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It is incredibly difficult to put it into 1st gear..
I have been extensively researching and watching videos about 'shifter bushings' for the past hour now, searching Google, this site, etc. I do not think swapping out shifter bushings will fix whatever this issue is. I don't even think those things sit anywhere near my shifter arm to cause the issues I'm having.
It feels like something is blocking my shifter from going into 1st gear. I dont thing it's my clutch or flywheel or anything of the sort, this issue happens when the car is running, but also when it is off. BUT NOT ALWAYS. Sometimes it goes into gear without issue. But when the issue occurs, I have to repeatedly nudge the shifter northwards from N before it goes into gear. It feels very stubborn but only for 1st gear. I can shift into the rest of the gears without experiencing issues similar to the 1st gear problem.
The bushings sit under and all those will do is make the shifter base feel solid instead of how the rubber makes it a bit looser. Not sure what that could be since I haven't experienced that at all how are the shifting cables?
I never have. I bought the car with 180K on it, the previous owner supposedly had a new clutch installed. When I had it towed to my place the tow truck driver backed it into my stall for me and said that the clutch felt kind of weird..
Is flushing/bleeding my clutch hydraulics a relatively easy task? I heard bleeding brake lines is extremely difficult to do, is it similar to that?
Shifting cables look fine? I pulled the cupholder out and looked, it's really just first gear that's causing me issues. It will go into gear, just not on the first attempt sometimes, if that makes sense
Bleeding brakes is honestly not difficult if you follow a good procedure (most people don't). In fact, I'd say it's one of the easier jobs to be done on any car. Bleeding a clutch is essentially the same thing.
And the clutch might have been recently changed, but it doesn't mean that the previous owner properly bled the system.
Hm, I don't think that's what is causing the issue. That user has problems shifting out of first gear, whereas I have issues shifting into first gear.
My research led me to this post made on a bmw forum https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=251561
I think my issue is more or less similar to what that person had alluded to, which several people chimed in to say it was perfectly normal. Do you think it's normal? I don't want to invest close to $300 on a new short throw shifter with new cables and bushings for this problem to persist. If that's the case I might as well just keep this shifter I have now
Clutch drag can affect different cars in different manners and bleeding your clutch is a $5 fix - you just need new brake fluid. And honestly, your brakes might very well need bled, too. It's a commonly overlooked maintenance item.
As for everything else, "hard to shift into first" is very vague and so it's hard to pinpoint what your problem is, if one at all. Are you talking about when shifting into first from a stop or when rolling (slowing down from second gear)? M3 transmission are very different than FWD transmissions using shift cables - but in general, first gear is typically harder to shift into when you're already moving. When sitting still at a light/sign/etc... you shouldn't have trouble shifting into first.
Start with the simple stuff (bleeding the system) before you start looking at throwing hundreds of dollars worth of parts at it.
Shifting into first from a stop, ESPECIALLY when I have a green light and some ******* behind me is honking his horn because I CANNOT GET IT INTO GEAR!!! LMAO
And this is the issue, because as you said, it shouldn't be an issue. I mean, it was made to shift gears, not have-trouble-shifting-into-first-gear-sometimes. Like it will go into gear, but not without me struggling to sort of jam it in two or three times, putting it into neutral and repumping the clutch and trying to jam it in again. It's like it's getting caught on something, if that makes sense.And that's the other thing, sometimes it shifts without any issue whatsoever. I always have anxiety about when this thing is going to give me issues, because I can put it into first and drive somewhere without any issue, then come to a red light and wait for it to change and waddya know, it's going to be stubborn about going into first again.
Okay, I'll try to do a clutch bleed. Do you have any guides/sources you'd recommend? I'm a below average DIY'er so I'm not entirely mechanically inclined, I'm actually kind of fearful of doing this because I don't want to mess anything up lol
Also. I'm going to post a photo, see in picture 1, how do I access those little cable ends? I think there might be worn/broken bushings there that might be the culprit of my problems. I'd like to inspect those if possible
I get where you're coming from; I didn't own any wrenches and had never even changed spark plugs when I bought this car. Everyone starts somewhere. A little bit of practice and patience is all that it takes. Pay attention and read as much as you can.
The cable ends do not utilize bushings. The ends that connect to the shifter base are accessed by pulling up the cupholder. Pull up on the radio side of the cupholder and it should pop out.
