[M2BOT]

Hey all, new here. Just got my M2 6MT. Used to drive an E46 5MT back in the day and finally traded in the AT 330 for a manual m2 cause I know this is my last chance to get a real manual BMW.

Dang I love it. It truly does feel like a spiritual successor to the E46. Fits like a glove and doesn’t feel like a giant box with wheels like my two previous 3 series did.

However, I’m still in my break in, only 350 miles in. Driving it like a grandma just to be nice for a while.

I noticed that the transmission feels very difficult to put into some gears, especially 4th. There’s some considerable resistance compared to my E46.

Did you all experience similar? Does it just need some time to break in/loosen up? Maybe it’s because I’m shifting at 1-2k and it just “wants” to shift in a higher RPM band, but the E46 never felt like that, it slid into gears smoothly.

Any input?

[Game]

Congrats on the new M2.

Never experienced any difficulty at any point. Currently at 23xx miles.

[M2siast]

Originally Posted by Game

Congrats on the new M2.

Never experienced any difficulty at any point. Currently at 23xx miles.

2. Smoother than older Non-Ms I had.

Might loosen up with time or maybe the clutch will loosen up (I know the manual calls out for a change in clutch operation after it breaks in, not sure about the gearbox, but it might be related).

Congrats and welcome!

[M2BOT]

Originally Posted by Game

Congrats on the new M2.

Never experienced any difficulty at any point. Currently at 23xx miles.

Thanks. I may just have them take a look during the break in service. I did get a “shift position sensor failure” warning light that I thought was a random gremlin and cleared and it hadn’t come back, but maybe there’s some thing going on with the transmission.

[M2BOT]

Originally Posted by M2siast

2. Smoother than older Non-Ms I had.

Might loosen up with time or maybe the clutch will loosen up (I know the manual calls out for a change in clutch operation after it breaks in, not sure about the gearbox, but it might be related).

Congrats and welcome!

Thank you. It seems smooth in most gears but sometimes it just wants to refuse to go into 4th and 1st unless I use some considerable force. Maybe its user error but I’ve driven manuals for 20 years and I’m wondering if it may be an issue with the transmission itself. Never driven an M manual before.

[M2siast]

Originally Posted by M2BOT

Thank you. It seems smooth in most gears but sometimes it just wants to refuse to go into 4th and 1st unless I use some considerable force. Maybe its user error but I’ve driven manuals for 20 years and I’m wondering if it may be an issue with the transmission itself. Never driven an M manual before.

The error you got is concerning. Definitely have that checked out.

[kyrix1st]

Originally Posted by M2siast

2. Smoother than older Non-Ms I had.

Might loosen up with time or maybe the clutch will loosen up (I know the manual calls out for a change in clutch operation after it breaks in, not sure about the gearbox, but it might be related).

Congrats and welcome!

Curious, what does the manual say about its operation?

[M2siast]

Originally Posted by kyrix1st

Curious, what does the manual say about its operation?

This

[kyrix1st]

Originally Posted by M2siast

This

Ah. That's due to the friction surface being formed between the pressure plate and the flywheel.

Technically you can bed in the clutch faster, just like how you can bed in the brakes faster by repeated threshold braking.

[Geighty7]

Originally Posted by M2BOT

Thank you. It seems smooth in most gears but sometimes it just wants to refuse to go into 4th and 1st unless I use some considerable force. Maybe its user error but I’ve driven manuals for 20 years and I’m wondering if it may be an issue with the transmission itself. Never driven an M manual before.

Doesn’t sound normal. My gears all pop in fine, but do remember just because you are in break in, doesn’t mean you should drive like a granny.

Not telling you what to do…

BUT-
This is a high performance engine. I wouldn’t go above 5k like manual says for first 600 miles, but you need to get some heat expanding in the engine. You’re fine to hit 4k rpm and get the engine in a nice cycle. Driving at awkward RPM’s and giving her some pressure whilst staying in healthy RPM range is completely acceptable. The more you break in the engine, the better she will perform after break in.

After 600 miles, hitting 6k is fine (not above). The only things you should really avoid is dumping your clutch, redlining or being above recommended RPM’s during break in, kickdowns and full load pulls in 1-3 gears, and not using launch control.

Your engine, your car, but I did not baby her. I followed the rules but only the rules and I have had 0 issues.

Try getting her to 4k rpm shifting see if it falls right in (it should). The car does not like shifting below 2k I’ll tell you that right now. She feels like an F’ing suffocated pig when babying her. Let her breath (healthily)

[M2BOT]

Originally Posted by Geighty7

Doesn’t sound normal. My gears all pop in fine, but do remember just because you are in break in, doesn’t mean you should drive like a granny.

Not telling you what to do…

BUT-
This is a high performance engine. I wouldn’t go above 5k like manual says for first 600 miles, but you need to get some heat expanding in the engine. You’re fine to hit 4k rpm and get the engine in a nice cycle. Driving at awkward RPM’s and giving her some pressure whilst staying in healthy RPM range is completely acceptable. The more you break in the engine, the better she will perform after break in.

