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BMW Repair/e39 torque converter

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Question
hi

i have a bmw 520i (1999) it has the m54 engine and a step tronic gearbox. on some days when starting the engine from cold there can be a fast clicking sound which occures around 2000rpm, this can last for about 2 minutes before going. its not the engine as it only does this when i drive it. whilst this noise is happening the transmition is not as smooth as it should be and theres nothing wrong with gear selection, i am wondering if it has anything to do with the torque converter and the fluid inside it.It had its inspection 2 recently and they picked up no faults with the car.

i would be very greatful for any help

cheers

james

Answer
James, I have not heard of this before. If shifting quality is suffering then I doubt it would be the result of the torque converter. I would save up for a transmission in the future. You can try replacing the fluid and filter but I see little success with that if there is a transmission related issue. You could try to update the trans.control software, but again this sounds like a mechanical issue.
-Evan

BMW Repair

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Evan Slater

Expertise

All 1999 model year and newer. Don't know much about pre OBD2 stuff. E46 and newer I am Especially good with late models. I NEED YEAR & MODEL OF VEHICLE! when asking questions. Please give last seven digits of the VIN number. Please give as much background info as possible when asking questions. Please read past questions and answers to avoid duplicate questions.

Experience

6 years automotive experience and 3+ years working as a Dealership Master Technician. Will offer dealership Technician perspective with knowledge of common failures/problems, part weaknesses, Service Bulletins, and Improved components. Will not give tipical Dealer Bull

Organizations
Current BMW dealership Master Technician

Education/Credentials
Graduate UTI Phoenix 2002 (won 9 out of 15 possible top student awards) BMW STEP Graduate 2004, Over 90% average on BMW ACT competition question for 3 years. BMW Master Technician Level 4 with Master Tech training. ASE Master Certified Technician.

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