First 1 to 2 shift grinds on a cold morning? 6MT

[STooK]

Recently the temperatures have been dropping and I've been getting a strange problem with the 6MT. So on the first drive of the cold morning, when I go from 1st to 2nd the gear will grind…but only once. I'm not shifting it extra fast or slow, just how you will start out normally, shifting around 2000 rpm. After that initial grind, it will go into gear perfectly like nothing happened. No other gear does this except for that initial 1 --> 2.

Car has 20k miles and never had an issue when the temperatures were warmer. Anyone else experience this? Would a trans flush solve this? I've searched but mostly came up with grinding at a high rpm shift only. Any input is appreciated.

[serranot]

Mine does it. 22k. Normal. I always shift extremely gently for the first 1-2 shift on cold mornings. And I try to let the car warm up for a minute or two with the clutch out to warm the gear oil a bit.

[tdott]

It usually improves with a fluid change.

[Atombyte]

I have had the same problem since I got the car new. My fix on a cold morning now is to double clutch the first shift. That solves the issue. What's weird is I keep my car garaged so the tranny really isn't that cold. Only happens on cold mornings though. 2013 with < 20k miles.

[STooK]

Thanks everyone…good to know it's sort of normal although it shouldn't be. I'll try double clutching the first shift next time, hopefully that solves the problem!

[Atombyte]

Originally Posted by STooK

Thanks everyone…good to know it's sort of normal although it shouldn't be. I'll try double clutching the first shift next time, hopefully that solves the problem!

I never had that issue with my 328 or 335 (or any other MT car I've had), but the M3 6mt is a different animal.

[CalgaryX3]

My E90 ZCP has this quirk, and that's even though it is stored in a heated garage, and has just a tad over 1000KM (600miles) on it. Not unlike the 2nd to 3rd notchiness I used to experience in my old S2000....

A

[STooK]

Originally Posted by CalgaryX3

My E90 ZCP has this quirk, and that's even though it is stored in a heated garage, and has just a tad over 1000KM (600miles) on it. Not unlike the 2nd to 3rd notchiness I used to experience in my old S2000....

A

Your e90 only has 600 miles on it?? Go drive that thing man!

I also had a s2000 and still to this date my favorite car ever. The transmission on that car was worlds better than the m3 or any transmission in BMW's! I miss it terribly..

[CalgaryX3]

I miss my S2000 dearly as well. The M3 is about the closest I've been able to get to that visceral feeling since, and I vow to keep it forever. I'm becoming a bit of a pack rat and nostalgic with my vehicles, hence the M3's low mileage

A

[thekurgan]

Rpm too low

[duk]

no grind here ever 30k

[Rat3d ///M]

It has to be your rod bearings. Better replace them before the car blows up.

[InnerBlueSkies]

Same problem here...19.5k miles

I've been skipping 2nd gear on the cold mornings.

[BPMSport]

Mine does it sometimes when cold

[SenorFunkyPants]

There is a shift speed that would not grind even if you had no syncro at all in the MT...you just need to find that speed...try slowing it down a little and ease it into 2nd.

[burtonsbs5114]

This also happens to me. I have 19k on the clock.

[7500rich]

Happens to me as well, 31000kms. After the first time I thought it was me, but then it happened a couple more times, and I searched the web, and found out its the tranny.

Will be changing fluid in spring (in storage for winter) and like others have said, shift SLOW when starting out in the mornings. It sucks we have to deal with it, but we do, and if you make it a habit to always shift slow in the mornings you will get used to it and will become habit, even when warm outside.

[Rahul718]

Will this "normal" grinding get worse as the mileage increases?

[STooK]

So today instead of shifting from 1 straight to 2, I went from 1 to N to 2 and it didn't grind. It wasn't double clutching because I just kept the clutch pedal in. Hopefully this solves the issue.

[e92zero]

I've never grind the 1-2 shift, cold or warm on the M3 or any other car I have driven. I always take a ever so slightly pause/break in between the lever moving out of 1 and then moving it into 2nd. It then clicks into 2nd nice and crisp every single time. I think another poster posted this before as well. I learned and have been doing this on all manual cars that I have driven these years and never grind any of them. Pickups, prelude, s2000, brz, accord, integra, mazda. None of them will go into 2nd smoothly if you rifle the gear level straight into 2nd from 1st. They might not grind but you can tell the tranny is not happy about it. Try the pause and see if it helps. just my 2 cents. Cheers.

[JRV]

Originally Posted by STooK

So today instead of shifting from 1 straight to 2, I went from 1 to N to 2 and it didn't grind. It wasn't double clutching because I just kept the clutch pedal in. Hopefully this solves the issue.

This is what i do on the 1st shift as well. The quick into N without letting clutch go during the shift from 1-2 always works for me too! Otherwise it grinds every day in the winter. The second time I shift it has no issues.

[SenorFunkyPants]

Originally Posted by Rahul718

Will this "normal" grinding get worse as the mileage increases?

In an M3s MT, synco rings (or whatever system the MT uses) in the gearbox speed up/slow down the engaging gears so that they are at the same speed and can mesh cleanly when you change gear. Every time you make that super fast shift, that a lot of people think is the way to shift an MT, these parts have to work harder to match up the gear speeds and therefore wear faster...do it often enough they will wear out and the gears will grind/crunch whenever you shift poorly. On the other hand, change gear at the correct speed and they will out live the rest of the car.
The gear lever should move into each gear easily with minimum effort, if you are forcing it in then you are wearing out the syncros.