94 540i

Hey everyone lookin for some help in regards to a 540i that I just got..I'm pretty new to the 5 series and need some assistance..2 main issues that I have...I put the car in s2 and it gave me a code on my dash that said trans program see owners manual and it also gave a lil bang when it shifted into gear..thanks for the help look forward to the responses

Greetings , welcome
From your description, sounds like low fluid. Have transmission serviced at a reputable shop and report back.

Ok Kool I'll deff have that done this weekend thanks for help...one question if u can answer it..now when I come to a compete stop and go to take off it feels as if something was holding the car back but let's loose an drives fine..any suggestions?

Transmission not engaging properly. See if it still does it after the service


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Thanks I appriciate it..I have another question if u can answer for me..when I come to a complete stop and go to take off it feel like the car is being held and then it goes..car drives fine though..any suggestions?

Sorry for the repost didnt know if the post went through

Would you guys suggest a kind of tranny fluid that I should use on the 540i v8.94

Originally Posted by Edubz540i

Would you guys suggest a kind of tranny fluid that I should use on the 540i v8.94

Correct answer - Shell LA2634

Anecdotal response - i've used Amsoil Synthetic on my 540 with no issues .... So far.

Thanks I appreciate the response..

Originally Posted by Edubz540i

Thanks I appriciate it..I have another question if u can answer for me..when I come to a complete stop and go to take off it feel like the car is being held and then it goes..car drives fine though..any suggestions?

There's a check ball in the valve body that can fail, effectively engaging reverse gear while the car is in drive. It's very bad for (will ruin) the transmission, and should be addressed quickly if that's the problem.

That said, the limp mode when "trans program" kicks in is 4th gear, so the car will feel like it's bogging when it operates in that condition.

Also, I've occasionally had the torque converter lockup fail to disengage when the car is cold, usually when I'm executing a rolling stop. It doesn't happen often, but I've gotten in the habit of coming to a full stop (no rollers) while the car is cold. So maybe you're experiencing that ... ?

How many miles are on the car? Do you know if the transmission has any service history?

The car has 135300 and I'm not sure if the tranny has been service but I'm deff going to be servicing it this weekend..

And by the way thanks for the response

Don't try to diagnose jack until a week after you change the fluid. Until the marketing dept creates the laws of physics, fluids will degrade.

4-5 qts redline D4ATF transmission fluid

2 qts redline 75w90 gear oil

1 Automatic transmission filter kit

After you get this done, Vegas money says we won't hear from you again.

Well you guys will deff hear from me again..I'm a first bimmer owner and I'm loving it..so I'm deff gonna keep up on this forum..thanks I appreciate it..

I've used Pennzoil Multivehicle ATF in my car with no problems as well as Amsoil. ATF bottles will state in the fine print whether the fluid is compatible with Shell LA2634, and your're probably OK with any fluid that says it is, but careful car owners may want to go with the official BMW fluid. It's what, $20 a liter? A fluid/filter change will take 7-8 quarts.

Internet lore indicates you'll want to get a BMW factory filter rather than an aftermarket one. It's another $20 or $30, but people have complained that the aftermarket filters have collapsed internally.

When I pulled the transmission pan on my 540i for the first time at 84K miles, I noticed that it had an aftermarket filter, indicating it had already been serviced at least once. It was whining and hunting in and out of 5th at 45 mph. The fluid level was also low. I installed a new filter and the Pennzoil. Checking my work a week later, I noticed leaks at the selector shaft seals and wiring harness plug. I replaced the two seals on the selector shafts and the two o-rings sealing the harness plug. You may want to check there for leaks and do any necessary fixes before you change the fluid.

One thing you can do while you have the pan off is to clean the two speed sensors of any metallic grit. They read the input and output RPM signals in the transmission, and they can send the transmission into "trans program" mode if they misread the signals. They're each held in place by a single bolt, one in the valve body and one farther back along the output shaft.

Regarding that check ball I mentioned earlier -- replacing it will require opening the valve body. If you have to go that route you might as well do a full valve-body rebuild or get a rebuilt unit from a ZF authorized dealer like Eriksson Industries. But the prudent thing to do is probably do the fluid change and see if the tranny starts behaving itself.

Hope these random observations help. Here's a link to a nice pictoral: http://www.e38.org/zf-5hp30-service.html

I had to rebuild my valve body a couple years ago. I used Valvoline max life fluid since it has friction modifiers in it. Been working perfect, 40,000 mi. since rebuild.

Originally Posted by TemporarySanity

I had to rebuild my valve body a couple years ago. I used Valvoline max life fluid since it has friction modifiers in it. Been working perfect, 40,000 mi. since rebuild.

I did a rebuild too -- if you're gonna keep the car, it's probably the thing to do in light of the check-ball issue. Fresh valves and springs really sharpened up the shifts, too.

And it's really not that hard, am I right?

It was pretty easy. The instructions were easy to follow and it was worth it!

I'm deff gonna look into that..I really do appreciate all the help though.

Edubz, do yourself a favor and search through all the BMW forums you can for info on the 5hp30 transmission (the transmission in your car). There's a lot of good stuff out there, and it'll give you a full picture of the transmission, it's strengths and weaknesses. I suggest you run a "5hp30" search at Bimmerforums, Bimmerboard, Bimmernut, BMWE34.net, Shogun's BMW site and E38.org. You can probably spend an evening doing the research, but when you're done you'll have a much better chance of keeping your transmission alive.


The 5hp30 tranny was used in 5 and 7-series cars and it's very stout, but the controls (valve body, shifter) can be finicky. Also, BMW marketed the automatic as maintenance-free so a lot of them were neglected, particularly with regard to fluid changes. But yours may still have a lot of life left in it -- I have 230K miles on my car and the transmission is working great. Knock wood!

Good luck!

Yea I'm going to check those othe forums for more info on it..I deff want to learn more about this 5 series..my boy put me on to this forum and I deff gotta say there's good help on here..thanks a lot guys, real talk