i have a 1996 bmw z3 and theres bunch of problems with it
one the transmission makes makes a loud noise when switching gears usually first, also you press the gas and it takes couple seconds for the car to accelerate.
also when foot is on the brake the car will surge forward or accelerate
i was told by bmw that the value cover gasket needs to be replaced cause its leaking oil
the air mass meter needs to be replaced i was told by one mechanic this could be why the transmission is having problems
or it could be the transmission needs to be replaced ~ any truth to this that the air mass meter could be causing problems with the tranny??
also the os sensor needs to be replaced the check engine light is on…
so my question is that could all of these problems be causing transmission issues
there are other problems as well including power issues with the battery, stalling mostly because i havent been driving it
also the ac doesnt work but heat does
all in all does anyone think i could sell it with stated issues and still recoup 3k?? (dont laugh)
It sounds to me like you need to ditch this car or become a DIY mechanic.
“the check engine light is on”
That means there are error codes. Those look like “P1234.” Get them and post them. They might be on an old invoice. Alternatively many auto parts stores will read them for free.
Yes, any number of engine management issues will have a very large impact on your transmission function (MAF and throttle position sensor are coming to mind after your description).
This may sound funny but…EVERYONE…who I let drive my 95’ BMW 325 Cabrio says “when I put the brake on it feels like the car is accelerating” LOL…I did the same thing when I first got the vehicle…BMW put the accel brake and clutch PAINFULLY close together…(for heel, toeing) and when you hit the brake oft times you would actually catch the corner of the accelerator…sounds dangerous right? Sure…until you looked at your foot placement… MAYBE that surging forward is just you…or this issue?
As far as the other items, Cigroller is right we need codes man… BMW’s are painfully sensitive to their Mass Air meters…and crack or break in the rubber tube that connects the engine throttle to the MAF is a NO NO…take a look to see if you have a hole or crack in that tube…you can also spray the MAF clean with MAF cleaner spray…or brake cleaner spray…or carb spray…
In my opinion, all german cars are over engineered to a fault. What should be a very simple straight forward repair, is actually the BIGGEST P.I.T.A. job you can imagine. As such everything is going to cost you money, and LOTS OF IT !!
PS how many miles on this car?
Normally I would not associate a bad mass air flow with the trans, but on a German car who knows?? With that said a bad mass air flow meter should throw a code. Also it could be that the mass air flow is bad causing the motor not to behave right, and you are just attributing it to the trans not shifting right. The valve cover should be no issue at all, and should be a cheap fix. What kind of loud noise does the trans make when switching gears??
PPS I would think it would be very easy to get $3,000 out of a BMW convertible even if it was a basket case.
I agree with GSR and Ragtop…That MAF shouldn’t affect the trans at all. (THIS IS INCORRECT…Cigroller straightened us out…see below)…but it will affect the engines running ability…which will then make it seem like its the trans acting up
Ok guys. The MAF is a huge input on most every electronically controlled transmission. It is typically the main input for engine load info (taking the place of the older vacuum methods). If the MAF signal goes screwy, then computer doesn’t know which end is up with engine activity and had no idea what to do with the transmission at various crucial times.
Makes total sense to me when you state it like that… Funny I know full well how the MAF actually does its job, yet never stepped back and thought of the theory of its operation with the Ecu and other engine controls together as a system…DUH ! Sounds good to me