Z3 has trouble with hills

[tr4guy]

My 98 Z3 is having difficulty getting up hills. It doesn't want to shift down and it seems to just not have enough power to accelerate or have the guts to handle long hills. I have changed the camshaft sensor and a torn hose on the MAF and no change in performance. My BMW dealer ssid when they checked it the Throttle actuator was making a noise and hot to the touch. But I have not had the noise or heat in more that a week driving it . Occasionally when I come to a stop it doesn't shift down to 1st gear and when I push the A/M button on the consul it does shift into 1st. My local transmission specialists says the transmission may not be the problem but the BMW guys aren't sure about anything. HELP!!! Anyone else have this problem?????

[MPoweredBMW5]

Any codes or lights on?

[Vintage42]

Is it a four or a six? How long have you had the car? How many miles on it? When did this problem begin? Did it begin slowly, or suddenly? Has the fluid been checked? When was it last changed?

[tr4guy]

The problem started with it not shifting down to 1st at a stop. I've had the car about a year and the hill problem only began about 8 weeks ago. The dealer found a malfunction code for the throttle actuator and it hasn't come back after a couple weeks of driving. Did you mean checking the transmission fluid.....I haven't done that. will do that. It's a four cylinder with about 68000+ miles on it. To me it seems like an old fashioned vacuum leak but no way to confirm and my mechanic and I both have looked for leaks but found nothing.

[rf900rkw]

If it's not starting in first, what gear is it starting in? 2nd? 4th? How many times does it shift? There is a major clue in that answer. This is a five minute diagnosis for a mechanic well versed on the car, a parts changing guessing game for one that is not.