1989 BMW 535 safe mode

What did you expect?

i have no idea what you mean.

There may be a problem with the Electronic Gearshift Selection brain. The 4HP22EH tranny is a good transmission and your problem might be software related or just a tired tranny. At 280k miles, you definitely got your moneys worth from that tranny, most of them dont make it to 200k without needing to be rebuilt. So to start, check the condition of the fluid and be sure it has the correct amount of fluid, dont rev the motor too much in park, it can damage the "A" pack and then you wont go anywhere. The next thing is to drop the pan and inspect for debris clinging to the magnets and install a new filter. Let me know what you find.

thanks ....ill check it out. i also do know sometimes it gets a little stuck in reverse. maybe once every thirty times or so. when i rev the engine alittle bit it pops in to reverse. also i have a small knocking sound coming from the front passneger side neer the wheel. usually only last for 5 or ten seconds and goes away after picking up speed. seems like it only happens when its in idle for a long time. but thanks again for that last reply. ill check it out. and get back in a few days. see if we cant fix this problem. once again thank you very much.

also i forgot. you might be right about the software. every time i start my car. c heck control pops up on the dash. and headlamp prompts ont he dash. but there fine. and also, when it prompts me on the dash. its in like german or french. some weird language. thanks again.

???

Check the fluid level and condition. Report on the findings.

thats good. somebody said it might be some sort of computer chip inside the transmission with commonly get screwy. idk bmw are just so damn complicated. i jsut dont want to drop the trasmission if i dont have to. i mean the car runs great. it jsut keep sgoing into safe mode. its very odd. i took it to a bmw dealership and they didint even know why. cost me two hundred for them to pretty much check the fluid. and run a computer diagnostics test. is there any other sort of electrical connection i could check? once again thanks for your time and your patience. im eager to hear your thoughts.

If there is an EGS issue then the transmission control unit might be the culprit here and if so the solution to this problem might be to replace/upgrade the "chip" in the brain. Let me confer with my sources and I will repost on Monday afternoon.

well i think your on mark with that transmission control unit. i jsut have no idea where it is located at in my car. and maybe you can refer me to a website where i might find an affordable one. once again thanks for your time.

you conferd with your collegues. i was wondering if you got anyhting back?

The EGS unit is in the kick panel in the passenger footwell, take out the speaker grill and there it is. Call (619)444-2290 for a replacement unit or they have resource for repairing your old one. Check all your wiring (harness, connectors) and recheck the pins at the tranny to be sure none of them are pushed in or not making contact. A loose connection there is likely to cause the issues you are reporting.