318max Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 So i've had my 330ci but what ive noticed is that the gear changes arnt very smooth, i dont have to force it into gear but i do have to be careful when changing gear. its not too bad, mostly worst when for the first 5-10mins but i know somthing isnt right, Also on 2 occasions when changing gear above 5k RPM its got stuck in gear and ive not been able to change which is quite frightening! Any ideas would be great! Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry D Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 Change the oil mate, it'll solve all of that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sirius Bizness Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 It's the same with mine. Its fine once warmed up though. How many miles has it done? Can't say I have ever tried changing gear at 5k rpm. I did change the oil using BMWs oil and it made little difference so wasn't worth doing in my opinion considering the cost of the oil. I believe others have experienced an improvement using alternative oils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim27 Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 What oil is best to cure his? My 330ci (2003 85k) has this same notchiness especially when cold... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
318max Posted December 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 It's the same with mine. Its fine once warmed up though. How many miles has it done? Can't say I have ever tried changing gear at 5k rpm. I did change the oil using BMWs oil and it made little difference so wasn't worth doing in my opinion considering the cost of the oil. I believe others have experienced an improvement using alternative oils. its done 89k and i can see from the service history that its been changed before but no date or mileage is stated, It was on the way home from buying it, Had to see what the 330 could do but nearly had a heart attack when it was stuck in gear If its just a case of getting new oil put in, i'll be so so so happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc l Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 You could try changing the oil but I don't think it will cure your problems. The oil people suggest is royal purple synchromax I've used it in my 318 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted December 8, 2012 Report Share Posted December 8, 2012 Sounds to me like you found the reason the car was sold.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim27 Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 On mine it's never refused to go into, or come out of, any gear (whether driving like a saint or wellying it like a nutter). The gearchange when cold though can feel more "rough" than I'd expect. I've hada few RWD cars before (Skyline and Cerbera) and both felt smoother than this, even with the 2nd-3rd synchromesh knackered on the GT-R To me it feels like a bike gearbox where someone hasn't been forceful with the gearchanges, resulting in uneven wear to the outermost edge of the teeth so when you push it into gear, rather than locating and sliding smoothly in, it goes in but over a rough uneven edge on the way. It doesn't affect the drivability of the car in anyway but I'm aware that in the Skylines it's common to use Redline gear oils with special "additives" that cushion worn gearbox components (I was never convinced as it sounds more like putting sand or woodchips in the gearbox but there you go....) - just wondered if there's any particular oil used in E46s to soften the feel of the gearbox? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mit Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 I'd check any gear linkages for wear, change the gearbox oil and check the clutch... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim27 Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 Well I know the lutch is on it's last legs as the biting point is right at the top end of the pedal travel, and the DMF is shagged too They're on the To Do list for next year. How can that cause rough gearchanges though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autosri Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 Have you got enough brake fluid in the reservoir and when was the clutch/brake fluid changed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
318max Posted December 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 Have you got enough brake fluid in the reservoir and when was the clutch/brake fluid changed that will be on my to-do list for tomorrow, damn winter always dark, Cheers i'll report back tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autosri Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 The reason I say it is the clutch uses the same fluid as the brakes so needs bleeding too and if it's not been done in a few years the clutch may not be fully realising 318max 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mit Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 The biting point is always at the top end of the travel. Search clutch stop to see what I mean... It's a self adjusting hydraulic clutch so the biting point shouldn't move by much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasesapphy Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 i would use redline MTF, only as my mechanic recommends and he does race BMW's and he much prefers to royal purple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim27 Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 There was much love for the Redline product back in the Skyline forums - it vastly reduced crunching from worn synchros. However there was equally concern because it does this by having some sort of silicate particles in the oil that provide a cushion between metal surfaces and quite a few people pointed out that silicate isn't exactly disimilar to sand, and there was concern that whilst it might improve things short-term, the additional wear could vastly reduce the servicable life of the gearbox? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mit Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 Only some types of silicate are like sand. The properties of various silicates vary massively so I'd take that 'silicate is like sand' with a pinch of salt (I know, salt is a chloride not a silicate) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim27 Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 Only some types of silicate are like sand. The properties of various silicates vary massively so I'd take that 'silicate is like sand' with a pinch of salt (I know, salt is a chloride not a silicate) PMSL yeah I know a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing and I take everything I read in the internet with a pinch of the proverbial sodium chloride. I don't think the issue about premature wear was ever proven conclusively - it was just voiced by people who were concerned. It's no bad thing to voice concerns or half-informed questions as that's how we all learn at the end of the day I for one will probably look at changing the gearbox oil once I've gotten round to doing all the other bits that need doing too... Inspection 2, front control arm bushings, front discs & pads, LPG system service, dual mass flywheel, new tyres, and buying/coding a spare key. That's before even thinking about the non-essentials like a wheel refurb and buying a centre armrest... Joy. mit 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R2D2 Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 I'd check any gear linkages for wear, change the gearbox oil and check the clutch... Read my mind. Sounds like the rubber bush in the gear linkage. 318max and mit 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
318max Posted December 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 Would that mean removing the gearbox? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mit Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 (edited) I think you have to drop it to get to them... it is a pain to fix. Edited December 10, 2012 by mit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R2D2 Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 (edited) Would that mean removing the gearbox? No i dont think so, theyre generally outside the gearbox just off the gear shifting arm. I havent done any work on the gear linkage in my e46 but i would imagine if you jack the car up and look up towards the direction where the gearstick goes through the chassis youll be able to see it. Its No.2 below. Edited December 10, 2012 by R2D2 318max 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
318max Posted December 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 I had a look at the brake fluid and its to the top of the bottle ( next to the servo ) also the clutch pedal seems fine once 80% of the pedal is depressed It does get a little stiff and there is abit of a pulsing feel but once the clutch is fully down I can't feel it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
318max Posted December 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 (edited) No i dont think so, theyre generally outside the gearbox just off the gear shifting arm. I havent done any work on the gear linkage in my e46 but i would imagine if you jack the car up and look up towards the direction where the gearstick goes through the chassis youll be able to see it. Its No.2 below. thanks for that, what would I actually be inspecting it for? Worn or damage? Also would this explain quiet alot of Freeplay in the headstock? Edited December 10, 2012 by 318max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mit Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 It will be visibly worn. You can also check your gearstick wobble.. it should always return to the centre point between 3rd and 4th gear. If it's really wobbly and stays on one side or the other when you move it, chances are the linkages are worn. Happens more when the driver rests their hand on the gearstick 318max and R2D2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
