Hi guys!
During winter, with the car cold, I often don't succeed in engaging the R.
The sad part of the story is I need the reverse for 3 metres to exit from my garage. Some days ago there was an Audi that needs to pass.. And I couldn't go back!!!

I asked my dealer and they replied it is a known fault.
AlexFW: Okay, and which is the solution?
Technician: nothing, it's a SW problem but BMW hasn't found a fix yet.

Now I'm wondering if ALL SMG does it or mine is one of the few has this problem. In this second case I will ask the SMG replacement, before 9/2010 (warranty and service free till that date)

Really? I've never had a problem selecting any gears with mine...

In SoCal how many degrees do you have on winter? Here sometimes 0? C.

Back when I had my SMG, like EBMCS03, I don't remember ever having any problems shifting into any gears...

Here is my experience... I had the same issue but it was going into drive... It feels like it is stuck or something is blocking it from moving right? Well if it is, then I took it to my dealer and they had to replace the shifter under warranty. It was a mechanical issue not a temperature one. Now, it is like new. If this is the case with yours, get it replaced.



Tonymac

At worse 30's so yes about 0 deg C. But that only happens a few days in the year. Usually inthe 40s in the morning.

When u say it won't shift into R does the shifter physically won't let u move it to R or does it go in but the tranny remains in N?

Now that you mention it, I had a similar prob once or twice in the recent past. The shifter would move freely into the R position, but the R would not show up on the dash and the car was still in neutral. After three unsuccessful attempts, turned the car off and back on and it worked fine after that. Sounds like software to me. I didnt think much of it but now maybe I should have them look at it.

I can move to R, but it shows N on the instrument cluster and it is in N.

So I have to ask a new gearbox, wow...

quick question to all people with the illuminated SMG shifter...

R = R lights up on the shifter
N = N lights up on the shifter

Then there's up arrow and down arrows and -> D/S.. is D/S always illuminated or does it turn on/off?

I have had the same thing; Iwas able to move the stick but it did NOT show op in the dash. First it happened once and turing off and on the ignition solved it.Then it gradually happened more often. The other day I could not move the car anymore.It was the hyraulic actuator of the gearbox that was replaced together with the sensor. Costs; EUR 650 (some USD 750). The car is only 4 years old!

I need to change my signature ^_^