problem with GM transmission need help ASAP

[joe325i]

Hey guys,
My transmission sometimes dosnt feel like upshifting..
I would be driving down a long streach of road from a left turn stop sign.. and my car would get to 45mph and would be at 6k rpms..
it wont upshift!

sometimes the car feels like its in neutral until you get above 3500 rpms and it kicks you in the butt...

i was under the car trying to figure out whats goin on.. and i noticed a whole bunch of oily crust... that is indicative of a ATF leak.
also it looks like the rear output shaft seal is going..
but im not 100% sure on that
i tried taking off the fill plug to fill the ATF and see if that sthe problem.. it seems like it is... my dad sheered off about 1/4 of the teeth ont he alluminum bolt... then he tried an air chistel... which didnt work :eyes1

so he took it to a place today and they said they werent qualified to do it..
ok i understand..

he gets home and says it drives fine and not to worry about it.. but it does it intermitantly and i dont want to cause extensive damange because i wont be able to afford to get it fixed!

now he says that its a sensor or the red sleeve covered linkage (because he said it was loose)

i donno.. id rather work my way up from the cheapest to most expensive...

so is there a sensor or vaccum hose that controls this type of thing???

i still think its fluid caused.. but he said theres no rear way to be sure.. even though i showed him the leak..

has this happened to you guys? btw im at 92k miles..

thanks!

[dbarberic]

Sorry to hear about your tranny troubles.

After doing some extensive research on the GM BMW Auto in the early E36’s when trying to diagnose the Pendulum Shifting problem that I was having, I have come to find out that these transmissions are very sensitive and tend to die early when not maintained regularly.

The first and most inexpensive fix you could probably do right now is flushing and refilling your ATF fluid and changing the filter. Here are some instruction on how to do it:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/tech...Fluid_Auto.htm

Strange things can happen if there is to much or to little fluid in the auto. If you don’t feel qualified to do it, take it to a good independent BMW shop which will cost around $150-$200.

If that does not fix the problem, then take it back to a independent BMW qualified to do work on the transmission. Although the transmission is GM, it is a GM unit made in France, so most typical American Transmission shops will probably be afraid to touch it. When calling around ask if they have ever worked on auto transmissions from Isuzu Trooper or Rodeo beginning with models staring in 90-91. Believe it or not, the same GM transmission also shows up in the Isuzu too.

When checking into issues on my tranny I found that the most recommended solution was to replace it rather than rebuild it. The cost of a rebuild ends up being so close to a new tranny that it is better just have a new one put in. Plus new models of the transmission have improvements built into them that make them more dependable. Most quotes were around $2,500-$3,000 including labor to have a new transmission put in, just to warn you. With that much cash, you might even want to consider doing a full swap to a manual transmission, then you will never have to deal with the issue again.

I have a pdf file with details on the transmission and how to begin diagnosing problems. I found it so technical and beyond anything that I am capable of doing myself that it was no help to me, but I’d be happy to email it to you.

Private message me with your email address and I’ll send it to you.

Good luck.

[joe325i]

i pm'ed you my email....
what do you mean my pendulium shifting?
thanks again!

[dbarberic]

Joe,
I sent the email. Let me know if you did not get it.

Dennis

[10kken]

If you wanted to replace the transmission with another auto, you may be able to find one pretty cheap since there are a number of people who have swapped their out for the manual. Sometimes you'll see them listed for $300-400. I'd post a WTB in the Buy Sell Trade section and see what come out of the woodwork.