325 Transmission

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srmalek
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Sun Aug 08, 2010 4:33 pm

Hi , i looking at my 2nd e30 now, and found a 325 1990, but the owner told me it has a gear change problem from cold start , but after the a few mins driving the car,no problem with the gear change, what seem to be problem.

ive read some topic in the forum related to gearbox

1) could be the low in transmission oil
2) gearbox pump problem,
3) switch problem ( oh its has switchable autobox)

any help would be apreciated before i buy this car,
Tommek
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Sun Aug 08, 2010 4:43 pm

Yes, it could be low in ATF oil. Maybe an oil and filter change will sort it. Good luck with the buy
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srmalek
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Sun Aug 08, 2010 4:53 pm

ok thanks , but other than that, what could be the problem?
Tommek
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Sun Aug 08, 2010 5:03 pm

other than that, the gears inside could be worn, but it you don`t hear any wierd noises i think it`s ok ....
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srmalek
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Sun Aug 08, 2010 5:46 pm

nope no weird noise, just the owner kept on yak yak about how he really love his e30,
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ProToZyKo
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Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:30 pm

I had this problem, changing the pump and converter didn't solve it.
A year after i cleaned filter and changed oil, problem not gone (cleaning filter not exactly a good idea ;) but the car went forward again after that )
Some time later i lost reverse, and low gear brake, that time i took the auto down and changed around 4 clutch packs, filter and oil after that problem was gone.
But it could be a good cleaning of the inside that fixed it, you could try flushing the system? Then do a filter change.
octanejunkie
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Sun Aug 08, 2010 8:45 pm

Clutch packs can wear out prematurely in these boxes. They don't like being left in "P" or "N" for any period of time.
Sometimes they can play up if the fluid is old, or low.
Best thing to do is look for a low mileage used box, and keep this in the garage in case of failure. The box in the car you're looking at may go on like it is indefinitely. A fluid and filter change is worth doing, but due to the costs involved with recon box's, i wouldn't throw any more than that at it.
Its not too bad a job changing out a box, and if the rest of the car is good, it may be worth a punt. Make sure you haggle well though, and tell him the box is kippered!
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srmalek
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Mon Aug 09, 2010 6:28 pm

ok thanks, btw how hard is to change the filter and tran oil, oh how does the filter lool like, (sorry being a super newbie in e30) btw let say the car cost 1k, how much should i nego and pay with the gearbox in that condition
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ProToZyKo
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Mon Aug 09, 2010 7:14 pm

Filter and oil is done in like 30 mins. Looks like a flat box ;)
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srmalek
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Tue Aug 10, 2010 5:42 pm

ok thanks for the input guys, btw as i said the car cost 1000 quids, so with the gearbox problem, how many quids shd i ask to shed it off again, btw dont worry guys the seller is not in e30zone , ehhehe
octanejunkie
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Tue Aug 10, 2010 6:25 pm

After letting the gearbox drain of its fluid, remove the bolts around the pan of the transmission, and slowly lower it down. Be prepared for some mess.
Look up into the bottom of the gearbox and the filter is the first thing you see, smooth, flat, silver metal thing. Its held on with a couple of screws. Undo them and remove the filter. Check that the sealing ring has come away too and is not still attached to the gearbox.
Replace filter with new sealing ring, and replace gasket on the transmission pan. Bolt back together.
Its important to keep the area around the transmission clean, so its a good idea to give the area a good degrease before getting stuck in.
Measure the amount of fluid that drained out, and replace that amount with new fluid. Don't overfill, as this can make the transmission slip.
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