Re: <E36> Transmission failure at 7000 mi

[Fishdds@xxxxxxx]

 I am just catching up on my digests and found the following info on shifting
difficulties with the 98 E36. I too have a 98 328is with approx. 7000+ miles
and I am also experiencing the same difficulties of shifting into first. I am
down to my last green light and will be visiting the dealer for my first
scheduled service. I hope I'm as fortunate as you have been. This digest is
the greatest. I will go into the dealership with this much needed information.
I'll post back to the digest with followup after I see the dealer.

Steve Fischthal
Lawrence, NY
NY Chapter BMW CCA
98 328is spts pkg., BL/SSed, X-Brace
Fishdds@domain.elided


In a message dated 11/18/98 9:38:12 PM Eastern Standard Time, owner-bmw-
digest@domain.elided writes:

> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 08:55:23 -0500
>  From: "Jerry A. Cohen" <Cohen@domain.elided>
>  Subject: <E36> Transmission failure at 7000 mi
>  
>  I took my 1998 328is in to my local dealer, as I mentioned I was going to
>  do.  The local dealer is Direct imports, not Global  (which is in Atlanta,
>  and an excellent dealer in my single experience), ........
>  
>  While there, I asked the technician to drive the car and tell me if he
>  didn't think the shift into first and then to second had a little too much
>  resistance.  I said I would accept an informed opinion that said it was
>  normal, and I'd adapt.  It realy wasn't awful, but I occasionally have a
lot
>  of trouble going from neutral into first, and its clunkier than it should
be
>  going into second, when warmed up.  I only have the old Honda Accord 4
speed
>  I traded a couple of years ago and the memory of my '81 Prelude (quite dim,
>  now) to compare to and they were better.  So I was surprised that the
>  technician thought that I was right, that a BMW ought to shift a LOT
>  smoother.  He said it acted as if the clutch was not all they way in (which
>  it clearly was), but that it  was actually the transmission, possibly
>  related to the pilot bearings.  Here I am way over my head and may have
>  misunderstood.  He called BMW NA to see if they wanted him to fix it or
>  replace it.  He got to them and back to me in 3 hrs, and BMW NA said to put
>  in a new transmission; a nice clean fix.  Apparently, they have had several
>  complaints like this, but I might be reading between the lines too much.  I
>  was really surprised and pleased that they not only didn't tell me "they
all
>  do that," and also that they also had no trouble deciding to put a new one
>  in.  I await the work to be done in about ten days for my final opinion,
but
>  I am impressed with the service, so far.  This dealership is under new
>  ownership and has made a quantum leap in service, since last June.
>  
>  Has anyone had a similar tranmission performance problem?  If so, and you
>  were told "they all do that," apparently they don't.  What might cause this
>  to happen - some sort of misalignment in the shift mechanism?  It seems
>  clearly best to just throw the sucker out and put in a new one, but are
>  there any problems in doing this?  What would eventually happen if I let it
>  go and did nothing (no way I'm going to do this when they offer me a new
>  transmission, but I'm curious)?  Do they really give you a brand new,
>  straight from Germany, replacement transmission, or a rebuilt job?
>  
> 

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End of bmw-digest V9 #564
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