I hated my cdv. Gear changes between 1st and 2nd were rubbish with it in. I removed it and all was well. No other car has had one that I've owned and I think the problem was I couldn't get used to it. Either way the clutch feel is much better without it. If you're not used to driving manual then leaving it in will help you get smoother gear changes? Bmw said the reason for it was to take the shock out of the driveline but all it does is cause premature clutch wear. I also did the `clutch pedal stop' mod too.
Take offs and 1st to 2nd gear changes are going to be hardest to a new manual driver. I'd also swap that diff out (I'm assuming you haven't done that yet). It sounds like you might be dumping the clutch a bit when you describe "harsh shifts." Try easing off the clutch at a smooth, constant rate and start to give gas when you feel engagement. Also, the longer you wait to shift from 1st to 2nd the harsher the shift will be. Try shifting to 2nd before 2500rpm.
after driving my e46 320i manual for around 1.5-2 years i never have really felt like it i mastered the clutch. sometimes it went good, other times a bit harsh even when you dont feel like your doing anything different. Now i drive a e46 M3 6 speed manual and its way easyer to shift than my old 320i (both 2002)
m3s don't have cdvs, but bmws in general are hard manuals to shift. Hydraulic clutch, dual mass flywheel, heavy heavy pedal....we're not talking Honda civics here.
@@thepincushionman7063 Thanks for the input, but is nothing related to the transmission itself. It's the dreaded CDV. My car is a 99 EU, so I assumed it doesn't have one. Little did I know that is actually has one, I was shocked to see it there. It's still in as I did not have the time to remove it. However, the clutch-stop mod is fantastic. It alleviates the problem almost entirely. Best "mod" I did to the car. And it also looks more OEM than the OEM clutch stop :)
Tons of letters in Roundel magazine by folks driving manuals all of their life (50+ years old) and not being able to drive their E46s smoothly due to the CDV. Local BMW shop removes them on every car that they get to work on. It builds in slipping which is not a good thing imho. I found to maximize the smoothness is to let the clutch out 97% of the way before getting into the gas. Personally - I would opt for a cable driven clutch as that always seemed to give me the most feedback and smoothness.
Parking nearby my house is only possible on the curb. If I image doing this with the CDV, the clutch would be worn out within half a year. By the way if you get used to it you shifts will be a lot more smooth but that needs concentration.
The reason you had that pressure as you let off is the helper spring on the clutch pedal for return. Remove the spring and Cdv and bam it feels super easy and you won’t burn your clutch when dropping it.
Just had mine CDV mod install. It is a night and day difference no jerky shifts from 1st - 2nd. This is a must mod. At first I wasn’t sure but I just got it done today and bled the clutch. This is a must mod for this car. Please take my advice and get it done as soon as possible. I love my car now!!!!!
Lol, different strokes for different folks I guess. I'm taking mine out next weekend as I hate it, can't seem to get a nice shift from 1st to 2nd unless I drive like tortoise and wait for the revs to drop enough to match 😒 But to be fair i'm gonna be drifting mine so I don't want any driver AIDS 😂😂😂
*cough cough* Practice makes perfect.. I had a car who's clutch had plenty of material but the springs were shot.. it was horrible to get the clutch to engage properly.. but after some practice I got it just right.
I'm going through that problem right now with my car. Daily commute, that one hill climb, rather steep and leads to a roundabout so cars have to wait and car's behind look at me like i can't drive, but the clutch delay valve doesn't allow the car to go without putting in a large amount of acceleration just to squeeze the clutch and snap it into release it makes the car jerk forward weirdly because its done whilst the car is stationary on a steep hill. Its crap sometimes because its embarrasing when you have passengers. Even 1st and 2nd is surprisingly so bad most times it always involves my car doing a baby jerk trying to keep its balance standing up and its very embarassing and takes a lot of fun and energy out the driving experience for me. It doesn't happen all the time i just want to be able to stop and go how i want but I'm apprehensive of the gear ratio between 1st and 2nd if it will be smoother. Can you give me more detailes on the the difference without the cdv.
@@darkemperor418 You can try taking it out. If that doesn't help you can clean and reinstall the cdv. When it gets dirty over the years it functions poorly
My e46 has a really high and narrow engagement point. Was yours similar before and if so did it help going from a complete stop? Tired of stalling in my steep driveway in front of my neighbors 😂
Thanks for that it was very helpful info.... in my drift car with a single mass it's important that I remove it or I'll end up slipping the clutch and ruining before it's even worn in 👍🏼
When I first got my E46 manual I got frustrated by the clutch feel. Being used to drive manual my whole life, I just could not find the engagement point of this clutch when trying to shift quickly. So I decided to remove the CDV, and it got a lot better. Unfortunately though, it is still not where it should be, and I assume it is related to another problem I am having, which is the bouncy idle and delayed throttle response problem. Interesting to see your clutch feel seemed to actually improve by inserting the CDV 🤔.
M. Hayes, no idea yet how to improve that, but I am busy investigating it. Seems a bug in the ECU software, triggered by some sensor that is not working correctly... Have to figure out what it is.
I am almost certain that the idle bounce and the throttle lag are related to each other, so if you fix the bounce, your throttle will probably also respond much better. Could you explain the bouncing idle symptom you are having in the winter? Maybe make a video of it? I am really interested in knowing about other cases... I get that you are from "down under", so making a video may be difficult since it is probably not cold enough anymore, right?
haha yeah its not winter here anymore, but the revvs just go high and low (bounce) when its cold on initial startup when the engine is still cold aswell. e.g: upon startup it will start normally and after initial startup it will idle at under 1000 and will bounce to over 1200 for about 20 seconds then idle normally. not sure if its just because it cold outside and the engine is cold too, or if there is a more serious problem like a vacuum leak or something
M. Hayes, it could always be caused by something like a vacuum leak, but in that case you should have other symptoms too, like misfires and check engine lights. I assume it is a manual car. Do you get bouncing idle when coming to a stop and pressing the clutch at traffic lights or similar? Or only right after starting the engine? Do you have more difficulties taking off in first gear with cold engine?
How the heck do you drain the clutch so easily? Mine will barely release anything, even if the clutch pedal is pumped and held pressed by someone. I watched another video where someone mentions that “hydraulic” clutches must have new fluid pumped inwards from the bottom to push air bubbles out by the reservoir, or have a vacuum bleeder pull it out. Why is that with mine but not yours?
I wanted to let my BMW specialist remove the cdv in my 2003 325i Touring m sport, but he tells me the valve is part of the fluid line, so impossible te remove. Are you guys familiar with this setting?
btentusscher it is not a fixed part of the fluid line. You can simply remove it and then attach the line directly (without any adapter) to where the valve was attached to before. Any mechanic should be able to do that easily once he takes a look under your car...
I have removed that and driven a 140k driveline km car at drift events with multiple full on clutch drops to the point both engine mount where broken. Clutch and dual mass flywheel was fine... You cant drive the car smoothly with that shit valve, maybe you have a clutch smell fetish, but It drove me mad the the way it slipped every time I accelerated hard through the gears. Trust me, I have had a couple of e36 and e46, that does not belong in a drivers car.
@@DJzSith so I'm curious because I have 240k miles on my car so the clutch has to be getting somewhat bad but this is what my car does exactly, slips when accelerating hard at all through all gears. I might remove it and see if it helps even though my clutch is probably worn as well
@@GPerformance7 definitely remove it and I would suggest replacing the clutch I did the stage 2 xdr clutch the pedal isn't much heavier than stock unfortunately I also had to replace the flywheel
Please make a video on clutch starter switch. I think my car is having a trouble related to clutch starter switch. It is not cranking or starting. Changed battery and alternator not fixing it.
Hi hope all is well. I like your channel and think you do a great job on the e46. I would like to know how much you would charge, to get a Manual swap on my car. Is the car on my profile picture.
I hated my cdv. Gear changes between 1st and 2nd were rubbish with it in. I removed it and all was well. No other car has had one that I've owned and I think the problem was I couldn't get used to it. Either way the clutch feel is much better without it. If you're not used to driving manual then leaving it in will help you get smoother gear changes?
Bmw said the reason for it was to take the shock out of the driveline but all it does is cause premature clutch wear.
I also did the `clutch pedal stop' mod too.
Take offs and 1st to 2nd gear changes are going to be hardest to a new manual driver. I'd also swap that diff out (I'm assuming you haven't done that yet). It sounds like you might be dumping the clutch a bit when you describe "harsh shifts." Try easing off the clutch at a smooth, constant rate and start to give gas when you feel engagement. Also, the longer you wait to shift from 1st to 2nd the harsher the shift will be. Try shifting to 2nd before 2500rpm.
after driving my e46 320i manual for around 1.5-2 years i never have really felt like it i mastered the clutch. sometimes it went good, other times a bit harsh even when you dont feel like your doing anything different.
