I need help!

Hi. I have owned my 1991 750il for over 3 years. Not much trouble with it. I love my car! I am not rich! In the spring it started throwing a "trans program" msg, along with going into some kind of safe mode where i couldn't go over 5 mph. No signs, no weird noises, just boom, wont run. My battery died and I charged it up, started up the car and it ran fine for a few weeks. Then it threw that msg again and i couldn't drive it. I unhooked the battery overnight and hooked it up the next day. Ran fine for a month. Threw the msg again, unhooked the battery again. It has ran fantastically all summer. No problems what so ever! Then this morning i am taking my kids to school, luckily it did it in the first block. I unhooked the battery again. It's still out there with the battery unhooked. I don't know what to do. I am going to school and cannot have this happen when I'm on the freeway or something with my kids! What do I do?? I cannot take it to a dealership to have the code ran because when i do that thing with the battery, it resets it. No code to run. I cannot drive it to a shop when it is in that mode, cuz i can't get it there. What do I do??

Tee up with good (sympathetic) stealer/indy/trans shop to have the car next time it fails and tilt tray it to them (or drive at low speed - your choice). Let them find codes etc if there are any. Could be bad/corroded electrical connection. Does it happen in the wet or after wet days? Could be a rubber boot off a plug - letting in water. As it is not constant I am not thinking gearbox internals.

Maybe move to E38 section??

No, not on wet days. Only seems to happen when it is cold outside. After I wrote the first thread I hooked the battery back up and took my kids to school. On my way back home, it started doing the "trans program" thing again. I let it sit because I am going to tow it to a shop and have the codes read. I'm pretty sure that it has nothing to do with the transmission or gear box. There is no trouble shifting. Wondering if it may have something to do with the fuel line or something on that order. It pops a little before it completely stops wanting to move.

The E38 is very picky when it comes to the electrical system. Just to insure not the battery or alternator have them tested to insure proper operation.

Thank you, but i have had the alternator tested, it's good. New battery (5 months old).

I will most definitely have it tested when I can. We are thinking it may have something to do with the fuel system. Maybe a sensor?

Fuel problems won't bring up a transmission error.

Your car is three years old, and so it is natural you should get some problems with your car, it is difficult to say without testing it , what is the actual problem, so you should better contact a good mechanics in this regard.

ap - Problems in three years? You must either hate your car and treat it acordingly or have the worst mechanic on the planet!! My 86 E23 runs as striong as ever and my E38 is a dream.