348 1st gear issue

Assuming your clutch is good and it makes no difference whether the transmission oil is warmed or not ie. problem is intermittent my money would be on the gear cables need lubricating.

Had the same problem myself particularly when slowing down and wanting to change into first youd never know whether it was going to do it or not. Lubricating the cables sorted it.

Paul's done a video on youtube and I took a few pics when I did mine here:

Lubricating Shifter Cables

Basicly, remove the long central undertray so the 2 long red cables are eposed, disconect either end then whilst off the car lubricate the life out of them and then reinstall. Should notice a big improvement in shifting especially between the lower gears

 

That cable shifter is not the best...

 

It's the cables, and the way they have the shift shaft aranged. In general, it suck.

 

You have the opportunity to adjust the cables. In my case, I had a hard time shifting from third to second, even with high revs shifting down. I raised the car on jack stands and took away the long cover fitted on the middle of the floor. My shifter hitted the gate in second, so I adjusted both cables three turns, so the shifter came back about 15 mm. After that, it has been a great improvement.

 

I don't mean to hijack this thread but a very quick question since were in the neighborhood of the subject. On 348 underneath the gate I've seen some cars with a rubber boot and some don't. I'm talking about inside the car underneath the gate on the shifter. Anybody know if that's a factory or aftermarket piece?

 

Its a factory part and superced that useless piece of foam which jams in the controls.

Item 52 on the diagram below and part#145498

http://www.eurospares.co.uk/partTable.asp?M=1&Mo=434&A=1&B=23667&S=
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