'Trans program' message ... a singular occurance?

[paul p (chi-town)]

So tuesday, chicago got socked w/ some serious snow during the evening rush.
(Hope everyone made it through)
Helga, on nearly new ‘kook IceBears using ‘snowflake’ mode works great, even with disabled ACS+T (don’t ask). Though i do lament LSD becoming rare in e34s etc. The ex RX7 and even the cheapo Sentras have it. Still with gas so low and the NX needing a muffler (badly) das Touring has been slogging as daily driver.
Anyway......
3.5 HOURS(!) into a 4.5 commute (can be as short as 30min flat) got the dreaded “trans program” message. Up until this point it had been an excruciatingly slow crawl. Getting locked into 3rd was actually about right for the conditions and i wasn’t about to pull off (lose yer spot, ya know). Even when it opened up for the last 10miles, at that point, wasn’t about to stop for anything.
Got home, shut her off, waited a minute and started her back up.
No message, shifting normally.
It’s been fine ever since.

Any idea what caused the glitch?
I’m thinking the trans got hot enough to throw the code…

Hang up & Drive!
94 BMW 530iT&A 140K, ‘Helga’ ( Shleppen Schnell mit “Musique ... nonstop” *dances* )
92 BMW 325i 160K, ‘Rolf’ ( Euro vision equipped *woot* )
93 Datsun NX2000 190K ‘Carla’ ( Uber heated seat & rust holes *shakes head* )
85 Toyo MR2 140K ‘Jerry’ ( Showcar/track toy, killer mpg, way more fun than a prius *grin* )

“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
- Hunter S. Thompson

[JD525IA]

If you have 140k on the odo, then it is about the time the tranny starts to get worn. This message haunted me for a couple years before I was forced to get a rebuild. It can be caused by many dumb things, like a small voltage variation or a blip in the speed sensor. Matter of fact, when my battery started to go bad, I got the Trans Prog message.

It may not come back again, but is stored in the tranny computer.

Good luck.

JD

[Omega]

I got this warning a few times on my old e34 but it only went into into limp-home mode (3rd gear) once. I just switched off and restarted it. It reset and there was no problem, this made me think it was electrical rather than mechanical. Sometimes these cars are too clever for their own good!

Before you dive into a detailed refurb or anything else, try disconnecting the main loom at the gearbox end and spraying in some electrical cleaner. My mechanic told me sometimes water tracks dowm the loom and corrodes the pins in the connector.

HTH

[Ross]

rather than a trans fault maybe it could be a dirty mode switch. In their infinate wisdom(or evil plan) BMW engineers put it right where us slovenly Americans would no doubt spill a Big Gulp or Starbucks venti triple foam decaf double shot latte mocha on it.
If it acts up again after changing modes try swapping it with your sunroof switch.

[whiskychaser]

If you were crawling along with headlights, heater, heated rear screen etc on for hours and going so slow the alternator wouldnt kick in, you might have dragged the battery down to where the tranny wouldnt play any more. A stint of normal driving and all may be well again. Dont ditch the fault codes though - you might want to have them read if it happens again

[winfred]

get the code read and clean the plug on the side of the tranny, they sometimes get water in them and other times they start leaking atf into the connection, it's not usually a bad idea to pack the plug with dielectric grease as it keeps water out

[shogun]

>90 seconds below 11 volts triggers the safemode/limpmode.

Plug on the tranny: found now several 4HP22-24 on E34 and E32 where the trans oil came out thru the plug/socket, tiny amounts thru a space around the 7 pins on the tranny conenctor. Actually these pins are embedded in plastic, but over the years it looks like that plasic shrings and then oil comes out. That has the effect that there is no proper contact on the wire loom. Cleaning the switch connectors with brake or oil cleaner helps (temporarily). That plug unfortunately is not available as single item, just the complete internal wire loom inside the valve body, costs about $ 100. But to make matters worse, the plug even cann ot removed without removing the oil pan. It is inserted from inside the tranny and there is a lock ring from the outside.
Sealing it with some kind of 'glue' would be the easiest. But what kind of glue or sealant to squeeze into this tiny space surrounding the pins? Must be good against high temperature, oil, chemicals and so on.

[KevinGoFast]

Well atleast it's working fine now bro.

[RobPatt]

..freaked me out like a nightmare you thought you'd gotten over.

I fought the trans program ghost about 6 years ago w/my ride and haven't seen it since.... until last Monday, just cruising along in 3d, about 25mph in a residential area... BONG... TRANS PROG.

