manual tranny problem

[Suddha]

Hey, everybody. I'm a new a user and happy to find a board specifically for ti drivers. I love this car and will drive it till it dies or I die.

I bought my 96 Active package ti new, and drove it for years without trouble. But at 60,000 miles, the tranny started popping out of 1st gear under load. I took it in and $2,000 later, I got a new Getrag 5-speed. Back to silky smooth shifting.

Anyone else had this problem? I am curious... I was told that BMW issued a Service Bulletin about this problem.

Thanks!

[ayton]

Yes I recall there being a service bulletin about this,and the fix is what happened to you.It seems as though you missed the warranty,I think you could have got it fixed for free.

[Suddha]

Thanks...

Hey, do you know where a guy can get Service Bulletins ? Besides alldata.com? I was thinking there must be a site where someone has actually posted TSB's for these cars.

[ayton]

I was going to say alldata, I will have to do some checking.let you know what I find out

[jimbob]

Wondering if any other 1996 318ti owner's have had this same problem. Mine has 100,000kms and has just started doing this. Is a full replacement necessary? I've read the service bulletins on 'alldata' but nothing refers to manual tranny prob specifically. Is a repair possible?

Any help from a fellow owner would be greatly appreciated!
Ryan

[96cali]

depending on how bad it is for you try going into second, then first, then let out the clutch. Helps to line things up. While it's not a fix, it is free.

[prd318ownr]

the owner before me put on a new tanny at 60,000 because of this knowned problem..... Seems to be working fine now although my clutch seems a bit weak!!

[NickB]

hi, did any1 find where u can find the bulletin on the transmission, i cant find it.

[TiredTi]

Go to alldata.com. Look up your year and model. All TSBs are listed. For a '96 'ti, TSB 230299 lists "M/T - Jumps Out of 1st & 2nd Gear Under Load". (http://www.alldata.com/TSB/06/96067532.html)

I had the dealer look it up for me. Their solution was 'replace the transmission.' I took it apart and fixed it instead.

Let me know if you would like details.

Steven.

[hsvbama318ti]

Synchronizers are what causes this.

[TiredTi]

In my case, my '96 'ti was popping out of first gear. I too suspected problems with the synchromesh system. However, when I had the gearbox out and apart, it was evident that the synchromesh system was not the culprit. I found that the 1-2 shifter fork was machined incorrectly by the factory. When I ordered a new one, the detent was in a different location. The original fork had a detent that was ~1/8 in. out of position. Once the fork was replaced with the correctly machined one, everything was AOK.

Steven.

[pdxmotorhead]

Is this a common problem in 95 TI's as well or was it unique to 96....

Dave

[TiredTi]

I am afraid I can't say. Maybe someone else on this board knows if this manual transmission problem was specific to a model year or years.

S.

[nix]

Go to alldata.com. Look up your year and model. All TSBs are listed. For a '96 'ti, TSB 230299 lists "M/T - Jumps Out of 1st & 2nd Gear Under Load". (http://www.alldata.com/TSB/06/96067532.html)

I had the dealer look it up for me. Their solution was 'replace the transmission.' I took it apart and fixed it instead.

Let me know if you would like details.

Steven.

how did you fix it?

hsvbama318ti: how much are the synchromesh system?

[marcus2116]

i had the same problem becuase my shift lincage busted i had it brace and it was fine. there can be many different reasons why this is happening though

[ajanney]

My 1995 318i has popped out of first gear for years. It does it virtually 100% of the time if I idle in neutral or leave it in a higher gear when stopped.

However, if I shift into first gear while rolling forward, before I stop the car, it virtually never pops out of gear. If I forget, I can creep forward in second gear to get the car barely rolling forward and then shift it into first. I doesn't pop out either.

What is the best and cheapest way to fix this? I am a back yard mechanic but have never tackled a job as large as disassembling a manual transmission.