The transmission side ends are easiest to get to through the driver's side wheelwell. Again... no bushings. There are roll pins that hold the transmission shift levers on, and they sometimes go bad, but you would usually lose shifting ability across the board if that were the case... not just one gear.
That's the thing with it being bushing related or shifter related... is that it would typically effect more than 1 gear. But having trouble getting into first from a stop screams that the clutch is dragging.
When I bleed the clutch, I always use a two-person method. It has consistently given me the best results. Alternatives are to buy a pressure/vacuum bleeder, or to buy/use a speed bleeder - which I think is essentially just a one-way valve for bleeding by yourself. I've never used one though. Brake/clutch fluid should be flushed every year to two years depending on mileage, usage, and the type that you bought. DOT4 is probably the best you can find on the shelf; DOT 5.1 is better for performance (high temp, hard braking, racing, etc), but harder to find - the higher the boiling point, the better for performance, but the more often it tends to need to be changed.
Here's my bleeding process - this works for brakes and for clutches:
One person actuates the clutch pedal [Pedal], one person opens/closes the bleeder valve [Bleeder]. It really helps to have a fluid extractor (a turkey baster with the bulb zip-tied works, but can be messy) and to remove as much of the old brake fluid from the reservoir as possible. You should have a brake bleeding bottle connected to the fitting - I really like this one because it has a long hose and a hanging hook: ECS Tuning - Brake Bleeder Catch Bottle
Connect the bottle to the nipple (which is not conveniently located ) and place it as high as you can; try to make sure the rubber nipple and the hose gain elevation as they leave the bleeder valve - air bubbles rise to the top, so you want to make sure it's nice and easy for them to travel up and out of your hydraulic system.
[Bleeder] Open the valve and say "Down". The bleed valve should be an 11mm and it only takes about quarter to half turn for it to open.
[Pedal] Slowly pushes the clutch pedal down (take like 2 seconds - just don't slam it down as fast as possible); when near the bottom of travel says, "Down". ***HOLDS CLUTCH PEDAL DOWN!***
[Bleeder] Closes the valve and says "Up".
[Pedal] Releases clutch pedal - might have to physically pull the pedal up. Once pedal is at top, says, "Up".
Repeat the above process until no air bubbles can be seen coming into the hose... and then do it a half dozen more times. (if you're flushing - you do it until the color of the fluid changes to the clearish yellow that it should be).
The biggest thing is to ensure that the valve is closed once the clutch pedal starts to travel up - otherwise it'll pull fluid and air back into the system from the bleed line.
When you're done bleeding, close the valve, then lower the brake bleed bottle to a point lower than bleed nipple, maybe pinch the hose as well, and then pull it off. This will help prevent a big mess from your old brake fluid rushing out of the hose. Brake fluid is fairly corrosive stuff and not good for paint or skin.
Clutch drag can affect different cars in different manners and bleeding your clutch is a $5 fix - you just need new brake fluid. And honestly, your brakes might very well need bled, too. It's a commonly overlooked maintenance item.
As for everything else, "hard to shift into first" is very vague and so it's hard to pinpoint what your problem is, if one at all. Are you talking about when shifting into first from a stop or when rolling (slowing down from second gear)? M3 transmission are very different than FWD transmissions using shift cables - but in general, first gear is typically harder to shift into when you're already moving. When sitting still at a light/sign/etc... you shouldn't have trouble shifting into first.
Start with the simple stuff (bleeding the system) before you start looking at throwing hundreds of dollars worth of parts at it.
I know exactly what he's referring to. Sometimes, randomly, it is as if you are locked out of 1st gear. If I shift from 1st to 2nd a few times in a row it usually unlocks itself and I can get into first. It happens mostly when not moving, I don't usually go into 1st when moving. And like he said, it's not every single time, its only sometimes. I daily my SS and It happens maybe a few times a day, other times it doesnt happen at all. The brake/clutch bleeding solution sounds like it could possibly fix the issue, although 95% of the time its fine. It is literally as if something is mechanically blocking you from 1st, *sometimes*.
) and place it as high as you can; try to make sure the rubber nipple and the hose gain elevation as they leave the bleeder valve - air bubbles rise to the top, so you want to make sure it's nice and easy for them to travel up and out of your hydraulic system.
