BMW Coupe Stuck in Gear

[BMWGold]

Long story short Tow truck guy using flat bed dropped off car and now we cannot shift it out of gear The auto transmission stick will not engage or move Is this a simple fix

Please help

 

[eriknetherlands]

Uhm, small chance: I know that automatics should not be towed, at least not with the rears on the ground. IF he did that, then something internal has broken.
But you being in the US, where automatics are common, I think you average tow truck driver should know that.
Here in Europe with 95% of classics being stick shift, a rooky may make that mistake easily.

 

[BMWGold]

Hi

Thanks It was towed with a flat bed so all 4 wheels were in use Thanks for The heads up about rear wheels We think it is as simple gear lock

 

[dang]

Sometimes they disconnect the shift linkage so they can shift it into neutral, but that's usually when they don't have a key or power. Depends on the car. Check linkage and Park safely interlock if it has one.

 

[JFENG]

towed with a flat bed

Erik probably meant when they loaded the car onto the flatbed trailer. I have seen operators of such flatbeds drag the locked wheels (eg transmission in “P”) when loading a car. Those winches are very powerful. The wheels simple stick/slip on the pavement. The better tow operators will put a wheel ‘skate’ under the locked wheels so they will slide a bit more easily.

Tire Skates Single, Safety Orange Color

Buy tire skates single to move disabled vehicles easily. Orange color for visibility and include cable loop for easy carrying and storage. Tire skates made from heavy duty plastic.

www.myteeproducts.com

If it rolled smoothly when they unloaded your car, your transmission is probably fine, and it’s a problem in the shift linkage.

 

[tochi]

Long story short Tow truck guy using flat bed dropped off car and now we cannot shift it out of gear The auto transmission stick will not engage or move Is this a simple fix

Please help

Have you considered contacting the tow service and asking what they did or did not do? The vehicle was towed to you, is it supposedly in working order?

You may have asked the same question in a different way and in a different post. https://e9coupe.com/forum/threads/automatic-stuck-in-park-and-will-not-release-to-neutral.38463/ The advice provided seems sound. At the risk of repetition, there is a "C" or "E" style retainer clip that secures the linkage. It can be removed with a small flat head screwdriver or possibly even a fingernail. Caution: It is easy to remove and easier to lose.

If what you are describing is a vehicle with an automatic transmission engaged in park, then it is likely that someone played with the shift linkage or unscrewed the shift T handle and failed properly to reattach it with the right button depressed. It is easier to demonstrate than describe. The handle needs to be screwed on with the right button depressed to provide maximum extension of the internal shaft (look below). This part of the shift mechanism is designed to prevent inadvertently shifting the transmission out of Park. All of this presumes that your vehicle is equipped with a T-handle shifter as distinct from the singular stick. In any event, for the purpose of moving the car, rather than locking it, you can manually move the shift linkage from underneath the car by disconnecting the linkage from the T-handle shifter (in the cabin). Again, the easiest disconnection point is at "D" in the illustrations (or "3" bottom illustration from similar but different model). That said, I'm still guessing your problem is remedied by disengaging and properly reattaching the T-handle shifter.

 

[Arde]

A 5-speed conversion will get you unstuck .

 

[HB Chris]

For posterity’s sake, the early ZF auto box has no Park lock and has the stick type handle. The DOT required a Park lock and BMW switched to the Getrag box with the T handle and the locking button. Some early Getrag boxes up until May 1972 still had the stick handle though.