1st gear problems

[Timothy Shandonay <tims@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello all,

I am new to the group and new to BMWs.  I just purchased an 87 325.  The
car has 160k on it.  From what I could gather from the original owner he
took excellent care of it.  There are some minor problems that I am
attacking myself and won't mention here.....But the one thing that is
concerning me the most is the downshift into 1st gear and sometimes into
second.  It takes some fairly hard constant pressure to force the
transmission into 1st.  It seems to get a little better once the car is
warmed up.  There aren't any unusual noises or grinding when I do this.
The one thing that I can come up with is that I need some lighter
transmission oil for here in Michigan compared to what the car used in
California for most of it's life?  Could anybody please shed some light
on the subject?

Thanks much.

Timothy Shandonay
'87 325

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