Stick rests at 5th gear when cold

[slvrm3]

my cars going in weds for a surging problem for the 10th time. i've about had it with this dealer and i am going to bring this up with them. i just started getting this problem once it started cooling off. going to 5th all the time is alittle rough but on several occassions either with the tranny warm or cold, i've lost the detent. and when i mean lost, it seems like there is no gears. car wont go into 3rd as well. found this out stopped on a hill in center of town, wasnt fun! its like a certain movement causes this, almost like the theory that a pin is sticking. i can get mine to go back but i ahve no clue. i just move the lever all around. does everyone elses seem to them like the shift lever broke off under the ball? noticed all my gears are very very notchy almost hard to get into now, but if im accellerating hard they are fine? weird or is this normal? im running stock tranny oil, stock shifter. ill post what i get from the dealer weds, i know they wont be happy at all.

[JST]

Originally posted by paul e
You know, this gets worse by the minute. It almost seems like EVERYBODY has it! And those that dont really do only they havent checked lately.

Mine just started doing it for the first time today (first time the car has cold soaked for a while). Gradually went away as the car warmed up. The car is still CPO, so we'll see if I can get it fixed under warranty.

[paul e]

Isnt this weird?! Seems like almost every new person to stumble across this thread, goes out and tries their car, and they find it too. Just makes you wonder how many people really have it! Which makes it even stranger when dealers claim, naw, theyve never heard of it! Yea...Sure... Either that, or more people need to logonto bimmerforums!

Mike thanks for your graphic sense. Clearly you have some kind of engineering background, as, I cant make heads or tails out of the sketches. So, what guys, happens if the dealer refused to cover it. I guess if its not covered, it would be no harm to keep driving it so long as you can shift it. If it gets worse, ok... When it fails, then you replace it. And, does anybody really know what it would cost? Would it be a new tranny, or a remanned one? Price differential, although I dont imagine thered be a choice; probably one woudl be available or the other. Anyway, I cant see paying umpteen thousand dollars to replace a transmission that basically shifts fine. What , so, we have to alter the way we find third for 15 minutes when we start out til the gate comes back? Is that really a hardship worth several thousand dollars? So long as you can find third, and if youres is like mine, you can once you get used to whats happening, whats real difference does it make?

Im not planning on letting the dealer off the hook by any stretch. Particularly considering how many of us are becoming afflicted. Its almost like its Spreading as we talk! But if they just wont pay, what are we planning? Hey, anybody want to implement a class action suit against bmw if our dealers dont cooperate, and bmw doesnt step in and force them to do the right thing?

[mcornwell]

Add me to the list of people who have this problem. It started out at about 54K miles, where the shifter wouldn't spring back when moved to the left or right. Now, at about 58.5K, the shifter rests below 5th gear when cold.

Mentioned the begining problems to the independent shop that did my last Inspection II at about 55K, and they replaced the "lifetime fluid" (using BMW fluid I believe), and it has definitely gotten worse since.

I too constantly go from 2nd to 5th gear when cold (did it twice less than a mile from home today).

Oh yeah, '98, stock shifter (no short shift kit installed), sharked with cold air intake.

Makes me wonder if I should be looking at a BMW for my next car. The service I've rec'd from my dealer (Brecht in northern San Diego) has been less than steller, and seeing the problems others are having is pretty sad for a car that cost $40-50K just a few years ago.

BTW, I posted this problem to the bmw-m.net forum about 5 months ago. Boy am I a trend setter!

(Link Updated)

[Bernman]

Originally posted by paul e
Isnt this weird?! ...Its almost like its Spreading as we talk!

This happens a lot on forums and lists. One person mentions a problem, and all of a sudden a whole bunch of people realize that they are not alone. In this case, since the problem tends to go away, people were just living with it. A lot of times someone will mention a problem, and everyone starts worrying that they have it (broken suspension carrier mounting...rear trailing arm bushings...) but this problem is immediately obvious even to the casual observer, so I have less doubt about the reports.

...Hey, anybody want to implement a class action suit against bmw if our dealers dont cooperate, and bmw doesnt step in and force them to do the right thing?

You seem to be pretty good at getting your dealer to submit Paul. I am fairly sure that you will have a new tranny before next week. No lawyers necessary. Try not to hurt the service writer too bad with the headlock this time...ok?

[BrazeauRacing]

I've been keeping track of the year models of all the affected trannies from people who've posted:
JasonJ75 - '98 M3/4
SI///M3 - '99 M3
neenja - '98 M3
Kevlar - '9? (previous?)
TiAg ///M3/4 - '98 M3/4
///M3 2 NV - '99 M3
Bernman - '94 325is
TedK - '98 M3/4
Jgent - '98 M3
Hellrot Sachin - '99 M3
Gatorbait - '98 M3
///M3Matt - '94 325is and '9? M3
paul e - '99 M3
slvrm3 - '98 M3
joeyc - '98 M3/4
///M3ryder NY - '98 M3
JST - '98 M3
mcornwell - '98 M3
vjlax18 - '98 M3

AudioMan's '97 M3 had the tranny replaced under CPO, but stated that he didn't notice this problem.

