87 325i has no 1st or reverse gear when cold???

[soooooawesome]

so in the morning i have no 1st, reverse, and sometimes no 2nd gear. during longer drives as the fluid warms up i begin to get those gears back, strange. i went ahead and drained the transmission fluid and replaced it with some 80 weight fluid, but no change. im wondering if anyone has ever encountered this issue before. im thinking about picking up some auto tranny fluid and trying that. thanks!!!

[marti5]

Put the proper fluid in and try it again if that doesnt work then the valve control body needs a service by a specialist, this is found when you drop the box pan, which you must have seen when doing the 1st fluid change.

I presume that you changed the filter when you changed the fluid ??

[soooooawesome]

Strangely the car will shift effortlessly into all gears while the car is off.

[marti5]

It will do as there's no resistance and the torque converter is not running, also all your doing when its not started is shifting the selector.

Here you will see whats done, its on an E38 but the principle is the same as you scroll down the pictures you will see the brain and marbles over time these marbles shrink and need to be replaced, I went and had mine done at the same place and now I don't even feel it change even on kick-down.

On the side of your box you will see a plate with whom made the box, I presuming its a ZF box if so they have facilities all over the world.

My visit at ZF Dortmund for Gearbox maintenance.(very, very long!) HUGH RESULT!!