Now i drive a e46 M3 6 speed manual and its way easyer to shift than my old 320i (both 2002)
m3s don't have cdvs, but bmws in general are hard manuals to shift. Hydraulic clutch, dual mass flywheel, heavy heavy pedal....we're not talking Honda civics here.
My e36 and e46 both have rather light clutches, but the e46 is a pain to change gears at low speeds when driving slowly.
@@mariuszanfir2298 you could have a problem. Have you changed the trans fluid or trans/shifter bushing? Could be worn bearing or gears too.
@@thepincushionman7063 Thanks for the input, but is nothing related to the transmission itself. It's the dreaded CDV. My car is a 99 EU, so I assumed it doesn't have one. Little did I know that is actually has one, I was shocked to see it there. It's still in as I did not have the time to remove it. However, the clutch-stop mod is fantastic. It alleviates the problem almost entirely. Best "mod" I did to the car. And it also looks more OEM than the OEM clutch stop :)
you're the best man. even now, appreciate all your vids.
Tons of letters in Roundel magazine by folks driving manuals all of their life (50+ years old) and not being able to drive their E46s smoothly due to the CDV. Local BMW shop removes them on every car that they get to work on. It builds in slipping which is not a good thing imho.
I found to maximize the smoothness is to let the clutch out 97% of the way before getting into the gas. Personally - I would opt for a cable driven clutch as that always seemed to give me the most feedback and smoothness.
I have exactly same situation with my msg manual swap. Planning doing the same thanks for the info
Parking nearby my house is only possible on the curb. If I image doing this with the CDV, the clutch would be worn out within half a year. By the way if you get used to it you shifts will be a lot more smooth but that needs concentration.
The reason you had that pressure as you let off is the helper spring on the clutch pedal for return. Remove the spring and Cdv and bam it feels super easy and you won’t burn your clutch when dropping it.
Just had mine CDV mod install. It is a night and day difference no jerky shifts from 1st - 2nd. This is a must mod. At first I wasn’t sure but I just got it done today and bled the clutch. This is a must mod for this car. Please take my advice and get it done as soon as possible. I love my car now!!!!!
Lol, different strokes for different folks I guess. I'm taking mine out next weekend as I hate it, can't seem to get a nice shift from 1st to 2nd unless I drive like tortoise and wait for the revs to drop enough to match 😒
But to be fair i'm gonna be drifting mine so I don't want any driver AIDS 😂😂😂
Can't wait to see you sort out the diff! :)
*cough cough* Practice makes perfect.. I had a car who's clutch had plenty of material but the springs were shot.. it was horrible to get the clutch to engage properly.. but after some practice I got it just right.
Was always weird doing hillstarts with a CDV.
I'm going through that problem right now with my car. Daily commute, that one hill climb, rather steep and leads to a roundabout so cars have to wait and car's behind look at me like i can't drive, but the clutch delay valve doesn't allow the car to go without putting in a large amount of acceleration just to squeeze the clutch and snap it into release it makes the car jerk forward weirdly because its done whilst the car is stationary on a steep hill.
Its crap sometimes because its embarrasing when you have passengers.
Even 1st and 2nd is surprisingly so bad most times it always involves my car doing a baby jerk trying to keep its balance standing up and its very embarassing and takes a lot of fun and energy out the driving experience for me.
It doesn't happen all the time i just want to be able to stop and go how i want but I'm apprehensive of the gear ratio between 1st and 2nd if it will be smoother.
Can you give me more detailes on the the difference without the cdv.
Hello devin
@@darkemperor418 You can try taking it out. If that doesn't help you can clean and reinstall the cdv. When it gets dirty over the years it functions poorly
@@danielskrskr jheez I posted this 3 years ago I've got a merc now 😂
@@darkemperor418 Did you ever try anything with the clutch delay valve?
My e46 has a really high and narrow engagement point. Was yours similar before and if so did it help going from a complete stop? Tired of stalling in my steep driveway in front of my neighbors 😂
You also don't want brake fluid on painted areas because it is thought to damage paint and maybe cause corrosion ;)
Sound advice
Thanks for great video, i have only drove once without CDV and i think there is not so much difference, maybe better without..
Quality vid, thanks 50sKid.
Thanks for that it was very helpful info.... in my drift car with a single mass it's important that I remove it or I'll end up slipping the clutch and ruining before it's even worn in 👍🏼
When I first got my E46 manual I got frustrated by the clutch feel. Being used to drive manual my whole life, I just could not find the engagement point of this clutch when trying to shift quickly. So I decided to remove the CDV, and it got a lot better. Unfortunately though, it is still not where it should be, and I assume it is related to another problem I am having, which is the bouncy idle and delayed throttle response problem. Interesting to see your clutch feel seemed to actually improve by inserting the CDV 🤔.
delayed throttle response? how do you improve that?
