WTH is going on with my E34? Need some remote diag help

So my moneypit E34 that hasn't been featured much on here other than rants about having to pay 2-3 times to get some repairs done until, well, things were actually repaired. And it's been playing up again recently.

Most of the remaining problems seem to center around the rear suspension (it wags its tail around 60-70mph, but I'm being assured there is "nothing wrong with the car and/or the rear suspension, sir") and the transmission.

I figure I can fix the wag if I load up the parts cannon and redo the suspension, it's the transmission that worries me more. I got used to the fact that first thing in the morning, it sometimes acts like it's low on fluid (it's not, according to the same people who reassured me about the rear suspension) in the sense that you put it in gear, no creep happens, then you rev the engine just a tad and it moves. After that, the car is fine.

Well, it was until last night. I was driving home from Dulles (about 90 miles) and on one of the last hills I have to go up at about 35 mph, the drivetrain started shaking badly, as if it was either suddenly running on three cylinder (engine didn't sound as if it was) or the clutch suddenly started slipping, badly. Only that it's an automatic and the torque converter doesn't lock up until you get to about 50mph. Once I got up the hill, it was fine again and didn't act up again, even when driving up the steeper hill to our house.

Oh, and the car doesn't have a dipstick other than the one behind the wheel, so checking the ATF it a huge PITA. It's also not leaking transmission fluid.

Just because it's not leaking doesn't mean it's not low.  Yes, it's a pain, especially without a lift, but you gotta check.  And you gotta check how THEY say to check it.  I had one last week where it was filled with the engine off but was supposed to be running.  With the engine running it was 2 1/2 quarts low.

Shudder under low speed load might just be a dying Guibo.

For one thing it sounds like you need a better shop.

I can't really comment on the transmission, since automatics are just black voodoo magic to me. As far as the suspension, aside from obviously failed components (I'm assuming you've looked for those), the rear subframe bushings can really make the rear end move around when they get old. If you can find a suitable poly insert for those, you may be able to tighten up the rear end a lot without major expenditure. Or, if no such insert exists, jam cut up pieces of steel cords from an old tire into the voids and seal up with 3M Window Weld like we did before poly inserts were a thing.

Undiagnosable, irreparable problem?

sounds normal for German cars :)

OK, I guess I better limit driving this thing until my new QuickJack arrives. And yes, I'm aware on how one is supposed to check the fluid, with the engine running and IIRC the fluid at a specific temperature.

Speaking of the Guibo, the BMW specialist in Reno mentioned that it had been fitted backwards and that they had to flip it, otherwise it would wear out quickly. Let's hope they were right.

If the trans in yours is like mine, the fluid check is basically start the car cold, put it in reverse, neutral, and then drive for a few seconds, and back into park.  The fluid should be around 90* F or so, pull the full plug with it running in park.  Fluid should be filled right up to the bottom of the fill plug.  

02Pilot said:

For one thing it sounds like you need a better shop.

I can't really comment on the transmission, since automatics are just black voodoo magic to me. As far as the suspension, aside from obviously failed components (I'm assuming you've looked for those), the rear subframe bushings can really make the rear end move around when they get old. If you can find a suitable poly insert for those, you may be able to tighten up the rear end a lot without major expenditure. Or, if no such insert exists, jam cut up pieces of steel cords from an old tire into the voids and seal up with 3M Window Weld like we did before poly inserts were a thing.

+1 on the rear subframe bushings. Powerflex makes both a "street" and "racing" set of bushings for the E34. 

I'd definitely get a second opinion on the status of both problem areas. It seems like whoever is looking at it is missing something obvious.

How many miles are on the car and do you have any record of any rear suspension work? The newest E34'S are closing in on 25 years old. Any original rubber is likely to be toast.

02Pilot said:

For one thing it sounds like you need a better shop.

The above is the accumulated wisdom of two shops in Reno, in both cases they are/were highly regarded and the work was allegedly performed by BMW-certified techs.

Out here I don't even have a that I let touch these cars yet - one of the reasons why my 911 is a project car as I slowly fix it up myself rather than trying my expensive luck with other shops. But I can't do that with the E34 as that's my current daily driver.

I can't really comment on the transmission, since automatics are just black voodoo magic to me. As far as the suspension, aside from obviously failed components (I'm assuming you've looked for those), the rear subframe bushings can really make the rear end move around when they get old. If you can find a suitable poly insert for those, you may be able to tighten up the rear end a lot without major expenditure. Or, if no such insert exists, jam cut up pieces of steel cords from an old tire into the voids and seal up with 3M Window Weld like we did before poly inserts were a thing.

