BMW Transmission Question

[Aidan415]

Hello,

I'm interested in buying a used 1993 BMW 740IL.

It has 172,000 miles on it.

The poster said it's in great shape, however it needs a new transmission sensor?

That leads to me to my question, what exactly is a transmission sensor and should I be worried about this car?

Please let me know!

Thank you!!!

[MagicRat]

Speed sensor, perhaps?

The problem with stuff like this is that you cannot check the car out properly.
For example, a bad speed sensor would leave the transmission stuck in first gear, so you could only test-drive the car at very slow speeds.

This may mask other problems with the car, associated with handling, brakes, engine, transmission, etc.

IMO its very suspicious. Any seller who will not spend $100 to fix a minor problem may be hiding bigger issues.

Once in a while, you get someone who is just fed-up with the car. A minor failure is like a last straw and they just want to get rid of it. So be cautious. IMO its reasonable to tell the buyer to fix the car, add the repair costs to the price and you will test-drive the car and make an offer.

[serge_saati]

The problem could be also the Turbine Shaft Speed sensor or the Output Shaft Speed sensor.

I disagree that it cost only 100$ to repair that. A sensor inside an automatic transmission is very hard to replace. It should cost at least the triple.

But I agree that the problem can be even more serious than a simple sensor. Maybe the trans. Unless if his mechanic can confirm you it's the sensor.