Difficulty getting into 1st gear - 6MT

[brake-fade]

New to the 128, and I was wondering if anyone else is, or has, experienced intermittent difficulty getting into first gear? It's happened to me a number of times. It lets me get about half way engaged, at which point I either need to very slowly let the clutch out, while gently putting pressure on the shifter, until it goes the rest of the way into 1st. Or select another gear, then go back into first. Happens hot or cold. I am completely stopped when it happens. It's as if the synchros (if the trans has them) are worn. 45k miles on the car.

Thanks!

[ozimmer]

Hi brake-fade and welcome.
4th is my bogey gear … I too am relatively new to the 1 club having purchased second hand earlier this year, so have no idea how the previous owner used (or abused) the 'box. Sometimes 4th gear engages as smooth as butter, but other times it resists going home, both hot or cold. Matching revs helps, so I suspect the synchros are the problem. I plan to drain the gearbox to see if (or more likely, how many) metal particles come out. I hope refilling with Redline D4 AT improves the shift.

If do you a search, I think you'll find we are not alone, if that's any consolation!

ps: the MT has synchromesh on all forward gears. 1st may have double or even triple rings - I think.

[A_Squared]

I get the same problem occasionally from time to time. Doesn't happen very often, but when it does it's a little concerning. I'm probably gonna do what ozimmer suggested by draining the gearbox and refilling first then go from there.

[TheSt|G]

It's completely normal. Had it happen here and there to every BMW I've owned. Just shift to second and back to first. Clears it up 99.9% of the time.

[brake-fade]

Thanks to those who responded!
I've owned eight BMWs, seven of which were manuals. I have had this same issue happen with some of those on occasion, but not to the degree this car does it. It may be normal but it's not okay. It reminds me of a 320i I had in the 80's.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

It's completely normal. Had happen here and there to every BMW I've owned. Just shift to second and back to first. Clears it up 99.9% of the time.

+1.

[Spoolin Montego]

Change the trans and diff fluid. It will help, and as mentioned put it in 2nd first, then 1st. It will go in.

[P7X]

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

It's completely normal. Had it happen here and there to every BMW I've owned. Just shift to second and back to first. Clears it up 99.9% of the time.

+2

[KNTDRV]

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

It's completely normal. Had it happen here and there to every BMW I've owned. Just shift to second and back to first. Clears it up 99.9% of the time.

I also do this before shifting into reverse....old habits die hard!

[Freon]

Normal, had this happen on other manual cars I've had. It's pretty rare, maybe 1/200 times I put the car from neutral to first, and then usually on first start up or after sitting for more than a few seconds.

I usually will push up in first, pull it back into neutral at least partially, then push it back into 1st. That usually takes care of it. You can also slowly let the clutch out and it will eventually pop in, or let the clutch out a bit (takes practice, just at the point of extremely light engagement) and push back in, then push gear level into 1st.

Final trick is to put the gear into 2nd (clutch fully to floor) then try 1st again. I think this rocks the input shaft slightly as its sychros engage, getting rid of the bad alignment in 1st gear synchros (see below why).

I think the cause is an unlucky position of the syncho gears when the output shaft and input shaft are at rest. If they happen to stop at rest where the tip of both sides' (input shaft and gear ) gear's teeth are directly on top of each other (tip to tip of teeth) you can't push it into gear. All other times the output shaft is moving (all other gears, unless you start in 2nd in which case I bet it can happen), or input shaft is moving (leftover inertia). Once you stop for a few seconds both input and output shaft come to rest.

[csow]

I have a similar problem with 1st and occasionally reverse on a new to me 2009 128i.

No idea what the guy before me did to the poor thing.

[Mach1er]

Originally Posted by csow

I have a similar problem with 1st and occasionally reverse on a new to me 2009 128i.

No idea what the guy before me did to the poor thing.

Happens to me in 1st and reverse sometimes. It's done it since it was brand new, so I don't think it was the previous owner's fault.

[csow]

Originally Posted by Mach1er

Happens to me in 1st and reverse sometimes. It's done it since it was brand new, so I don't think it was the previous owner's fault.

That's reassuring to know.

[Ashock]

I had the exact same issue getting into first before too even when the car had relatively low km. I swapped out the transmission and diff fluids and haven't had difficulty getting into first gear since.

[Pyrat 2]

Originally Posted by Spoolin Montego

Change the trans and diff fluid. It will help, and as mentioned put it in 2nd first, then 1st. It will go in.

+1. Will definitely help but not eliminate the problem. Old School maintenance used to recommend Red Line D4 ATF fluid for the box. I put it in my e90 330i (think thats the same tranny as the 128). Made a big difference. Yes ATF fluid in the MT. If it's this Red Line then it's fine. http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=51&pcid=7

[TheSt|G]

Originally Posted by Ashock

I had the exact same issue getting into first before too even when the car had relatively low km. I swapped out the transmission and diff fluids and haven't had difficulty getting into first gear since.

Used to be the recommended first fluid swap was 1200 miles, so it's not that nutty.

[Blacksport]

Originally Posted by brake-fade

New to the 128, and I was wondering if anyone else is, or has, experienced intermittent difficulty getting into first gear? It's happened to me a number of times. It lets me get about half way engaged, at which point I either need to very slowly let the clutch out, while gently putting pressure on the shifter, until it goes the rest of the way into 1st. Or select another gear, then go back into first. Happens hot or cold. I am completely stopped when it happens. It's as if the synchros (if the trans has them) are worn. 45k miles on the car.

Thanks!

All gears are synchro, and more important, all gears except reverse, are constant mesh...what that means is this; the gears are always engaged, when you select a gear, a shifter fork pushes a locking ring against the gear, the synchro is 2-part, sorta male and female, and when forced together, the gear speeds up to the locking ring shaft's speed. Pointed teeth around the gear and locking ring come together (these are not the gear teeth, which are always engaged or "meshed"), and power is now transmitted thru that gear. Occasionally, when the synchros have sped up the gear, the pointed teeth on the gear and locking cone are "facing" each other and won't lock. This is perfectly normal, simply pull the gear back to neutral let the clutch out a little, and try again; or pull it into another gear in the same line (1st-2nd, 3rd-4th, etc) and then back to the gear you want.

If you hear repeated grinding, the synchros are worn or the lubricant is too heavy, or the clutch may not be completely disengaging. Remember, the syncho is speeding up not only the gear, but the input shaft and the clutch disc. If these cannot spin free, you are more likely to have difficulty engaging the gear, or you may hear or feel grinding.