[Mjolnir12]

I recently purchased a CPO 2018 M240i with manual transmission and ~45k miles on it. Since I have had this car I have noticed that there is significant resistance shifting from neutral (while completely stopped) into first gear. If I push in the clutch and immediately try to shift into first, it feels like I hit a "wall" and it won't go into first unless I really force it (which doesn't feel right at all). If I wait 2-3 seconds after completely depressing the clutch pedal, it will go into first from neutral with much more resistance. Is this normal with these manual transmissions? I have a manual F30 335i (2013) and a manual Z4 (2007) and neither do this. On the 335i it seems like something similar happens <5% of the time, but on my M240i it happens literally every time I put it into first. I figured the transmission in the 335i and M240i are basically the same so there shouldn't be much difference... My service advisor at the local dealer claims that this is "normal" behavior and the shop foreman also apparently said so as well, but I have driven manual cars for over a decade from different brands and have never had this much issue getting a car into first gear.

Does this happen to anyone else? I am worried the first gear synchro may not be working properly so I want to get this sorted before the factory warranty is up.

[aerobod]

I’ve never experienced this with our 2017 manual M240i, always a low resistance selection of any gear.

[vballer]

I've not had this problem with my 2018 M240i 6MT.

[MarcoZandrini]

Try changing the transmission fluid. You can buy the stuff at the dealer ($$$$!) or Redline Dual Clutch Transmission fluid. You'll need 2 quarts.

I'm wondering if the car was abused a bit before you bought it.

[delvec03]

might be the clutch delay valve. sounds very slow for shifting, but it also sounds like the clutch isn't being engaged in time.

thinking more....might also be air in the clutch line. bleed it.

[overcoil]

are there synchronizers that lead into 1st gear ? (vacating 1st into 2nd has synchro)

[iv-128i]

I don't experience this in my 2017 m240i. Remove clutch delay valve.

[aerobod]

CDV removal won't help selecting first gear from rest when the clutch is fully in. It is likely a clutch operation issue (such as needs bleeding or has a badly adjusted clutch stop), or the transmission has an internal issue, assuming it has BMW specified fluid in it.

[Mjolnir12]

Just to add a bit I already had the dealer change the transmission fluid and it had no effect. I'm going to show the issue to the shop foreman in person and see what he says... They keep claiming it's "normal" but it definitely is not. As far as I know there isn't a clutch stop; the clutch pedal goes pretty far and seems the same as the other BMWs I've driven. Does the CDV slow down the clutch when disengaging or just engaging? This would seem to be the clutch not disengaging fast enough, but I'm not sure if the CDV actually affects that.

[freakystyly]

I had it on my E90 6mt but not noticed on the F22 car. It's an annoyance but I don't think anything is broken. Feels like the gate is blocked pushing it into 1st. If you jog it to 2nd and back to first it opens up immediately for some reason.

They aren't the same transmissions, only the same ZF brand the model starts with GS6-### but the end numbers would be different. (maybe N55 models shared but unlikely they are identical).

[Mjolnir12]

Originally Posted by freakystyly

I had it on my E90 6mt but not noticed on the F22 car. It's an annoyance but I don't think anything is broken. Feels like the gate is blocked pushing it into 1st. If you jog it to 2nd and back to first it opens up immediately for some reason.

They aren't the same transmissions, only the same ZF brand the model starts with GS6-### but the end numbers would be different. (maybe N55 models shared but unlikely they are identical).

The thing is second year doesn't necessarily seem easier to go into; I have had to do that sometimes on previous transmissions but with this one I still have to wait a couple seconds even if I am trying to go into second gear before first.

[WolfGTI]

IF this has a CPO warranty - I'd recommend trying another dealer. Don't go changing fluid your self or anything like that, which could cause them to invalidate the warranty.

[Mjolnir12]

Originally Posted by WolfGTI

IF this has a CPO warranty - I'd recommend trying another dealer. Don't go changing fluid your self or anything like that, which could cause them to invalidate the warranty.

I already had the dealer change the fluid.

I brought the car in and talked to the shop foreman and showed him the shifter with him in the car. He says that it is from the dual synchros on first and second gear, and now that he mentioned it I can feel two stages of "notches" when I put it into both first and second gear. By the time I had actually driven to the dealer (about half an hour of driving) the shifter wasn't really doing it as much, so it seems like it mostly happens when the gearbox is cold. Once warmed up it does seem to shift into first better, and I think the resistance I am feeling is just the synchros. They said if they get a manual M240i/M2 in they will let me know so I can drive it for comparison, but since it isn't popping out of gear or grinding at all they don't think anything is wrong with it. It still has 2 years of CPO left on it so I guess I will keep an eye on it and see if it gets worse. It is possible that the other BMWs I have driven didn't have a dual (or maybe triple according to some comments I have seen) synchro, so this transmission being beefier to handle the B58 torque may result in a different feel.

In any event, I don't want to be smashing 1-2 shifts or jamming it into first gear when the gearbox isn't warmed up anyway to go easy on the synchros.

[Mjolnir12]

Well I started the car again today and when it was "cold" (not actually cold, it was probably 75 degrees in my garage) it still had tons of difficulty shifting into first gear until I had been driving for 15+ minutes, then it gradually got easier. This drastic of a change really doesn't seem right to me, and I haven't experienced anything this dramatic on any other manual I have driven. I'm also worried what will happen when it starts getting ACTUALLY cold out. Guess I will have to bug the dealership more...

[MN.BIMMER]

Originally Posted by Mjolnir12

Well I started the car again today and when it was "cold" (not actually cold, it was probably 75 degrees in my garage) it still had tons of difficulty shifting into first gear until I had been driving for 15+ minutes, then it gradually got easier. This drastic of a change really doesn't seem right to me, and I haven't experienced anything this dramatic on any other manual I have driven. I'm also worried what will happen when it starts getting ACTUALLY cold out. Guess I will have to bug the dealership more...

This happens in my 2012 135i... Boy I thought I was the only one. I have 2 bottles of MT-LV sitting that I've yet to use, I'm curious how/if it'll change. When it's cold, shifting from N to 1 feels there's like a wall or resistance, so I clutch in, pause for 1-2 sec, then shift into first and proceed as normal.