Difficulty Engaging First?

[tiggercoco]

Just bought a 1999 2.8 and find it 'difficult' to engage first gear, very notchy. Workaround is to engage second then shift into first.

What is this indicative of?...totally new clutch or something not so financially drastic? (presume a new clutch supplied and fitted would be a £1K?)....

Also the previous owner must have been something of a boy racer as the exhaust is very boom/droney....can anyone recommend a new exhaust for this car with the twin pipes but that is quiet?

[Tufarlian]

When was the last time the gearbox oil was changed?

[tiggercoco]

Good question!....car was bought with virtually no history....time to search West Sussex for a good BMW indie!

[Tufarlian]

Any competent mechanic can change the gearbox oil. Nothing particularly special about the Z3 gearbox. Just make sure you get the correct oil.
Good idea to change the diff oil at the same time.
There's a good chance they've never been changed.

[Mike Fishwick]

a late reply is better than none! Clutch drag is usually caused by the clutch hydraulic hose having softened with age, and slightly expanding under pressure, so starving the cylinder of fluid. a new hose would be a stop-gap measure, a cure being the fitting of a braided hose, available from Earls Performance of Silverstone for about £45.

[tiggercoco]

Thanks Mike I will order one and get it fitted, I had the gearbox oil changed but it didn't resolve the issue.

Its not a biggie but a bit irratating.

Another forum suggested:

"Per BMW: Engine running, clutch all the way down. Try to put it into 1st. While keeping pressure applied to the shifter, reach around and shut the key off. If, as soon as the engine stops, it slits right into gear, it's the clutch. If it continues to bind, it's the trans."

I did try that and sure enough once the engine was switched off it slipped right in.

[tiggercoco]

So after a gear box oil change and a braided clutch hose the movement is much better, less of an 'issue' and more just a part of the cars character.

[tmoretta]

My 2001 Z3 3.0 has similar first gear difficulty. Could rust on flywheel cause this? The car was winter stored in a space without heat. If so, could I purposely slip the clutch to clean it and the flywheel?