330 XI hard shifts

[Spencer1230]

I have a new 330 XI. It seems to shift hard when I take my foot off the clutch. The sound seems to be coming from the rear. Any ideas?

[MarvelPhx]

Explain in more detail...

[Spencer1230]

It seems to be very difficult to explain. It sounds like it is catching in the rear differential when I let my foot off the clutch.

[MarvelPhx]

Do you mean it lurches when you let your foot off the clutch after a gear change?

[Spencer1230]

More than lurches. It bangs.

[MarvelPhx]

Sounds like there might too much play in the driveshaft or differential. I would have that checked out immediately by your dealer. It isn't good for your car or its drivetrain.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: MarvelPhx on 2001-08-09 18:53 ]</font>

[pasard]

I've read in a test of the E46 that it's very important to brake in the BMW correctly, otherwise you'll get the 'clunk' in the rear when shifting.
Anybody knows more about this?

[MarvelPhx]

I have a 330i and do not have any hard shifts or clunking.

Without causing offense, could it be your driving style? I have been driving manual transmissions all my life and think the BMW has a very nice drivetrain.

well....
my 330xi is automatic so i don't feel anything
lol....
hahahaha

I work for BMW and I had that vehicle for like 10 minutes /forums/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif Anyways... I noticed a
clunk someone in the back when I change gears... I thought that I was doing something wrong cuz i'm new to manual trannys... Maybe it's the same car? /forums/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif
It was a 300xi steel grey with navigation from BMW Canada.



On 2001-08-09 18:14, Spencer1230 wrote:
I have a new 330 XI. It seems to shift hard when I take my foot off the clutch. The sound seems to be coming from the rear. Any ideas?

[bookus11]

Spencer,

Did you ever get that looked at? What did the service guys say? I just got my 330xi in may and have noticed the same thing. It is a "thunk" most of the time when I shift gears, especially from 1 to 2. I am going to go get it checked out, but anything you or Marvel have as far as ideas, im pretty concerned about it.

Thanks.

[Spencer1230]

Yes, I got it looked at by the dealer in September. They took me under the car to show me the way the differential is connected and said that there should be "some" slip/clunk feel when shifting.

I also, tested some other 3 Series manual transmissions while I was at the dealer and they all had the same "slip/clunk" feel to varying degrees.

I will say that, the clunk feel has gotten much better the more I drive it (partially because of wear in and partially because I have adjusted my driving style). I can still make it happen, but it is much more difficult.

FYI: I love driving my 330xi now, whereas in the beginning it just didn't feel right.

[JuN14sCR]

i actually use to do it too. and i figured out what it is. it's because you let off the accelerator, before you press in the clutch.

if u let off the gas and press the clutch in, the engine has just stopped revving and pressign the clutch in disengages the tranny from the engine making the clunk.. (i don't think that made any sense) but try pressing the clutch in first and let it have a little gas, then let off the accelerator--> then change gears. hope i helped?

[JuN14sCR]

first try this.. go about 20 in first gear.. and when your not accelerating at all, and your foot is off the gas, press the clutch in. if it clunks the same as you described, what i listed above will probably solve that.. it's because u let off the gas before you pressed in the cluthc. i guess if you're really experienced you can press the clutch in and let off the accelerator within a split second.. i'm not saying i'm amazing but i still clunk when i go slow.

[bookus11]

thanks a lot for your help, guys. thats exactly what it was.

[JuN14sCR]

i'm the man. and i'm only 16 /forums/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Spencer1230]

I tested my "clunk" last night and can describe the sensation much better now. It actually has nothing to do with the clutch. I can make it happen in any gear, at any speed. If I lift my foot completely off the gas and wait for the differential to “disengage”, then press the gas quickly about two inches I feel the “clunk” almost every time, in any gear.

I can also make it happen when I am at a complete stop and quickly move the clutch to it’s catch point. This will make the same “clunk” in the differential. Again, I don’t think it has anything to do with the clutch, it’s just when the torque kicks into the differential.

BTW – Thanks a lot for bringing this to my attention again (I had forgotten about it until now.) Now it will bother me for the next few weeks, until I forget about it again. /forums/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif

[bookus11]

Anytime, Spencer. /forums/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif

But thanks a lot for all of your guys' help, at least it is just something that happens and not something I did or am doing to the car.

Hi its interesting to see that you have the same problem as me. My car's clunk sounds more like about 3 low pitched clicks when i don't get my gear change done perfectly. When i change up at 2000 revs it seems to clunk more, at 3000 revs its unoticable most times. But my car has only done 1300 kms so i'm hoping its going to get smoother. I heard the M3 also clunks but for a different reason. I also have another noise that comes out of my car u have to have the windows down for this one, you brake and come to a stop and then u can hear like two ticks coming from under the car i'm thinking its the abs or something but not sure, have you guys noticed this or know what it is? Yet another sound is when i start the car up initially and i'm going slow the fan not sure which fan i think there are 2, sounds harsh. There was a recall on some fans but my car hasnt got a faulty fan according to my dealer. Another niggily thing is the harmon kardon subwoofer rattles a bit but i can only notice it with the boot open standing behind the car so its not a worry, let me know what u think /forums/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif