Time for me to chime in again ...


1) Timing chain -- not bloody likely. The chain the M104 is pretty rock solid. It does not stretch like the chains in the V8 or V6 cars. The chain will be good for at least 100k, if not 150k miles. I am changing mine out this month, because I have to do the head gasket and I might as well while I have the head off. It doesn't need it, but is cheap insurance.

If you had jumped a tooth on your timing chain, which is possible, but extremely (x 10000) unlikely, you car would barely run, if it at all. A jump in the chain would move the timing forward or back on your cams a minumum of 9 - 12 deg. (not sure of the number of teeth, but 30 - 40 seems reasonable)

2) Transmission -- the 95 - 96 tranny is a bulletproof and not like the sometimes flaky electronic tranny in the 97. I really doubt that is the issue.

3) If your car is dead on a cylinder, which is my belief, than it will not make the proper about of power and the tranny will shift at its normal RPM, but the power won't be there, so it will run and drive like crap.

4) Is your check engine light on?

5) Did you check the coils and wires like I told you too?

~dnm