BMW 7 Diesel: Transmission Warning and Power Loss Issues

Hi there! I had a similar issue with my 2010 BMW 5 Series diesel (I also own a 3 Series). I've got some experience working with cars, but mainly basic maintenance stuff. Your symptoms sound exactly like what I dealt with. My transmission started acting up with rough shifts and those annoying grinding noises. Got the same warning lights too. Took it to my regular workshop, and after diagnostics, they confirmed it was a defective torque converter. The whole repair, including parts and labor, set me back about 2120 Euro, but it was worth fixing it right away to prevent more damage. The car's been running smoothly since then. Could you share your car's mileage and if you've noticed any transmission fluid leaks? Also, when did these symptoms first appear? This info would help me give you more specific advice based on my experience.

Thanks for the detailed response! My 7er has 128376 KM on the clock and had its last major service about 6 months ago. No visible transmission fluid leaks that I can see. The symptoms started gradually over the past couple weeks, getting worse in the last few days. Really good to hear your experience with a similar issue. The repair cost sounds steep but guess it's better than letting it get worse. Did your workshop mention how long the repair took? And did they need to order any special parts? Just trying to plan ahead since this is my daily driver.

Hey again! Yeah, looking at your mileage, it's pretty similar to when mine started acting up, I was around 135000 KM when I had the issue. Since you mentioned it started gradually, that's exactly how mine went too. Started as occasional rough shifts, then got progressively worse. The repair on my 5 Series took about 3 days total, but that included waiting for parts. They had to order the torque converter from BMW, which took up most of that time. The actual work was done in about a day and a half once they had everything. Since you're using it as a daily driver like I did, I'd suggest getting it sorted soon. I tried driving mine for a week after the symptoms started, and honestly, it just got worse and worse. The grinding noise especially, that's not something you want to ignore. One thing I forgot to mention in my first reply, before the repair, my mechanic did a transmission fluid analysis just to be sure. Even though there weren't any visible leaks, it turned out the fluid was pretty degraded. Might be worth checking that too. Feel free to ask anything else, happy to share more details about my experience with this repair.

Thanks so much for all this information! Really helpful to know about the repair timeline, I'll definitely plan for about 3-4 days without the car then. I'll call my workshop tomorrow to schedule it in. You're right about not waiting too long, especially with those grinding noises getting worse. Don't want to risk more expensive damage. Good tip about the transmission fluid analysis too, I'll make sure to ask them to check that before they start the repair work. Better to know exactly what we're dealing with. Maybe I'll look into renting a car for those few days since I can't really manage without one. Thanks again for sharing your experience, it's made me feel much more confident about what to expect with the repair. I'll update you once it's fixed!