You can get poly inserts for the rear subframe bushings on the car, I already checked. The suspension woes as the smaller concern right now, actually.

Well, it would be more of a third opinion - as mentioned above, this was already the combined considered opinion of two shops that at least other people hold in high regard.

How many miles are on the car and do you have any record of any rear suspension work? The newest E34'S are closing in on 25 years old. Any original rubber is likely to be toast.

It's a 94, so it's about 25 years old, but only has 92k on the clock. Typical old lady's car, in this case quite literally. Unfortunately over the two years I've owned it, it spent a lot of time in the shop. Partially because the first shop had some "issues" diagnosing things and then berkeleying up things, and then the second shop got to undo that stuff and source more parts that are discontinued by BMW.

Oh, and the other problem with the DD-ness of the car is that I'm short of backup vehicles as I ended up selling a bunch before we moved here.

I didn't realise how much I relied on the ND Miata as the warranty'd, always working car if/when one of the cheapo airport cars E36 M3 the bed. And out here I can't even grab a Lyft/Uber to the airport if I wanted to.

Might be time for an appliance.

BoxheadTim said:

Well, it would be more of a third opinion - as mentioned above, this was already the combined considered opinion of two shops that at least other people hold in high regard.

How many miles are on the car and do you have any record of any rear suspension work? The newest E34'S are closing in on 25 years old. Any original rubber is likely to be toast.

It's a 94, so it's about 25 years old, but only has 92k on the clock. Typical old lady's car, in this case quite literally. Unfortunately over the two years I've owned it, it spent a lot of time in the shop. Partially because the first shop had some "issues" diagnosing things and then berkeleying up things, and then the second shop got to undo that stuff and source more parts that are discontinued by BMW.

Just to reiterate a point I was making more clearly, E34's are OLD at this point. Rubber deteriorates without the help of hard driving abuse. Gran might not have been drifting the local on ramps, but that doesn't mean she kept up with the more forgotten maintenance items like subframe bushings, RTABS, strut mounts, etc. Unless the car was particularly well cared for, and you have a documented record of the service, it's just going to need things. Would you daily drive any car that can sport a historic vehicle plate without expecting the need for some serious maintenance?

It just seems like you had unrealistic expectations of the car from the start and that's leading to some frustration with it. 

Your shop experience still seems weird. First shop seemed to be obviously incompetent. Don't let that color your opinion of the car. Second shop seems to know how to work on the car, but I'm a little confused as to what parts are being replaced that are "discontinued by BMW". Bit of a red flag to be honest. I have had my E34 touring for 5 years and I have yet to have trouble finding any parts for it. The only thing that gave me a little difficulty were some pieces of trim, but that wouldn't get in the way of keeping the car on the road. If you need any help with diagnosing/ DIY/parts sourcing I can provide some help. There is a lot of good information out there about these cars and they are still pretty well supported.

MTechnically said:

BoxheadTim said:

Well, it would be more of a third opinion - as mentioned above, this was already the combined considered opinion of two shops that at least other people hold in high regard.

How many miles are on the car and do you have any record of any rear suspension work? The newest E34'S are closing in on 25 years old. Any original rubber is likely to be toast.

It's a 94, so it's about 25 years old, but only has 92k on the clock. Typical old lady's car, in this case quite literally. Unfortunately over the two years I've owned it, it spent a lot of time in the shop. Partially because the first shop had some "issues" diagnosing things and then berkeleying up things, and then the second shop got to undo that stuff and source more parts that are discontinued by BMW.

Just to reiterate a point I was making more clearly, E34's are OLD at this point. Rubber deteriorates without the help of hard driving abuse. Gran might not have been drifting the local on ramps, but that doesn't mean she kept up with the more forgotten maintenance items like subframe bushings, RTABS, strut mounts, etc. Unless the car was particularly well cared for, and you have a documented record of the service, it's just going to need things. Would you daily drive any car that can sport a historic vehicle plate without expecting the need for some serious maintenance?

Just to clarify, between me buying it from the old lady and DDing lie about 5k-6k worth of serious maintenance.

It just seems like you had unrealistic expectations of the car from the start and that's leading to some frustration with it.

See above, I wasn’t expecting to just drive it. I spent some serious coin on getting the car DDable and the second shop declared it fit for purpose for that after going through it with a magnifying glass, admittedly with leaving me with two jobs to DIY (brakes and tires) that I took care of myself.

