So I bought my 2003 e46 at 158,000 miles....didn't know what to look for and was ripped off as the transmission was on the way out.
Symptoms very typical of only a faulty torque converter though - little motion below 2000rpms from a standstill, need to generally sit at 3000rpms to slooowly get up to 30mph...but once rolling less of a problem, and on the freeway economy is fine at around 30miles to the gallon.
City though, I was getting 12-14. Into the shop, who would not take the risk that it wasn't needing a transmission rebuild and wouldn't just replace the torque converter - but would fully guarantee the work if I did the fully transmission job.
I posted previously about this, and ultimately went for the full rebuild option - rebuilt transmission, main seal replaced, and new torque converter.
Picked it up - exactly the same. Revved it round the block, drove it straight back in asking what the deal was.
They thought it was fine (only having another one in exactly the same state to compare it to) - but I was then able to compare it my friend's same year model to verify that in that car, it did indeed immediately jump(/move) forwards when you start to depress the accelerator. Mine doesn't. Also idles low, so still symptomatic of TC problem?
Fortunately the guy who actually rebuilt the transmission offsite happened to be there - I got him in the car, drove around the block explaining the issue, he said 'yup, it's definitely the torque converter' - so back in the shop it went.
Because they had now guaranteed the work, they were in a way really good about it - took it back, gave me a hire car for a trip on the weekend, then a runabout for another week while they (apparently) put in another new torque converter.
Got it back again, with apparently another new torque converter, plus the transmission rebuilt for the second time.
Exactly the same again. Except this time making a low humming noise from the trans around 40mph. Got the runabout back (at this point I've been driving this runabout for the bulk of my time in California, longer than my purchased car originally).
This time, (again, apparently) they asked for a different (still second-hand obviously but rebuilt) transmission entirely rather than rebuilding my original one again. Plus another torque converter.
When I found it was exactly the same again (except the hum - that was introduced - was at least gone again), I just kept it - I'm an intern only here for a year and needed the car, and at this point I was 5 months into my internship and still didn't have a daily driver.
Does anyone have any clue at all what the hell is going on before I just have to give up and sell this? It feels like it would be a faulty torque converter. Obviously that's not the issue!
The shop is out of ideas and I don't really want to take it back and lose more time without at least being able to direct them with something else to check! I don't really have a reason to doubt they at least rebuilt the trans and replaced the torque converter, and they were pretty great about giving me a hire car (twice) and runabout twice for extended periods....
But it's sitting in the garage and I cringe every time I need to use it to do the food shopping! I get about 190 miles to a tank...... ><
Symptoms very typical of only a faulty torque converter though - little motion below 2000rpms from a standstill, need to generally sit at 3000rpms to slooowly get up to 30mph...but once rolling less of a problem, and on the freeway economy is fine at around 30miles to the gallon.
City though, I was getting 12-14. Into the shop, who would not take the risk that it wasn't needing a transmission rebuild and wouldn't just replace the torque converter - but would fully guarantee the work if I did the fully transmission job.
I posted previously about this, and ultimately went for the full rebuild option - rebuilt transmission, main seal replaced, and new torque converter.
Picked it up - exactly the same. Revved it round the block, drove it straight back in asking what the deal was.
They thought it was fine (only having another one in exactly the same state to compare it to) - but I was then able to compare it my friend's same year model to verify that in that car, it did indeed immediately jump(/move) forwards when you start to depress the accelerator. Mine doesn't. Also idles low, so still symptomatic of TC problem?
Fortunately the guy who actually rebuilt the transmission offsite happened to be there - I got him in the car, drove around the block explaining the issue, he said 'yup, it's definitely the torque converter' - so back in the shop it went.
Because they had now guaranteed the work, they were in a way really good about it - took it back, gave me a hire car for a trip on the weekend, then a runabout for another week while they (apparently) put in another new torque converter.
Got it back again, with apparently another new torque converter, plus the transmission rebuilt for the second time.
Exactly the same again. Except this time making a low humming noise from the trans around 40mph. Got the runabout back (at this point I've been driving this runabout for the bulk of my time in California, longer than my purchased car originally).
This time, (again, apparently) they asked for a different (still second-hand obviously but rebuilt) transmission entirely rather than rebuilding my original one again. Plus another torque converter.
When I found it was exactly the same again (except the hum - that was introduced - was at least gone again), I just kept it - I'm an intern only here for a year and needed the car, and at this point I was 5 months into my internship and still didn't have a daily driver.
Does anyone have any clue at all what the hell is going on before I just have to give up and sell this? It feels like it would be a faulty torque converter. Obviously that's not the issue!
The shop is out of ideas and I don't really want to take it back and lose more time without at least being able to direct them with something else to check! I don't really have a reason to doubt they at least rebuilt the trans and replaced the torque converter, and they were pretty great about giving me a hire car (twice) and runabout twice for extended periods....
But it's sitting in the garage and I cringe every time I need to use it to do the food shopping! I get about 190 miles to a tank...... ><