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2003 325i Manual Transmission Problem... Won't shift to any gear

14K views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  djstrachan 
#1 ·
So today I was driving, leaving a parking lot and I hit a bump on the way out of school. The parking lot is higher and it grades downward toward the street. The car was in first gear and after I hit the grade/bump the car revved up and I couldn't shift into ANY gear. The car starts, runs fine, but seems to be stuck in neutral. Any ideas guys? Shifter bushings? Linkage of some sort?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! I plan on getting under the car tomorrow.
 
#2 ·
I'm thinking that as it revved up, it popped out of gear.

I would hazard a guess that the linkage came loose/undone:dunno:
 
#4 ·
Can't really say until you know just what it is.

If it is something inside the tranny, that will be a pain. If it is the linkage coming undone, you may be able to tackle that yourself.

Hiopefully one of the guys more knowledgeable will pipe up on this. Best thing is to see if anything is obvious first. If not, getting an assessment from a tranny shop will narrow down what it is. THen you can post here and get some specific info on how hard it is and/or a DIY to assist.

Bummer!!
 
#5 ·
It`s possible you bent , broke, or dislodged something linkage-related....getting underneath and taking a look is the only way to know for sure. Look for fresh scrapes or other signs of recent contact.
 
#6 ·
This grade/bump that I went over has never and does not make the car bottom out. The car has 122k on it and I don't drive it hard or beat on it. It was just very shocking to all of a sudden move the shifter and the gear pattern "disappeared". That's why I'm thinking it's linkage related.
 
#7 ·
What happens when you try to shift with the engine off ? Does it feel like you`re getting any gears ?
 
#9 ·
. Like throwing a hot dog down a hallway LOL. .
Reminds me of a girl I used to fool around with....:rofl:

Your linkage is probably jammed....you should observe it from underneath while someone tries to work the shifter, it might be something relatively simple.
 
#11 ·
:rofl::tsk:
 
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