[CnoteMD]

I have had an intermittent problem with engaging first gear at a complete stop. This has happened on several occasions and doesn't seem to be related to cold temperatures. In fact, it has happened more often when it was warm (i.e. temperatures over 65 F).

This is the scenario:
-I am at a redlight. The car is in neutral and my foot is off of the clutch.
-As the light turns green, I press the clutch, then move the shifter torward to first. However, the shifter feels as if it is hitting metal and will NOT go into gear.
-I try a couple more times to engage first, but it still won't go.
-I try going to second, which is much easier, but when I try again to go to first gear, it still won't go.
-Finally, I rev the engine a bit while in neutral (similar to rev matching when downshifting) and it finally slides into first gear.

By the time all of this has happened, people have already started blowing thier horns and I am sitting there looking like someone who can't drive a manual (but I've been driving a manual for almost 15 years).

I took the car to the dealer and, of course, they couldn't reproduce the problem. I even took someone from the service department with me for a ride and I couldn't reproduce it either!

They said that BMW hasn't heard of any such complaints, but this may be because the car was just recently released. They told me that if BMW gets back to them about the problem happening with other cars, they will call me back. Also, if the problem returns, they told me to bring it back.

Has anyone had anything similar happen to thier car? I am hoping it is something simple. They were hinting that it may just need a new transmission! I just got the car in August and it only has 9000 miles, so I hope that's not the case.

If anyone has had similar problems, please let me know what you did to fix the problem. Otherwise, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[voltron1011]

I'm surprised that putting it into 2nd and then to 1st didn't work for you since 1st and 2nd gear share the same input fork. Sounds like a synchro problem on 1st gear side of the fork, since you had to rev-match the tranny to get it to engage.
Maybe you can keep a camcorder handy and once it starts to do it again video-tape it, and show it to the serv. dept.

[beauderek]

I had it happen one time where I couldn't get it into first. Felt like something was blocking it. I just put it in neutral and tried it again, and it worked.

That should not happen. But when I drove sticks I rarely ever waited at a red light in neutral, always in first ready to go when the light changed.

[Matbrach]

I haven't noticed any difficulty putting her into first.

sorry...

[ward]

no issues here, try releasing the clutch and repressing it or the second back to 1st and you should be golden

either way with a bit of practice you'll adapt to your car's individualities (most cars have a bit of it)

[Mr. BMW]

I had that happen on my E36 when it was new. Usually going into second and then into first would work. I think the dealer told me to go back to neutral and then release and engage the clutch again and then it was ok. That was a while ago so I can't remember if that worked but I do remember them telling me to do that.
Of course my dealer could never repo the problem either.

[Romulus]

I had the same problem.. I found that if I left it in gear when rolling to a stop, then going directly to first once stopped, I didn't have any trouble.

[mapezzul]

I have had that issue several times, but second to first always works to get her going.... must be a synchro or something. Probabbly could just bang it in there and all that but you are right it should not do that. But it is random.

[CnoteMD]

Originally Posted by mapezzul

I have had that issue several times, but second to first always works to get her going.... must be a synchro or something. Probabbly could just bang it in there and all that but you are right it should not do that. But it is random.

The random nature of this problem is really irritating. They were saying that the "rev matching" to get it into first gear sounds like a problem with the transmission and not just a shifter problem.

I have noticed it probably 4-5 times in the past two months. If it increases in frequency, I will just take it back and have them replace it. In a way, its reassuring that very few people here are having the same problem as I would hate to have a replacement transmission have the same problem.

Thanks for the input everyone.

[bavarian19]

Originally Posted by CMD

That should not happen. But when I drove sticks I rarely ever waited at a red light in neutral, always in first ready to go when the light changed.

So you held your clutch in while sitting at the lights . I would imagine that would get old after a while...

[Hotan Braskey]

That used to happen with my STi sometimes. Like ward said, letting out the clutch, then pressing it in again should coax it into first.

[hotsand5]

I also had that happen to me a few times, and in my 6spd VW GLI as well. I think that it does it when the car rolls back just slightly, but when I put it in second, then first will always work. This is a very normal occurance in motorcycles as well. Every bike I had either had problems going into first from neutral from a standstill, and had to roll it a couple inches to get her in first.

[DavE90]

I've never had that problem.

[Macfreak7]

Originally Posted by CnoteMD

The random nature of this problem is really irritating. They were saying that the "rev matching" to get it into first gear sounds like a problem with the transmission and not just a shifter problem.

I have noticed it probably 4-5 times in the past two months. If it increases in frequency, I will just take it back and have them replace it. In a way, its reassuring that very few people here are having the same problem as I would hate to have a replacement transmission have the same problem.

Thanks for the input everyone.

Just out of curiosity, do you roll to a stop in neutral, or do you leave it in gear and shift to neutral after you've come to a complete stop?
Maybe this has something to do with it?
BTW, this has happened to me occassionally, a couple of times, at most. But it wasn't as bad as you seem to have described the problem.

[davinet78]

i have no difficulty putting the car into first

[Bimmerista]

This happens when you depress the clutch but not 100%, even a little space between clutch pedal and max depression can result in exactly the problem you describe. There is nothing wrong with the car (good news), but ratherm you should let out the clutch and depress again fully, you should have no problems then.

[Redguy]

I have had this problem a little. I assumed it is because it is new, and that it will free up over time.

[txusa03]

I don't recall experiencing this, maybe when I first got the car. It been shifting great recently. I hope you get your issue fixed.

[roppongicorolla]

When you come to a stop, do you downshift through the gears? I have not experienced any problems with this gearbox, as long as I remember that the throws are longer than my other cars.

[noflash]

Happened to me once. It's like two cogs are hitting eachother dead on.

I just took of in 2nd.

[gr8sho]

Originally Posted by CnoteMD

I have had an intermittent problem with engaging first gear at a complete stop. This has happened on several occasions and doesn't seem to be related to cold temperatures. In fact, it has happened more often when it was warm (i.e. temperatures over 65 F).

This is the scenario:
-I am at a redlight. The car is in neutral and my foot is off of the clutch.
-As the light turns green, I press the clutch, then move the shifter torward to first. However, the shifter feels as if it is hitting metal and will NOT go into gear.
-I try a couple more times to engage first, but it still won't go.
-I try going to second, which is much easier, but when I try again to go to first gear, it still won't go.
-Finally, I rev the engine a bit while in neutral (similar to rev matching when downshifting) and it finally slides into first gear.

By the time all of this has happened, people have already started blowing thier horns and I am sitting there looking like someone who can't drive a manual (but I've been driving a manual for almost 15 years).

I took the car to the dealer and, of course, they couldn't reproduce the problem. I even took someone from the service department with me for a ride and I couldn't reproduce it either!

They said that BMW hasn't heard of any such complaints, but this may be because the car was just recently released. They told me that if BMW gets back to them about the problem happening with other cars, they will call me back. Also, if the problem returns, they told me to bring it back.

Has anyone had anything similar happen to thier car? I am hoping it is something simple. They were hinting that it may just need a new transmission! I just got the car in August and it only has 9000 miles, so I hope that's not the case.

If anyone has had similar problems, please let me know what you did to fix the problem. Otherwise, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Yes, I've experienced this intermittently. I usually double clutch or blip the throttle to release the blockers. I don't think this is unique to E90s as my SHO does this from time to time.