Automatic transmission shifting rough - need help

I have a 1993 740I with 202K miles on it. The transmission has started shifting into gears roughly. It almost feels like there is a pause between it shifting gears. It doesnt happen everytime it shifts, but it does happen a lot.

Could this be just a cloged transmission filter? Just wondering if it would be worth while to change the transmission oil and filter or not. I know BMW says they have lifetime transmission oil in them but I had heard that others say you need to change it.

Have you checked the level?

If you transmission has non-lifetime fluid, I would change the fluid and filter NOW. On my 1988 750 I change the fluid every 15,000 miles and the filter and fluid every 30,000 miles and consider it cheap preventive maintenance.

BMW calls the fluid in it "lifetime fluid", but every transmission specialist out there says there is no such thing. I took the advise of a local transmission shop and changed the fluid, it was really black. The car is running great now.

hi i am new to this site and was most interested in this discussion as my 1995 730i is not shifting up into the top gear and is also pausing in lower gears could this also be a fluid problem

It depends if you have a "sealed for life" transmission. I know the E38's did. The early E32 transmissions did not and required you to change the oil regularly, however, I'm not sure about the later E32 models when the 740 came out. Still, on the E38 models, it's still a good idea to change the oil once in a few hundred thousand km's especially when you start to exhibit transmissions shifting/whining problems.