Expert: John Kingery - 8/7/2010

Question
I own a 2000 BMW 323CI, currently with 131,000 miles. Today, while driving to get the tires rotated, the transmission service warning light popped up. Exactly one year ago, the service manager strongly recommended a transmission flush when I brought my car in for routine maintenance. He said the flush (to include a transmission conditioning kit) would significantly reduce the likelihood of a transmission malfunction down the road. In an effort to properly maintain the car, I agreed to have it done. I have only driven the car about 6,000 miles since that time.

When I read the owner's manual, it provided information about something I could try to see if the transmission malfunction would resolve itself. Well, it didn't!

When I restarted the car, the transmission service warning light was not there, however, it reappeared after a minute  or two. As the owner's manual advised, I set up an appointment for service the following Monday. Although I have not witnessed any obvious leaks as the other inquiries had noted, would it be reasonable for me to assume the transmission service warning light could mean a multitude of transmission problems such as a leaky front seal, rear seal, and pan? Or, a transmission failure? It seems like every time I take in my car for scheduled service, I fall into these sales and commission maintenance traps and end up spending several thousand dollars. One month after a coolant flush, the car needed a whole new coolant system because the coolant reservoir cracked. Another time, the car just up and quit in the middle of a busy highway a few months after the spark plugs were replaced at the 100,000 mile service mark! All of these :recommended maintenance items" inevitably resulted in "big bucks" spending!

Answer
First things first.....

The transmission service warning could be a number of different things, ranging from total transmission failure to something as simple as a wheel speed sensor malfunctioning.  A leak or a bad seal is not likely.  The only way to get a grip on it is to take it do your BMW dealer.

You can fault me for saying this, but I think you need to re-evaluate some of your biases.  You are driving a 10 year old car that has 131,000 miles on it.  Things happen. Even though this is a great car. When you talk about getting spark plugs replaced, then a "few months" later having the car quit on a highway, it is a stretch to tie them together and fault the dealer.  Same with your other two examples.  

Your dealer didn't get up this morning wondering what he could do to your car that would cause it to fail and bring you back for more service.  The world doesn't work that way.

Enjoy your car....It is a truly great one.  But the reason it has more things go wrong and costs more money to fix than a Honda Civic is because it doesn't run or handle like a Honda Civic.  If you would prefer to drive, or need to drive, a car that is more like an appliance (reliable, but dull), then perhaps a Civic is for you.  I'd assume you bought the BMW for it's awesome handling and feel.  Enjoy it, but recognize that it WILL cost you more.

Good luck with your transmission issue.