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Thread: e34 automatic transmission stuck in 3rd gear only

  1. #1
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    e34 automatic transmission stuck in 3rd gear only

    Good morning, it is my first post , hope i can get helpful information about my problem.

    I have my automatic 1993 e34 , 520i , stopped shifting gears , it is only moves on 3rd gear , even on cold start , or at high speed, it is only 3rd gear there , along with hard knock when changing gear leaver from R to D and vers versa.

    if i disconnect the TCU and leave the car for 10 min then re connect it ( or disconnect the battery overnight ), the car will work normally , will drive on 1st then go to 2nd , the time the speed reaches 25km ~ 30km in 2nd gear , the transmission will knock , and will jump to 3rd and stuck there , the car will stay on 3rd even if i shut down the car over night.

    this problem happened after changing the car auto starter and intake manifold ( the manifold i bought was new , and it comes closed from inside which i didn't notice - i mean the two small hoses holes - i drove the car this way home and it was jerking alot , and the pressure was high inside the engine when opening the oil inlet cap , observed the manifold next day and saw it was close from the inside , opened them with screw driver and it is idling perfectly at 600 rpm ) .

    changed the TPS 3 times , no help .
    the transmission oil is full , just checked .
    no air leaks , i cheaked all hoses and manifold connections with foam .

    the car work perfectly, and drive very smooth from (40 to 60 km ) which is the 3rd gear range .

    hope i can get any info that may helps .

  2. #2
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    e34 automatic transmission stuck in 3rd gear only

    Good morning, it is my first post , hope i can get helpful information about my problem.

    I have my automatic 1993 e34 , 520i , stopped shifting gears , it is only moves on 3rd gear , even on cold start , or at high speed, it is only 3rd gear there , along with hard knock when changing gear leaver from R to D and vers versa.

    if i disconnect the TCU and leave the car for 10 min then re connect it ( or disconnect the battery overnight ), the car will work normally , will drive on 1st then go to 2nd , the time the speed reaches 25km ~ 30km in 2nd gear , the transmission will knock , and will jump to 3rd and stuck there , the car will stay on 3rd even if i shut down the car over night.

    this problem happened after changing the car auto starter and intake manifold ( the manifold i bought was new , and it comes closed from inside which i didn't notice - i mean the two small hoses holes - i drove the car this way home and it was jerking alot , and the pressure was high inside the engine when opening the oil inlet cap , observed the manifold next day and saw it was close from the inside , opened them with screw driver and it is idling perfectly at 600 rpm ) .

    changed the TPS 3 times , no help .
    the transmission oil is full , just checked .
    no air leaks , i cheaked all hoses and manifold connections with foam .

    the car work perfectly, and drive very smooth from (40 to 60 km ) which is the 3rd gear range .

    hope i can get any info that may helps .

  3. #3
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    I assume with built year 1993 you have the 520i E34 Sedan Euro with M50 engine and the transmission should be then Automatic transmission BMW A5S310Z = ZF 5HP18.
    Please add the details to your profile, E34 is not enough, i.e. E34 520iA M50 EURO xx/93.
    Did you already check the shift selector valve on the side of the 5HP18 ? Could be broken https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...to-not-working
    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...-rod-is-broken
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  4. #4
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    When the car is operating normally, you will have a display of which mode and which gear you have selected. For example, E for economy and D for drive. Do these letters go out when the trans goes into the high forward gear? And at the same time, does an amber warning light (looks like a gear wheel) come on?

  5. #5
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    thanks for your replay , the display is broken and dont show anything.
    no there is no gear wheel like light comes on .

    - - - Updated - - -

    thanks for your reply.
    the car is m50 520iA , ZF gear there , Middle East 1993 .
    dont know about the valve , wil check it and post here

  6. #6
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    e34 automatic LIMP MODE

    greetings everyone.
    here is my data first :-
    car :- e34 1993 520ia euro m50b20 engine black .
    millage :- 280k
    location:- turkey .
    problem:- locked in Limp mode .
    indications :- Tranny locked into 3rd gear .
    additional indications :- engine run roughly than before ( very small difference) , steering wheel heavier than before ( very small difference) , knocking when shifting from P to R or D ( high knock ) , engine oil leakage through the valve cover gasket ( was leaking before then stopped, after the problem happened the leakage become too much ) .


    summary:- car was really smooth , transmission is changing very nice and car runs perfectly.
    sometime it does go limp mode and back to normal ( and i weren't notice that) soon .
    observed car auto start (self starter ) broken, changing it from the downside position of the car ( tranny side ) , the job was hard and lots of cables was touched mainwhile .
    driving the car for 1 hr , normal , then observed car is locked to 3rd gear , even if i switch the car off and on it starts from 3rd and stuck in it ( no 4 or 5 ) .

