Automatic transmission - the orange cog lighted today

[dpehlivanov]

Hi guys. My car is 320i touring with switchable automatic transmission and around 180 k km, which i believe are original . So the car has been parked for a few hours and then i started it again on the way home. But when i started the car the orange cog lighted up. Turned on D and i've noticed that the car was going a little bit slower (without pushing the gas). I didn't like the way that it's driving. It wasn't freely like before. Anyway, i decided to stop for a little. Turned off the car. After 2-3 minutes started it again. The orange cog didn't light up and the car was moving freely and ok, like before.
Arrived at home without problems, then i went again with the car to do another work in the city, no problem. At the end of the day went to the car wash and when the car was washed and started it on the way home the orange cog lighted up again.

Now (after 4-5 hours) i checked the transmission oil level and it was too high. But i haven't had any problems until now. When i got the car (last year's summer) the oil was changed. From then i've passed only 3-4 k kms.

Haven't tested the manual gears, sport mode, etc.

What do you think it should be? Is it the worst?

[Brianmoooore]

If the light comes on, it will go into 'limp' mode, which is why you lost performance.
First thing I'd do is disconnect the multiplug from the gearbox, give its pins a good spray of electrical contact cleaner, plug it in and disconnect a few times, a spray of silicon grease, and reassemble.
May be worth checking out the other end of the loom at the gearbox ECU in the boot as well, in case damp is getting to it.
If those doesn't fix it, it's likely to get expensive.

[dpehlivanov]

Thank you for the answers. I've never used the "manual" mode on this car. I usually drive it on D on normal mode and sometimes, not often on sport mode. And switching on sport mode while the car is on P.

Brianmoooore: where exactly is this multiplug and the ECU in the boot?

[dpehlivanov]

Brianmoooore,

Is that the multiplug you are talking about. Right after the shifter. it was grey if i remember right?



If it's the same, i know it, but i don't know how to unplug it. I've seen it on my car and unpluging it was kind of complicated...

[Brianmoooore]

Multiplug is on the lower part of the gearbox - right down in the water and muck. You can't miss it if you get under the car.
Plug in your pic. is just the starter inhibitor and reverse light.

[dpehlivanov]

Plugs are ok, i've checked the connections. I bought another computer in the trunk (same number, everything). In the service we thought that the problem it's probably in it. I have waited for it 10 days. During this time we have changed the oil (it was changed around 3-4 k km's ago, but anyway). The guy also cleaned the "brain". I don't know how you call this part of the gearbox in english. Then the "new" computer came (it was from ebay seller with 100% feedback, who said that it was worked when he pulled it out the car), we put it on the car and the Check light is still on and the car still drives only on 3rd gear.

Any suggestions? Is there a chance the problem to be mechanical. As i said when the Check doesn't come up the gearbox runs very smoothly and change the gears very correct. Where should i look from now on?