Keeping your BMW’s transmission in good working order is important to keep your vehicle operating at peak performance. Hard breaking, tough turns, and bad weather conditions will all slowly affect your BMW’s transmission. Eventually, it will need service in order to keep working smoothly. How do you know when it’s time to bring your vehicle in for some TLC and a fluid change? Here are five signs that your BMW needs transmission service.
1. Rough Idling and Odors
You don’t have to even drive your BMW to spot these early signs that its transmission isn’t doing so well. Start up your vehicle and step outside of it. Does it sound rough? Grinding, banging, rumbling or other unusual sounds may mean that your transmission is developing an issue.
While you’re out there, you can also check for unusual smells coming from the vehicle. Your BMW’s transmission fluid is supposed to be replaced between every 30 to 60 thousand miles, and if it isn’t, then it may start to smell. A sweet or burning odor could be the transmission fluid (although it could also be the coolant.) Any unusual smell from your vehicle is a sign you need to bring it in for an inspection.
2. Slipping Transmission
Whether your BMW is manual or automatic, a transmission issue can cause it to slip in and out of gears. If this is happening, the RPM speed won’t quite match the speed the vehicle is actually moving at, and it’ll feel like the vehicle is slipping. This is more likely to happen when you’re driving on sharp inclines or declines. Pay special attention to how your BMW feels on hills. There are many different kinds of transmission problems that can cause this issue, including worn transmission bands, or simply low fluid.
3. Leaking Fluid
Speaking of transmission fluid, a leak from the transmission is also a sign that your transmission could use some help. Typically, when people find that their BMW is leaving behind a fluid, they assume it’s an oil leak, however it could also be the transmission fluid. This fluid is often brown or a shade of red, potentially very dark. You can assess the color better if you leave some cardboard below the vehicle overnight. However, any fluid leaking from your car means you should bring it in, and we can tell you what kind of fluid it is.
4. Poor Shifting and Accelerating
One of the great joys of driving a BMW is the handling, so if you have poor handling it’s certainly an issue, and potentially an issue with the transmission, although there are other causes of the problem too. If the shifting feels rough or delayed, then something is going on with your vehicle that needs to be addressed. If you have a manual car, you may suddenly notice that the shifting feels hard, and that is another sign.
You might also notice a transmission problem when you’re trying to accelerate. If the vehicle feels less responsive than normal at green lights, or when you’re pulling out of the driveway, then it could have a transmission issue. This is especially true if the vehicle makes a noise once it does start to respond to the gas pedal.
5. Check Engine Light is On
The check engine light isn’t very specific, but if it has turned on, then it’s wise to bring your vehicle in. It could be a transmission problem. Of course, if your BMW is equipped with a transmission warning light or signal, then this is an even clearer indication that something could be wrong with your transmission and that it is wise to get it serviced.
What Should You Do About These Signs?
Scheduling your transmission service appointment quickly after you spot these problems is essential. A malfunctioning transmission can take a toll on the rest of your vehicle and become more serious over time, potentially destroying the transmission altogether. Transmissions are one of the most expensive vehicle parts to replace, so addressing your transmission problems early is the wise thing to do.
We’ll troubleshoot your transmission and any other affected parts of your BMW and give you some answers about what exactly is going on. If all is well, we can perform transmission maintenance to keep it that way. If not, then we can repair your transmission or, in the worst case, replace it.
Schedule your appointment at one of our three locations today! Contact us.