[tjnitsche]

Update: somehow the shift selector rod was bent.. maybe when it popped out of gear it got torqued around.. not really sure. Anyway it is all better now, thanks to all who helped!

Hi guys, I was driving my car and went to put it into 1st gear and the whole shifter (not just the knob) popped out and was just wiggling around. I managed to get the shifter back in the ball socket and drive back home but now the it seems that all of the gears are moved over one position to the right. For example neutral leans way to the right, reverse is where first gear should be and first where third normally is etc. the shifter was fine before this so I know it is not just rotated 180 degrees like some people do by accident on install.

Any ideas what it could be? I already took it to the dealer and payed $140 to have them fix it but just got it back exactly the same as I dropped it off and now they want to drop my whole trans to find the problem.... Yeaaaa no

For reference it is the BMW performance ssk, I will be taking it off and reinstalling next week I just want to know what to look for.

Thanks!

[Transport3r]

No idea if this helps, but when i got my BMW SSK, i noticed that the stock rod has a slight kink to the left in it and the SSK rod is straight. this causes the ssk rod to lean over a bit to the right. On my car it's about half an inch, but my knob height is very low (i chopped the rod and threaded it). With the stock knob on it i could see it being about an inch over to the right, so it might be normal..

Here I took a pic for reference:

[tjnitsche]

Thanks for the response, my car is currently leaning much more than that unfortunately. It barely goes into 5th or 6th gear because it hits against the center console trim. Before it popped out when I would put it in reverse it would be at the top left and now it is almost dead center. I really have no idea how it happened haha

[Transport3r]

To me it sounds like you bent the rod forcing it back in.. It's made out of real cheap aluminum after all..

[tjnitsche]

Do you mean the rod that connects to the bottom of the shifter? That's kind of what I was thinking was potentially bent or broken.

[HGreen335]

Originally Posted by Transport3r

To me it sounds like you bent the rod forcing it back in.. It's made out of real cheap aluminum after all..

+1

[tjnitsche]

Edit see link below

[tjnitsche]

Originally Posted by booostin3

+1

Is it the highlighted part? Just for an e90 rather than the e36 it shows..
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1642150-E36-Shifter-Linkage-Dimension-Needed

[Transport3r]

Originally Posted by tjnitsche

Is it the highlighted part? Just for an e90 rather than the e36 it shows..
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...mension-Needed

I think it's more likely to bend the rod with the ball on it. The selector rod (highlighted part) is made out of steel..

OP, did you force the joint back in or did you 'unlock' the collar and clicked it in after that?

[tjnitsche]

Originally Posted by Transport3r

I think it's more likely to bend the rod with the ball on it. The selector rod (highlighted part) is made out of steel..

OP, did you force the joint back in or did you 'unlock' the collar and clicked it in after that?

I unlocked the collar and and slid it back in with the collar around the ball

[Transport3r]

At this point I'd do like you said earlier, take the SSK rod out and see what it looks like. The dealer might have totally missed that it was bent..

[tjnitsche]

Thanks for you help! That is gonna be my plan, I still have the stock shifter somewhere I think so I can put that in and see if it is any better

[themyst]

Originally Posted by tjnitsche

Thanks for you help! That is gonna be my plan, I still have the stock shifter somewhere I think so I can put that in and see if it is any better

-edit oops saw BMW Performance SSK.

Anyways, my B&M SSK failed at the joint and came loose. Couldn't go into any gear except 1st and 2nd. I did manage to make it to a shop for reinstall of my stock shifter... in 2nd gear lol.

[E92mech]

I usually hang to the left.

[joeyaoyp]

Originally Posted by tjnitsche

Thanks for the response, my car is currently leaning much more than that unfortunately. It barely goes into 5th or 6th gear because it hits against the center console trim. Before it popped out when I would put it in reverse it would be at the top left and now it is almost dead center. I really have no idea how it happened haha

It should be the ssk problem. try to remove your ssk and turn 180 if the shift stick()which connect to the lever seleter. than it should be ok.

[tjnitsche]

Originally Posted by joeyaoyp

It should be the ssk problem. try to remove your ssk and turn 180 if the shift stick()which connect to the lever seleter. than it should be ok.

I have already tried the 180 switch, didn't fix it

[Transport3r]

Originally Posted by tjnitsche

I have already tried the 180 switch, didn't fix it

I thought that first too, but if the lever is rotated 180 degrees, it will lean back very noticeably in neutral. search the board for "SSK gangsta lean" last lol.

[tjnitsche]

I understand that it could be leaning if it is switched 180 degrees but that is not the problem.. It was fine before but while driving something happened and now it leans to the right.. I will be taking it apart Tuesday and checking everything out anyway so I will try the other way as well

[tjnitsche]

Update: somehow the shift selector rod was bent.. maybe when it popped out of gear it got torqued around.. not really sure

anyway it is all better now, thanks to all who helped!

[Transport3r]

Glad you sorted it out!