[bbarker]

So, I'm new to BMWs and I have a 2012 335is, 13,000mi. I wasn't able to find much searching so don't flame me too much, and yes I know I need to just take it into the dealership but wanted to check here first.

Anyone have issues with their MT transmission during cold weather? It's extremely notchy and takes a fair amount of force to get into the gears (I've noticed).

Also, strange issue I'm having... my very first 1-2 shift grinds 2nd gear early in the morning in the cold. After the first time, it won't grind again. It's almost always the very first 1-2 shift during < 30 degree weather. It's happened 3 times now.

So, before I take it into the dealership, just wanted to check if this is "normal" for these transmissions and see if anyone else has similar issues.

Thanks!

[psmitty95]

Similar issues. I grind 1-2 if i do a 1-2 shift too fast. Idk why but for some reason our transmissions just grind sometimes. If you google it you'll see tons of other people with the same issue. For what its worth I have my CDV deleted and a clutch stop and I still grind 1-2 if i shift too fast

[bbarker]

Thanks for the quick reply. Once the car is warmed up, I don't have the grind. It's literally a one-time thing and always the very first 1-2 shift. It goes into the gear slot, but still grinds before "catching." Really weird issue. I've made sure the clutch is fully engaged and it's at low speed. Maybe I AM shifting it too fast but just seems a bit crazy for a 50k car to be grinding a gear because of cold weather and/or shifting speed from driver.

[David1]

Clutch stop will only make it worse since you are limiting pedal travel and fluid movement.

[BQTuning]

What about adjusting the clutch at the pedal ? In back of the clutch pedal you should be able to adjust the travel of the piston . It might need more travel

[rorkor]

I only got a 1-2 lockout/grind when I really dumped the clutch in first gear for a fast take off, the revs make the hydraulics get loose for a moment and makes 2nd gear engagement poor or impossible. Only happened to me once or twice in my E90 but I knew exactly why cause the E36 M3 had the same issue. 100% Driver input related and I can definitely see it being even more common in a 335 due to the torque and boost pulling on the system.

I cant say anything about the cold weather though, I live in a place where we wear a jacket cause 60f is cold. Hydraulic fluid should not change viscosity drastically in the cold unless it has boiled or is very old and frozen rubber lines would emulate steel lines and increase pressure so maybe you just need to be a bit slower and smoother in the freeze.

[ajeffrey]

I have a 2011 335is w/about 13k miles and I live in San Francisco - definitely not a cold weather climate. My car has been grinding 1-2 since I first bought it. Again, it's always the first few shifts of the day. I now move the shifter into second gear a few times before driving the car. This has significantly reduced the incidence of grinding - but it has not eliminated it!

I find this to be a very disappointing build quality issue for such an expensive car. It's also too bad b/c I love everything else about my 335is....

[bbarker]

Originally Posted by ajeffrey

I have a 2011 335is w/about 13k miles and I live in San Francisco - definitely not a cold weather climate. My car has been grinding 1-2 since I first bought it. Again, it's always the first few shifts of the day. I now move the shifter into second gear a few times before driving the car. This has significantly reduced the incidence of grinding - but it has not eliminated it!

I find this to be a very disappointing build quality issue for such an expensive car. It's also too bad b/c I love everything else about my 335is....

Good to hear that it's not an isolated issue with my vehicle, but at the same time sad to see that it's an issue for some of us. I was very careful with it this morning and rowed through the gears before driving the car and no issue yet. Going to keep an eye on it for the next week.

Thanks for all the input!

[E9TOU]

I think this is a common issue for most MT cars -- I've driven several and most experience 2nd gear notchiness/grind. The only car that comes to mind that shifts as smooth as butter is the Honda S2000 -- that transmission is a dream to drive with.

[TerraLvr335i]

FWIW, I have an E90 335i (2008) and I don't have any grinding, even in the coldest weather (<20 degrees). In those conditions, shift effort does seem to be a bit higher, and there's some notchiness, especially from 1->2.

If you're getting grinding when it's <30 degrees on the first few 1-2 shifts, I'd have a dealer take a look. I know others have reported that they have a similar issue, but I doubt it's normal. I've had several stick-shift cars over the last 15 years and none have ground on gear changes unless I screwed up the clutch modulation on a fast shift.

[PKizzle]

6MT 335is with 20K miles here.

