Shifted into wrong gear, now won’t start

[Teriyakimadman]

Hello everyone, I recently bought a 2000 z3 2.3 with the 6 speed manual. It has 162,000 miles, has original motor and trans, with only intake, headers and exhaust as modifications. I was driving down the freeway around 60 mph in 3rd gear, right after downshifting. I was attempting to shift into 4th gear but missed and went into 2nd. After doing that the car sounded like it was gurgling and spitting out the exhaust, began to lose power and wouldn’t shift into another gear. I eventually stopped and now it won’t turn on. At times when I turn the key, it will “turn on” but be at like 100 rpm and quickly turn off. Most times when I attempt to start it, it appears to be attempting to turn but slowly over 5-10 seconds stops trying and doesn’t turn on. Anyone have any ideas what could be the problem?

 

[Chrisr1949]

Hi and a big to our forum from Southport near Liverpool UK. It sounds like a collapse of something in the exhaust system, cat, muffler, etc.

 

[Chrisr1949]

You might not get a lot of replies until tomorrow, there's a big soccer match tonight, the European Cup final, Spain v England, and there's been the Wimbledon Mens tennis final, the Spanish guy won.

 

[AntStark]

If it’s 6 speed then it’s not the original transmission. 60 in 2nd gear might be terminal 🫤

 

[Teriyakimadman]

Yeah I meant to say 5 speed, my fault. But when you say terminal, you mean RIP?

 

[AntStark]

You would have put a lot of strain on the gearbox at that speed..it may well indeed be dead. Have you run any diagnostics on the car?

 

[Duncodin]

If it’s 6 speed then it’s not the original transmission. 60 in 2nd gear might be terminal 🫤

Valve bounce? Is it possible for piston to come in contact with valve? On some engines it can happen at very high engine revs. Engine is protected from it by rev limiter when you floor the gas pedal and try to rev too high. But rev limiter can't help if you stick it in 2nd gear at 100mph

ie piston coming up too fast for the valve spring to pull the valve out of the way. Terminal as in bent valve stem.

But I'd have thought that 60mph in second gear wouldn't be enough to cause it. So might be something else..

 

[the Nefyn cat]

Time to take the cam cover off and gasp in amazement at the carnage inside. Or not.

 

[motco]

My daughter was going down a steep hill in a diesel Escort and she swears she changed down into fourth to slow the car but I reckon she went into second. Anyway piston rod out through the side and oil haemorrhaging everywhere suggested I was right. It still ran on three cylinders but the oil loss and loud clattering spelled doom. As Duncodin said, the rev limiter does nothing when this situation happens.