Auto trans problems - fail safe mode - '92 318

[ajsmith 0]

Hey everyone.

Just wandering if any one else has had a similar problem and what the soultion was...

Quite often, and for no apparent reason my trans will drop into "failsafe mode". The trans seems to hold itself in forth gear and nothing I do will make it change. There is also a little warning light that comes up on the instument cluster which looks like an "!" with a ring around it. I usually try not to drive to far when this happens but I have found that turning the car off for 10 seconds and allowing the computer to reset normally fixes it (temporarily).

I have tried to work out what this may be but its seems to happen so often that there seems to be no single issue making it happen.

The only thing that I can think of is that my alternator is on its way out (lights keep surging with stero and a/c on) and was thinking that a low power supply to the trans may be making it freak out and dropping into fail safe mode.

Im a bit of a car novice so please excuse any errors ive made in my analysis.

All thoughts and comments would be apprecaited, I'd rather not take it to an auto electrician if its just the alternator that I can do myself.

Cheers

[SpidersWeb 0]

This is for an E34 5 series, but its a good read and might possibly be of help to you.

http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/trouble/TransProgram.asp

Good Luck with your 318

[BM WORLD 1283]

hi , i have alternators and trans etc

021433600

[ajsmith 0]

Thanks spider. Im going to do an alternator swap and see how things go. Will let ya'll know.

Cheers Brent, I may be in touch.

[isis 16]

depends on the sort of mileage u have on your car and also how it was taken care off.

high mileage and thrashed cars often require a gearbox rebuild.

tell tale signs at around 150,000ks..happen to my old e36 325i - 3.5k later it was fine.

The first thing you should do is get it serviced.. change the filters etc.

cheaper than having it rebuilt. might get a good response from it.

good luck