Z4 gearchange - stiff?

A

a11y

Veteran
 Central Scotland
My wife drove my Z4 for the first time in months yesterday (to the MOT station :D) and moaned last night about finding it very difficult to change gear, particularly selecting reverse. I find it quite stiff myself, but not awkward now that I'm used to - I think it's certainly a "meaty" shift but not that hard, and can be rushed no probs.

Is it just my Z4, or does anyone else's partner (or themselves) find the gearchange to be a struggle? Just wondering if my Z4 is normal, I think it is but just for reassurance.
 
getting over to reverse certainly takes some effort...

mrs gannet has only ever driven the car about 3 times (in 3 years...) and then probably never in reverse!

not really noticed any other gears being stiff though.

it passed the MOT then :D
 
Said the GF could have a shot if she could reverse it off the drive, gamble that she couldn't get it into reverse paid off :D Could move the seat to make you closer and it would be easier but I like sitting low and far away so needs a fair bit of upper body shoulder strength to get reverse, same as my E46 though plus the shorter shifter on mine now makes it a bit meatier - not notchy unless cold though. :driving:
 
Same with mine mate. Reverse is tough, but you wouldnt want it to slide in easy as you could mistake it for 1st and visa versa!!

As for gear changes, I found it hard to get into 3rd from 2nd. I'd always smash the edges before it ended in 3rd. This was all resolved by the ZHP gear knob. That things a life saver :D
 
Hi Ally,

My BM is going in next week for 1 week due to this problem! Changing into first and second is stiff. Sometimes, it takes 7/8 times before it actually goes in! Even have to turn the car off then back on... :headbang:
 
mines all snicky and lovely.....must be yet another feature of the higher-powered 2.0 :P mmmm, six gears and all those lovely valves... :fuelfire:
 
gannet said:
it passed the MOT then :D
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Yup :D

Cheers folks. I remember fiddling with your box Ali (:o) at the infamous broken RR day, and IIRC it felt similar to mine. I guessed not both of us would have a broken box but you never know lol. Mine's just the same as what Crusoe describes, remembering that I've got a shorter than normal gearknob fitted too: "the shorter shifter on mine now makes it a bit meatier - not notchy unless cold though". Personally I find it OK, never have an issue with it myself apart from the occasional baulk when it's cold.

Awesome, just means she doesn't want to drive it too often... :driving:

(she's used to a VAG box which is super-easy to change gear in, and very smooth too)
 
3 Coupe and Zed both need firm shove through the gate to get reverse but other gears on both smooth and positive up and down the box.
 
i would say its perfect, notchy as it should be. Compare it to the E46 coupe gearbox and its way better. the e46 gearbox is garbage, the only thing i hated about the car. The gear level just moves around all loose. Not good.
 
My twopennorth, I think the box is brilliant when your at high revs caning it,really nice to use, but at slow speeds is a bit stiff and clunky. Guess a box designed to handle loads of power isn't going to be the slickest thing around when not being used hard.If it was nice and snickety snick at low speeds, it'd fall to bits when asked to work hard.Half the fun of having a sports car, having to put some effort into driving the thing.
 
bigshurv said:
Half the fun of having a sports car, having to put some effort into driving the thing.
Click to expand...

Agree with that! Probably the reason why I hated the DSG gearbox in the 2 cars I've tried, no involvement IMO. Fair enough one of them was a Passat TDI Estate, but the other was a A3 2.0T (Golf GTI in drag) and it was too clinical. I like involvement, life's boring otherwise :)
 
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