After 600 miles, hitting 6k is fine (not above). The only things you should really avoid is dumping your clutch, redlining or being above recommended RPM’s during break in, kickdowns and full load pulls in 1-3 gears, and not using launch control.

Your engine, your car, but I did not baby her. I followed the rules but only the rules and I have had 0 issues.

Try getting her to 4k rpm shifting see if it falls right in (it should). The car does not like shifting below 2k I’ll tell you that right now. She feels like an F’ing suffocated pig when babying her. Let her breath (healthily)

I 100% agree with you. When I bring it to 4K everything seems to go much smoother. I’ve never actually had to break in a car before, let alone a sports car, so I was really trying to stick with the manuals directions (no WOT, no launch assist, no hard driving, etc) but maybe I should really try and start winding her up a bit more now that I’m close to 400 miles.

[Geighty7]

Originally Posted by M2BOT

I 100% agree with you. When I bring it to 4K everything seems to go much smoother. I’ve never actually had to break in a car before, let alone a sports car, so I was really trying to stick with the manuals directions (no WOT, no launch assist, no hard driving, etc) but maybe I should really try and start winding her up a bit more now that I’m close to 400 miles.

You shouldn’t run into any issues as long as you stay within the parameters. These engines have proven bullet proof so far if treated properly from the beginning.

Spirited driving is totally good and fun to do during break in. Heat cycles are going to make her potent and ready for some WOT pulls once break in is complete.

You’ll literally feel the engine and clutch getting more spicy as you start to really work her in.

One thing I’ve noticed with the 6MT is how temperamental she can be. If you listen to where she likes to shift, it’s literally as smooth as cutting a cake. If you’re under RPM’s, it’s like cutting hard butter lol lots of jerking and force.

[LCDRJohn]

so far, my manual is pretty slick. Each gear is easy to select and all feel about the same. But it is a BMW shifter, so it is not mechanical feeling. Compared to an E46 it should feel smoother w/ much shorter throws. E92 is closer to the M2 in feel, but even then, you had the flywheel noises and the sandy/gritty feel sometimes.
All of my M cars loosened up considerably and settled into a smooth gearbox. I miss less shifts in the M-cars than I did in the Miatas...which seems counterintuitive. Something just 'works' with the throws and pattern.

[Mike Whitney]

I have an E46 M3 manual [118k mi] (and an E60 M5 manual [88k mi]) and both have smoother "gate" action than my 200-mile G87 M2 manual. I am also assuming that there is a bit of break-in before it loosens up. I drive all of them on any given week so it's interesting to chart the differences.

They are all very different cars and I love each of them for different reasons!

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by M2BOT

Hey all, new here. Just got my M2 6MT. Used to drive an E46 5MT back in the day and finally traded in the AT 330 for a manual m2 cause I know this is my last chance to get a real manual BMW.

Dang I love it. It truly does feel like a spiritual successor to the E46. Fits like a glove and doesn’t feel like a giant box with wheels like my two previous 3 series did.

However, I’m still in my break in, only 350 miles in. Driving it like a grandma just to be nice for a while.

I noticed that the transmission feels very difficult to put into some gears, especially 4th. There’s some considerable resistance compared to my E46.

Did you all experience similar? Does it just need some time to break in/loosen up? Maybe it’s because I’m shifting at 1-2k and it just “wants” to shift in a higher RPM band, but the E46 never felt like that, it slid into gears smoothly.

Any input?

Despite my decades of driving manuals I had been driving a 230i automatic for almost a year (and 8K miles) and it took me a bit of time to resurrect the muscle memories after I got into my M2... Nothing really untoward occurred. Just a bit of fumble upon take off from a stop. Never stalled the engine just not as smooth as I would have liked. Never missed a shift. No crunchiness. Nor any resistance to going into any gear.

A test of the shifter/transmission you can do behind the wheel is with the engine/drive train up to temperature on level pavement with the engine idling depress the clutch pedal and you should be able to move the gear shift lever from neutral to any gear and from gear to gear with no difficulty.

Assuming if you do the above test and the results are acceptable before you rush to condemn the car in this regard give the car time to get some use and you some practice. Odds are high things will get better.

That was my experience. In part I just adapted to the car and with practice became adept at driving a manual equipped car. It didn't take long. And I suspect there was some "break in" of the hardware involved.

Now the car is quite easy to drive and my operation of the clutch and shift lever and doing things right and smoothly takes no real conscious effort on my part. The operation of the clutch and shift level is pardon the expression automatic. Take offs, granny mode or Lewis Hamilton mode, are smooth. Ditto up and down shifting.

[RoccoVA]

Im at about 9k miles on mine and the only time the shifter feels different is if the car is very cold like maybe if the overnight items were in the 20's. When that happens the gear shifter needs a little more heft to move it until it warms up. Congrats on the new ride

[tommycr]

I thought the SAME thing when I first got mine and even felt it was clunky while shifting into. Higher gears but I’m at 1600 miles post break in service and she drives so much smoother now.

Be patient with her!