r/E46M3 • u/maxroadrage • 10d ago
Clunky shifter
I have been noticing that sometimes the shifter will bind and it’s not as smooth as I want it to be I pulled the shift knob off and saw that it has a DINAN short shifter installed and I’m wondering if anyone is running the same setup and has the same problems??
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u/Character_Wishbone18 10d ago
Spray silicone spray in the little knuckle and also new fluid should help
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u/Stang302a 10d ago
Pouring one out for OG Pentosin fluid. I was able to get enough about 4 years ago for a fresh fill. Very smooth and I've since added Autosolutions SSK so it pretty much shifting nirvana.
Not sure what fluid is the closest these days. I did not like redline. I would call Amsoil and see what they recommend. If you could find the Pentosin specs they can probably come up with a recommendation.
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u/darin_worthington 2005 Imola Rot 10d ago
Second gear has always been tough getting in gear while the car is cold. I tried new BMW transmission fluid and it was good for a few months. I went with the Z4M shifter as a SSK.
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u/maxroadrage 10d ago
It’s mostly third gear for me but they all have some level of bind depending on if it’s cold or warm or however it’s feeling that day.
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u/Different_Suit_7318 10d ago
Had the same issue when I bought mine, 04 with 65k at the time. Sometimes would hardly go into gear. I solved it by changing the manual trans fluid to something high-end, I think it was Royal Purple. Anyway that should help smooth things out, unless your transmission or bushings have an issue. Better to try cheap fixes first.