M6 owners, 1st gear selection

[WTC5]

I have a 98 M6. Sometimes at a complete stop I find 1st gear hard to engage, If I select 2nd and then back to first all OK. Has anyone else experienced this or is there an adjustment needed ?

Thanks in advance

 

[Radar]

I would check the clutch to be sure it is fully disengaging. My Vette is an auto so I don't have experience there. I have had several cars over the years with manuals. I know that if the clutch friction disk drags just slightly on the flywheel or pressure plate, the transmission input shaft spins even when you press in the clutch. Shifting to 2nd before first works because there is much more gear ratio on the 2nd synco so you stop the input shaft and overcome any slight friction of the clutch disk to pressure plate or flywheel surface. Then you can drop into 1st.

You may need to pull the clutch out and inspect it for broken disk springs, a warped disk, gummy slines on the transmission input shaft.........or maybe something with the master/slave cyliders. Make sure you do not have any air in the hydraulic clutch system. That would have the effect of reducing the throw-out bearing travel therby causing what you are experiencing.

Radar

 

[c4c5]

HI there,
The first thing that I would do is a shifter adjustment.
After that, check the fluid for breakdown or oxidation, which is mostly unlikely.
Does this only happen when it is first driven, or is it after you have driven for a while???????
Please keep us posted, c4c5

 

[WTC5]

c4c5,
fluid is ok, happens any time, about 1 in 7 times, only when I come to a complete stop, put car in neutral, then press clutch to engage into first. Sometimes engaging is resisted as you can feel that shifter didn't move far enough into first. but no other problems at all. I can down shift into first when car is rolling. I am leaning that it may need a shifter adjustment. Car is put away now so I will have to wait until spring. I will repost finding then.
Thanks for your comments.

 

[leaftye]

Good double-clutching seems to do the trick for me. If I put the clutch in at high motor and vehicle speeds, 1st gear will be tough to get into. If I hold the shifter in gear until I'm almost to a complete stop, it'll be really easy to get into 1st gear. It's basically double-clutching to a stop. Double-clutching helps me into any gear, in both my CRX and C5...and any other car that I've driven.

 

[vettenuts]

I find this occasionally with the Vette, but other cars also. I just let the clutch out to spin things up again and then it goes right in.

 

[atmmac]

It says right in your owners manual that if first is hard to shift into put it in neutral let up the cluctch and put it back in and it will be fine. Sounds like a normal issue to me. I rarely have this problem and when i do its only when the car is just started.

 

[torchred]

I have this problem and have taken it in to have it looked at. I was told to let the clutch out and reengage it when this happens. It's kind of annoying but it does work around the issue.

What is involved in adjusting the shifter?

 

[Paul T]

I had the same problem(?) with the 98 I owned for six years. As it was explained to me, the mn6 has a set of three synchronizers and you have to work through all three to get a complete engagement in first gear. If things aren't all aligned, you will have to double clutch it to get the proper engagement. If you don't, when you release the clutch, the bang will scare the hell out of you. This situation appears normal as you aren't the only one to experience it by any means. Just baby it as you would any tempermental woman.
Paul

 

[Tuna]

This seems to be normal all the way back to the first ZF6 in the C4. My 92 does it and, very rarely, my 03. It's like the synchronizers aren't aligned. I do what has been mentioned already here - either I let out the clutch and retry or I put it in second or third. Either is enough to get the synchro's to shift or spin into a position to allow first gear engagement.

 

[leaftye]

If you don't, when you release the clutch, the bang will scare the hell out of you.

I've had it bang on me a couple of times. Thanks for breaking it down for me!