1 to 2 shifts are sometimes a bit notchy, but have not experienced any grinding. There have been a few times during cold starts that it actually feels so tight to get into 1st gear, that I just engage 2nd move it slightly and shift back to 1st. The notchy shifts are common on my E36 M3 as well, but I feel that the short shifter in the 335is exaggerates the shift effort required a bit.

[EosDigital]

My gearbox has also been giving me problems going into 2nd. I've adjusted how I shift to avoid grinding at all costs. If you wait long enough for the RPMs to drop, the synchros will let you select the gear without grinding. It's a frustrating issue for sure. I hope it's not the 2nd gear synchro going out.

If you shift at a higher RPM, it's much easier to select 2nd.

[PKizzle]

Like a few others have mentioned...notchy and tight shifts are a BMW MT trait...but the grinding is not. You should get that checked out.

[itchycow89]

I had the same problem... I usually just double clutch the very first shift, works every time.

[Daily_Driver]

I live in the Pacific Northwest where 32* to 40*F is common in winter. My MT definitely shifts differently after warming up (the transmission takes much longer to warmup than the engine).

Cold mornings were producing very notchy shifts, but never grinding. Switching to Red Line cured the notchiness.

Lots of threads on using Red Line.

[pimp4cheddar]

Originally Posted by PKizzle

Like a few others have mentioned...notchy and tight shifts are a BMW MT trait...but the grinding is not. You should get that checked out.

Completely agree. I have the CDV Fix and Clutch Stop...and it's still notchy.

Grinding doesn't sound right and I don't believe that's normal. Get it checked out.

When in doubt...get it checked out (applies to penile bumps as well).

[MGT81]

Originally Posted by bbbeemer

Thanks for the quick reply. Once the car is warmed up, I don't have the grind. It's literally a one-time thing and always the very first 1-2 shift. It goes into the gear slot, but still grinds before "catching." Really weird issue. I've made sure the clutch is fully engaged and it's at low speed. Maybe I AM shifting it too fast but just seems a bit crazy for a 50k car to be grinding a gear because of cold weather and/or shifting speed from driver.

So glad I read this thread. The exact same thing happens to me. It's the very first shift after reversing out of the garage. And then fine after that. It's lessened since I installed my ZHP shift knob. The extra weight helps smooth out the shift.

Glad I'm not the only one and this is common to other owners. I was debating having the gearbox oil changed.

[galahad05]

Originally Posted by MGT81

So glad I read this thread. The exact same thing happens to me. It's the very first shift after reversing out of the garage. And then fine after that. It's lessened since I installed my ZHP shift knob. The extra weight helps smooth out the shift.

Glad I'm not the only one and this is common to other owners. I was debating having the gearbox oil changed.

I already had the gearbox oil changed.
Yup, mine occasionally does it too.

[ajeffrey]

Whereas it's clearly not "normal" it seems to be endemic to many of our MT cars. Getting the grinding checked out isn't a realistic course of action, unfortunately, as it's nearly impossible to reproduce the experience. Further, until a tranny actually fails, the dealer/BMW will do nothing.

My theory is that b/c so many more cars are being produced w/DCT these days the focus on MT build quality simply isn't there any more. It's a shame and it will almost certainly prevent from buying another BMW....

[335BBS]

Originally Posted by bbbeemer

Thanks for the quick reply. Once the car is warmed up, I don't have the grind. It's literally a one-time thing and always the very first 1-2 shift. It goes into the gear slot, but still grinds before "catching." Really weird issue. I've made sure the clutch is fully engaged and it's at low speed. Maybe I AM shifting it too fast but just seems a bit crazy for a 50k car to be grinding a gear because of cold weather and/or shifting speed from driver.

Cold synchros I think. Lots of cars are like that.

[335BBS]

Originally Posted by itchycow89

I had the same problem... I usually just double clutch the very first shift, works every time.

..............lines up the cold and sticky synchros. Just let a little temp into the gearbox before you go.

[335BBS]

Originally Posted by ajeffrey

Whereas it's clearly not "normal" it seems to be endemic to many of our MT cars. Getting the grinding checked out isn't a realistic course of action, unfortunately, as it's nearly impossible to reproduce the experience. Further, until a tranny actually fails, the dealer/BMW will do nothing.

My theory is that b/c so many more cars are being produced w/DCT these days the focus on MT build quality simply isn't there any more. It's a shame and it will almost certainly prevent from buying another BMW....

Really? Really?