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Thread: E36 Wont shift into Any gear

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    1998 328is

    E36 Wont shift into Any gear

    Just had this problem this morning. Before I started the car it was in park. When car started up it drove forward so I think it's in drive even when gear selector shows P. So I had to have foot on brake to stop it from moving. Even the ebrake did nothing. I switched the knob to R and still nothing. I could move the gear selector freely forward and back nothing stopping it. I have a 98 328is automatic

    So I have now took gear selector off and tried to look under the piece. Seems like car only goes forward and not backwards even when it shows R illuminated. It won't shift into anything else. If anyone knows of this let me know if something is broken so I can replace

  2. #2
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    Avus Cosmos Calypso!
    search underneath the car for the cable that connects the shift linkage to the transmission. It should be mostly shrouded by a red rubber sheath. Perhaps the bolt and nut holding the cable is loose.

  3. #3
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    Oh man. You have a LONG road ahead of you to fix this. Get another car and allocate the weekend. I will explain what you need to do progressively.

    Hopefully the gods are with you and your tcm (transmission control module ie transmission ecu) is in your engine bay and not stashed somewhere in the cabin. That would makes things ALOT easier.

    Get a dmm digital multimeter. Download the bentley manual. Download the ETM for E36, and suss out the wiring diagrams for your actual year. Find the pinouts for your transmission. You're going to need them.

    And find out where's the neutral safety switch on your car and find out how it can be tested out of the car.

    See if you can find a way to test the transmission range switch out of the car. Anyone know this please chime in.

    I can give you one test to do right now. If your tcm is in the engine bay with the other ecus, unplug it then start your engine. Your transmission should be in limp mode immediately. I should be able to move forward and reverse and get in park, from the lever, even without the tcm connected.

    Be very careful when you start up have you foot on the brakes that's going to be your SOP until this is fixed.

  4. #4
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    it's probbly just the cable or some clip that's broken

    dont panic

    Look underneath and if it isnt that then you can see from there

  5. #5
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    I thought If I replace the shifter assembly it would be fixed is that true? Because my old one was wearing out
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  6. #6
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    how much resistance do you have when you move the shift knob? Check the cable underneath the car first.

  7. #7
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    I need lots of help ASAP because parents are seeing it as money pit so whoever has the knowledge help the e36 from going bye bye
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  8. #8
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    Will the car start again? If not then it's probably stuck in a gear and the neutral start switch is doing it's job. In which case I'd bet your problem is the cable at the transmission has come loose or broken. If the car will start and it starts in D, then it might be a TCM issue.

    Micko

  9. #9
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    Yes the car starts normally but as soon as it does it drives forward so what I noticed when I took it around block is it's stuck in D3 because it would shift later then normal so that's the issue. I'll unplug the battery for a while to try reset the computer but yeah not much resistance at all when moving the gear shifter down and up. I'm going to try unplug TCM module then if that won't works I'll order a uses shifter assembly from eBay and try do that. Since this is my daily car I need it fixed quick
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  10. #10
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    Just contacted a mechanic and he said it could be a broken transmission cable. Props to the people who said its a loose shifter cable because thats what it seems to be.
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  11. #11
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    Help does this Look normal? loose shifting

    My 98 BMW has had loose shifting lately and won't shift into reverse or park. It starts up in D3 and goes forward, the park position will not engage. Does my shifter cable look normal or is something wrong? Watch the vid. https://youtu.be/gnUNB-KkQxw
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  12. #12
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    pls tell me you're joking

  13. #13
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    Dude, there is a mounting tab right above your hand. Looks like a "C"...... also that little nut attached to the ribbed red boot screws into the other piece with the threads. Mount it all up the the "c" tab and take out the slack with the nut.


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  14. #14
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    It has fallen out of the bracket immediately above where you were separating the rubber dust boot with your hand. The male end of the cable link should pass through the bracket from the rear side of the car and then you need to tighten down the large nut that is floating loose along the cable. Doesn't look damaged otherwise, but hard to tell from the angle in the video.

  15. #15
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    11/88 E32 750iL+98 E36M3
    It slipped out, in your video you see the bracket above the cable. http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=25_0580

    Both threads merged with same problem
    Last edited by shogun; 02-24-2017 at 09:50 AM.
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  16. #16
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    Screen Shot 2017-02-24 at 10.38.20 AM.jpgso is this right? i connect the red tube with the threads in front of it and tighten that loose bolt behind the red tube? then once connected i hang them up to the hanger that looks like C?
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by zohaibrose View Post
    Screen Shot 2017-02-24 at 10.38.20 AM.jpgso is this right? i connect the red tube with the threads in front of it and tighten that loose bolt behind the red tube? then once connected i hang them up to the hanger that looks like C?
    You won't be able to connect it to the hanger that looks like a "c" if you connect them prior. But to answer your questions, yes you connect those 2 pieces. But first before you connect them, slide the little cable through the small slot in the "c" hanger and then thread the 2 pieces together.


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  18. #18
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    But what about the text in green is that true also since the bolt is kind of loose. And will this fix my problem with car not shifting into R or P
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  19. #19
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    E36 Wont shift into Any gear

    Quote Originally Posted by zohaibrose View Post
    But what about the text in green is that true also since the bolt is kind of loose. And will this fix my problem with car not shifting into R or P
    It absolutely will fix your problem. That's the gear selector cable. Do the text in the yellow first. Don't worry to much about the bolt where the green text is, you want some pivot when the cables pulls or pushes on the gear selector it's attached to.

    Also dont be scared, just go do it. You would be back in business by now.


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    Last edited by mitch500; 02-24-2017 at 12:48 PM.
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  20. #20
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    Thanks for actually answering and helping. Was going to call a mechanic to come fix it for 50$ so you just saved a man some chunk of change. This car was my daily driver and had to get rides from friends to work so thanks again
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  21. #21
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    Now I have this problem where I'm moving the shifter up and down but the car is not shifting gears. If I move it up and down underneath manually then it will move but the cable is not moving it so here's a vid https://youtu.be/XlUDXDjZSv4
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by zohaibrose View Post
    Thanks for actually answering and helping. Was going to call a mechanic to come fix it for 50$ so you just saved a man some chunk of change. This car was my daily driver and had to get rides from friends to work so thanks again
    $50 is peanuts kid call him immediately. He will get the job done properly once and it will hold for years. You are very inexperienced and this is not a 5 minute job. If it comes lose while driving you'll be in shit. Too important. Call the mechanic please. Peace of mind for your parents too.

    - - - Updated - - -

    i know the video looks simple and obvious but not your department, safety issue, there may be other weaknesses that your eyes won't pick up the mechanic's eyes will. So call him.

  23. #23
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    1998 328is
    Call who
    98 328is/5 Arctic silver
    99 528i 5speed Alpine white(Totaled Unfortunately)
    Oil pan and timing chain delete, weight reduction right?
    98 540i/6 (New baby)











  24. #24
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    the mechanic, who else

    did you put the cable in that C thing correctly ?

    take a pic of that

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by zohaibrose View Post
    Now I have this problem where I'm moving the shifter up and down but the car is not shifting gears. If I move it up and down underneath manually then it will move but the cable is not moving it so here's a vid https://youtu.be/XlUDXDjZSv4
    The cable outer appears to be moving and it is supposed to be secured in the C shaped bracket on the side of the trans. It is either not secured or the cable is broken. It is about as complicated as a bicycle brake cable.

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