Unofficialbmw.com

[edjack]

Paul,

Check the Guibo joint. It takes the place of a U-joint at the rear of the tranny. It's a rubber donut, and typically doesn't last as long as 100K miles. The rubber cracks and the driveshaft can move up and down. You'll need to carefully rotate the driveshft to check for cracks.

If this cures it, then replace the tranny fluid with a good quality ATF. It's probably never been changed, and contrary to what BMW says, it's a good idea (change the power steering fluid, too).

Even if the new Guibo doesn't cure it, it's a good idea to change the fluid, especially if the fluid is brown. It's a cheaper potential fix than a new tranny.

Ed

[charliesmith]

m,

That one takes the cake. You sure you are talking to "real" mechanics? Ask yourself this question : How does the Factory or the Dealership verify the transmission fluid is topped off to keep the warranty in effect. I do not own a '94 540i personally but I bet that checking the transmission fluid level is mentioned in the Owners Manual.

[charliesmith]

m,
Dealership response to the replacement of the transmission is quite predictable. I worked at a new car dealership many years ago. Never a dull moment there. Everybody had their fingers in the cookie jar (commission). The line mechanic gets 50% of the shop "flat rate" labor. The service advisor gets 3%-5% of the shops monthly gross sales. The parts manager gets 3% of the monthly gross parts sales. The service manager gets 5%-8% of the shops gross monthly sales. The goal is to get as much "customer pay" work into the shop as possible. Warranty work is accepted with a smile. It's better than nothing, but after you leave the grumbling begins. You just never see this. The line mechanics only want the "customer pay" jobs. They swear when given a warranty job. Warranty repairs are reimbursed to the dealership from the manufacturer only after the area manufacturers rep. visits the dealership, inspects the defective parts and approves the reimbursment, and at a shop labor rate that is drasticly below the prevailing "customer pay" labor rate. Ditto for the parts cost reimbursment. Want to see a mechanic hustle? Watch him perform warranty repairs. The mfg. rep. makes the dealership rounds about once a month. Meanwhile the dealership must play banker on the repairs & parts and lobby the mfg. rep. for reimbursment on each and every warranty claim. Else, the dealership eats the loss. And you know what that does to the shop labor rate. The dealership must walk a tightrope between customer satisfaction and self preservation. Some dealerships do it better than others. "Customer pay" repairs are more profitable, less hassle and the dealership gets paid before you get your car. It's a tough business. Remember that any dealership has one primary goal, to increase sales and grow. That translates into : separating each and every customer from as much money as possible. Head for a facility that is in the business of repairing transmissions rather than selling new ones. My suggestion, AAMCO or Eagle transmissions.