Where did 2nd gear go?

[matt3925]

So I have this 95 525 with a manual tranny that doesn't want to engage 2nd gear. When I say it doesn't want to engage, I simply mean that I shift to 2nd like any other gear but nothing happens. It's like it's still in neutral.

when shifting into 2nd, you hear no grinding noise, feel no resistance... it moves and feels just like it should except the car won't move and the engine revs like it's in neutral. I drained and strained the tranny fluid and there were no metal pieces or shavings to be found nor were any on plug.

I am at a loss of what is wrong. any thoughts on what it is? any help is greatly appreciated!

[Sam Son]

synchros gone Im thinkin

[slocar]

Bad synchros would make it hard to put it in 2nd, but once in, it would move.

Are you sure everything is as it should be with your shifter/shift linkages and all? It sounds to me like it seems to you that you're putting it in gear, yet it's not really going in despite what it seems like.

[matt3925]

i think everything is correct with the shifter, but what would i check just to make sure?

I went out and messed with it a little more. when the clutch is engaged, the shifter will still move all the way into the 2nd position, but nothing happens. every other gear still works exactly like it should.

[ladiesman217]

maybe it needs to go FURTHER? Bad bushings, excessively 'short' shift lever keeping it hung up, the bushings shot...

Or maybe the shift rails are fubar for second.
get teh car up in the air, and see if you can get the heat shield out of it, so you can sdisco the shift linkage and hit it by hand into gear.
IF that don't work or tell you waht is up, then I'd guess internals

[Binjammin]

I'd guess your tranny is fubar, time to hunt for another one.

[HausBimmer]

Park the car on a level space with room to drive forward - put the car in 2nd and jack it up. The shift rod connects to a link on the uppper rear of the gearbox. Try to force the rod forward - if it goes a bit farther forward, put the car down, start it with the clutch in - let the clutch out and see if you found second gear - could be bad linkage. If you can't get second by forcing it from below - the problem is most likely in the gearbox. This is the Getrag 250G that is not very popular here - if you need to replace it, look for the ZF in the M52 cars and search this site for correct clutch components (pilot bearing at least needs to be swapped).

[matt3925]

thanks for the tips, i'll try them out this weekend and let you guys know how it turns out.