engine problems

[lionell247]

hey guys need help...... i was driving on the highway and i shifted into a lower gear and over rev'ed my engine ahhhhh(bad) now its making a funny noise and when i come to a complete stop it doesn't rev properly please help asap.

[roadrash]

Uh oh... sounds like a "money shift."

[cooljess76]

ahhh the money shift...

It's hard to say what the damage is without looking inside of the motor or hearing the noise. Chances are you've done significant permanent damage to the engine internals. This can range anywhere from bent or burnt valves, broken valve springs, bent connecting rod(s), stretched timing chain, damaged/broken timing sprockets, bent/broken rockers, damaged cams/cam trays, scored cylinder walls, damaged pistons and the list just goes on and on. I can be something as simple as a blown boot or as serious as a blown head gasket. I'd start by checking the spark plugs & a compression test, maybe even pull the valve cover. Before you jump to any conclusions, check the smaller more obvious things first. Maybe take it to a mechanic, but don't let them work on it/disassemble anything until you've gotten a second or even a third opinion from other reputable shops. Start conserving your money, you might be replacing/rebuilding your motor soon.

[Junk]

overrev, i believe valves float and you probably have bent or dropped some valves.. sorry.. but I think the head will be coming off.

[THAT318]

if you have to replace the head you might as well call a few junk yards around you i found m50/52 motors for about 350-450 near me... im deff looking into a tranny swap since mine is acting up and why not upgrade to a 5 speed?

edit: this would only be worth it if your doing the swap yourself a shop will rip you apart to swap in a 328.

[bamaland]

ahh i hate the money shot shifts.. the only way ive learned to prevent is fast reactions and always keeping my foot on the clutch and on the shifter.. cuz ill tell ya this is my first bmw and boy is shifting different lol.

well like the fellows above said check the smaller easier stuff out first.

[THAT318]

i like the swap idea better.
just sayin

[cooljess76]

P.S. Don't grip the shifter so hard. A loose grip will lessen your chances of accidentally downsifting.

[THAT318]

Originally Posted by cooljess76

P.S. Don't grip the shifter so hard. A loose grip will lessen your chances of accidentally downsifting.

agreed. i learned this on a tiburon.. good thing i didnt learn it on the z4 at the dealship i used to work for.

bimmers seem to be easy cars to learn how to drive stick on tho.

[Junk]

another reason not to grip the shifter is I have read a couple posts about it being bad for lubrication inside the trans somehow?!. Could have been the ZF trans and not getrag, but really some little issue with resting your hand on the shifter..

I seem to be constantly changing my shifting technique.. before I hadn't noticed much difference in transaxles when I would disengage the clutch before pulling it out of gear, but in the past few cars i've owned, (Standard fr transmissions) I notice a difference and am now pulling it out of gear before disengaging clutch and shifting into next gear. Last couple transmissions used ATF vs gear oil so I'm not sure how much that has to do with it..or perhaps i just never shifted properly before..

[bamaland]

Originally Posted by Junk

another reason not to grip the shifter is I have read a couple posts about it being bad for lubrication inside the trans somehow?!. Could have been the ZF trans and not getrag, but really some little issue with resting your hand on the shifter..

I seem to be constantly changing my shifting technique.. before I hadn't noticed much difference in transaxles when I would disengage the clutch before pulling it out of gear, but in the past few cars i've owned, (Standard fr transmissions) I notice a difference and am now pulling it out of gear before disengaging clutch and shifting into next gear. Last couple transmissions used ATF vs gear oil so I'm not sure how much that has to do with it..or perhaps i just never shifted properly before..

we're not saying keep your hand off the shifter, we're saying dont keep a grip on it like your ready to hit a homerun or else you can easily pull it out of gear.


im 6ft4 my arms are 3ft+ long so i have to keep my seat all the way back and down. i never keep my hand on top the shifter because im bound to pull it out of gear without noticing. so i keep my hand on the right side of it basically wrapping my hand around the shifter not the knob.. i feel i shift better and quicker that way also.

as for the clutch.. i dont use it unless im stopping or taking off out of 1st. other than that i never use the clutch.

[lysergicsurfer]

Everyone this is not a money shift?

This is a error for the driver. No offense as I am sure everyone has done it at some point or another, accidently downshifting at high revs that is.

The 'Money shift' is when driving your car very hard around a sharp curve and the old rubber tranny mounts allow the transmission to shift enough so that the gear lower is in the spot of the gear you were going for. It only takes a couple centimeters of rotation of the transmission to put the shift gate of 1st where 3rd is and 2nd where 4th is. The money shift is not a drivers error, it can happen to veteran racers who know there BMW better than the engineer who designed it. People try and blame BMW for this, but it is just nature taking a toll on the rubber used. I think maybe BMW should have installed stiffer bushings but that recall would have been a lot of money for a problem that only happens when these cars are pushed.

I could never tell you what is wrong with your motor without seeing or hearing it. But if it was me the money you are going to spend to fix this may be more than the cost of swapping in a m50-52 motor.

[cooljess76]

Originally Posted by lysergicsurfer

Everyone this is not a money shift?

This is a error for the driver. No offense as I am sure everyone has done it at some point or another, accidently downshifting at high revs that is.

The 'Money shift' is when driving your car very hard around a sharp curve and the old rubber tranny mounts allow the transmission to shift enough so that the gear lower is in the spot of the gear you were going for. It only takes a couple centimeters of rotation of the transmission to put the shift gate of 1st where 3rd is and 2nd where 4th is. The money shift is not a drivers error, it can happen to veteran racers who know there BMW better than the engineer who designed it. People try and blame BMW for this, but it is just nature taking a toll on the rubber used. I think maybe BMW should have installed stiffer bushings but that recall would have been a lot of money for a problem that only happens when these cars are pushed.

I could never tell you what is wrong with your motor without seeing or hearing it. But if it was me the money you are going to spend to fix this may be more than the cost of swapping in a m50-52 motor.

Money shifts are not unique to BMW's and I'll say that your definition of a money shift is different from the rest of the world. Regardless of the cause, inadvertently downshifting into a lower gear when you meant to upshift is commonly known as a money shift. When it happens, no matter how or why, it's gonna cost you $$$, hence the name. You talk to any mechanic, any enthusiast, any professional driver and they'll all tell you the same thing. You don't have to be in a curve and your tranny mounts don't have to be the cause of the mis-shift. Doesn't matter what kind of vehicle you're driving, brand or model, if that shift lever puts the tranny in the wrong gear and causes your engine to over rev, you just money shifted

It happens in drag racing all the time(and I believe that's where the term originated), no curves needed
And furthermore if a "money shift" was limited to a manufacture's defect, it wouldn't be called a money shift because the factory would warranty it or it would likely be recalled.

[THAT318]

money shift is when you accidently downshift at a high rpm, which may cause expensive repairs which is why its called a money shift. and ive never heard of someone missing 3rd for 1st because they were so sideways that the trany was shifted.