5 speed shifting problem

I have a 98 328i that has 286,000 miles on it. As far as I know everything is original. I've had the car for the last 100,000 miles. Recently it has developed an intermittent problem shifting into gears. It just will not upshift for about 2 seconds sometimes, after holding down the clutch for a couple seconds it goes into gear just fine. It doesn't always do this, I'd say it does it about half the time, and is especially bad when cold. It never has trouble going into gear when downshifting. It has been doing this for about a month. I think what triggered it is I had put the wrong transmission fluid in it about 80,000 miles ago I don't know why but I had searched online to find out what kind of fluid it took and somewhere I came up with that it took regular ATF so I put some Mobile One ATF in it. I think I must have done a search and maybe found info for a 5 speed AUTO 328i from a newer year and just assumed it was a manual transmission. So when this problem happened I looked up and realized it is supposed to have gear oil, so I ordered the proper German gear oil and drained out the ATF, which looked bright red and extremely clean. So anyway, not sure what, if any damage I did by using the wrong fluid. I don't abuse this car at all, in fact I drive it like an old person. Hopefully I didn't ruin something that will cost a lot of $$$ to fix.

sounds like a synchro
try double clutching and see if it goes in easier...start putting away $3-500 for a replacement zf 5-speed; me thinks

Originally Posted by r33p04s

sounds like a synchro
try double clutching and see if it goes in easier...start putting away $3-500 for a replacement zf 5-speed; me thinks

Lol this isn't the Fast and Furious.

OP switch tranny fluids. Go with Royal Purple Syncromax* and see if that helps with the shifting problem. I'm sure it will.



*RP Syncromax is labeled as MTF but it's designed to be used in manual transmissions that ask for ATF.

Originally Posted by Gooby

Lol this isn't the Fast and Furious.

OP switch tranny fluids. Go with Royal Purple Syncromax* and see if that helps with the shifting problem. I'm sure it will.



*RP Syncromax is labeled as MTF but it's designed to be used in manual transmissions that ask for ATF.

So I am confused, was I correct in putting ATF fluid in this transmission? If so I guess that's not what is causing the problem. I am leaning towards replacing the whole tranny, at 285,000 miles (and I think it has the original clutch) I am sure it would shift a whole lot better if I put in a lower mileage one. I found one with 130,000 miles for only $250. The thing is I am wondering how hard it is to replace one of these?? Also, I actually found 2 for sale with similar miles, one is an M3 tranny. Is there any benefit to using an M3 tranny? Are they even interchangeable (or are they the same thing)? I was thinking it would have to be a little more heavy duty in an M3 but maybe I am mistaken.

I always double clutch. It's better for the transmission.

What is "double clutch"? If it's better for a tranny, I'm all in!

As far as I understand it (and practice it), it's basically treating neutral as an actual gear.

I don't shift from 1st to 2nd.

I shift from 1st to N (i.e. let the clutch out when the gear shifter is in N, or between gears). Then I shift from N to 2nd.

I do this quickly, so it's usually not noticeable. Inside the transmission, the Neutral position is an actual gear. It just doesn't connect to the wheels. The transmission is mated to the engine, so it spins at the same speed. What this does is reduce the wear on the clutch, and makes for a smoother transition from gear to gear, if done properly. It also means you can move the clutch pedal faster with less jerkiness, since one of the main reasons you release the clutch slowly is to allow time for both sides to sync their speeds. Double-clutching does that part for you, so you can pop the clutch much faster. It's more leg work, but it's better for the car. I also have a racing clutch, so it helps keep things smooth. On a non-racing clutch, it turns a smooth transmission into a buttery smooth one.

Originally Posted by petriej

As far as I understand it (and practice it), it's basically treating neutral as an actual gear.

I don't shift from 1st to 2nd.

I shift from 1st to N (i.e. let the clutch out when the gear shifter is in N, or between gears). Then I shift from N to 2nd.

I do this quickly, so it's usually not noticeable. Inside the transmission, the Neutral position is an actual gear. It just doesn't connect to the wheels. The transmission is mated to the engine, so it spins at the same speed. What this does is reduce the wear on the clutch, and makes for a smoother transition from gear to gear, if done properly. It also means you can move the clutch pedal faster with less jerkiness, since one of the main reasons you release the clutch slowly is to allow time for both sides to sync their speeds. Double-clutching does that part for you, so you can pop the clutch much faster. It's more leg work, but it's better for the car. I also have a racing clutch, so it helps keep things smooth. On a non-racing clutch, it turns a smooth transmission into a buttery smooth one.

Will have to try it, but I doubt it's going to do anything to help my situation, as I've tried everything and the only thing that gets it into gear is holding the clutch down for a couple seconds. It's also slipped into gear a couple times over the last month, went to shift into gear and it felt nice and crunchy So I am thinking it's on its last leg.