked fine to me. No rust. I guess like you said jack it up and move the wheels to get the best result. I will definitly keep yall posted.

PS. how many psot do I have to have b4 I can put my dang pictures up?

[gboezio]

20 and 100 to get an avatar

[93525I]

Ok I did a few tests today on the car. It does not seem to be the brakes. When I switch it from economy drive to * it is fine no problem. So I am guessing it is the tranny. I also noticed when I was following my brother that it had a heavy white smoke for a while. I am not sure if it because its really cold or if it is a head gasket.

Maybe its the fluid where in the heck do you check the trans fluid on this car?

Let me know what yall thinkg

[gboezio]

If your fine on the sport mode I guess that' sthe way the car drives.

[93525I]

I do not have a problem driving it like that at all. What do you think about the head gasket. I checked the coolant and the oil. None of them are showing signs of each other. I think it is just cause it is super cold.

[xatlas0]

It sounds like you have classic check ball failure. Uriah, another board member, recently rebuilt his valve body to fix this problem. Look up his threads, he did an excellent job.

[gboezio]

darn I posted a reply an hour ago and it ain't here ?!??!
Well I probably flushed it accidentally...
I was saying that you guys get colder than usual tmeps right now, when the exhaust is cold the water vapors condense to form tiny droplets, just like breath fog. It goes away when the exhaust ehats up. Temp go down to -15 F here and cars smoke a lot.

[fkong777]

try a couple things.
* Clean or replace air filter
* Clean ACV
* Use some fuel injection cleaner.
* Knock on your cat and see if it rattles. (if they do change them with magnaflow ones.) Do a res delete while the cats are being replaced

[93525I]

It sounds like you have classic check ball failure. Uriah, another board member, recently rebuilt his valve body to fix this problem. Look up his threads, he did an excellent job.


I was reading that earlier and it did sound exactly like my problem.


I am going to work on it some more tonight. You guys are cool. Thanks for all the help I will post some more news tonight as I dig into the pit a little furhter.