Shifting Gears - BMW Forum

goodespeler · 02-20-2005, 11:58 AM

I just got the car out of the shop yesterday. The 83 320I.

Two problems. Once of which didn't happen before I took it to the shop:

1. It takes forever to start when its cold. The mechanic even put a new cold start valve on it but it still cranks forever until it turns over.

2. I was driving it around this morning, and the shifter got really loose and moves up and down a lot. I looked underneath the shifter rubber and I saw that little ball bearing looking thing. It moves up and down. When I try to put it into gear, its very very hard and most of the time it just makes a loud grinding sound. 1st gear is the hardest and it grinds everytime and sometimes will land into reverse.

AHHHHH. I want to sell it. Anyhow, any ideas on what is up?

Kowalski · 02-20-2005, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by goodespeler@Feb 20 2005, 10:58 AM
I just got the car out of the shop yesterday. The 83 320I.

Two problems. Once of which didn't happen before I took it to the shop:

1. It takes forever to start when its cold. The mechanic even put a new cold start valve on it but it still cranks forever until it turns over.

2. I was driving it around this morning, and the shifter got really loose and moves up and down a lot. I looked underneath the shifter rubber and I saw that little ball bearing looking thing. It moves up and down. When I try to put it into gear, its very very hard and most of the time it just makes a loud grinding sound. 1st gear is the hardest and it grinds everytime and sometimes will land into reverse.

AHHHHH. I want to sell it. Anyhow, any ideas on what is up?

[snapback]295357[/snapback]

your syncro mesh is gone which means you need to take it to a tranny shop to get new stuff put in not sure how much that costs, and then it sounds like your having a fuel problem, probably the pump not priming before start check your relays replace them and see how she works.

goodespeler · 02-20-2005, 02:46 PM

which relays? where are they and how do I check to see if its not priming?

syncro mesh? I have never even heard of that. Is there another name for it like gearbox or something? Where can I buy one and any cost estimate would help. I was reading that sometimes changing the gearbox oil can help. Does this have anything to do with the tranny going out and/or does all that grinding hurt the tranny?

spiff325is · 02-20-2005, 03:33 PM

agreed, syncro mesh.

e30fanm3 · 02-20-2005, 03:33 PM

what did you have it in the shop for? sounds to me like someone left some parts off in the shifter

goodespeler · 02-20-2005, 04:44 PM

master cylinder, alternator, fuse box replaced

where can i buy this syncro mesh. i looked around online and i couldnt find one.

goodespeler · 02-20-2005, 08:58 PM

Well, not the clutch has no pressure...which could explain why its damn hard and grindy to get the car into gear. The car dies as soon as I put it into gear too.

Kowalski · 02-20-2005, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by goodespeler@Feb 20 2005, 07:58 PM
Well, not the clutch has no pressure...which could explain why its damn hard and grindy to get the car into gear. The car dies as soon as I put it into gear too.

[snapback]295671[/snapback]

when you turn the key the pump should activate for a second to bring the fuel lines up to the right psi it doesn't do it all the time just if you leave it for a while

e30fanm3 · 02-21-2005, 01:27 PM

if they put a master cylinder in it and you still have no clutch then it sounds like they didnt bleed it properly, if you dont have a friend to help you just pump the shit out of the clutch, how do your brakes feel?

RealBMW 02 · 02-22-2005, 01:49 AM

sounds like your shop f-ed up your car. take it back to them and have them re-bleed your master cylinder with a pressure bleeder. And if you have any permanent tranny damage make them pay for the fix.

p.s. the syncro's are what aligns the gears so that they can "mesh" together when you shift gears. without them the two seperate gearsets would be spinning at different speeds and would grind when you tried to put them into gear (like yours are doing).

goodespeler · 02-22-2005, 05:54 PM

So I took it back and demanded they fix it. There was air in the line and they got it out. It shifts nicely. My next challenge is smog in california. I took it to the guy and he said that it wouldn't pass. He said it sounded like it was misfiring (the exhaust putters out of the tilepipe). How can I fix this?

Here are the numbers:
HC ppm 442
CO 2.41%
CO2 10%
NO(x) ppm: 15

P.E.F. .480

goodespeler · 02-22-2005, 06:05 PM

BTW. Thanks for all the help.

Kowalski · 02-22-2005, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by goodespeler@Feb 22 2005, 05:05 PM
BTW. Thanks for all the help.

[snapback]297284[/snapback]

is your timing out?

goodespeler · 02-22-2005, 07:50 PM

how would I find out?

Kowalski · 02-23-2005, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by goodespeler@Feb 22 2005, 06:50 PM
how would I find out?

[snapback]297354[/snapback]

well you could use a timing light, or your could go to a shop and get them to time it for you if you dont know how, you can move your distributer arround twisting and see if that fixes the problem only do slight adjustments at a time but i recomend going to a shop they'll get it perfect for ya.