Gear Shift

[Zed08]

Hi, So my Z3 M has the schnitzer short shift setup.
Have been driving it for a week or so and I'm thinking of putting an original gear shift in. I find it a bit clunky. Wondering if the original would be smoother.

Does anyone know where I can get the original gear shift setup from.

Thanks
Paul

 

[t-tony]

Perhaps the clunky feel could be down to the detent pins and bushes being worn? @Lee

Tony.

 

[Duncodin]

Or maybe it's just harder to shift because the lever is shorter - fulcrum is further up the lever - making it feel notchy.

If that bloke, Archimedes, had his fulcrum further up his lever he'd be complaining about how notchy it was to move the earth.

 

[Lee]

I think Tony's on the right path, sounds like the pins are a bit worn.

Does it feel better once the gearbox is warm ?

 

[Zed08]

Thanks for all your replies....
Yeah it does seem better when warm, so replacing the pins / bushes is this a big job ? or expensive if taken to an indy.

Thanks again

 

[Lee]

Quite likely the pins if it gets better warm, the job itself is very simple but the gearbox needs to removed to access them.

Start simple and change the gearbox oil first.

 

[Zed08]

OK, will look into that - thanks again.
Will look for a guide on gearbox oil change - im sure its straightforward....

 

[Lee]

Yeah very simple, big nut on the bottom to dump the oil, same type nut on the side you fill the box till it dribbles out the side.

Get yourself 2L of oil that should cover you. If you get the oil from Opieoils.co.uk and use the code ZROAD you save 10%.

Lee

 

[t-tony]

Also be sure to remove the filler plug before you drain the oil.
If its never been out they're usually FT.

Tony.

 

[Zed08]

t-Tony,
is that the filler plug under the gear gaiter - read a walk through on one of the topics and it was mentioned there. So base of the gearbox nut to drain, nut on right to fill up basically. Looked at the walk through and a youtube vid to get a better idea. Was just the filler plug not mentioned on the vid.

Thanks

 

[t-tony]

No, the one on the side (O/S) of the gearbox (same size as the drain plug at the bottom) is the fill/level plug. When we change gear box oil here at the shed we use a length of garden hose (about 1m) and a small funnel pushed into the end. Run the pipe down by the side of the gearbox from under the bonnet Into the filler/level plug. The gear oil is quite thin and runs in quite quickly.
You can fill the Diff. oil the same way passing the hose out over the rear wheel.

Tony.

 

[Zed08]

Thanks tony.
Gearbox oil ordered from Opie - will look to do this the next couple of weeks.

Nightmare when parking on the drive last night - well half on drive half on pavement - the whole car just went dead - nothing when turning key. Managed to push the lump on the drive just about got to the handbrake before a collision with the rear fence... Looks like the + connector to the battery isn't great. It was dark by then so will have a proper look this weekend. Looks like possibly the nut was double threaded and not tight.

 

[t-tony]

Hope it is a simple thing like a bad terminal. A common thing when fitting battery clamps is many people (including mechanics I might add) don’t loosen the clamp well and tap it down onto the tapered terminal post before retightening. This is the only way to get a FULL contact on the post.

Tony.

 

[Duncodin]

Nightmare when parking on the drive last night - well half on drive half on pavement - the whole car just went dead - nothing when turning key. Managed to push the lump on the drive just about got to the handbrake before a collision with the rear fence... Looks like the + connector to the battery isn't great. It was dark by then so will have a proper look this weekend. Looks like possibly the nut was double threaded and not tight.

Battery totally dead. Happened to me a couple of weeks ago.

Sorry. Long story.

Couple of weeks ago missus driving me somewhere. Me in the passenger seat. I'm 6 foot so adjusted the passenger seat right back. Later that day missus came to pick me up again and said there was an occasional click or creak coming from the left side of the car. I didn't hear it and off we went home.

Next morning battery is dead. Totally. Not even enough to give a glimmer on any dash lights.

I had a spare battery. Swapped that in and as I connected it the spark told me there was a big drain. Then I heard the click and creak that the missus had mentioned.

On investigation it turned out that the passenger side seat adjust switch that I'd used the day before had stuck in the back position. The motor had been continually trying to push the seat into the trunk.

Strange that there's no limit sensor when it gets as far back it can go.

Also strange that once it's going it just keeps straining away all night with the ignition off.

And even stranger that the motor and/or switch didn't burn out or, even worse, catch fire in the middle of the night.

 

[Lee]

Car totally dead.

Sorry. Long story.

Couple of weeks ago missus driving me somewhere. Me in the passenger seat. I'm 6 foot so adjusted the passenger seat right back. Later that day missus came to pick me up again and said there was an occasional click or creak coming from the left side of the car. I didn't hear it and off we went home.

Next morning battery is dead. Totally. Not even enough to give a glimmer on any dash lights.

I had a spare battery. Swapped that in and as I connected it the spark told me there was a big drain. Then I heard the click and creak that the missus had mentioned.

On investigation it turned out that the passenger side seat adjust switch that I'd used yesterday had stuck in the back position. The motor had been continually trying to push the seat into the trunk.

Strange that there's no limit sensor when it gets as far back it can go.

Also strange that it just keeps straining away all night with the ignition off.

If you can move the seat forward unbolt the seat and unplug the motor power connector. Or raise it and you might be able to see the white connector looking under the seat from the front.

 

[Duncodin]

If you can move the seat forward unbolt the seat and unplug the motor power connector. Or raise it and you might be able to see the white connector looking under the seat from the front.

Thanks. It's all working now. It was the switch itself that had physically jammed in the back direction. When I touched it it sprang back into the off position.

 

[Pingu]

Mine leaks all the time. Just a weep, but it is annoying.

I'll be using some thread sealant next time I have the drain plug out.

 

[Pingu]

I found this when I was trying to find a shifter for a long lever...

Z3 short shifter conversion - E30 Zone Wiki

www.e30zone.net

 

[the Nefyn cat]

There should be a limit switch in the back of the seat, but according to realoem it's only fitted to sports seats. Strange. Part 4 on this. Might be worth having a poke about, only four screws to get the seat out, don't turn the ignition on with any wiring disconnected.

RealOEM.com - Online BMW Parts Catalog

BMW parts Z3 E36 Z3 2.2i Switch, seat adjustment

www.realoem.com

 

[Nodzed]

Also be sure to remove the filler plug before you drain the oil.
If its never been out they're usually FT.

Tony.

Beat me to it