The frustration is that after two years, at least six of which were spent in the various shops, the car is still not quite right. It worked as a DD for about 6-7 months during that time. Plus it’s gone way past the sunk cost fallacy and came out the other end by now.

Your shop experience still seems weird. First shop seemed to be obviously incompetent. Don't let that color your opinion of the car. Second shop seems to know how to work on the car, but I'm a little confused as to what parts are being replaced that are "discontinued by BMW". Bit of a red flag to be honest. I have had my E34 touring for 5 years and I have yet to have trouble finding any parts for it. The only thing that gave me a little difficulty were some pieces of trim, but that wouldn't get in the way of keeping the car on the road. If you need any help with diagnosing/ DIY/parts sourcing I can provide some help. There is a lot of good information out there about these cars and they are still pretty well supported.

 

First shop had a problem finding a replacement SRS computer after it started acting up a few miles after I picked up the car.

Mind you, second shop then pointed out that the first place made a complete hash of trying to program the computer to the car and actually got it working. I agree that parts support is generally pretty good and inexpensive but that doesn’t help when I get to reload said parts cannon every couple of weeks.

If this was an M5 restoration I’d just do it, but this is just a rust free 525i with some dings that I don’t mind parking at the airport. 

BoxheadTim said:

 

Just to clarify, between me buying it from the old lady and DDing lie about 5k-6k worth of serious maintenance.

I've got to ask, what kind of due diligence did you do before buying this car? PPI? Inspection? Just sounds like an awful lot was wrong with the car before you took ownership. What kind of maintenance are we talking here? Clearly the transmission wasn't replaced, engine wasn't swapped and major suspension overhaul hasn't been done.

Not to invalidate your experience, but your experience doesn't quite match up to mine. I've converted by car to manual, rebuild the entire rear subframe with power coating, and a host of upgrades for not much more than what you are talking about here.

See above, I wasn’t expecting to just drive it. I spent some serious coin on getting the car DDable and the second shop declared it fit for purpose for that after going through it with a magnifying glass, admittedly with leaving me with two jobs to DIY (brakes and tires) that I took care of myself.

The frustration is that after two years, at least six of which were spent in the various shops, the car is still not quite right. It worked as a DD for about 6-7 months during that time. Plus it’s gone way past the sunk cost fallacy and came out the other end by now.

At this point I'm honestly curious what all was done to the car and what issues you had that have sidelined the car for so long. It sucks that you put the time and money into a car that hasn't worked out. 

If this was an M5 restoration I’d just do it, but this is just a rust free 525i with some dings that I don’t mind parking at the airport. 

You've already pointed this out, but it certainly sounds like you were looking for an appliance and bought a project instead. 

I smell urine, as if a pissing contest is about to begin.  MTech, I have no doubt that you know your E34 stuff, but how does due diligence before purchase 2 years ago have anything to do with current issues of trans acting funny and car rear-steering?

MTechnically said:

BoxheadTim said:

 

Just to clarify, between me buying it from the old lady and DDing lie about 5k-6k worth of serious maintenance.

I've got to ask, what kind of due diligence did you do before buying this car? PPI? Inspection? Just sounds like an awful lot was wrong with the car before you took ownership. What kind of maintenance are we talking here? Clearly the transmission wasn't replaced, engine wasn't swapped and major suspension overhaul hasn't been done.

To be fair, the numbers were that high because I had to get a bunch of expensive work redone. The due diligence was me checking the car over carefully, and I didn't miss much other than the Guibo that needed flipping. I did take a knowing gamble (and lost) on the oil pan gasket not leaking - I knew the car was leaking from the rocker cover gasket, the oil sensor gasket and one of the power steering hosts.

I was fully expecting to dump about $2k in the car to make it DD-able, so I wasn't exactly trying to wing it. First shop addressed the initial oil leaks, serviced the transmission and was tasked with checking over everything, especially the suspension (essentially doing a Post-PI). Gave the car a clean bill of health, fully knowing that I'm the kinda guy who will green light necessary repairs. Only "you may want to look at this closer" hint was that the dog bones in the rear suspension were a little worn, and that their alignment guru couldn't get the rear suspension exactly on spec. So far, so good.

