1994 740i Trans Program

The Trans Program message popped up on my '94 740i yesterday and the car suddenly began shifting poorly. Today, it ran ok and the message was gone. I took to a shop that I use for routine stuff, and they are advising me that the transmission oil looks quite dark, if not burnt. They want to drop the pan to look for metal shavings, the presence of which they advise will indicate that the transmission is in dire need of a major overhaul or outright replacement. This same message appeared about 6 months ago after a hard brake on the interstate. At the time, the car shifted very poorly. I carried on for a couple of miles and after pulling to the side for about 5 minutes, the car ran well and shifted normally. Any thoughts?

I would drop the pan, clean the pan out, clean the magnets, replace the filter, put the pan back on and refill with the correct fluid. After all of this, take her out and drive her. Often fresh fluid and filter is all these machines need. If indeed a transmission is needed, then Kirt Koeller autosportsunlimited.com is the man to talk to.

I experianced a similar occurance about a week ago. So I had a certified BMW mechanic due a diagnostic. In short, the transmission needs to be replaced.

I don't mean to imply that this is the case with your vehicle ( mine has over 200,000 miles on it), but having it checked out will take the wonder away.

Some symptoms I am experiancing presently include a rough downshift when coming to a slow stop, or a sudden and inconsistent hard shift when accelerating.

I really don't want to part with mine so I am apt to replace the tranny; however, I am looking to save as much as I can without sacrificing performance and reliability. Yet, I"ve read that the E32 transmissions can be problematic. Has the valve body been done on your transmission yet?