325i auto trans... car won't move

[PirateZHP]

Hey family,

A good friend of mine is having problems with his e46 325i transmission (auto). Does anyone know what is going on?

Here's what he writes on the other forum...

Hey All,

Just picked up my first E46 (2005 325i with GM Auto Trans) a few months ago and I've come across an unusual (to me) issue:

The car will start totally normally, but when I put it in Reverse or Drive, absolutely nothing happens. I will hit the gas and the engine will rev, but it's as if I'm in a manual transmission car in neutral. The engine revs increase but the car will not move at all. I'll put it back in park and wait maybe 10 minutes or so, and after the car has warmed up pretty well, everything works totally normally as if there's no issue at all.

I've already checked the transmission fluid and the level and condition are fine.

As mentioned, this is the GM trans, and the car just cracked 100k miles. I've gotten no error codes of any kind so I don't have any hints from that.

I'm totally stumped as to what else I can eliminate before I have to start considering a serious transmission repair. A lengthy search revealed a few threads citing similar issues, but I've yet to see any real resolution. Anything else I can check?

Thanks in advance!


http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1012385

[danewilson77]

www.noreverse.org

Sent from my S4 > Mason, OH

[PirateZHP]

Hey Dane,

He saw that and went there. The thing is that reverse wasn't the issue to start with. Reverse had just now become an issue. He took it into the shop that he has taken his BMWs for years and they told him that they checked that little mesh screen and it was fine.

He wanted me to add that sometimes it will move, but extremely sluggish... feels like you are dragging the clutch in a manual trans and never really letting it engage.

[Johnmadd]

I would spend the money and change the fluid just to rule it out for sure, just my .2

[kakashi169]

Time for a tranny rebuild or a swap.

[Hermes]

Call Steve Dose, he might have some ideas

619-449-3835
www.dosebmw.com

[PirateZHP]

Call Steve Dose, he might have some ideas

619-449-3835
www.dosebmw.com

Thanks, I will give him that info.

[PirateZHP]

JP, Ed gave them a call. He said they were very helpful. Told him a couple things to check. He wanted me to thank you for the suggestion.

[Hermes]

No problem, glad they could help

[Dave1027]

I saw a Pontiac that did the same thing and it turned out to be simply low on atf. I would start by verifying your friend's method for checking the atf level. Many people don't know the tranny needs to be warmed up, engine running, cycle through the gears then place back in park and then check the level with the engine still idling.

If that is verified then the next thing to check is a stuck on brake caliper. Does it roll easy in neutral?

[PirateZHP]

Update... got this text from my buddy:

Drove Alissa's car last night dead cold. It is WORLDS better. Only remaining sluggishness honestly just feels like typical auto trans in winter, and then after maybe a minute of driving it's sharp again. However we can start it right up and immediately drive just fine, which was not possible before. May want to post this result up for the auto Zetchpa drivers to have as reference. Just a standard fluid/filter change.

With fingers touching the screen...

[az3579]

Update... got this text from my buddy:

Drove Alissa's car last night dead cold. It is WORLDS better. Only remaining sluggishness honestly just feels like typical auto trans in winter, and then after maybe a minute of driving it's sharp again. However we can start it right up and immediately drive just fine, which was not possible before. May want to post this result up for the auto Zetchpa drivers to have as reference. Just a standard fluid/filter change.

With fingers touching the screen...

Further proof that BMW's "Lifetime" fluids is a load of horseshit.

[danewilson77]

Further proof that BMW's "Lifetime" fluids is a load of horseshit.

They say lifetime = 100k miles.

What's horseshit is that we assumed "lifetime" meant "85 years" (average lifespan of a human)

:)

[az3579]

They say lifetime = 100k miles.

What's horseshit is that we assumed "lifetime" meant "85 years" (average lifespan of a human)

:)

Never seen that. 100k miles is hardly a lifetime, so that's false advertising at best.

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