1997 BMW 318i
M44 motor / 5spd trans / 199,000mi
I purchased this vehicle in June 2010, from the second owner. They had quite a few receipts to go along with the car, so I trusted that it was well cared for.
I first noticed the following...
When downshifting from 3rd --> 2nd, the gears would grind as they engaged. Rev-matching my downshift didn't help the problem. Actually double-clutching and matching revs would help. The problem did NOT happen when the car was cold -- "cold" is a relative term as it was summer then. Because the issue seemed to be related to operating temp, I hoped some fresh fluid would fix the issue. I put in Redline D4 ATF (popular with BMWs, I'd used it on several BMWs in the past) hoping it might help the issue.
NOW it's winter where I live. Temps are frequently in the low teens in the morning, down to single digits (F) on cold days. The transmission will now grind on the 1st --> 2nd upshift during the first 2-5 mins of operation. I've began to double-clutch that shift as well, which cures the issue. The 3rd--> 2nd downshift still grinds when I forget to double clutch.
I'm fairly certain that my 2nd gear synchro is on it's way out...my question is this:
Has anyone been able to "save" or "resurrect" a failing synchro with some sort of additive? If so, please share your experience.
This car is my "winter car", and I'm not interested in investing in a new tranny. Best case is I find some sort of additive that improves my situation and then I sell it in the spring.
Thanks in advance!
Matt
M44 motor / 5spd trans / 199,000mi
I purchased this vehicle in June 2010, from the second owner. They had quite a few receipts to go along with the car, so I trusted that it was well cared for.
I first noticed the following...
When downshifting from 3rd --> 2nd, the gears would grind as they engaged. Rev-matching my downshift didn't help the problem. Actually double-clutching and matching revs would help. The problem did NOT happen when the car was cold -- "cold" is a relative term as it was summer then. Because the issue seemed to be related to operating temp, I hoped some fresh fluid would fix the issue. I put in Redline D4 ATF (popular with BMWs, I'd used it on several BMWs in the past) hoping it might help the issue.
NOW it's winter where I live. Temps are frequently in the low teens in the morning, down to single digits (F) on cold days. The transmission will now grind on the 1st --> 2nd upshift during the first 2-5 mins of operation. I've began to double-clutch that shift as well, which cures the issue. The 3rd--> 2nd downshift still grinds when I forget to double clutch.
I'm fairly certain that my 2nd gear synchro is on it's way out...my question is this:
Has anyone been able to "save" or "resurrect" a failing synchro with some sort of additive? If so, please share your experience.
This car is my "winter car", and I'm not interested in investing in a new tranny. Best case is I find some sort of additive that improves my situation and then I sell it in the spring.
Thanks in advance!
Matt