General Question about your Z4M

[Vanne]

Ok, then I dont think its that center bearing, mine was tramping..

[elerner61]

Originally Posted by SaltyNC

Finnegan, I hear ya, man! What is crazy is that I've been driving this car for 7 months, and thought I finally had shifting perfected, and then this week, it was like I was learning to drive a stick for the first time. Maybe I have a bunion that is affecting my perceived pedal position. I guess it is little quirks like these that make the Z4M a special car. It takes some finesse to learn how to shift, how to handle it properly, etc.

Like you, I rev match quite often, and that does seem to make for smooth shifts when I get it perfect.

Thanks all for the feedback. I know it's an old subject that gets tossed around from time to time. It's one of those things like the vanos rattle -- it's hard to know what is normal and what requires attention.

Salty

This doesn't have anything to do with the thud you're hearing, but regarding clutch feel/position do you still have your CDV installed (I don't see it in your mod list)? I definitely noticed a more consistent clutch feel when I removed that.

[StickMon]

Originally Posted by SaltyNC

... When the car begins to roll about 5 MPH, I can quickly press the clutch in, and "clunk" or "thud."

Salty

Still sounds like normal flywheel thump to me.
If you quickly unload it with the springs compressed, it goes kerthump.

[SaltyNC]

Originally Posted by StickMon

Still sounds like normal flywheel thump to me.
If you quickly unload it with the springs compressed, it goes kerthump.

You may be right. I went to record the sound, and discovered it was actually not as far back as I thought. It may just be transmitting through the car body.

Salty

[SaltyNC]

Originally Posted by elerner61

This doesn't have anything to do with the thud you're hearing, but regarding clutch feel/position do you still have your CDV installed (I don't see it in your mod list)? I definitely noticed a more consistent clutch feel when I removed that.

I removed the CDV. I was almost used to it, but I'm glad I did. It made a nice improvement to the consistency, as you said.

Salty

[KevinM]

Originally Posted by SaltyNC

1. Going down a mountain or long steep hill in 6th gear, the car never gets runaway fast. In most cars I've had, this one mountain drop will cause you to go 90 MPH if you don't tap the brakes. In the Z4M, it never gets above 60. Is that normal? A condition of the gearing? Could it point to an issue with the differential?

2. 1st to 2nd is problematic. I'm not talking about the notchy shifting. Mine is smooth as butter after installing new engine and trans mounts and replacing the fluid. But, when I let the clutch out in 2nd, it sometimes wants to jack-rabbit, surge, pulse, or whatever you want to call it. I have driven manuals for years, so I don't think it is operator error. The CDV has been removed. This seems to be significantly worse when cold.

3. Not often, but every once in awhile, I feel jerkiness, almost like my wheels are slipping when starting in 1st. I'm not launching aggressively when this occurs. I've never noticed any DSC lights flashing. First gear is the only gear I've noticed this. I'm hoping it isn't the trans, but a bit worried.

Any of you ever experience any of the above? Is #1 normal? The car only has 37K on it.

Thanks,
Salty

1. Not sure as I haven't been in this situation.

2. When I first started driving the Z4M in 2007 this happened to me a few times during the 1st - 2nd shift. If it is the same issue, it resolved when I realized that i was babying the throttle. Once I stopped doing this, I never experienced the jack-rabbiting. I think removing the CVD helped as well.

3. I've never experienced this.

If you have a trusted mechanic, perhaps have him check it out for piece of mind.