A few days after picking up the car, it was clear that the oil pan gasket was leaking, but over all the car had gone from "gusher" to "trickler". Back to the shop it went, they did the oil pan gasket and that's when the SRS saga started. SRS light wouldn't go out or come on a few minutes after you started the car. They went through three used computers, couldn't get things working right. Eventually I figured out that it might have been the battery voltage as the car had been sitting at their shop for at least six weeks. Oil pan gasket was still leaking, shop went out of business before being able to address that.

That's when the second shop came into play. They did another post-post-PI, confirmed the issue with the oil pan gasket, redid that, found a bunch of other stuff the first guys had missed and/or were a result of their tender ministrations. That was the next 2500 bucks...

Second shop gave the suspension a clean bill of health, said the dog bones were used but OK and the alignment was within spec. They found the exhaust was about to fall off, the Guibo being in backwards and that they had to redo both the oil pan gasket and figure out what the heck the first guy did to the airbag computer. That's where a lot of the expense went - as you know it's usually most costly to fix other people's mistakes than doing it right the first time.

I had asked the second shop to check over everything the first shop has touched, and I have no reason to disbelieve that they did do a decent job. Well, other than potentially the evidence in my driveway.

Not to invalidate your experience, but your experience doesn't quite match up to mine. I've converted by car to manual, rebuild the entire rear subframe with power coating, and a host of upgrades for not much more than what you are talking about here.

Keep in mind that I try not to wrench on my dailies, so this was at specialist shop rates. If I had done the work myself it probably still wouldn't have been done completely but I would've been able to redo the suspension as well. And it still would've been a project car, but I would've had more money in my wallet.

At this point I'm honestly curious what all was done to the car and what issues you had that have sidelined the car for so long. It sucks that you put the time and money into a car that hasn't worked out. 

Whole host of smaller stuff, waiting for (used) parts mostly and I think the initial shop being completely swamped with work. That certainly accounted for the first bunch of months of the car in being in the shop.

Not quite sure why the other shop took that long, but I think they were trying to give me a bit of a break on parts costs as they tried to source a bunch of parts to fix some of the more niggling issues with used parts.

If this was an M5 restoration I’d just do it, but this is just a rust free 525i with some dings that I don’t mind parking at the airport. 

You've already pointed this out, but it certainly sounds like you were looking for an appliance and bought a project instead. 

Certainly looks that way. I'm not sure I bought a project, I think somewhere along the line it turned into one. Which wouldn't have been as big an issue as it is now if it had been properly fixed up before we moved house. Due to lack of local connections I don't know yet where I can take the non-appliances vehicles. I'm fine with wrenching on my Miata and the 911 as those are hobby cars, but it's becoming a serious issue with the BMW.

Try reaching out to the local BMWCCA chapter (if you're a member) or bimrs.org for shop recommendations. Based on the Dulles reference, I'm assuming you're in the DC Metro. I haven't lived there in 20+ years, but there were a bunch of BMW shops at that time, and I can only imagine that number has increased with the population growth since.

AngryCorvair said:

I smell urine, as if a pissing contest is about to begin.  MTech, I have no doubt that you know your E34 stuff, but how does due diligence before purchase 2 years ago have anything to do with current issues of trans acting funny and car rear-steering?

Certainly not trying to start something. I really was trying to get a better picture of what was going on with the history of repairs for this car, even if it did get a little tangential. As 02Pilot and I pointed out, rear subframe bushing are a likely culprit. Tim might want to seriously consider replacing the RTAB's since both shops noticed wear and had issues really getting the alignment in spec. That was useful information he offered up after my prodding. 

I'll admit to being a little protective about the E34's. I do like them and I think it's a real shame that the first shop really exacerbated the issues and expense of this car for Boxhead Tim. Sorry if I came off as overly aggressive or defensive.

In reply to BoxheadTim :

I understand much better now. It's really too bad that the first shop really soured the experience of the car from the start. Like 02 Pilot mentioned I'd see if the local BMW CCA can point you in the right direction. Best guess on you rear handling woes are the rear subframe bushings and I would consider the RTAB's, since you've now mentioned them being worn and causing alignment issues. Auto transmissions are also black magic to me, but unfortunately they are also a know weak spot on the E34. Hopefully it's and easy fix. Have the proper checks done, but be prepared for some more bad news...

Edit: Decided to take a quick look at the E34 webpage and found this article: http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Trouble/TransProgram.htm . You didn't mention having the TRANS PROGRAM error, but if a fluid check comes out normal I would consider checking the items listed in the article.

