Expert: John Kingery - 2/10/2009

Question
My 99 540i; 5 speed auto; sometimes violently bounces after stopping. Seems
like transmission is slow to realize car has stopped. It shifts very nice and no
warning light are on. I often skip to neutral to avoid this situation; although the
occurance is very random. Car has 95k and is well maintained. Any thoughts?

Answer
Not likely the tramsmission.  Possibly the torque converter.

More likely one of these two:

-Suspension.  The e39 540's have a wonderfully complex system of tie rods and bushings.  One of them could be knocking when you come to a stop and your rear wheels still have power to them.

-Transmission or Engine mount.

Either of these are 1/10 the cost of a transmission problem.

Shouldn't be tough for a mechanic to diagnose.

Great car....get it fixed and enjoy it.