Torque converter is bad, Options?

[cazal740i]

happened yesterday I hit the gas and the RPMs went high and bang into gear...Happened again same scenario down the street. Drove to work and back and tends to do it only when I get aggressive on gas pedal. If I drive steady and normal shifts perfectly ALTHOUGH I no longer have SPORT mode? Im no expert so I think its just the TC and not my Gear box.
What do you guys think??
options:
1)New TC and rebuilt tranny $2800
2)TC and soft rebuild(valve body) $1900
3) buy a used sport tranny for $600(144k miles) slap it in?
4)part out

[M I C H A E L]

Rebuild the torque converter. If it shifts fine no reason to waste money on a full rebuild. I'm getting mine rebuilt next week. Throws a P0740 torque code.

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[Timm]

That sounds more like a failing clutch pack in the gearbox than a torque converter failure - a torque converter failure is usually permanent rather than getting better again. Didn't you see a TRANS FAIL-SAFE PROG message?

[cazal740i]

Rebuild the torque converter. If it shifts fine no reason to waste money on a full rebuild. I'm getting mine rebuilt next week. Throws a P0740 torque code.

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I agree

That sounds more like a failing clutch pack in the gearbox than a torque converter failure - a torque converter failure is usually permanent rather than getting better again. Didn't you see a TRANS FAIL-SAFE PROG message?

my 7 will light up TFS for what ever reason but 2 days into my new issue, there hasn`t been any TRANSFAILSAFE warnings at all...
I drove it for 30 mile round trip last night for my sons football game and kept the pedal steady like a grandma and shifted well..Only when I went around a corner at 5mph and hit the gas heavy a bit , did I see the high RPM issue arise again....

[racer2086]

That sounds more like a failing clutch pack in the gearbox than a torque converter failure - a torque converter failure is usually permanent rather than getting better again. Didn't you see a TRANS FAIL-SAFE PROG message?

100% agree. Symptoms don't sound like TC. Banging into gear is not usually associated with the TC.

The accel around the corner sounds kinda like it is low on fluid. Have you checked the level lately? TC failure is usually associated with shuddering or it just doesn't lock up, so you won't really feel anything.

[cazal740i]

100% agree. Symptoms don't sound like TC. Banging into gear is not usually associated with the TC.

The accel around the corner sounds kinda like it is low on fluid. Have you checked the level lately? TC failure is usually associated with shuddering or it just doesn't lock up, so you won't really feel anything.

my friend who has rebuild several suggests internal drum failures...ugh!
Im gonna check the fluid and add some and see what happens...maybe looking to buy a used 1 and throw it on...

[racer2086]

man that sucks. I hope its just low. Fortunately, there should be an abundance of used trans out there in CA

[testify]

6 speed manual swap! If you're going to spend some money, go big.

However, in reality, I would personally go with installing a used JY transmission.

[cazal740i]

I wish I had time to source 6 speed manual and swap but I don't....Money doesn't grow on trees for me...I have to look at the low cost options..

[cazal740i]

last night I was on my7 from 9pm to 4am.. I was up trying to figure out why I lost SPort mode too.. Sure it slips but I wasn`t going to try to fix the slip trying to fix SPORT mode.. so I knew the lack of SPort mode had to be electrical...Jacked up my 7 high from rear and realized the transmission is not in the middle or rear of car...DOPE...I then jacked up front really high and set jack stands..I really don't like to be so far underneath ..Anyways removed the transmission harness and saw oil all over the cracked plastic wire loom insulation...Removed it ,cleaned it..saw zero frays on the wire loom and sprayed electrical cleaner spray on both ends of the harness connecter....Started car and still no SPORT mode....
Then I removed my airbag of steering wheel and removed my Paddle shifter connecter...Still NO SPORT MODE....Got crazy and removed my whole center console to reveal the messy wiring underneath...I then removed the Paddle shift wiring from the steptronic harness wiring..I unplugged the Steptronic connector and saw white residue on 1 prong????...cleaned it with electrical spray... dabbed it with a Q-tip, so small, and reconnected about 10 times to get a solid connection....Temporarily connected the shift gate cover and turned on key to max without engine and saw (S) light up...wow!...put everything back together and drove around town at 3:30am felt like a fool but I was able to drive in each gear ....Does surge still from time to time...My money is 100% on the TC....Going to drain old 100k fluid and refill with ZF Ruby red
I know Im only grabbing straws

[setconstr]

I hate rolling under my car even with jack stands and the floor jack so I bought a couple 2 x 12" at Home Depot cut them 1 ft. long and drywall screwed them together to make some solid supports. Even when I use my ramps I put the blocks and jack stands under the car. If you ever do need tranny work call this guy Steve at ( Orange Coast European ) 714 325-6484 really reasonable prices and Great work

[cazal740i]

I hate rolling under my car even with jack stands and the floor jack so I bought a couple 2 x 12" at Home Depot cut them 1 ft. long and drywall screwed them together to make some solid supports. Even when I use my ramps I put the blocks and jack stands under the car. If you ever do need tranny work call this guy Steve at ( Orange Coast European ) 714 325-6484 really reasonable prices and Great work

gives me the eebie jeebies....I kept flashing my light on the jack stands neck cuz I had the car so high...making sure they didn't move....I also kept the 3 ton floor jack with equal weight pressure as 1 jack stand incase either of them failed...so I had 1 safe side to say the least...
Thnx for the contact...May call for a full flush...My shop here wont do it for liability concerns...Wonder is Steve will?

