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11-23-2013, 03:58 PM | #1 |
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Difficulty getting into 1st gear - 6MT
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.
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11-23-2013, 04:29 PM | #2 |
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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. |
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11-23-2013, 06:23 PM | #3 |
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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.
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11-27-2013, 02:08 PM | #4 |
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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.
Last edited by TheSt|G; 11-28-2013 at 09:57 AM.. |
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11-27-2013, 11:55 PM | #5 |
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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. |
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11-28-2013, 09:54 AM | #6 |
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+1.
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12-03-2013, 11:27 AM | #8 |
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12-04-2013, 11:34 AM | #9 |
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12-10-2013, 01:33 PM | #10 |
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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.
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12-10-2013, 05:20 PM | #12 |
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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.
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12-10-2013, 05:23 PM | #13 | |
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12-26-2013, 02:34 AM | #14 |
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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.
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12-26-2013, 07:46 AM | #15 | |
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12-26-2013, 12:57 PM | #16 |
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Used to be the recommended first fluid swap was 1200 miles, so it's not that nutty.
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12-28-2013, 09:43 AM | #17 | |
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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.
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