M. Hayes, no idea yet how to improve that, but I am busy investigating it. Seems a bug in the ECU software, triggered by some sensor that is not working correctly... Have to figure out what it is.
I am almost certain that the idle bounce and the throttle lag are related to each other, so if you fix the bounce, your throttle will probably also respond much better. Could you explain the bouncing idle symptom you are having in the winter? Maybe make a video of it? I am really interested in knowing about other cases... I get that you are from "down under", so making a video may be difficult since it is probably not cold enough anymore, right?
haha yeah its not winter here anymore, but the revvs just go high and low (bounce) when its cold on initial startup when the engine is still cold aswell. e.g: upon startup it will start normally and after initial startup it will idle at under 1000 and will bounce to over 1200 for about 20 seconds then idle normally. not sure if its just because it cold outside and the engine is cold too, or if there is a more serious problem like a vacuum leak or something
M. Hayes, it could always be caused by something like a vacuum leak, but in that case you should have other symptoms too, like misfires and check engine lights.
I assume it is a manual car. Do you get bouncing idle when coming to a stop and pressing the clutch at traffic lights or similar? Or only right after starting the engine? Do you have more difficulties taking off in first gear with cold engine?
I'm so glad I found this video. I got my e46 to drift and it was pissing me off that it wouldnt clutch kick.
Chris Corpus you do not have the clutch delay valve right?
Great video, thanks. Could you do a rear trailing arm bushing video?
How the heck do you drain the clutch so easily? Mine will barely release anything, even if the clutch pedal is pumped and held pressed by someone. I watched another video where someone mentions that “hydraulic” clutches must have new fluid pumped inwards from the bottom to push air bubbles out by the reservoir, or have a vacuum bleeder pull it out. Why is that with mine but not yours?
Whats The Line Called Thats All Flared And Stuff ??
I wanted to let my BMW specialist remove the cdv in my 2003 325i Touring m sport, but he tells me the valve is part of the fluid line, so impossible te remove. Are you guys familiar with this setting?
btentusscher it is not a fixed part of the fluid line. You can simply remove it and then attach the line directly (without any adapter) to where the valve was attached to before. Any mechanic should be able to do that easily once he takes a look under your car...
When I open my clutch bleeder valve the fluid it's not dropping like yours but it's pouring. Do you have idea why?
I have removed that and driven a 140k driveline km car at drift events with multiple full on clutch drops to the point both engine mount where broken. Clutch and dual mass flywheel was fine... You cant drive the car smoothly with that shit valve, maybe you have a clutch smell fetish, but It drove me mad the the way it slipped every time I accelerated hard through the gears. Trust me, I have had a couple of e36 and e46, that does not belong in a drivers car.
So should i remove it?
@@Supremepikachu Absolutely! Its not event "the best mod" its a must do.
@@DJzSith so I'm curious because I have 240k miles on my car so the clutch has to be getting somewhat bad but this is what my car does exactly, slips when accelerating hard at all through all gears. I might remove it and see if it helps even though my clutch is probably worn as well
@@GPerformance7 definitely remove it and I would suggest replacing the clutch I did the stage 2 xdr clutch the pedal isn't much heavier than stock unfortunately I also had to replace the flywheel
Please make a video on clutch starter switch. I think my car is having a trouble related to clutch starter switch. It is not cranking or starting. Changed battery and alternator not fixing it.
Hi hope all is well. I like your channel and think you do a great job on the e46. I would like to know how much you would charge, to get a Manual swap on my car. Is the car on my profile picture.
?
So will deleting this valve make my e46 shift like my crotch rocket?
Clutch feel is going to be better, with that crap thing you barely feel something. Stupid idea from bmw.
I blew the cracked my cylinder head shortly after this comment
@@willk3807 lol what
What’s a “soda bottle”?
On another note, is your trans seeping fluid from somewhere? It looks as if there is dripping fluid from a shaft seal or selector seal
I think maybe I didn't put enough thread sealer on the flywheel bolts. Tryin' to cut corners by not buying new ones. Don't do what I do, lol.
50sKid lol yeah I get what you're saying. I had bought a new selector shaft seal. Only now I still have to put it in 😂
Will it works on a non M smg ?
NO DUMPING CLUTCHES ALLOWED
What track is this at?