[racer2086]

If you flush with current issues going on, your issues will probably get worse...

The TC shudders on lock up and then disengages. If that's what you're feeling, then just leave it. Or add some of the Dr. Tranny Shudder Fixx.

[cazal740i]

If you flush with current issues going on, your issues will probably get worse...

The TC shudders on lock up and then disengages. If that's what you're feeling, then just leave it. Or add some of the Dr. Tranny Shudder Fixx.

gotta try something before I throw money on a rebuilt or part out the car and by a e65

- - - Updated - - -

what Vavoline Maxx life to buy?? ATF Maxxlife or DEX/MERCON Maxx life?

[racer2086]

You can't just drive it as is? My TC has been shuddering for 100k miles.

I flushed mine with Valvoline Max Life. So far so good. I did develop some seeping leaks, probably due to the newer fluid. Nothing major though. TC still shudders despite new fluid and Dr. Tranny.

[cazal740i]

I have to try new fluid.. My fluid is dark and 110k miles on it.
Which Vavoline did u buy? Theres ATF or DEX/Mercon? both ok`s use on BMW LT71141

[racer2086]

Hmm, I didn't seem to have that option. Mine was just Valvoline Max Life with the LT71141 spec on the back. It was just ATF. I don't remember it saying Dex/Merc on it.

[Sundaycruzer]

A drum failure. your better off having the trans gone through than waisting your time screwing around with the torque converter. Every time I’ve had a tc problem first thing you do is change fluid and add mr tranny slip fix and that’s it. If that doesn’t work you know what’s next


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[M I C H A E L]

A drum failure. your better off having the trans gone through than waisting your time screwing around with the torque converter. Every time I’ve had a tc problem first thing you do is change fluid and add mr tranny slip fix and that’s it. If that doesn’t work you know what’s next


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Mine is bad. But no chunks of metal shavings were found laying in the pan when I dropped it to change fluid and filter.

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[Sundaycruzer]

Mine is bad. But no chunks of metal shavings were found laying in the pan when I dropped it to change fluid and filter.

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A drum or torque converter? Neither typically leave chunks but a drum leaves you without forward motion and a torque converter will lock in and out sporadically(typically) but usually you can still drive the car. Then the one problem that nobody’s talked about is the pressure regulator valve that also goes bad in the valve body which causes all the problems above. That’s why rebuilding is such a better idea fix all the known issues and have a reliable trans. That’s what I’ve done and hopefully next week I’ll be installing it


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[racer2086]

Can the pressure regulator valve cause TC shuddering? Wouldn't there be other symptoms in the trans if that was the issue?

[M I C H A E L]

TC. And it doesn't lock up either.

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[kouks]

If its a torque converter it would fail within 80-100 miles of the first indication of problems and throw a TFS all the time after that. The first indication is shuddering during constant speed cruise when you press the gas pedal slowly. Will accelerate fine with moderate acceleration, then deteriorate to TFS and nothing else.

Your problem sounds like a drum issue (clutch failure), so you need a rebuild. Doing fluid changes etc at this point is just wasting time and money.

You're at a decision point in the car's life. We can't make that for you, its all about how much you want the car to stay alive.

[racer2086]

If its a torque converter it would fail within 80-100 miles of the first indication of problems and throw a TFS all the time after that. The first indication is shuddering during constant speed cruise when you press the gas pedal slowly. Will accelerate fine with moderate acceleration, then deteriorate to TFS and nothing else.

Your problem sounds like a drum issue (clutch failure), so you need a rebuild. Doing fluid changes etc at this point is just wasting time and money.

You're at a decision point in the car's life. We can't make that for you, its all about how much you want the car to stay alive.

Kouks, if my TC has been shuddering for half the car's life, is it a TC problem or the pressure valve that's the problem? Shudder fix only worked for 7k miles before it started again. Trans acts healthy and no TFS ever. Can I replace the pressure regulator and stop the shudder? (I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this )

Unfortunately, I agree, Cazal has more going on than a TC.

[kouks]

Kouks, if my TC has been shuddering for half the car's life, is it a TC problem or the pressure valve that's the problem? Shudder fix only worked for 7k miles before it started again. Trans acts healthy and no TFS ever. Can I replace the pressure regulator and stop the shudder? (I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this )

Unfortunately, I agree, Cazal has more going on than a TC.

I'm not a trans expert, I just slept at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

However, if your problem was a TC you would have seen shavings all over when you dropped the pan on your recent fluid change I saw. You did have shavings on the magnets, but those were steel. The TC has an aluminum rotor and the shavings would be everywhere since Aluminum is not magnetic.

I think your issue does have to do with a fluid pressure problem. If it were mechanical, you would have failed by now. In my e34 I had an occasional shudder when the car was only a few years old and it was low on fluid. Since you just did the fluid, recheck the fluid level using the ZF method. If that's OK, it could be the pressure regulator spring on the side of the trans. If that does not fix it, there may be a blockage in the trans oil cooler or your trans oil pump may be worn, or if it only does it in one gear, then the shift solenoid for that gear may be weak. Either way, if it continues down this road, you will eventually have a mechanical failure, and the metal shavings you found in the pan are an early warning.

The easy stuff is the pressure regulator and the shift solenoid.