BMW Repair: faulty transmission e34 535i 1990, automatic tranny, valve body

Question
having a problem with transmission in 1990 e34 535i. it does not change into top gear,this only happens when the car is hot and also it sometimes struggles to reverse as if it is trying to go forward and reverse at the same time.when you select d it moves off o.k. and after about 5 seconds their is a noise from the gearbox as if something has been released

Answer
Hello Doug,
An automatic tranny is not a user repairable item. In fact it is not even repairable by many mechanics.
The most that you can do is to check for proper fluid level and condition (if black or smells burnt). If it has an EGS control module problem, then you need bmw diagnostic equipment. If it has valve body/control unit problems or pump
problems, then a mechanic should do the repair. More so if the defect is mechanical in nature since disassembly would be required.
If the oil level and condition is OK, I suppose the problem lies in the valve body. But a new valve body is not cheap
and I do not guaranty that it would repair the problem. Perhaps you would be better off buying a remanufactured tranny since it would normally carry a warranty.
Tino