popping out of first gear

[pmullen]

Juat bought my first z3 -- 1996 57,000 miles - great condition.

On my way back from the dealer I popped out of first gear -- into neutral -- 3 times... I typically shifted out of first with no problem....

Sound like a linkage issue or a bad gear tooth???

Also, I am missing a small square piece from my bumper -- what the heck is it called and where can I find it -- looks like it covers a horn or something.

Any suggestions on where to buy interior parts? I need to fix my read deck cargo lid...

Thanks for the help!!!

Best,

Patrick

[bimmerZ5]

Any suggestions on where to buy interior parts? I need to fix my read deck cargo lid...

You can find BMW parts and their associated part numbers at http://www.realoem.com/bmw ... they also show estimated prices.

once you have the P/N, you can order the part from a dealership at their parts dept. I usually recommend using the dealerships that give discounts like Pacific BMW, Crevier BMW, or Circle BMW.

[eVal]

Also, I am missing a small square piece from my bumper -- what the heck is it called and where can I find it -- looks like it covers a horn or something.



Hi Patrick, the small square that you are missing from your bumper is your tow hook cover. You should be able to order that piece seperately, however it will not be painted.

Wish I could help you re: the popping out of first gear, I'm sure some of the mechanical wizards here can help you though. I can speculate that it might have to do with the shift pins since there was a TSB on later transmissions and those often exhibited the tendency to pop out of gear.

Best of luck and enjoy your Z :)

[QikSilver]

On my way back from the dealer I popped out of first gear -- into neutral -- 3 times... I typically shifted out of first with no problem....

Sound like a linkage issue or a bad gear tooth???


In a synchromesh tranny, the gears are always engaged. By selecting a certain gear, you are simply locking it so the car drives through that gear.

So your problem is one of 3 things:

The linkage is not allowing the locking ring to go all the way in, where a detent will hold it in place. Try to fix the linkage.

The locking ring is going all the way in but the detent is worn. You'll need to rebuild the tranny.

The linkage is okay, the detent is okay, but the tapered, pointy teeth on the locking ring and/or on your first gear (not the actual gear teeth) have become rounded or even mostly sheared off, causing the locking ring to drift away from the gear. That'll need a rebuild, too.