Help! 6mt Won't Go Into Any Gear...

talontid wrote

of course; any manual car can be bump started

I would have thought maybe some of the electronics of the car would not allow it..

tibra1 wrote

I would have thought maybe some of the electronics of the car would not allow it..

it may not continue to run, but if it's a simple dead battery then it'll def work as once the car is running the alternator would begin charging. But yes, all manual cars can be push started, but again dependent upon the problem underlying will determine if it stays on..

Still better than a DCT JK

I was having similar issues with my car around 6 months ago. Hard going in and out of 1st, 2nd, and extremely loud going into any gear. BMW ended up replacing my entire transmission. I'd keep an eye on it and pester BMW if it acts up.

mgiglio2 wrote

I was having similar issues with my car around 6 months ago. Hard going in and out of 1st, 2nd, and extremely loud going into any gear. BMW ended up replacing my entire transmission. I'd keep an eye on it and pester BMW if it acts up.

again these problems, while surprising, are very limited in nature. BMW manual trans are very excellent units. I ran one dry once for a while and filled it up and all was well. But since you posted it, now everyone will be scared.. A thing to remember:
1. Car forums represent only a small # of owners
2. People come on to forums to vent problems only, not to post, "Hey my car works great" thereby skewing the info
3. As these cars come off warranty alot of people will be coming here looking for info as they try and work on the cars themselves versus getting warranty/maintenance work done for free

talontid wrote

it may not continue to run, but if it's a simple dead battery then it'll def work as once the car is running the alternator would begin charging. But yes, all manual cars can be push started, but again dependent upon the problem underlying will determine if it stays on..

Still better than a DCT JK

No doubt..Its funny to me to imagine driving this car with a PS2 controller versus an standard H with a clutch..lol

Oh well ..diff strokes

tibra1 wrote

I admit nothing..once again we have been sucked into a DCT vs MT argument

Not sure what you DCT guys are doing on this thread to begin with? its an MT issue and has nothing to do with DCT...if you get a bunch of MT trolls hitting up a DCT thread... you guys have a fit and yet here you are..we agree you are faster on the track..what else do you want

If I wanted the granny tranny and a computer to shift for me I would have bought a DCT..but the simple reality is MTs are cooler in every other way, more engaging and represent the true spirit of what a performance car should be... also MTs are more rare..finding a nice example in an MT later down the line will become harder and harder..most importantly the jury still out on what DCT gremlins lay down the line.. say 10 yrs..but you can be assured they will out number MT issues..just ask the SMG guys

We all knew it was going down that road about 10 posts ago:bellyroll

Actually, I am reminded about one VERY annoying thing about DCT. It goes into neutral if you ever open the door while in gear. There are some other complications. Burnouts if you're a drag racer. Really only one way to initiate a drift...go fast, scandanavian fllick and mash the throttle. The ebrake is not very good and the clutch kick...well...you know.

In theory, yes, the 6MT is more reliable. But only time will tell. From the population here on this board I realize that the population here is probably a lower percentage of DCT vs the overall M3 population so the data is skewed. I have not seen many DCT failures. I'm quite confident that DCT owners would be quick to post about it. If you ask me, reliability concerns go away with the seamless upshifts. Then when the guy with the manual is struggling to go from 5th to 3rd...you effortlessly go from 6th to 2nd.

BACK ON TOPIC...

Are the 6MTs rebuildable? Past offerings have not been. So once things start going bad, it becomes a big paper weight.

bigjae1976 wrote

BACK ON TOPIC...

Are the 6MTs rebuildable? Past offerings have not been. So once things start going bad, it becomes a big paper weight.

AFAIK..all transmissions both MT and DCT are not rebuildable..BMW sells no internal trans parts for both..they are sold as sealed units shipped directly from Germany..pretty crazy to think that you would have to swap out the entire unit for a bad syncro (MT) but thats what BMW is doing

tibra1 wrote

AFAIK..all transmissions both MT and DCT are not rebuildable..BMW sells no internal trans parts for both..they are sold as sealed units shipped directly from Germany..pretty crazy to think that you would have to swap out the entire unit for a bad syncro (MT) but thats what BMW is doing

that's probably how all of the BMW remanufactured units are born.

tibra1 wrote

AFAIK..all transmissions both MT and DCT are not rebuildable..BMW sells no internal trans parts for both..they are sold as sealed units shipped directly from Germany..pretty crazy to think that you would have to swap out the entire unit for a bad syncro (MT) but thats what BMW is doing

Makes it easier for the dealers, too, because then, they are just swapping out the entire unit and not having to take on the task, which they are probably not prepared for, of rebuilding or repairing. One "part" to warranty, vs the 100s of internals. Mercedes wanted to do this on my 28xxx mile ML500 (at my expense of course - warranty was up due to time, not mileage). I found a local MB expert and had it fixed internally for 25% of the cost.

yes the boxes are not rebuildable but that's cause BMW sells em that way and no A/M parts have been designed and/or warranted.. It's kind of a good thing. I mean, shepard has started making a killing doing GTR trannies and diffs, so it's a supply/demand thing..

that being said, I did take apart a Getrag 6 speed in an e46 m3 to reseal and change some things that were available; so it's def doable if you can source the parts, but from BMW you'll only get a new trans, which may be cheaper just to swap the box and go

bigjae1976 wrote

Actually, I am reminded about one VERY annoying thing about DCT. It goes into neutral if you ever open the door while in gear.

That depends on your software version. It is not the case with my 2012.

talontid wrote

of course; any manual car can be bump started

How would I do it in my M3? Do I have to put the key in and turn on accessories? If not then wouldnt someone be able to break my window, put it in neutral, roll it and dump the clutch and the car would turn on and be drivable? Just curious.

HuangYiChao wrote

How would I do it in my M3? Do I have to put the key in and turn on accessories? If not then wouldnt someone be able to break my window, put it in neutral, roll it and dump the clutch and the car would turn on and be drivable? Just curious.

of course you need the key. Otherwise the wheel is locked

talontid wrote

of course you need the key. Otherwise the wheel is locked

I can understand how the old cars with traditional keys work but cars like ours... do I have to push the start button with the dash lit up (ie. at night the headlights would turn on if its left on auto) at that then push car and drop clutch? Or key in is just fine enough.

HuangYiChao wrote  

talontid wrote

of course you need the key. Otherwise the wheel is locked

I can understand how the old cars with traditional keys work but cars like ours... do I have to push the start button with the dash lit up (ie. at night the headlights would turn on if its left on auto) at that then push car and drop clutch? Or key in is just fine enough.

Speechless.

Had that exact problem in previous car but I don't remember exactly what it was. Good news was that it was only like a $300 fix.

I had the same pb going on for years on a nissan maxima long ago. Not being able to get the gear out is scary and not being able to get 1st in at a traffic light is downright embarrasing. 4 different garage tried everything to fix it over 2 .5 years. Everytime i would get the car back apparently shifting perfectly with a new slave cylinder only to have the same thing happen again and again about 6 month later. The whole hydaulic was replaced and the shifter. At the end it had to be the transmission but the car had 180,000 miles so i sold it just after the slave cylinder got replaced for the 3rd time.