automatic transmission issues

[E39 Newbie]

So just to give a short update, I scraped all the gunk out of the transmission pan (see above), replaced the AT filter and replaced the pan. Then I added 1 pint Seafoam Trans Tune and topped off the rest of the transmission with Valvoline MaxLife ATF. Per the Seafoam instructions, I drove the car around for 30 miles, then I drained the fluid (left the pan on this time) and replaced it with another pint of Seafoam and new Valvoline Maxlife ATF. I am going to drive the car for another 100 miles or so before replacing the filter and the fluid one more time (I don't plan to add anymore Seafoam after the second application).

During the 30 mile drive the transmission started shifting much better. My original complaint of hard shifting between 2 and 3 seems to be resolved. I did not get the "gear" shaped warning, although I have not checked for codes. I did use INPA to monitor my transmission temperature and it seemed to be OK. after driving on the freeway for 15 minutes or so, the transmission temp went up a little bit above the engine (radiator) temperature of 90C. If I remember correctly, the transmission stayed below 120C. I'll continue to monitor over the next 100 miles.

The fluid I drained out after the 1st Seafoam application (30 miles of use) was black and seemed to have a fair amount of visible but small particulates. However, the viscosity seemed similar to new fluid and it was not sludgy.

Thanks for the help!

Congrats on getting it running. If you're seeing "boob glitter" in the fluid something has gone/is going metal to metal. So you should budget for a replacement/rebuild. For now, drive it until it breaks.

[harrier]

great to see the progress