The old TRANS program problem

[dext]

Hi guy, I am new to this forum, an this is one you have probably heard a thousand times before, but please bare with me.
I live in Germany, with the forces, and have a german spec 525, and a beaut she is. the problem is, that the old trans message come up for now particluar reason., or geitriebeprogam, as it is called over here. I had the oil changed, as it was well passed its best, but no better. BMW said it would cost €2-3000 to repaire and relpace. I have read if the same problems on the bmwe34net website, and people have fixed them by changing this that or the other. My car being all in geerman, and I speak very little, I dont know where to start looking!. Can anybody piont me in the right direction as to where I should start checking, which switches to check etc. PLease, any help appreicaited

[Javier]

http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/trouble/TransProgram.asp

Also book mark Bruno's site. It's a great place.

http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main.htm

Javier

[RobPatt]

will let you sort them out from easiest and least costly to moreso...

-ensure batt gives good voltage, good grounds etc
-clear the fault code in the computer (need to plug into diag port under hood)
-ensure you've got enough/proper quantity of tranny fluid
-next time it repeats pull the error codes from diag port....
..now may want to start w/what the code says...
for me it said something like 'fluid pressure regulator'.
...so i replaced this $90 part (or wahtever it was)...
- check for technical bulletins as there may be an updated EPROM chip for your tranny - was for mine.
- the pressure regulator and updated EPROM fixed my problems - that was about 20,000 miles ago and still no problems... have about 136K miles now total....

- check www.bmwe34.net too.
good luck. -Rob.


Hi guy, I am new to this forum, an this is one you have probably heard a thousand times before, but please bare with me.
I live in Germany, with the forces, and have a german spec 525, and a beaut she is. the problem is, that the old trans message come up for now particluar reason., or geitriebeprogam, as it is called over here. I had the oil changed, as it was well passed its best, but no better. BMW said it would cost €2-3000 to repaire and relpace. I have read if the same problems on the bmwe34net website, and people have fixed them by changing this that or the other. My car being all in geerman, and I speak very little, I dont know where to start looking!. Can anybody piont me in the right direction as to where I should start checking, which switches to check etc. PLease, any help appreicaited

[Russell]

Mine had the "trans program" message a couple of times after I bought it in cold weather. Found out the car had sat a lot and had been driven on very short trips for a month or so before I bought it. This evidently caused the battery to have a low charge which can trigger the trans program error message. I havent had the message for almost 2.5 years and 40,000 miles.

Good luck

[dext]

will let you sort them out from easiest and least costly to moreso...

-ensure batt gives good voltage, good grounds etc
-clear the fault code in the computer (need to plug into diag port under hood)
-ensure you've got enough/proper quantity of tranny fluid
-next time it repeats pull the error codes from diag port....
..now may want to start w/what the code says...
for me it said something like 'fluid pressure regulator'.
...so i replaced this $90 part (or wahtever it was)...
- check for technical bulletins as there may be an updated EPROM chip for your tranny - was for mine.
- the pressure regulator and updated EPROM fixed my problems - that was about 20,000 miles ago and still no problems... have about 136K miles now total....

- check www.bmwe34.net too.
good luck. -Rob.
Thanks for the advise. I have just had the fluid changed as they said it might help, but not really. Battery is god and checks out ok. I will get teh codes downloaded and see what they say. I read on the BMWe34net web that someone had this problem, adn that BMW said they would have to overhaul the tranny costing 2-3000. They also mention that their 3rd gear sliped no and again, which mine is, and they changed a selanoid or something, and this stopped it annow runnig fine. Is it all bad if the 3rd gear is slipping or is their a remedy? its not all the time, but no and the, and I would rather sort it before i have to scrap it. Any more help you can offer would be great, thanks

[Trevor]

Hi Dext.
I posted the original Trans Program message to Bruno's site way back when.
On the link
http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/trouble/TransProgram.asp
you will see a diagram which you can print and take to your trans specialist.
The offending part which resolved my problem was the Pulse Generator (part #4 in diagram) which looks like a short length of shiny chrome rod with a wire connector at one end.
Replacing this and a tranny service (new fluid and filter clean) has kept my E34 going strong ever since. Was only AUD$200 all up including the part.
Pretty rich considering what three other "Specialists" had said - rebuild.
Good luck.