1994 BMW530i Problems

[pgrindstaff]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure its a 530i. More pics are on my website showing my car from differant angles, and more shots of the engine.

More pics here

[genphreak]

Maybe its had a prang as well as an earlier engine change and the repair shop put it back together a bit differently to factory (as Bill R alludes to). If it has had a front-ender you never know they may have opted for a transmission cooler mounted inside the radiator instead- it seems weird as the pipes would have to change and all, but I've seen repair shops do weirder things... but if it is original, you simply have to isolate the leak through observation, none of us can give you a magic spell or anything else to recite on that... have you checked the transimssion fluid level according to the manual's procedure?

A lot of people overfill their trannies as they 'know better' that to follow it to the letter...

Yours is a ZF5HP18, a very nice transmission so if you have to pull it out and rebuild or replace that is an option. A rebuild is a good idea if you want to keep the car, replacements could be short on life too- but the are quicker and cheaper to do. Perhaps you could donate the old tranny to someone local who might like to rebuild it...

[pgrindstaff]

Maybe its had a prang and the repair shop put it back together a bit differently. If it has had a front-ender you never know they may have opted for a transmission cooler mounted inside the radiator instead- it seems weird as the pipes would have to change and all, but I've seen repair shops do weirder things... but if it is original, you simply have to isolate the leak through observation, none of us can give you a magic spell or anything else to recite on that... have you checked the transimssion fluid level according to the manual's procedure?

A lot of people overfill their trannies as they 'know better' that to follow it to the letter...

No, I have not checked the transmission fluid level. I was under the impression that the automatic transmissions were closed, and therefore have no way of checking the fluid level. I most definately could be wrong though, so do correct me if this is the case.

[632 Regal]

emailed you.

[pgrindstaff]

That pic of the transmission cooler line is strange because the 530 had a separate transmission cooler in front of the radiator not part of the radiator like the one you show...This car is definitely a 530? Can you show a few pics of the engine and overall radiator Also the lines used an oring seal on them , so if they are leaking you'll need to replace the orings. Its not a flare fitting

Well, I finally got the problem fixed lastnight. A friend of mine is a mechanic, not BMW but Acura, and he was able to fix the problem. Apparently, the radiator was replaced at one point in the past, I'm assuming when the engine was replaced, and the mechanic then put the wrong size o-ring on the transmission cooling line. So, while he was struggling to get the fitting back on he noticed a sticker on the side of the radiator and said it was an aftermarket radiator, hence, the lack of a seperate transmission cooler.

Again, thanks for all of your help. Now I get to have fun with other repairs to my car, such as cleaning the window motors, fixing the lock mechanism on the driver's door (left), pulling out the wires for an aftermarket alarm that is no longer present, and getting the original alary/keyless entry working. If anyne know how to get the door lock and keyless working in particular please share your source.

Thanks