# My ZHP is hard to downshift to 1st gear ??



## scottie5478 (Oct 19, 2003)

hi, guys,

I drive my ZHP just around 600 miles and I have found it is very difficult to downshift to 1st gear when car is in motion. Does anyone have the same problem??

Thanks


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## Ashe too (Dec 22, 2001)

Shifting into first while the car is still in motion requires a little finesse. The slower you are going, the easier it is. On the rare occassion when I need to go to first while still moving, I push the shifter with a light but certain effort and wait for a moment and it slides right in. But I never press hard into first (or any gear for that matter). And they do loosen up a bit with mileage.


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## SONET (Mar 1, 2002)

Blip the throttle in neutral before selecting first (from second). The synchros for first aren't as snazzy as they are for the other gears, so giving it some revs will help. :thumbup:

--SONET


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## Matthew330Ci (Sep 9, 2002)

scottie5478 said:


> hi, guys,
> 
> I drive my ZHP just around 600 miles and I have found it is very difficult to downshift to 1st gear when car is in motion. Does anyone have the same problem??
> 
> Thanks


most (if not all) manuals are like this.


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## operknockity (Apr 19, 2002)

Matthew330CiM said:


> most (if not all) manuals are like this.


And then add the shorter, notchier shifter of the ZHP and it takes a wee bit of extra effort too. Mine is a bit stiffer to drop in to first since I put in the SSK.


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## ff (Dec 19, 2001)

Like Matthew330CiM said, all manuals are like this. In fact, in your owner's manual, it specifically mentions that you should avoid shifting into first when the vehicle is moving. 

And BTW, it's a 330i, not a 'ZHP'. 'ZHP' is just a factory option.


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## rumratt (Feb 22, 2003)

This is an example of where double clutching is still needed, even in modern transmissions (http://www.driversedge.com/dblcltch.htm). If you get all the parts moving at the right speeds, it will go into first even when moving.

The synchros match up the speeds just fine in other gears, but not in first. Does anyone know if this is by design (is there some advantage to this?) or is it just fundamental to first gear? The gap between 1st and 2nd is the biggest, so the syncro would have the most work to do when downshifting into 1st, so maybe that's all there is to it.


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

rumatt said:


> The synchros match up the speeds just fine in other gears, but not in first. Does anyone know if this is by design (is there some advantage to this?) or is it just fundamental to first gear?


Darn, I promised myself I would never get involved in ZHP threads...

It's by design. BMW wants to prevent the money shift on 4-3 downshifts. If you've ever driven any of the manual ///M models, you'll find that those models have better syncros that allows the shifter to move back into first at high(er) speed. Thus some E36 ///M owners were complaining about blowing their engine from missed shifts.


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## rumratt (Feb 22, 2003)

The HACK said:


> It's by design. BMW wants to prevent the money shift on 4-3 downshifts. .


Ah. That makes a lot of sense. Thanks.



> Darn, I promised myself I would never get involved in ZHP threads...


It's OK. You replied to my post and I don't have "a ZHP".


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## wrwicky (Jan 17, 2003)

The HACK said:


> Darn, I promised myself I would never get involved in ZHP threads...


Hack,
These are not ZHP threads, they are 330i threads







.


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## rumratt (Feb 22, 2003)

wrwicky said:


> Hack,
> These are not ZHP threads, they are 330i threads[/QUOTE]
> 
> I could be wrong, but I think that is what he's getting at. Look at the subject. :dunno:


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## EZ (Feb 27, 2003)

Just curious, when do you guys need to downshift to the first while moving? I find it adequate to downshift to the 2nd even in sharpest turns. Am I missing something?

BTW, for all 330 purists and ZHP haters, -- this option does have a shorter shifter, so it may be harder to downshift to the 1st. Therefore, the reference to ZHP was quite valid (IMHO).


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## Andy (Jul 16, 2003)

EZ said:


> Just curious, when do you guys need to downshift to the first while moving? I find it adequate to downshift to the 2nd even in sharpest turns. Am I missing something?
> 
> BTW, for all 330 purists and ZHP haters, -- this option does have a shorter shifter, so it may be harder to downshift to the 1st. Therefore, the reference to ZHP was quite valid (IMHO).


I've had to down shift to 1st while autocrossing, but never "had to" while out on the road, other then turning into my driveway to pull into the garage. I've found that using the 'ol heal-toe technique makes the 2-1 shift a heck of a lot easier.


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## blackhawk77 (Mar 16, 2003)

scottie5478 said:


> hi, guys,
> 
> I drive my ZHP just around 600 miles and I have found it is very difficult to downshift to 1st gear when car is in motion. Does anyone have the same problem??
> 
> Thanks


hmmm-another ZHP problem-- I have not heard of this one though...


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## wrwicky (Jan 17, 2003)

rumatt said:


> I could be wrong, but I think that is what he's getting at. Look at the subject. :dunno:


It was just a joke. Hack, ff, and others routinely and correctly point out that our cars are just optioned 330s.

Not a great joke, just trying to have a little fun teasing one of the giants of this board about a pet peave. I appologize to anybody who took this the wrong way.

FWIW AFIK, I all manual trannys are somewhat difficult to match revs for a 2-1 downshift. This seems more of manual newbie/ new car issue than anything else.

Again, sorry to anybody who thought I was actually trying to correct Hack.


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## operknockity (Apr 19, 2002)

blackhawk77 said:


> hmmm-another ZHP problem-- I have not heard of this one though...


Ummmm. No. A noobie and/or short shifter question, yes. Just happens to be disguised as a ZHP question/problem.


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## flashinthepan (Jul 25, 2003)

Scottie,

This is true with my 330Cic too, I have always notices a reluctance to shift into 1st when going too fast..its pretty standard, except I had a Prelude that forgave me on about everything....LOL.

Its normal IMO.


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## rumratt (Feb 22, 2003)

Andy said:


> I've found that using the 'ol heal-toe technique makes the 2-1 shift a heck of a lot easier.


Do you double-clutch before going into first? If not, I don't get it. Changing the engine speed doesn't affect how easy it is to get it into first gear. It only affects whether you buck when you let out the clutch?


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## rumratt (Feb 22, 2003)

wrwicky said:


> It was just a joke. Hack, ff, and others routinely and correctly point out that our cars are just optioned 330s.


Gotcha. I thought that might be the case, but wasn't sure.


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## bluer1 (May 30, 2002)

EZ said:


> Just curious, when do you guys need to downshift to the first while moving? I find it adequate to downshift to the 2nd even in sharpest turns. Am I missing something?
> 
> BTW, for all 330 purists and ZHP haters, -- this option does have a shorter shifter, so it may be harder to downshift to the 1st. Therefore, the reference to ZHP was quite valid (IMHO).


Really - because the ETK makes no distinction for the ZHP.
:dunno:

Anyone lay the parts side-by-side yet?


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