Weak in takeoff

1989 BMW 525
150,000 MILES • 2.5L • 6 CYL • RWD • AUTOMATIC
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SAM121212
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In takeoff I feel the car is weak and choked even when giving it gas however it does pick up speed at later. I mean a 2.5L engine is pretty powerful. It feels like taking off in second or third gear in a manual transmission. There is no noise or whining from the transmission. I have a hunch that its not starting in first and so on and that its starting in third gear maybe. . But I maybe wrong. How can I know what gear my transmission starts in? is there an easy way to find out? Thank you
Jun 3, 2017 at 5:27 AM
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STRAILER
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Hello,

To tell what gear the transmission is in you just need to know, its like trying to accelerate in 4th gear from low speed in a manual transmission, but in an automatic you will hear the engine labor a little more. It could be a clogged catalytic converter. Please follow this guide to see if this could be the problem.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-a-catalytic-converter


Please run this test and get back to us so we can continue helping you.

Cheers, Ken
Jun 5, 2017 at 3:08 PM