Shifting jerks in automatic transmission in BMW – how to fix?

BMW driver question

My BMW with automatic transmission, on cold engine flips from P (park mode) to D (drive mode), without jerking, and when warm – jerks. The second problem is in fourth, and fifth gear. The transmission does not want to drop into fifth, it just saws the engine at maximum rpm. This also happens between gears 3-4. I should add that with manual gear changes, everything is OK. What is the problem?

The problem affected a 2000 model BMW 730d E38 with automatic transmission, but it may occur in other models as well.

BMW 7 E38 | By Matthias93 [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

Response from BM Cars service

When activating mode D (Drive) in the automatic transmission, you should always feel the moment of “coupling” of the transmission with the drive train – a gentle jerk. The absence of this phenomenon can mean:

• problems related to the wear of transmission components,
• low oil level,
• excessive oil consumption.

Successive gear changes in automatic mode should be smooth and visible only on the tachometer.

We suggest checking the quality and level of the oil. If it is overworked, we suggest changing the oil along with the filter.

For an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to carry out a visual inspection of the vehicle and a full computer diagnostics.

Eight-speed automatic transmission in BMW

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BMW 7 E38 | By OSX (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons