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      03-05-2019, 04:01 PM   #23
nnj3jnn
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpxchewy View Post
Do you know if the transmission is still cold? On both of my Miatas (ND and NC) that I've owned the same thing happens until the transmission oil warms up. First gear gets really hard to get into after stopping and I need to get into 2nd then first. However, after the transmission oil warms up, it becomes much smoother.

I've never driven a BMW manual so I'm not sure if it's relevant though.
Sorry I don't know how to quote multiple times in a reply, this is great question, I should've mention it has happned mainly after car is very warm and have been driven for some time.
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      03-05-2019, 04:38 PM   #24
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Has happened to me very infrequently in E92 335 and the M2. Seems to be in the BMW MT design. Wiggle in neutral, maybe try another gear then back to first usually fixes it.
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      03-05-2019, 04:53 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nnj3jnn View Post
I probably would've thought the same if 2nd to 1st worked everytime, but that one time I tried everything, 2nd to first, 6th to 1st 5th to first, clutch disengage re engaged, restarted car nothing worked. I eventually launched in 2nd. If it showed these signs about few years down the road I might've been less worried
but a brand new car to me is unacceptable unless its because its not broken in and the problem goes away. I've had the car for less than a month and its happend twice a week seems excessive.
Swap it for a DCT, and leave it in Auto. Sorted.
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      03-05-2019, 05:10 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by falconxx12 View Post
Most of my past MTs had same issue occassionally
Yup every MT has that issue sometimes.
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      03-05-2019, 05:56 PM   #27
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So the consensus seems to be leaning towards this is normal, so has no one ever really checked why? If it was a simple as going into 2nd then first again and problem goes away I might've been able to overlook it but once I had to launch in 2nd and if that happens again I'd definitely am not ok with. Thanks for the replies!
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      03-05-2019, 06:20 PM   #28
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It depends how on frequent, but it happens sometimes with all MT cars I have ever driven.

There is probably a threshold where it's a problem versus just an occasional nuisance.
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      03-05-2019, 09:59 PM   #29
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Sounds like synchro issues. Many of the techniques mentioned like 2-1 shift, or double clutching I've heard used on cars with either no synchro (classics) or broken synchros.
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      03-05-2019, 10:21 PM   #30
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Personally I have been driving manuals for decades and this is not normal if it's frequent. It hasn't happened on my M2 a single time in almost a year and it's rarely happened on any of the manuals I have driven going back to the early 90's.
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      03-06-2019, 12:01 AM   #31
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FYI, not sure what Province you are in, but I'm fairly certain that in Ontario a car has to have less than 90km on the odometer to be sold as a "new car". Any more than that and it is considered a dealer demo. Unless you agreed to let the dealer have it driven over from another dealer for example. Check with OMVIC.

As for the manual issue...it has happened a couple of times to me on my OG. I just release the clutch and push back in, then car goes into 1st. If I recall correctly, happened with car running for less than 5 mins...sometimes has happened 2nd to 3rd as well...but only when I am trying to shift really quickly.
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      03-06-2019, 12:12 AM   #32
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Normal, my car does it from time to time as well. Doesn't happen often enough to where it really bothers me so I haven't sought any intervention. Also no need to put it in 2nd and back into 1st like some people here are saying, that's way more work and movement than you actually need to solve the issue when it happens. Just slowly let the clutch out and it will pop into gear. Presto.
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      03-06-2019, 02:57 AM   #33
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Get the dealership to do an oil change on the gearbox and see if it improves. Depending how often you drive it. if it happens a few times every week it’s not normal unless you are a Uber driver.
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      03-06-2019, 03:34 AM   #34
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All the manual cars I've owned has had this happen, but very very rarely though.

Like probably once every few month, when it refuse to go into 1st gear just shift back to neutral, let clutch out and then depress clutch again to shift to 1st gear. It has always worked for me and you get used to it when it happens.


Though if its happening like a few times a week, then I would not think its normal at all..
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      03-06-2019, 09:50 AM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by falconxx12 View Post
Most of my past MTs had same issue occassionally
This. Though I haven't encountered this on my M2C yet, pretty much every other manual trans I've driven over the years does this on occasion.
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      03-06-2019, 01:39 PM   #36
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Happened a few times to me when the car was new, solution is as others have stated. I haven't had it happen in the past few months, not sure if I'm just more familiar with the car or it's broken in more.

I think the faster you get into gear (be it 1st or 2nd, etc.) after you clutch in, the better chance you will have for the teeth to align correctly since the transmission is still has some spinning momentum from neutral. Just my theory lol
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      03-06-2019, 02:47 PM   #37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andrewc89 View Post
Normal, my car does it from time to time as well. Doesn't happen often enough to where it really bothers me so I haven't sought any intervention. Also no need to put it in 2nd and back into 1st like some people here are saying, that's way more work and movement than you actually need to solve the issue when it happens. Just slowly let the clutch out and it will pop into gear. Presto.
+1. After a few occurrences and you can feel how much you have to disengage the clutch in order to line the cogs up.
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      03-06-2019, 08:27 PM   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ashtaron14 View Post
For me it's a BMW thing, because I have the M2C in 6MT and also an E90 M3 in 6MT and they both sometimes don't want to get into 1st, or 3rd.
I can report my 128i is like that as well and it has 130k miles on the original clutch. First thing to do is try putting in 2nd and 3rd then back to first. If that doesn't work then try from 2nd or 3rd very, very light letting the clutch out to the friction point with a little gas as though you are trying to inch the car forward and get it going then clutch back in before putting too much strain on the engine and you should be able to get into 1st no problem. Not an expert by any means but I figure the gear teeth aren't lining up and by doing this it moves them enough to get into 1st. Talking out of my a$& of course.

1-3 times a week does seem kind of frequent though. It happens to me less after I changed gear and differential fluid to Redline though, so much so that the last time it happened I forgot what to do to get unstuck.
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      03-06-2019, 08:41 PM   #39
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I've had this happen before when I had my 1M, never thought anything of it because it was rare but I do remember it occurring a couple of times. From memory I just double pumped the clutch and it went in.
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      03-07-2019, 02:26 PM   #40
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I'm pretty sure every MT I've had, from any make, has had this once in a while. I've just gotten in habit of double clutch as I'm rolling to a stop and heading for 1st gear. Don't even realize I'm doing it anymore

But, OP's problem does seem a bit more pronounced than what I'd consider "normal"

As an aside, as the miles pile up, MT things usually loosen up substantially. Most cars I've had after 30-40k are loose enough that you can dispense with the clutch if casually going between gears and are familiar with RPM drop rate (upshift)
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      03-09-2019, 03:57 AM   #41
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Mine does it as do most manuals from time to time in my experience when stationary, and nore so when cold.

Gearboxes can take many thousands of miles to really loosen up.

If it doesn't slip into first i just go into second and then back to first rathet than force it. Seems normal to me.

Edit: seems yours may be worse than most. Take it in, cant hurt.

PS 137km?? that's a used car! Mine had 3 miles on it when it came off the delivery trailer at home.

Last edited by doughboy; 03-09-2019 at 04:11 AM..
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      03-16-2019, 02:56 PM   #42
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Thing to check:

If it won't go into 1st, hold it against the resistance with the clutch fully depressed and switch the engine off.

If it drops straight in the clutch is dragging.

HTH
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      03-16-2019, 09:47 PM   #43
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My e92 M3 was this way. So when my M2C did the same thing I chalked it up to BMW MT characteristics. Unfortunately BMW MT is nowhere near enjoyable as .... lets say a s2000 (which the OP had stated being familiar with). But yes my M2C is very much the same. 1800 miles on M2C, 50k on M3.
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      03-18-2019, 02:57 PM   #44
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OP, I can relate. This has happened on my OG also, and now the M2C which I picked up last week. To me it's completely normal, and I found that when trying to go into 1st and it resists, slot back to neutral and pump the clutch hard a few times and that worked for me. Good luck!

Quote:
Originally Posted by nnj3jnn View Post
Hey everyone! I'm a brand new owner of a m2c 6mt here in canada and got a question. I'm halfway passed the break in period and one thing got me worried, sometimes the the transmission refuses to go into first gear from neutral. Like it happens about 1 to 3 times a week, usually happens at a red light I go into neutral and when im ready i clutch all the way try to pop into first but something is blocking it, most of the time if i pop into 2nd and then ill be able to go into first. However one time it refused to go into first no matter what i did
i even restarted the car ended up having to launch in 2nd gear held up traffic which was embarrassing.

Little history I'm by no means a pro racer but having driven many manual cars before mr2 turbo/s2000 never encountered this issue before so i doubt its my driving abilities. Should I be worried? its brand new car so warranty will cover everything, unless they say I mishifted and grinded the gears which I know I did not do. The m2c also had 127 km when I purchased it so it did get test driven or whatever for 37km cause i think new cars usually have 90km on odometer. Hopefully someone can ease my worries! thanks
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