High mileage e92 M3 owners with MANUAL transmission only...

Hey guys,

I'm about to buy an e92 m3 (09-10) and stuck on the DCT vs Manual ordeal. I've driven both and both are fun in their own rights. I've always driven a manual even in my long commute home in traffic and it's fine for me, I've never complained. With that said, I've seen some high mileage DCT threads and there are lots of folks upwards of 120k miles with no issues at all. So it seems the DCT is pretty robust. But, if it ever does fail out of warranty, well I wouldn't want to spend that insane amount of money to get it fixed.

To me reliability is the most important factor in choosing between DCT and Manual. I know manual will theoretically always be the cheaper and easier to fix option but so many people (really, it surprised me) on this forum have a 2nd gear that grinds. This indicates a synchro issue which is bound to get worse over time.

So I'm just looking for people have high mileage on their manual transmissions without any grinding gears or synchro issues. That might give me the warm and fuzzy feeling I'm looking for in decided MT over DCT.

Thanks for the feedback!

MT tranny is STRONG GET IT

If you are asking which you should pick based on cost to replace, the answer is the Manual tranny. Both Manual and DCT are reliable. Choose the one that fits your needs. Good luck.

My 2012 manual occasionally gets a little stiffer when shifting into second did so even from 25k miles. We own 6 bmws, and have owned many in the past, from new to 200k miles, they all have developed the same issue

Gr330zhp wrote

My 2012 manual occasionally gets a little stiffer when shifting into second did so even from 25k miles. We own 6 bmws, and have owned many in the past, from new to 200k miles, they all have developed the same issue

Stiff is fine... but there's a difference between stiff and grinding. If you guys are saying the 6mt transmission is reliable and strong, why was I able to pull up 10 different threads just now with people complaining about how 2nd gear grinds if you go into it at high rpm?

When I had my manual, it would grind when it was colder out. When it was warmer out, it wouldn't grind as often but it did occasionally when I shifted quickly. Seemed to happen going into 4th gear more than 2nd gear. Other than that, it felt like a solid transmission. It was notchy but not too notchy, just enough to feel like a proper sports car manual.

2nd gear grind is a common issue on a lot of manual cars...it is because the jump from 1st gear to 2nd gear is usually the bigger jump as far as gear ratios go. (When I used to have a 135i...it used to 2nd gear grind...when I used to have a civic si k20 engine...it used to 2nd gear grind)

Answer is. Just don't rush the shift!

this is a post i did on the maintenance forum,where i wondered if the cars that have rough-shifting mt's didn't have the mtl changed at the 1220 milebreak-in service as was supposed to be done-
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1047085

my recommendation is to get the records for the break-in service and verify that this was in fact done,because apparently some dealers didn't know to do it.

I would pick manual. If you like driving stick, the DCT will get boring at some point. I admit DCT is a better match to the S65 but I don't care...I want the third pedal.

approaching 60k miles on my '08, never noticed any grinding tendency in any gear.

Over 70k on mine - transmission is solid. No grinding. I don't baby it, but I don't abuse it.

Someone should clarify the difference from "notchy" and "grinding"

My 2008 E90 M3 has 73 k KM. Never had any grinding in any gears. When the weather is cold the shift from 1 - 2 is stiff. After it warms up the shifting smooths out, however this transmission has never been the smoothest. Don't expect this to shift as smoothly as a 911 6MT. The Borg Warner Super T10 in my old C3 Corvette shifts like a knife going through butter.

Has anyone had this "issue" since day 1 when the car was new? If so I'd be inclined to believe that it is normal. If it started occurring after particular mileage, it might indicate wear and tear and could get worse.

Rahul718 wrote

Has anyone had this "issue" since day 1 when the car was new? If so I'd be inclined to believe that it is normal. If it started occurring after particular mileage, it might indicate wear and tear and could get worse.

Everyone told you their MT was fine. You're overthinking this.

I had 2 m3 both MT and no issues at all. Its a good trans.

duk wrote

MT tranny is STRONG GET IT

MT

DCT guys will tell you DCT is solid (and it is). MT guys will tell you MT is solid (and it is)...so my point is you can't go wrong with either and BMW M division did a great job on both options. It's a win/win - choose what YOU want and you'll be happy regardless.

OhSoCal wrote

DCT guys will tell you DCT is solid (and it is). MT guys will tell you MT is solid (and it is)...so my point is you can't go wrong with either and BMW M division did a great job on both options. It's a win/win - choose what YOU want and you'll be happy regardless.

But comparatively speaking the DCT is a bleeder and suffers from e-glitches. No bueno.

Jab555 wrote

Someone should clarify the difference from "notchy" and "grinding"

This. Mine can be "notchy" from 1st to 2nd, but I've never grinded a gear.

MT vs. dct has been debated to death over many years..
I, myself was in your position with the difference that I bought a factory ordered car. It had to be a manual. It is a strong transmission. Absolutely no grinding issue. But that problem can be created if an unfortunate m3 car receives as its first owner a first a dumb learner in manual shifting. The majority of americans don't know how to shift with a clutch, this is an automatic gearbox country.. It will never grind if nobody with their first manual car spent 3-6 months on it forcing gears in . Once the damage is done, it's there.

The gearbox is a bit notchy on 1st and 2nd but that is not an issue at all. However for bad MT beginners it only makes them try to force the gears in more repeatedly which THEN after many months of that abuse causes synchro damage. But that's the same as any other MT. You will not find a FIRST owner with experience driving MT who complains about a grinding pb. Period.

I will say the manual transmission on this m3 is a huge part of why i am enjoying this car. It was 100% the right decision.

To summarize, for a close to new or mint m3 with a single owner who drove MT before, no thinking needed. If used, then the best would be single owner who had driven manuals before getting the m3. If multiple owners, testdrive the car, do a lot of maneuvers on large empty parking lot going from 1st to 2nd and back. Don't force gears in. Then ask the owner to drive the same. If he has no problem. Go for it !

davesaddiction wrote

This. Mine can be "notchy" from 1st to 2nd, but I've never grinded a gear.

When was the last time you changed the fluid? I went with OEM fluid and it made it smoother.

OP, BMW has been making MT's for how many decades now? If they aren't abused, they will last well into the 100k's. At that point, you might need to replace shifter bushings and what not, but mine at 82k is a peach.