02Pilot said:

Try reaching out to the local BMWCCA chapter (if you're a member) or bimrs.org for shop recommendations. Based on the Dulles reference, I'm assuming you're in the DC Metro. I haven't lived there in 20+ years, but there were a bunch of BMW shops at that time, and I can only imagine that number has increased with the population growth since.

Unfortunately I'm about 80 miles outside the DC metro area - we're in the WV panhandle. Dulles just happens to be the nearest reasonable airport for me.

I know there are a bunch of good shops in the DC area, it's more of a logistics issue with getting the car there as I'm looking at a 4-6h round trip depending on the area and having to trailer it there.

MTechnically said:

AngryCorvair said:

I smell urine, as if a pissing contest is about to begin.  MTech, I have no doubt that you know your E34 stuff, but how does due diligence before purchase 2 years ago have anything to do with current issues of trans acting funny and car rear-steering?

Certainly not trying to start something. I really was trying to get a better picture of what was going on with the history of repairs for this car, even if it did get a little tangential. As 02Pilot and I pointed out, rear subframe bushing are a likely culprit. Tim might want to seriously consider replacing the RTAB's since both shops noticed wear and had issues really getting the alignment in spec. That was useful information he offered up after my prodding. 

Just from my perspective I'd like to point out that I didn't take it in any other way that you trying to help. The weird thing is that the first shop pointed out the dogbones (I assume that's what you're referring to by RTABs) and the second shop - which is a Porsche and BMW specialist - said they're used but OK. Then again, both shops where adamant that there wasn't a problem with the suspension, but also couldn't explain the tail wagging or the dead shock type "oink" that I'm getting from the driver's side rear shock (both shops declared the shocks to be in good condition).

I'll admit to being a little protective about the E34's. I do like them and I think it's a real shame that the first shop really exacerbated the issues and expense of this car for Boxhead Tim. Sorry if I came off as overly aggressive or defensive.

I do like E34s as well - this is my second or third one, can't quite remember. It's actually the first one that seems to be hell bent on becoming a perma-headache.

MTechnically said:

In reply to BoxheadTim :

I understand much better now. It's really too bad that the first shop really soured the experience of the car from the start. Like 02 Pilot mentioned I'd see if the local BMW CCA can point you in the right direction. Best guess on you rear handling woes are the rear subframe bushings and I would consider the RTAB's, since you've now mentioned them being worn and causing alignment issues. Auto transmissions are also black magic to me, but unfortunately they are also a know weak spot on the E34. Hopefully it's and easy fix. Have the proper checks done, but be prepared for some more bad news...

Oh, I'm very prepared for bad news. The fact that I've got intermittent issues is a pretty big red flag. TBH part of the frustration is that I can tell that there is something wrong, but nobody else seems to be able to find it. And I'm pretty sure I'm not smoking something or having hallucinations otherwise.

Edit: Decided to take a quick look at the E34 webpage and found this article: http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Trouble/TransProgram.htm . You didn't mention having the TRANS PROGRAM error, but if a fluid check comes out normal I would consider checking the items listed in the article.

No errors at all on the internal display. All those - which were all caused by a faulty brake switch - have been taken care of. By now the electronics think everything's hunky dory.

BoxheadTim said:

MTechnically said:

AngryCorvair said:

I smell urine, as if a pissing contest is about to begin.  MTech, I have no doubt that you know your E34 stuff, but how does due diligence before purchase 2 years ago have anything to do with current issues of trans acting funny and car rear-steering?

Certainly not trying to start something. I really was trying to get a better picture of what was going on with the history of repairs for this car, even if it did get a little tangential. As 02Pilot and I pointed out, rear subframe bushing are a likely culprit. Tim might want to seriously consider replacing the RTAB's since both shops noticed wear and had issues really getting the alignment in spec. That was useful information he offered up after my prodding. 

Just from my perspective I'd like to point out that I didn't take it in any other way that you trying to help. The weird thing is that the first shop pointed out the dogbones (I assume that's what you're referring to by RTABs) and the second shop - which is a Porsche and BMW specialist - said they're used but OK. Then again, both shops where adamant that there wasn't a problem with the suspension, but also couldn't explain the tail wagging or the dead shock type "oink" that I'm getting from the driver's side rear shock (both shops declared the shocks to be in good condition).

Glad I wasn't pushing back too hard. FYI, RTAB = Rear Trailing Arm Bushing, you can see why I avoid typing that one out. They are a bit of a pain to replace, but they shouldn't need to replace the whole rear trailing arm/dogbone for the repair. I think you hit on something I was trying to get at with the last bit of this comment. You KNOW there is something wrong with the rear, if the shop can't find it then they might not be the right place to have the repair done. I still think the subframe bushings are the most likely for the wagging you described. If you feel like you have a dead shock and have confirmed it's still good, then I would be looking at the strut mount.

