98 328i auto transmission probs

[moe19x]

hey guys, i have a 98 328i auto, when im driving and suddenly or brake sorta hard at a stop sign it takes like a few seconds for the gears to move or change so my car dosent move for the few seconds any ideas?? i was thinking of changing the tranny fluids. do i need to change the gasket and filter also? what kinda fluid should i get as my car has the lifetime fluid in it? thanks alot guys. also now that the cold weather is here and when im ideling the car dosent give out warm air in the cabin ( from the heater) but when im driving its fine.
thanks alot guys

[Hamfisted]

First thing I would do is check the fluid level. With the motor running and the tranny in Park (and E-brake ON...) remove the fill plug from the side of the tranny pan, fluid shut just barely dribble out. Take a white paper towel and wet it with the tranny fluid to see if it's dark brown or burnt smelling. If it is then yes , change it. But your problem could be that it's just low on fluid. How many miles are on the car? Yes, it's suppose to have "Lifetime Oil" in it (there should be a green metal tab label down on the tranny pan that says "Lifetime Oil"...). If it's a little low and you add to it I would use Mobil One synthetic fluid (PepBoys or AutoZone...).
For the heating problem: Is your blower fan running at normal speed, just no air coming out when you're stopped? How old is the cabin air filter? It should be changed every couple of years.





-Mike

[moe19x]

Thanks mike.
wut is the mobile syn stuff exactly called? Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF? and how many quarts would i need? im planning on just emptying it and then refilling it. thanks

[Larry Horne]

I assume you are talking automatic tranny.

I'd go one step further. If the fluid has never been changed, CHANGE it. Its the life blood of that unit and key to it lasting 250,000 miles. There is no such thing as life time fluid even though its labled such on the unit. I believe BMW has stopped this because small leaks eventually take the fluid down to a level where it causes problems and wear and unless you put the car on a lift you the owner have no easy way of checking, eg a dip stick under the hood.

Get the OEM kit consisting of filter, forward and rear pan gasket and new bolts, easy online item or Bav Auto. The car is 9 years old and most likely has 100,000 miles on it. Changing the oil will be a little messy but not to bad if you take your time. The main issue comes when filling the forward pan with oil while it is still off the vehicle and trying to hold it level while reinstalling it. Do not over torque the bolts, find the recommended torque values in a shop manual. The entire process can be found on several E36 DIY sites.

The next hard part is filling the rear pan. You have to have a pump to pump in into the fill hole. The shop manual will tell you exactly how much it holds.

Make certain to use the correct type of AT fluid but definitely use syn, Amsoil or Mobil are top shelf.

Make certain there are no leaks, either front or rear seal or the trans cooling lines are sites to check.

This entire process is make easier if you can jack up the entire car and block it up about a foot. Make sure its LEVEL!