Hi,
When I start the car (a '97 325 TDS) in the morning, I find it almost impossible to get it into first gear: it simply won't go in. Then I discovered that if I put it into third (while still keeping the clutch depressed from the attempt to put it into first), and then back into first, it usually fits without any trouble. However, after I pull away and need to shift to second, it again refuses to go in, unless I really force it down into its slot. The higher gears are never a problem.
As long as the car is cold, the gearbox behaves in a similar way at every stop light. Only once the car's warmed up, the shifts become smooth and easy again.
I have to add, this only started recently, when the weather got really cold down here, where "really cold", by our standards, is about (please don't laugh) -5C/23F.
What do you think? Is the gearbox oil too old or have they put in the wrong one at the last change? Something else?
Thanks
-- Peter