[esp260]

Lately, temperatures have been dropping to single digits in New England. I've noticed that shifting gears in colder temps is different and wanted to see if this is normal.

1) Clutch pedal is harder to depress and feels "spongy". This has only been happening recently during colder days. Is this a normal thing or do I need to get this checked out?

2) 1st gear is harder to engage. I feel like the car is more prone to shuttering and I have to give it a bit more gas when I start it in gear.

Any input/advice would be welcomed. This is my first MT car and also my first time driving in such cold temperatures.

[rwalker]

normal

[krhodes1]

Agree, normal.

The gear oil is ice cold. The clutch hydraulic fluid is ice cold. It takes a LONG time to warm up in these temps. If you went for a really long drive it would all feel pretty normal eventually.

Is this your first manual transmission? Not judging, just curious. Old cars could be really weird in the cold - I had an '85 Jetta that when it was this cold would creep like an automatic if you let the clutch out in neutral.

-6F at my place in Maine at the moment. Brrrrr.

[gaijin]

+1. Normal due to operating temperatures. When first starting off, depress the clutch and work the lever through the gear while stationary. When in the correct gear, first or reverse as needed; ease the clutch and begin motion.

[BMW335iOn18s]

Normal. Be gentile with the car/engine/gearbox for at least the first 6-7 miles of driving.

[BillD1953]

Good to know...I pickup my new 228i stripped 6MT coupe end of this week in NH.

[Zooks527]

Originally Posted by krhodes1

-6F at my place in Maine at the moment. Brrrrr.

Only -6F? Hell, I'm at least 100 miles south of you, and it was -12F this morning. Then again, your post was at midnight, and it likely got colder after that.

Interestingly, almost exactly the same as this day last year. Here's two pictures of the weather station reporter in our kitchen taken 1 year and 7 minutes apart.

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by Zooks527

Only -6F? Hell, I'm at least 100 miles south of you, and it was -12F this morning. Then again, your post was at midnight, and it likely got colder after that.

Interestingly, almost exactly the same as this day last year. Here's two pictures of the weather station reporter in our kitchen taken 1 year and 7 minutes apart.

More like 150 miles south. I'm a lot closer to the water than you are (~2mi to the shore). But yes, supposedly got down to -10 here overnight that night. It rarely goes below zero here on the coast. I did see -14F on the car readout on my way to the airport at 0-dark-30 last Feb though. Supposed to hit 50F here tomorrow.

Coldest I have ever been in was -40F in northern North Dakota. Completely unnecessarily cold, and on top of that the wind was blowing 30+mph. I don't want to know what the wind chill was. -80F or so? It hurt to breath.

[esp260]

Originally Posted by krhodes1

Agree, normal.

The gear oil is ice cold. The clutch hydraulic fluid is ice cold. It takes a LONG time to warm up in these temps. If you went for a really long drive it would all feel pretty normal eventually.

Is this your first manual transmission? Not judging, just curious. Old cars could be really weird in the cold - I had an '85 Jetta that when it was this cold would creep like an automatic if you let the clutch out in neutral.

-6F at my place in Maine at the moment. Brrrrr.

Yep, it's my first manual transmission. Loving it so far! Just got a bit concerned when the car acted differently in the cold but Im relieved to hear it's completely normal!

[esp260]

Originally Posted by BillD1953

Good to know...I pickup my new 228i stripped 6MT coupe end of this week in NH.

Congrats! Hope to see you around Portsmouth. If you ever see a mineral gray M-sport 228i that's me.

[delvec03]

yes, this car is very different in the cold. much more stiff. my Rx8 was very consistent, however...but then again. she ain't no BMW!

[BillD1953]

Originally Posted by esp260

Congrats! Hope to see you around Portsmouth. If you ever see a mineral gray M-sport 228i that's me.

I live in Portsmouth

[esp260]

Originally Posted by BillD1953

I live in Portsmouth

Yep, I saw it in your tag. I currently live in Portsmouth as well. I have only seen two other 2 series around here, it'd be cool to have some more.

[EternalVendetta]

As a newbie to manuals I have another question for M235i 6MT owners - while making a turn from a complete stop (e.g., waiting for opposite traffic to clear before making a left turn), do you wait until you're completely past traffic to shift from first to second? That's what I'm doing now, but I'm not crazy about how slow I seem to go while just traveling in first (this action felt faster turning in my 2001 Maxima with an auto, which I'm assuming shifted during the turn).

Also, are you shifting from first to second almost immediately after you get going from a stop? It feels like you almost have to, as you seem to max out at a very low RPM in first.

I think both of my issues may have to do with my habit of trying to stay away from 4K RPM, as I only finished my car's break-in period recently. Maybe I just need to step on the gas harder in first to bring the RPMs up more quickly and to not be afraid to take them to 4K and beyond.

[overcoil]

I think it even says in the owners booklet that for the manual trans, first gear - numerical high ratio - is for getting started. If I'm coasting to a yield sign in neutral I'll often go to second gear (bypassing first)when it's time to accelerate.
In your example above, when making a turn, I'll stay in first till I'm completely past traffic - but I also control my speed and probably upshift around 3k-rpm.
It's tough to state that's how you'd handle that shift, things like cold/new engine and traffic come into play.

[SteveInfante]

If you are past break in.......wind that sucker out and don't worry about it.

[EternalVendetta]

Originally Posted by SteveInfante

If you are past break in.......wind that sucker out and don't worry about it.

Im going to give it a try during my work commute today! It'll take a little time to change my mentality to keep the revs low during break-in though; I've even mostly been following the shifting recommendations in the instrument display, meaning I've mostly kept to ~2K RPM and lower (I have tried to vary my RPM a bit during break-in at least).

[SteveInfante]

I would try and just listen to what your car is doing instead of trying to decipher how the computer decides what to tell you.

[EternalVendetta]

Originally Posted by SteveInfante

I would try and just listen to what your car is doing instead of trying to decipher how the computer decides what to tell you.

That's certainly the goal! I'm coming from 14 years of not having to think at all about changing gears, so getting everything down is going to take a bit of time.

[SteveInfante]

Good deal. Happy Motoring!

[aerostar]

My WRX would act so funny when it was ~15F or so.

The clutch would be "sticky" and the car really wouldn't want to accelerate.

When shifting, it felt like I was moving the shifter through thick, gooey, mud.

Fun times. Have yet to see a day that cold yet especially since my car's garaged.

[esp260]

Originally Posted by EternalVendetta

As a newbie to manuals I have another question for M235i 6MT owners - while making a turn from a complete stop (e.g., waiting for opposite traffic to clear before making a left turn), do you wait until you're completely past traffic to shift from first to second? That's what I'm doing now, but I'm not crazy about how slow I seem to go while just traveling in first (this action felt faster turning in my 2001 Maxima with an auto, which I'm assuming shifted during the turn).

Also, are you shifting from first to second almost immediately after you get going from a stop? It feels like you almost have to, as you seem to max out at a very low RPM in first.

I think both of my issues may have to do with my habit of trying to stay away from 4K RPM, as I only finished my car's break-in period recently. Maybe I just need to step on the gas harder in first to bring the RPMs up more quickly and to not be afraid to take them to 4K and beyond.

Usually I will either 1) shift to 2nd early, speed up and then skip to 4th or 2) accelerate in 1st and shift around 4k.

As a newbie MT owner myself, my question is still how others shift from 1st to 2nd smoothly? Generally I have been giving it a bit of gas while releasing the clutch so the rev drop is minimal. Is this the right way?

Also, what is the best way to approach an intersection? Slow down enough to look, then shift to 2nd and go? Coast to the intersection, complete stop, start in 1st?