Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse?

59028 Views 46 Replies 28 Participants Last post by MrRoboto, Jan 22, 2013

youseelabruin

Discussion Starter · Nov 24, 2001

On the manual, how do you put it into reverse? Push down, to the left, and up?
I went for a test drive and I and the Sales guy couldn't figure it out.

1 - 20 of 47 Posts

G

· #2 · Nov 24, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (youseelabruin)

you don't push down.. you just push to the left and kinda past the "wall". no pushing down though. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

[Modified by Verruckt, 12:23 PM 11-24-2001]

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TabulaRasa

· #3 · Nov 24, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (youseelabruin)

*insert common Cartman expletive here*
Your salesman didn't even know how to put it in reverse?
It's simple.
Put it in neutral.
Push the shifter over to the left so that it is right below the gate for gears 1 and 2.
Push the shifter to the left more, you will feel some resistance, and then a click.
Push up. You are now in reverse.
Once you know where R is and know about the little click, you should not need to stop the shifter before clicking over.

[Modified by ClownCar, 2:01 AM 11-25-2001]

[Modified by TabulaRasa, 1:31 AM 11-25-2001]

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A4Jetta

· #4 · Nov 24, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (youseelabruin)

There's no "ring" nor need to push anything else for reverse of Bimmer's stick.
All you need to do is to pull to the left in natural. Use a little bit of force, once the slight "click" passed. You pull all the way up.

G

· #5 · Nov 24, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (A4Jetta)

okay, one let's get 6 or 7 more replies and say the same thing in different words now.

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TabulaRasa

· #6 · Nov 24, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (Majik6)

quote:[HR][/HR]

[Modified by Verruckt, 12:23 PM 11-24-2001][HR][/HR]

hehehe. Luckily I saw that image before it was modified. Verruckt, you're crazy!

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TwoLitreVW

· #7 · Nov 24, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (TabulaRasa)

1. remove parking brake
2. put transmission in neutral
3. get out
4. push!

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Obelix

· #8 · Nov 24, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (TwoLitreVW)

5. watch car roll away

G

· #9 · Nov 24, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (youseelabruin)

push up to where first gear is... force it all the way right really hard.. pull back wtih all your weight, and then all the way left again.. HARD. After that last pull left push all the way up forward as hard as you can, you might have to kick it, but it will go.

TabulaRasa

· #10 · Nov 24, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (Majik6)

quote:[HR][/HR]push up to where first gear is... force it all the way right really hard.. pull back wtih all your weight, and then all the way left again.. HARD. After that last pull left push all the way up forward as hard as you can, you might have to kick it, but it will go. [HR][/HR]

It's been a while since I've driven a BMW (E28 535i), but I don't think you need THAT much effort.

A4Jetta

· #11 · Nov 24, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (Obelix)

6. Neighbor comes out and say "what the hell is happening here? Your goddamn Bimmer hit my Exploder"
7. Exchange licence and registration
8. Make an appointment for insurance claim visit
9. "Anticipating" the raise of your insurance premium

[Modified by A4Jetta, 3:59 PM 11-24-2001]

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MtnSurferX

· #12 · Nov 25, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (A4Jetta)

10. lock this thread

-b

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some9one

· #13 · Nov 25, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (MtnSurferX)

serious question here:
has anyone, or is it possible, to be in such a hurry to move the car, consequently grabing the shifter too hard to the left and choosing reverse rather than 1st as intended?
travelling in the back direction while you are desperate to go forward can be disastrous.

TabulaRasa

· #14 · Nov 25, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (some9one)

quote:[HR][/HR]has anyone, or is it possible, to be in such a hurry to move the car, consequently grabing the shifter too hard to the left and choosing reverse rather than 1st as intended?[HR][/HR]

Yeah it's possible, but it has never happened to me once.
If you are shifting hard in an attempt to increase the speed your shifts, you need to stop and learn all over again. You should start by shifting very slowly but smoothly with the goal of being precise and finding the correct gate every time. You shouldn't need to use alot of strength in order to shift. As you gain precision and experience the speed of your shifting will naturally increase. It's all about finesse.

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PhilHVW

· #15 · Nov 25, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (some9one)

quote:[HR][/HR]has anyone, or is it possible, to be in such a hurry to move the car, consequently grabing the shifter too hard to the left and choosing reverse rather than 1st as intended?[HR][/HR]

It's happened to me exactly one time. I was in traffic and didn't notice that the lights had changed, a crowd of people stood and stared, they'd seen his face before...oh, sorry...

I didn't notice that the lights had changed and frantically grabbed the gearshift trying to get into first and wound up with reverse instead. I moved about one foot in reverse before stomping on the brakes. It takes more force than your typical gearchange to shove it into the reverse gate, but when you're pumped and in a hurry it isn't that difficult to do.

http://www.rohdenetz.de/beatles/131.htm

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A4Jetta

· #16 · Nov 25, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (PhilHVW)

I can imagine all the faces looking at that exact Bimmer on the intersection.

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4

youseelabruin

Discussion Starter · #17 · Nov 25, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (A4Jetta)

I thought it would be easy, but I must have not pushed the stick hard enough left passed the "wall". I was pulling it up and pushing it down but I couldn't find R. Oh well... the sales guy figured it out while I drove away in my 1.8T.
Luckily it happened while I was trying to park it back into its sales lot and not at an intersection.
Thanks http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

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landrumdh

· #18 · Nov 25, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (some9one)

quote:[HR][/HR]serious question here:
has anyone, or is it possible, to be in such a hurry to move the car, consequently grabing the shifter too hard to the left and choosing reverse rather than 1st as intended?
travelling in the back direction while you are desperate to go forward can be disastrous.[HR][/HR]

Yup in my old 86 Jetta GLI you didn't have to push down or anything just all the way left and up no resistance or anything. So there was a number of times I ended up at a stop light got into R went an inch or so backward relized and had to reshift. Took me almost 6 months to stop doing that. I didn't do it often just when I was in a rush and didn't go 2-1. Normally I'd got down far enough to feel the 2 gate then straight up into 1.

Gary C

· #19 · Nov 25, 2001

Re: Quick Question: How do I put a BMW into reverse? (landrumdh)

ive never had that problem and i drive the snot out of the car http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

she just keeps begging for more and more..so who am i to refuse?
but yeah..reverse is really easy to find once you figure out about that wall if you will.

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tomjv

· #20 · Jan 21, 2013

how to put a 3 series into reverse

I too could not get this car into reverse gear. I took a test drive with my son and ditto.
Luckily, I have 2 sons and we were able to push the car thru a K turn.
(51 yo, driving sticks since I was 15; dump trucks, cars, p/u trucks, motorcycles etc)
TomJV

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