Allen

allenjanne@aol.com

[m44ic]

My 1995 318i has popped out of first gear for years. It does it virtually 100% of the time if I idle in neutral or leave it in a higher gear when stopped.

However, if I shift into first gear while rolling forward, before I stop the car, it virtually never pops out of gear. If I forget, I can creep forward in second gear to get the car barely rolling forward and then shift it into first. I doesn't pop out either.

What is the best and cheapest way to fix this? I am a back yard mechanic but have never tackled a job as large as disassembling a manual transmission.

Allen

allenjanne@aol.com

Im afraid a new tranny is the best solution

[pdxmotorhead]

The Getrag tranny is actually very straight forward.

Any decent tranny shop should be able to rebuild one.

Not all BMW subcomponents are magical..... :)

Dave

[TiredTi]

Disassembling a manual transmission is not a job for most. Very few repair manuals give you the direction that you need. I had the help of an old-school mechanic who has had a few apart before, so we knew what to look for. Even then, it took some head-scratching, and we needed to make a few special tools like pullers, etc.

I recommend that you find a transmission shop that has experience with manual gearboxes. Tell them that the transmission may have an incorrectly machined 1-2 shifter fork. Parts should only be about $150 for a new shifter fork from BMW.

Best of luck.

S.

[doogie5]

Hi All,

I know this is an issue that has been dealt with, but i'm desperate to "revisit" it one last time...
My 1996 TI is sitting in a shop right now. I finally decided to deal with the "1st gear pop out problem".

The transmission needs to be repaired.

The shop is proposing 3 solutions:

1. put in new transmission from BMW dealer - $3200
2. put in USED transmission from a local supplier - $1800
3. rebuild my existing transmission - $1800-$2000

Can anyone suggest what is the best solution!!!

Thanks so much!!!

[TiredTi]

If you go with the used transmission, be sure that you get a warranty. You don’t want to find that the used one has the same problem!

I am not surprised at the repair price. It was a big job. Parts alone cost me about $300. Labor was extensive (my own time.)

If you really think the shop is good, and REALLY knows what they are doing, repair is probably the best bet – because you know that it will be fixed. If the shop’s capability is in question, then the used trans (with warranty) is the best bet.

S.

(good luck)

[318tiRedLeather]

I had a similar problem with my 95 ti. It was grinding into first. The cause was the syncros. The repair price sounds about the same that they quoted me. I didnt have that money so I pulled out the transmission and gave that to them. They fixed it and gave it back to me. Only cost me like $380 labor and like $140 for both syncros. If you have the means and capability to pull the transmission out yourself I would recommend it, you save a lot of money.

[doogie5]

am i getting taken to the cleaners?
i thought i found a reputable shop (they were refered to me from a friend that works at the local bmw dealer)

they're now saying:

$2700 to rebuild
(incl. $400 for 3/4 fork + 5/R fork - is this necessary???)

+$360 to put in a new clutch (120,000km on original clutch)
+ taxes!

any bargaining points I can go back to them with?

much appreciated as always!!!!

[J!m]

Well, if you need shifter forks, you need shifter forks!

Remember not to rest your hand on th shifter while driving. This is what wears them.

The clutch price sounds about right, for a kit (clutch pressure plate t/o bearing). There should be very little labor for the clutch, since the tranny is already out...

[mad_logic]

I just bought a second hand 318ti E46 (80000km) 4 months ago, it was driving perfectly until about a month ago, when the transmission started getting rough, I told BMW about it, they drove it and said nothing is wrong with it. I took it to them the second time around during a oil service and highlighted that they fix it again I was told that its nothing, But I'm convinced that there's something wrong with my manual transmission. Are all E46 models like this or is it a lubrication issue? Please advice

[T-Huss]

what do you guys mean pops out of 1st gear? i have a problem with my 95, when i start in 1st it bucks like crazy so i start out in 2nd, really pises me off tho and i dont know whats wrong with it