1997 BMW 528i Transmission Slipping

1952 BMW 528
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PROTEK
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Hello, my name is Freddy. I have a 1997 BMW 528I with a GM automatic transmission. My vehicle has 100,000 miles on it. My transmission has been slipping gears and continuously switching from neutral to 1st gear at stop lights. I went and replaced the oil with the recommended Mobil 1 synthetic ATF (Dextron III) and changed out the filter and added a bottle of Lubegard. It took up about 5 quarts of ATF. The slipping stopped but not the continuously switching from neutral to 1st gear at stop lights. My mechanic hooked up his code reader and it read the following 2 faults:

code 111: Converter lock up clutch/speed monitoring
code 105: Engine overreving interlock

Can you give me any advice on what to do next? I would like to fix whatever is wrong before damaging the transmission.

Is the conveter going bad or can it be something simple like a speed sensor?

Thank you
Sep 6, 2006 at 4:44 PM
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2CARPRO JACK
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Honestly at 100,000 miles i would probably take it to a reputable shop and have the trans rebuilt.
Sep 12, 2006 at 5:11 AM
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PROTEK
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After much researching I also concluded that the only good option was to rebuild. The other alternative is converting to a manual tranny. I would love to do the conversion. Apparently it is a popular conversion because of the similar components that they share. There is no custom work required. So now I'm trying to find a used 5 or 6 speed transmission for my car. I even found a company that does conversion kits. My total cost should be equal or less than getting a rebuilt automatic tranny.

By the way after taking it to another friend that works in the BMW dealer... we found out that the problem was a bad torque converter (GT1-readout). But of course the transmission fluid was completely black. So the possibilities of having bad drums and burnt clutches are very likely. Especially with all the symptoms that I'm having with the tranny.
Sep 13, 2006 at 5:48 AM
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Suggested Repair

Have the automatic transmission rebuilt at a reputable shop. A dealer scan confirmed a bad torque converter, and black fluid makes burnt clutches and damaged drums likely.

Conversation Summary

A 1997 BMW 528i with about 100,000 miles was slipping and repeatedly shifting between neutral and first at stops. A fluid and filter service with Dexron III and Lubegard stopped the slipping but not the gear hunting. Codes 111 (converter lockup clutch/speed monitoring) and 105 (engine overrevving interlock) were stored. The expert recommended a transmission rebuild. A later dealer scan confirmed a bad torque converter and completely black fluid, making internal clutch and drum damage likely. The owner also considered a manual conversion as a cost alternative.

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