[1nityrider]

I am having a problem when it's cold outside below 35 °F, it gets harder for me to put get my car in gears. Even when try to rev match and stuff. But everything gets back to normal after the car has warm up fully to operational temperature.

My cars is a late N55 with 43k miles on it. I haven't done any modification to the car yet. When I had my N54, this never happened.
A coworker of mine with a 6MT Honda SI have noted same problem as my car.

Anyone else experienced this? Any possible guess as to what's happening and solutions?

[bbnks2]

Originally Posted by 1nityrider

I am having a problem when it's cold outside below 35 °F, it gets harder for me to put get my car in gears. Even when try to rev match and stuff. But everything gets back to normal after the car has warm up fully to operational temperature.

My cars is a late N55 with 43k miles on it. I haven't done any modification to the car yet. When I had my N54, this never happened.
A coworker of mine with a 6MT Honda SI have noted same problem as my car.

Anyone else experienced this? Any possible guess as to what's happening and solutions?

Did you or the prior owner replace the transmission fluid? Should be using very thin DCT fluid in our transmission like Pentosin FFL-3.

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

This is expected behavior depending on the fluid used in the transmission. You can try swapping to a different fluid to change the cold shift characteristics. Recommendations are:

- Pentosin FFL-3 (OEM)
- Redline D4
- Royal Purple Synchromax
- OE fluid $$$$$$: 83222339221

[JETmn]

Originally Posted by Welcome to NBA Jam

This is expected behavior depending on the fluid used in the transmission. You can try swapping to a different fluid to change the cold shift characteristics. Recommendations are:

- Pentosin FFL-3 (OEM)
- Redline D4
- Royal Purple Synchromax
- OE fluid $$$$$$: 83222339221

Careful with the Royal Purple, it tends to wear sychro's fast. It is thinner with less additives, so it will make a trans on its way out shift better for a while. Redline is known to be very good and what I used in most of my cars. Being synthetic the cold won't have as much affect on it, but any fluid gets thicker in the cold. No way around it.

[1nityrider]

Originally Posted by bbnks2

Did you or the prior owner replace the transmission fluid? Should be using very thin DCT fluid in our transmission like Pentosin FFL-3.

I don't know, but I will ask BMW for service records when I go for an oil change next week.

Originally Posted by Welcome to NBA Jam

This is expected behavior depending on the fluid used in the transmission. You can try swapping to a different fluid to change the cold shift characteristics. Recommendations are:

- Pentosin FFL-3 (OEM)
- Redline D4
- Royal Purple Synchromax
- OE fluid $$$$$$: 83222339221

So Pentosin FFL-3 looks to be a better option than OE or same just that OE is $$$$$?

Originally Posted by JETmn

Careful with the Royal Purple, it tends to wear sychro's fast. It is thinner with less additives, so it will make a trans on its way out shift better for a while. Redline is known to be very good and what I used in most of my cars. Being synthetic the cold won't have as much affect on it, but any fluid gets thicker in the cold. No way around it.

I remember when I use to have my 3000GT people use to talk about Royal Purple wearing down sychro fast. I avoided it, I guess I will keep avoiding it.

[JETmn]

Originally Posted by 1nityrider

I remember when I use to have my 3000GT people use to talk about Royal Purple wearing down sychro fast. I avoided it, I guess I will keep avoiding it.

We probably know each other as I was in the DSM crowd in Minneapolis for many years. The niteryder I know is Josh S., but yours is spelled a little different and I know he doesn't have a BMW. I was at quite a few of the Cookout's Curt put on and took home some trophies. Small world!

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Originally Posted by 1nityrider

So Pentosin FFL-3 looks to be a better option than OE or same just that OE is $$$$$?

It's identical. FFL-3 is relatively expensive at around $25/L, but if you are looking for the original shift characteristics, that is the gear oil that you need.

I run Redline D4 in mine and I like it. It's also a lot cheaper.

[1nityrider]

Originally Posted by JETmn

We probably know each other as I was in the DSM crowd in Minneapolis for many years. The niteryder I know is Josh S., but yours is spelled a little different and I know he doesn't have a BMW. I was at quite a few of the Cookout's Curt put on and took home some trophies. Small world!

I might have seen you! I didn't go to a lot those cookout though. Josh is a legend in my books. Before he closed his shop I was planning to have him rebuild my car but it didn't happened. After he got into the cooperate world, he once left me a message on 3si checking if I still wanted my car done because he said we wanted something fun to do after work. But unfortunately for me that time, was just not good and I ended up selling the car. I still miss that car! I wish he was here on BMW! If I can still remember, he had bought an Audi, I think at A6 at some point after he closed the shope. I wonder what he drives now and if he's still tuning.

Originally Posted by Welcome to NBA Jam

It's identical. FFL-3 is relatively expensive at around $25/L, but if you are looking for the original shift characteristics, that is the gear oil that you need.

I run Redline D4 in mine and I like it. It's also a lot cheaper.

I am starting to think maybe I will just have the dealer change it for when I go for oil change because I don't wanna deal with a cold garage now.

[drmdvl]

Im using Redline MTL which I really like - getting into 20s 30s here in colorado and does fine.