SMG Shudder in 1st Gear

Hi all,

I have done quite a bit of searching on this but not found a definite answer. I own a 2003.5 M3 SMG and when accelerating from a dead stop i occasionally get a shudder and a quiet thunk seeming to come from the drivers side wheel well around 800-1000 rpm. Using sport mode seems to make this a bit better (probably because the rpms raise quicker).

I wondered if any other local M3 SMG owners can comment on this as solutions on the forums seem to range from SMG resets, new clutches/flywheels to its normal, deal with it.

Thanks,
Steve

I'm not sure what the "thunk" is, yet I get a ~500 rpm drop from idle when accelerating in 1st gear. Its not consistent, and there's a million posts on M3Forums with various suggestions yet no definitive answer. Do your RPMs suddenly drop?

I don't think is smg related, more the suspension play noise?

Thanks for the replies guys. I havent noticed any RPM drops. Is the only way to check the suspension to put it up on a lift? The PO had a set of Bilstein Coilovers installed before I bought it. I dont know if that would make a difference.

lift the wheels and shake 3 and 9 position for steering, 12 and 6 for the bearings

see turnin wheels in the air makes that noise

thanks i poked around under there with a flash light but couldnt see anything obvious. i guess the next step is to lift er up and try that out. ill let u know what i find this weekend since i dont have at jack at my place here ill head out to my dads.

on a side note i got my first speeding ticket on my way back from the ferries testing it out in west van...ghost car w/lazer detector

what do you drive in mostly S1-S6?

I have that shudder once in a while, drive the car rough for a bit in S5/S6 and it should go away

if not, can always try a SMG reset (via holding down both paddle shifts at ~40mph+) so the computer can re-calibrate to the amount of life your clutch has

I am mostly in S3-S4. I'll give the higher settings a try and try out the SMG reset too. Thanks all for your suggestions.

I get the same shudder in first gear occasionally. Ive had it since I bought the car a few years ago. No idea what it is.

I tried the SMG reset and it seems to have cured the shudder. Still getting the noise from my front driver suspension starting from a standstill so I'm going to take it and get looked at. Doesnt seem bad but better safe than sorry I guess.

Update:

I did the SMG reset by holding both paddles going over 40MPH and it seems to have completely cured the shudder. That was easy

Ok quick update. Took it into Nixon and they say the popping noise is the aftermarket brake pad moving around a bit in the caliper as its not quite the right size. Anyone ever heard of this?

Originally Posted by ///M Powerd

Ok quick update. Took it into Nixon and they say the popping noise is the aftermarket brake pad moving around a bit in the caliper as its not quite the right size. Anyone ever heard of this?

Do you know the brand of pads? I just did my front pads and they were a very tight fit, also dirt cheap @ $40:

http://store.bimmerworld.com/perform...ads-p1074.aspx

Oh, sorry for not getting back to you this weekend. Started drinking then forgot

No idea on pads brand. The PO had them put in. If I were to order these, can i just change on set or will I have to do all four sides? Hahaha no worries, as we all know alcohol is the cause of and solution to all life's problems

Originally Posted by ///M Powerd

No idea on pads brand. The PO had them put in. If I were to order these, can i just change on set or will I have to do all four sides? Hahaha no worries, as we all know alcohol is the cause of and solution to all life's problems

Not sure if I understand? Do you mean: Do you have to change all 4 front pads? Yes, you should for brake balance - and you should measure your front rotors to see if they need to be changed at the same time since its only 2 more bolts to change them.

Yup thats what I meant. Chris checked the pads and rotors, almost brand new. I'll see how much this bothers me and look into those pads. He recommended OEM pads as they give the best braking power Said the play in the pad wasn't causing any issues so no need to change em unless the sound is bugging me.

See my other post just do a full smg reset using carsoft or gt1 works wonders !!!

hi
when am slowing down to junctions my m3 comes down the gears am sometimes getting a clunking noise and the car kangaroos a bit

can anyone advise ????