Keep on going, turned off the car, did my business, it's been fine since then. Totally perfectly shifting driving fine.

It's been unusually cold and wet here in south mississippi lately, lots of fog,etc.... I'm not ready to spend $100 to get the codes read... think I'm going to leave well enough alone and see what happens...

if continues, will get the codes read and check 'lectric connections, etc.

best of luck to ya man
-Rob.



So tuesday, chicago got socked w/ some serious snow during the evening rush.
(Hope everyone made it through)
Helga, on nearly new ‘kook IceBears using ‘snowflake’ mode works great, even with disabled ACS+T (don’t ask). Though i do lament LSD becoming rare in e34s etc. The ex RX7 and even the cheapo Sentras have it. Still with gas so low and the NX needing a muffler (badly) das Touring has been slogging as daily driver.
Anyway......
3.5 HOURS(!) into a 4.5 commute (can be as short as 30min flat) got the dreaded “trans program” message. Up until this point it had been an excruciatingly slow crawl. Getting locked into 3rd was actually about right for the conditions and i wasn’t about to pull off (lose yer spot, ya know). Even when it opened up for the last 10miles, at that point, wasn’t about to stop for anything.
Got home, shut her off, waited a minute and started her back up.
No message, shifting normally.
It’s been fine ever since.

Any idea what caused the glitch?
I’m thinking the trans got hot enough to throw the code…

Hang up & Drive!
94 BMW 530iT&A 140K, ‘Helga’ ( Shleppen Schnell mit “Musique ... nonstop” *dances* )
92 BMW 325i 160K, ‘Rolf’ ( Euro vision equipped *woot* )
93 Datsun NX2000 190K ‘Carla’ ( Uber heated seat & rust holes *shakes head* )
85 Toyo MR2 140K ‘Jerry’ ( Showcar/track toy, killer mpg, way more fun than a prius *grin* )
“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
- Hunter S. Thompson

[genphreak]

I think mine is dead (properly). Hard shifts into Reverse and 3, constant limp mode. Better try a good battery, but the one Heidi has is fine in the other car. She's been limping on synthetic for tha last 60,000km, but this is the first limp mode I can remember.

Spoke to a tranny guy, he said to do the teflon seals on the front shaft would really mean a full overhaul... $2500AU farout. I just want the A clutch adn shaft seals done- but they always say that, charge you for a full recon and end up only doing what they think looks bad anyway!

She sits, awaiting a new tranny. All I need is for someone would send me a manual pedal box for Christmas, and all these probs would be GONE!!!

[paul p (chi-town)]

Tons of great info as usual guys, thanks.

Good news is i haven’t seen it since.
I think low voltage sounds like a reasonable culprit. Lights, wipers, fan, tunes, playing with windows (due to boredom), etc., it all makes sense. A tiny spell of rough engine running preceded it too, dimmed lights and all that.




If it acts up again after changing modes try swapping it with your sunroof switch.


Nice one Ross; totally ghetto and totally brilliant. The switch was very grouchy/sticky when i bought the car, for probably exactly those reasons. But i’ve managed to get it cleaned up and working nicely.



If you have 140k on the odo, then it is about the time the tranny starts to get worn.


Mileage is high JD, but i’m one of those lucky enough to have done trans service and survived (a hack fluid flush then a proper service at the $tealer @ ~100K). There’s the rare rough delayed shift into reverse but that only happens on HOT days after some aggressive stop&go.
Otherwise, the trans is about as good as slushboxes get.

With the exception of the brakes and low/mid range turbo grunt Helga is a far better driving car than Thor was (ex tweaked 740Turbo Volvo). Throw in relatively cheap gas i’m a happy camper, even with Carla out of action for the moment and almost never getting to drive Rolf.
Gotta update the stereo thread, a cheapo DIY crossover is more than adequate as well.


Hang up & Drive!
94 BMW 530iT&A 140K, ‘Helga’ - 92 BMW 325i 160K, ‘Rolf’ – 93 Datsun NX 190K, ‘Carla’ - 85 Toyo MR2 140K, ‘Jerry’

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty,
than to those attending too small a degree of it."
– Thomas Jefferson

[GJPinAU]

Mine thru the code at about 120 on the freeway on Sunday night.
Got home in limp mode, started the next morning and all was good again.
Took it to the indy, he checked the fault codes, said Oops and reset it.

I guess there will be more to come but just for now (touch wood) no more messages.

[Kibokojoe]

How about some two part epoxy in a syringe?