I'll admit to being a little protective about the E34's. I do like them and I think it's a real shame that the first shop really exacerbated the issues and expense of this car for Boxhead Tim. Sorry if I came off as overly aggressive or defensive.

I do like E34s as well - this is my second or third one, can't quite remember. It's actually the first one that seems to be hell bent on becoming a perma-headache.

MTechnically said:

In reply to BoxheadTim :

I understand much better now. It's really too bad that the first shop really soured the experience of the car from the start. Like 02 Pilot mentioned I'd see if the local BMW CCA can point you in the right direction. Best guess on you rear handling woes are the rear subframe bushings and I would consider the RTAB's, since you've now mentioned them being worn and causing alignment issues. Auto transmissions are also black magic to me, but unfortunately they are also a know weak spot on the E34. Hopefully it's and easy fix. Have the proper checks done, but be prepared for some more bad news...

Oh, I'm very prepared for bad news. The fact that I've got intermittent issues is a pretty big red flag. TBH part of the frustration is that I can tell that there is something wrong, but nobody else seems to be able to find it. And I'm pretty sure I'm not smoking something or having hallucinations otherwise.

Edit: Decided to take a quick look at the E34 webpage and found this article: http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Trouble/TransProgram.htm . You didn't mention having the TRANS PROGRAM error, but if a fluid check comes out normal I would consider checking the items listed in the article.

No errors at all on the internal display. All those - which were all caused by a faulty brake switch - have been taken care of. By now the electronics think everything's hunky dory.

Unfortunately, I would have to agree that the outlook doesn't look too rosy at this point. Though manual conversions aren't to hard with these cars. Not that you want that kind of project on your hands.

I apologize to MTechnically and BoxheadTim for being too sensitive.  :-)

Tim, if York PA isn't too far, i know a good BMW tech there.   and that guy's Dad has a hobby business working on older BMWs at his house in Clear Spring MD.

AngryCorvair said:

I apologize to MTechnically and BoxheadTim for being too sensitive.  :-)

No need to apologise .

Tim, if York PA isn't too far, i know a good BMW tech there.   and that guy's Dad has a hobby business working on older BMWs at his house in Clear Spring MD.

York PA is over two hours each way, however Clear Springs is only about 40 minutes from here.

MTechnically said:

Glad I wasn't pushing back too hard. FYI, RTAB = Rear Trailing Arm Bushing, you can see why I avoid typing that one out. They are a bit of a pain to replace, but they shouldn't need to replace the whole rear trailing arm/dogbone for the repair. I think you hit on something I was trying to get at with the last bit of this comment. You KNOW there is something wrong with the rear, if the shop can't find it then they might not be the right place to have the repair done. I still think the subframe bushings are the most likely for the wagging you described. If you feel like you have a dead shock and have confirmed it's still good, then I would be looking at the strut mount.

I don't think it's the strut mount. I get the "oink" sound you tend to get from a dry/dead shock when getting in and out of the car. And I'm not yet wider than I am tall . The shock itself is dry, but that doesn't mean the oil hasn't leaked out ages ago.

 

Unfortunately, I would have to agree that the outlook doesn't look too rosy at this point. Though manual conversions aren't to hard with these cars. Not that you want that kind of project on your hands.

It's not only the project part of it. I bought this car specifically because of the automatic 'box, because my wife doesn't like driving manuals and I need an automatic for when my foot issues flare up, like now. Replacing the box is likely one bridge too far, though.

BoxheadTim said:

02Pilot said:

Try reaching out to the local BMWCCA chapter (if you're a member) or bimrs.org for shop recommendations. Based on the Dulles reference, I'm assuming you're in the DC Metro. I haven't lived there in 20+ years, but there were a bunch of BMW shops at that time, and I can only imagine that number has increased with the population growth since.

Unfortunately I'm about 80 miles outside the DC metro area - we're in the WV panhandle. Dulles just happens to be the nearest reasonable airport for me.

I know there are a bunch of good shops in the DC area, it's more of a logistics issue with getting the car there as I'm looking at a 4-6h round trip depending on the area and having to trailer it there.

Gotcha. No experience with it at all, but if it's any more convenient there's a BMW indy shop in Winchester, VA that's been in business since 1977 and seems well-reviewed.