I have had an unusual "problem/occurance" with my '98 323is where intermittantly it will kick itself out of gear. This occurs very randomly and only happens in first gear. Most likely scenario will be I pull up to a stop, put the car in neutral for some period of time, then put it in first and start to let the clutch out. As I'm doing that the gear shifter will violently pop out of gear and make a loud (soil your pants loud) clunk and I'll be in neutral. Again, it is intermittant and in order to avoid it (with some repeatability) I will cycle the tranny in and out of first several times before attempting to let the clutch out. This seems to avoid help and I haven't had it happen if I cycle it in and out of gear. Any ideas as to what is happening? Do I need to adjust the clutch? Is it time to replace the clutch (110,000miles)? Help! I'm running out of underwear!
Unauthorized Gear Change?
- Thread starter dkrace67
- Start date
my trans was replaced under warranty, the rest of the car too, but that's another subject. there was NO WAY anybody was going to hold that shifter in position and keep it from popping out of gear(1st). not hot dogging at all, just a regular "as if you had a cop behind you" from a light start off and BANG! the first couple of times i thought i got plowed into it was so violent. i had to regain compsure and look around to figure out WTF happened. it started out doing it once in a while and very quickly became just about every time. nothing wrong with the clutch. still the original in the car, and the brakes too which is pretty amazing for 85k+. my bud owns a trans shop and tells me occasionally that he will not open up my trans, not that he doesn't know what he's doing, maybe he's been bitten by one?
f's your synchro mesh up. never rest your hand on the lever. its not like a do or die thing, but its a wear and tear thing.
think that when you push the lever into gear, then let go once its in, it sits in a certain spot, even though you can kind of move it around. it sits in that spot for a reason.
think that when you push the lever into gear, then let go once its in, it sits in a certain spot, even though you can kind of move it around. it sits in that spot for a reason.
your synro's 'disconnect' once it goes into gear. try this: shift halfway into a gear, pull the shifter back out a little bit and try to put it into gear again. you'll grind like hell because the syncros are not syncronizing anymore and the speeds no longer match to put it in gear.
actually don't try that cause you'll grind your gears.
there is constant pressure on your shifter in every single gear you put it in. you can put pressure on it. you know your shifter is spring loaded. thats why it goes back to the middle. so when you put it in a gear isn't that spring pulling on it? does that mean its bad to use your shifter because of the pressure that it puts on the gear when it is engaged?
actually don't try that cause you'll grind your gears.
there is constant pressure on your shifter in every single gear you put it in. you can put pressure on it. you know your shifter is spring loaded. thats why it goes back to the middle. so when you put it in a gear isn't that spring pulling on it? does that mean its bad to use your shifter because of the pressure that it puts on the gear when it is engaged?
wow that is some pretty extensive BS.
So buy our shift knobs, they are precision made weighed and tested to not hurt your gears!
If that was true how long do you really think it would take to damage something. It would take forever and you would have to be pushing darn hard! And how long are you in 1st and 2nd gear. not long enough to damage. Take apart a transmission (or watch someone) sometime and then tell me pushing the knob is damaging. My cousing repaired saab manual trannies for a long time and i have watched. This damage is not possible. In fact the way they explain it is rediculas. "This 0.004"-0.006" gap allows for the transmission lubricant to acts as a barrier so that the shifter rail and gear are not directly touching, causing premature wearing of the gear (not syncros), shifter rail, or both." And pushing on this shifter will close this gap. well hell i better not breath in my car. Anyway its just BS
Besides, think about this guys problem before we change the subject. if a gear is trying to pop out, then obviously the shifter is not doing its job to keep it in gear. thats is why you would need to help it stay in. A jetta i used to have would pop out of fifth. I found that if i pushed it into 5 harder when putting it in gear. it would stay in.
dkrace67, try pushing it in gear harder and see if it stays in.
So buy our shift knobs, they are precision made weighed and tested to not hurt your gears!