Kevlar and ///M3Matt, what year are your M3's?

Looks like they're all '98 or '99 with the exception of Bernman's and ///M3Matt's '94 325is. Is the '98/'99 M3 tranny (and '94 325is) different than the '95-'97 M3 tranny in any way? Are there any '95-'97 owner's out there that have this problem? Chime in, if you do! My '95 doesn't have the problem at this point in time (79K), but the whole situation concerns me.:

[Jgent]

That's interesting (98/99)

[JasonJ75]

I had noticed most seemed to be '98s, now we finally have some numbers...I wonder what the count would be if we included all the responses from Suzi's list....

[TiAg ///M3/4]

Yes, definitely ... (plus, that's a lotta /'s ) ... wonder if this'll be covered by CPO.

[vjlax18]

Count my 98 M3 in too! Just started last week actually.

[Bernman]

Just checked the BMW-M archives. Looks like 95 and 96 M3's have the problem too.

http://www.bmw-m.net/Digest/

[BrazeauRacing]

added

[///M3ryder NY]

The plot thickens...

:

[phid_bombadier]

Yup, My 95 is starting to show symptoms of this...65K on the clock...

[Hellrot]

Damn! It started just this morning. I didn't read this thread and go out and discover it, but had seen the thread a couple of weeks ago, so I knew what it was.
Another 98. 56k.

[paul e]

I located a thread from Suzies list a few months back which you guys can view at:

http://www.bmw-m.net/Digest/Archive_...gest2323.htm#5

[mcornwell]

That was me Paul. if you look in the same digest:

http://www.bmw-m.net/Digest/Archive_...digest2323.htm

You'll see Ben at Rogue Engineering responded saying it sounded like the tension bushing.

Jim Bassett (also a '98) chimed in saying he has it too, and his mechanic said it was internal to the tranny. He also said he had replaced the rod joint, and that his stickyness problem still persisted.



(Link updated)

[mcornwell]

'kevlar" had a '98 according to this post:
http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...id=103#post103

Including Jim Bassett's '98, that make 18 out of the 20 people with '98 & '99's...

BTW, no reports of this whatsoever in the NHTSA.gov's consumer complaint database, which surprised me.

[BrazeauRacing]

JasonJ75 - '98 M3/4
SI///M3 - '99 M3
neenja - '98 M3
Kevlar - '98 (previous)
TiAg ///M3/4 - '98 M3/4
///M3 2 NV - '99 M3
Bernman - '94 325is
TedK - '98 M3/4
Jgent - '98 M3
Hellrot Sachin - '99 M3
Gatorbait - '98 M3
///M3Matt - '94 325is and '9? M3
paul e - '99 M3
slvrm3 - '98 M3
joeyc - '98 M3/4
///M3 NA - '98 M3
///M3ryder NY - '98 M3
JST - '98 M3
mcornwell - '98 M3
vjlax18 - '98 M3
phid_bombadier - '95 M3
Hellrot - '98 M3
Jim Bassett - '98 M3

Totals:
16) '98 M3s
4) '99 M3s
2) '94 325is
1) '95 M3

[nydog]

man, i hope this gets cleared up because i wanna upgrade to an M in the next year or so. i have a 93 325is and havent notice a problem so far, 74k.

[98///M-DROPTOP]

Originally posted by BrazeauRacing
[B]

Totals:
15) '98 M3s
4) '99 M3s
2) '94 325is
1) '95 M3

Chuck's list and stats are great but disturbing. Now, another data point that no one has asked about yet and that I didn't think about until my drive home tonight. I don't yet have this problem but my car sleeps in a fairly warm garage every night. It's going into the 40's tonight and I'm going to leave the car out ...so tomorrow morning before I turn the key I'll say a quick prayer and hope for the best

HOW MANY OF YOU WITH THIS PROBLEM LEAVE YOUR CARS OUT AT NIGHT vs GARAGE KEPT?

You guys with garages might have this and just don't know it yet!

[///M3 NA]

Hey, BrazeauRacing, thanks for NOT adding me in
I have a 98 M3.

[Jim Bassett]

Originally posted by 98///M-DROPTOP

HOW MANY OF YOU WITH THIS PROBLEM LEAVE YOUR CARS OUT AT NIGHT vs GARAGE KEPT?

Mine's garage-kept.

But I notice the problem most on the way home from work, when the car has been sitting in the sun all day. But this probably isn't too significant, because homeward traffic is always heavier with a slowdown sooner than work-bound in the morning. So I downshift 5th to 4th more often & earlier going home.

M3's at the mechanic's right now, with the tranny out today for other things. Checking this problem, though, is on the list. We'll see if Bill comes up with a solution.

Jim

[///M3 2 NV]

It's not just cold weather that causes my problem. Even when it's 100 degress here in Texas I have the problem until the transmission heats up. :

[mcornwell]

Garage kept, It never gets below 60 degrees in there (San Diego).

I have a dealer appointment next week, though I'd like to hear some of the others diagnosis' before I go.

If anyone would like to send me their cars build date, I'd be happy to track them and post a summary.

Mike
mcornwell@yahoo.com