    tried to D.C the battery, connected the negative and positive lines of the car for 10 min, then re install the battery , car run smooth and shift into 1st then half of 2nd , a knock happens and locked to 3rd again , same if i D.C. the TCU connector for 10 min and re install it , it will drive normal from 1st to 2nd gear and suddenly go to 3rd and stuck there .
    engine is running very smooth,, but smother will be if the car out of limb mode .
    maintenance:-
    changed TPS 4 times , not solved .
    tipped the trans oil to full , not solved .
    changed air intake joint ( big one ) , not solved .
    checked all air lines for leakage, no leakage .
    checked the gear selector , no problem observed .
    there is no gear light in the dash board .
    the S and E and snow button is not working since i get the car .
    changed the transmission TCU 2 times ( the ones i got is a different number but the connector is the same ).
    please adivce if you think i am missing something that may helps .
    note :- i am really facing problem in finding a mechanic have a device with old obd connector to read codes here .
    thanks for your time
    Last edited by ameer; 07-17-2022 at 08:23 AM.

  7. #7
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    2 threads merged and moved to E34 forum. EURO 520 should be a BMW A5S310Z = ZF 5HP18 automatic transmission.
    You mention there is no gear light in the dash board. That must be, clean first of all the transmission switch, see my website http://twrite.org/shogunnew/otherMod...nsmission.html
    The code plate element provides tracks that are responsible for translation of code to transmission electronics and the speedometer. The wiper provides a bridge for current to traverse from top track to others depending on position of the shifter, so that the code can be established. The connection between code plate and the wiper is crucial in order for transmission to shift correctly. If bad connection exists, the electronics acquire incorrect code for the position of the shifter and erratic behavior of the transmission results.
    Clean the S-E-M switch, same as here: Shift Console: removal, shift selector contacts cleaning, A/M switch cleaning, shift-gate slider piece replacement. http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/page_13.htm
    Last edited by shogun; 07-17-2022 at 08:54 AM.
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  8. #8
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    i wii perform a full test tomorrow to the selector , hope it solve the problem, will keep this post update .

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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by shogun View Post
    2 threads merged and moved to E34 forum. EURO 520 should be a BMW A5S310Z = ZF 5HP18 automatic transmission.
    You mention there is no gear light in the dash board. That must be, clean first of all the transmission switch, see my website http://twrite.org/shogunnew/otherMod...nsmission.html
    The code plate element provides tracks that are responsible for translation of code to transmission electronics and the speedometer. The wiper provides a bridge for current to traverse from top track to others depending on position of the shifter, so that the code can be established. The connection between code plate and the wiper is crucial in order for transmission to shift correctly. If bad connection exists, the electronics acquire incorrect code for the position of the shifter and erratic behavior of the transmission results.
    Clean the S-E-M switch, same as here: Shift Console: removal, shift selector contacts cleaning, A/M switch cleaning, shift-gate slider piece replacement. http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/page_13.htm
    i wii perform a full test tomorrow to the selector , hope it solve the problem, will keep this post update .


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  10. #10
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    ok after a long investigation done , we noticed that the transmission will lock to 3rd if i drive the car mainwhile the atf oil in the transmission didnt pass 75 degrees °C , after 75 will be on the obd device will appear, the transmission will run smooth.

    the mechanic suspected that it may be a leakage in one of the pressure sealing inside the transmission, which will be closed when the temperature will rise up .

    did any one experienced such a problem?
    regards.

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  11. #11
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    If you can read the ATF temperature in the transmission control module, can you also read the fault code memory. If so, which faults are stored? Have you also checked that the manual valve is not broken?
    Last edited by whiskychaser; 07-22-2022 at 05:47 AM.

  12. #12
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    here I posted a pic of a broken manual shift valve https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...al+shift+valve
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  13. #13
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    i used an adapter with cable to change from 20 pin to 16 pin , then a bluetooth adapter to connect to android tab .
    sadly , it doesn't show the code , instad it says " code dismissed "
    i checked the valve , it is in good condition.
    the mechanic belive that a gasket inside the transmission is leaking when cold and will seal when hot , that why it is working good when hot atf .
    will repeat all the test on Tuesday , and will replay here .


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  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by shogun View Post
    here I posted a pic of a broken manual shift valve https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...al+shift+valve
    the picture link is not working

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  15. #15
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    the picture works in the link, try another browser, sometimes google chrome does not show pics, here again
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by shogun; 07-23-2022 at 05:22 PM.
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  16. #16
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    Your scanner doesnt appear to be working but that could be because it is designed for OBD and your car's system is actually ADS. Maybe check and confirm?

    It does sound like the trans is going into limp mode but you cannot see the warning as the cluster may be faulty. To confirm, check if you have a positive voltage at pin 53 of the transmission control module when the trans is working normally. Then, when the trans goes into a high gear and gets stuck there, check the voltage again. If there is now no voltage, it is very likely that the TCM has put the trans in limp mode because it sees a fault. It could be one of over a dozen faults but might be as simple as a speed sensor. That is why you need to be able to read the TCM fault codes.