If that was true how long do you really think it would take to damage something. It would take forever and you would have to be pushing darn hard! And how long are you in 1st and 2nd gear. not long enough to damage. Take apart a transmission (or watch someone) sometime and then tell me pushing the knob is damaging. My cousing repaired saab manual trannies for a long time and i have watched. This damage is not possible. In fact the way they explain it is rediculas. "This 0.004"-0.006" gap allows for the transmission lubricant to acts as a barrier so that the shifter rail and gear are not directly touching, causing premature wearing of the gear (not syncros), shifter rail, or both." And pushing on this shifter will close this gap. well hell i better not breath in my car. Anyway its just BS
Besides, think about this guys problem before we change the subject. if a gear is trying to pop out, then obviously the shifter is not doing its job to keep it in gear. thats is why you would need to help it stay in. A jetta i used to have would pop out of fifth. I found that if i pushed it into 5 harder when putting it in gear. it would stay in.
dkrace67, try pushing it in gear harder and see if it stays in.
ya i hear what u're saying mjb, but a bmw tranny and a saab tranny are different right?
i mean sure its a load of BS they way they setup thier product, but i've heard from many
people not to rest your hand on the knob...
so dkrace, shove it into 1st gear with a little oomf and let us know what happens
i mean sure its a load of BS they way they setup thier product, but i've heard from many
people not to rest your hand on the knob...
so dkrace, shove it into 1st gear with a little oomf and let us know what happens
i understand all trannies are different but they are all the same basic idea. I just have no idea how these things they say could 'rub.' You are very right i didn't take apart a bmw tranny yet but in seeing the idea behind the inside of a tranny, this article is hard to believe. They just throw out random big works to make it sound good.
I'll have to get more facts as well though.
i hear ya frolf, i just wanted to clear it up.
i rest my hand on my shifter from time to time because i'm lazy, and i have a heavier shifter knob because my other one broke off slamming it into second so i bought the cheapest one i could find. maybe i'll find out the hard way about the weight thing but i'm not worried. You can't worry about that stuff. Its a bmw.
Only other thing i would suggest if pushing it in harder doesn't help would be putting in new fluid, redline MTL. I have no idea if it would help or not but i'd try it. that stuff is great.
still have that audi bahn? sig says you drive a 535, i thought you had an audi maybe on top of your 535?
I'll have to get more facts as well though.
i hear ya frolf, i just wanted to clear it up.
i rest my hand on my shifter from time to time because i'm lazy, and i have a heavier shifter knob because my other one broke off slamming it into second so i bought the cheapest one i could find. maybe i'll find out the hard way about the weight thing but i'm not worried. You can't worry about that stuff. Its a bmw.
Only other thing i would suggest if pushing it in harder doesn't help would be putting in new fluid, redline MTL. I have no idea if it would help or not but i'd try it. that stuff is great.
still have that audi bahn? sig says you drive a 535, i thought you had an audi maybe on top of your 535?
ever see a punk in a mustang wangin the shifter back and forth at a light? they do wear out, and pretty fast too. all trans' are slightly different, but they are also very similar. some have nylon covering the shift forks, some are just metal. they all wear. check out the feel of different shifters and you will find some that have been in "mustang mode"- loose as a $2 hooker.
I remember a long time ago my dad told me that he had a similar issues with his car, at that time it was one of these things, at least I think so.
Now, that is nowhere near an e36 but manual trannys are similar so maybe this will help somehow. He said that it slipped out of 4th (last gear) almost everytime and right after he put it into 4th. The reason for it was, a friend told him that you don't need to use the clutch while shifting into 4th, he said that it's useless and that even race car drivers don't use the clutch while shifting into fourth. Well, my dad listened and abused the tranny, after that it started acting up and he lost use of the 4th gear. He also explained what mechanically happened to make this occur but I don't remember. I'll try to ask my dad tomorrow if any of you are interested. Sorry for all the BS, just have nothing to do.
Now, that is nowhere near an e36 but manual trannys are similar so maybe this will help somehow. He said that it slipped out of 4th (last gear) almost everytime and right after he put it into 4th. The reason for it was, a friend told him that you don't need to use the clutch while shifting into 4th, he said that it's useless and that even race car drivers don't use the clutch while shifting into fourth. Well, my dad listened and abused the tranny, after that it started acting up and he lost use of the 4th gear. He also explained what mechanically happened to make this occur but I don't remember. I'll try to ask my dad tomorrow if any of you are interested. Sorry for all the BS, just have nothing to do.
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the knob story i heard plenty of times as well and i can imagine that there is truth within, for all trannies. example: the tranny in my mom´s opel astra. it is 5 speed manual. when in 3rd or 5th gear for example you can push the knob forward for half an inch. then when stepping on the gaz the knob punches back this half an inch. so much for play in the tranny. you don´t put much pressure on the knob/tranny when you put your hands on it, but after time all those little pressures add up to a nice wear.
it was said that the parts in the transmission are excellently manufactured and quality controlled. yes they are, but all production has tolerances and they never fit those 101%.
it was said that the parts in the transmission are excellently manufactured and quality controlled. yes they are, but all production has tolerances and they never fit those 101%.