    Wiring diagrams for the 520i are in the link below. It is for a 1994 but should be of assistance:
    https://bimmermania.com/downloads/etms/5-series_e34_(1994).pdf
    Last edited by whiskychaser; 07-24-2022 at 06:16 AM.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by shogun View Post
    the picture works in the link, try another browser, sometimes google chrome does not show pics, here again
    which part is this ? i cant confirm if i saw such a part or maybe didnt notice it .

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  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by ameer View Post
    which part is this ? i cant confirm if i saw such a part or maybe didnt notice it .
    It is ZF part no. 1056 327 173. Its location is marked by the ring on the right of the image below. When replacing the valve body, it is important to ensure that the end of the valve is hooked on to the arm which is marked by the ring on the left of the image below. If you don't, the trans simply will not work

    S4001.jpg

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by whiskychaser View Post
    It is ZF part no. 1056 327 173. Its location is marked by the ring on the right of the image below. When replacing the valve body, it is important to ensure that the end of the valve is hooked on to the arm which is marked by the ring on the left of the image below. If you don't, the trans simply will not work

    S4001.jpg
    ok anew update,
    the valve body is in good shape .
    after we fixed the dynamo, we went along to investigate the error in the tranny .
    we suspected bad solenoid, so we changed some of them .
    also , changed the transmission oil and filter ( only 6 lt had been drained) .
    now i can drive the car all the day long and the transmission will shift correctly along all the shifts ,and no limp mode , car will go to limp mode if :-
    1- cold driving in the morning ( start the car and drive it directly after one minute of starting ) , will start with 1st shift, 2nd shift and will jump to 3rd and stuck there.
    2- parked the car for 2 hrs or more .
    the only way to get the car to normal again is :-
    1- drive the car on limp mode ( 3rd shift ) for about 3 to 4 km .
    2- stop the car ,shutdown the engine, take the key out of fob ,open the driver door , close the door , lock the car ,wait about 2 ~5 min then , unlock the car , open the door , close the door , put the key , start the car .

    maybe the tranny work bad if cold , and when it will be ok after a short drive , the TCU still holding the car in limp mode , so we need to erase the TCU temp memory by following the steps just described.

    the tranny is delaying now , the 1st shift may hold tell the rpm reaches 3000 sometimes , sometimes not , also a small knock when back from 2nd to 1st when stopping the car.

    thanks for you all , hope thus helps some in the future.

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  20. #20
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    did you fill up the transmission correct? Could be low on ATF fluid, when trans gets warm, ATF expands and trans works fine. Procedure, and very important is to do it at correct temperature:
    http://www.europeantransmission.com/...ansService.pdf
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by shogun View Post
    did you fill up the transmission correct? Could be low on ATF fluid, when trans gets warm, ATF expands and trans works fine. Procedure, and very important is to do it at correct temperature:
    http://www.europeantransmission.com/...ansService.pdf
    the transmission fluid is full .
    we didnt follow the procedure in the link , but we did verify that the transmission is floated with fluid, anyhow i will re fill the transmission following the procedure in the link to see .

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  22. #22
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    Just An FYI: I have been living with intermittent Trans Program error message for couple of years and pulling over, restarting eliminates the error and takes it out of limp mode. I notice if I drive with a light foot on throttle that error can appear. I recently got an OBD XTOOL scanner and a 20pin to 16pin adapter to read any error codes, it presented transmission errors but the codes were not familiar or able to make sense of it. I decided to just clear all codes and ever since clearing codes the Trans Program went away and I can tell transmission is running great. I think these ECU and transmission can store an error code and cause intermittent errors. Clearing them seem to provide a fix to my intermittent Trans Program problem, and I been trying driving with a lighter foot as before to see if the code would return, so far it seems to have fixed this problem.
    Last edited by E34 Lives; 08-03-2022 at 02:33 AM.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by E34 Lives View Post
    Just An FYI: I have been living with intermittent Trans Program error message for couple of years and pulling over, restarting eliminates the error and takes it out of limp mode. I notice if I drive with a light foot on throttle that error can appear. I recently got an OBD XTOOL scanner and a 20pin to 16pin adapter to read any error codes, it presented transmission errors but the codes were not familiar or able to make sense of it. I decided to just clear all codes and ever since clearing codes the Trans Program went away and I can tell transmission is running great. I think these ECU and transmission can store an error code and cause intermittent errors. Clearing them seem to provide a fix to my intermittent Trans Program problem, and I been trying driving with a lighter foot as before to see if the code would return, so far it seems to have fixed this problem.
    every time I clean the codes it will re generate the codes again since the tranny is cold .
    at a time that i will drive the car for 10 min , then stop the car for 2 min , tben the car will work normally, any how the tranny now ( when it will become normal ) will shift with significant high rpm , 1st gear will switch to 2nd at 3000 rpm , 2nd will switch to 3rd at 2500 rpm .
    i think my trans is went away and i need to replace it .

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