Anybody else have 2nd gear probs when it's really cold?

[demonpoofball]

Thanks to the NASIOC "similar threads" feature, it sounds like it's not exactly uncommon as at least some people did in 2011, but still curious enough to ask…

Anybody else get the horrible grind or really hard time shifting in to 2nd when it's really cold? This morning was the first time *I've* noticed it, and it was well below freezing (it was in the detached garage, but it was also about -10° out when I left). I only let it warm up a few minutes until the engine sounded ok, but it's pretty clear the oil wasn't as when I got up and over the main street I couldn't get it into 2nd (grinding at first and it just really, really not wanting to go in to gear after). 3rd was no prob (except for going a bit too slow at the time), but not 2nd until about 1/2 mile later. Apparently it needs a bit longer to warm up…

My husband has had it happen a few times, and has become really defensive as I was in the car one of the times he ground it and I joked about if he was learning to drive a manual… (he's had a manual daily driver since '95, when I taught him to drive one ). It wasn't necessarily quite as cold for his, but the engine definitely wasn't warmed up. He's happy I've now done it too

I also noticed that a 2006 thread mentioned needing to essentially double-clutch to downshift to 1st (or, as I do, be "old school" when it's cold out and wait until I'm completely stopped as it doesn't want to go easily otherwise). Thought I'd make sure that's not just a work around too. (that's what we need to do to get the WRX into reverse occasionally…)

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[demonpoofball]

Duh***8230; wasn't about to post over there though, so didn't search there first***8230; Great explanation, and apparently something to brag about :P
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...e+shifting+2nd

[ryager]

My 08 used to do it all the time, I would go through each gear while warming the car up, seemed to work a little better. Although first was impossible to get into on that car if going faster than 5.

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[soslow]

Redline mt85

And bring the rpms up to about 3k in 1st when it's cold before dumping into 2nd.

[CopperTopNWOR]

Even with a good transmission fluid change I still have second be a bit fussy until I get to the last stop sign in my development. You just sort of deal with it. You can get it in 2nd if you rev match it correctly but that is certainly the most temperamental gear when cold.

[ChrisTahoe]

I put Pentosin MTF2 in my BRZ and it made a world of difference. 2nd used to be a bit fussy at around 30°, now it doesn't start to get fussy until 10° or so.

[CopperTopNWOR]

With Motul 300 I am good till around 20 or so with zero issues. Biggest factor is just how long I let it idle before I drive.

[demonpoofball]

Good to hear it's normal-- it's workable, and no biggie since it's not an actual problem. It did better this morning, I shifted a few times while warming it up which may have helped. Of course, it was also 20° warmer (though still about 15° out)

There should be a "known quirks that aren't anything to worry about" thread.


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[OrbitalEllipses]

Double clutch will fix it. Interestingly, I had this issue starting in late Fall of Year 1, but almost entirely avoided it in Year 2. Once it started dropping into the low 20s and teens the problem returned, but far later into the season - old fluid and less tight box (22K miles) made it better.

[gravitylover]

Use the syncros. When you upshift give the throttle a blip to bring the revs up (rather than letting them drop initially) and it will slide right into gear. Don't let the clutch out until the revs have dropped to the right range. Double clutching will not do any good because you let the revs drop way too low.

What are y'all new to driving stick?

[Jive Turkey]

EVERYONE.

changed fluids, and just let the fluid get up to temp before you drive hard.

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by gravitylover

Double clutching will not do any good because you let the revs drop way too low.

Works for me every morning for the two or three shifts 2nd gear is misbehaving.

[chanomatik]

Just had my transmission fluid swapped. My cold morning start-ups and shifting were starting to get a little stiff. However, this winter has been particularly cold since ya'll in the Lower 48 have been stealing Alaska's snow. I generally will run outside to start my car in the morning and let it run for a while before I leave, but these last few days I've driven off without letting it get THAT warm and have had some struggles with shifting back down to 2nd. Not enough to really complain about, though. I just have to shift slower than usual.

I've had WAY less gear grinds in this car than I have any previous MT Subie. 2011 WRX was the worst, followed by the Forester and then the STI. Funny how the STI with the Aisin transmission gave me as few troubles as this BRZ's Aisin has as well.

The transmission fluid was swapped with OEM grade at the dealership. Ain't got no time for anything else, and Subaru dealership claimed they didn't stock Extra S bottles, only the drum. Would've enjoyed having Extra S in it, but oh well.

[gravitylover]

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

Works for me every morning for the two or three shifts 2nd gear is misbehaving.

Curious, do you actually take your foot off the gas or do you keep it resting on the pedal? If you keep it resting on the pedal the rpm's probably don't drop much, if at all, and this allows the syncros to do their job. Most people do this so for them double clutching works well.

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by gravitylover

Curious, do you actually take your foot off the gas or do you keep it resting on the pedal? If you keep it resting on the pedal the rpm's probably don't drop much, if at all, and this allows the syncros to do their job. Most people do this so for them double clutching works well.

The user flow is as follows assuming car is in third gear (clutch pedal NOT depressed, gear selector lever in 3rd gear):

1. Depress clutch
2. Move gear selector lever to N
3. Lift foot from clutch pedal
4. Depress accelerator pedal to appropriate RPM
5. Lift foot from accelerator pedal
6. Depress clutch
7. Move gear selector lever to 2nd gear
8. Lift foot from clutch pedal

For 1st-2nd it's the same thing but with less gas.

[sonnier96]

I have that 2nd gear problem. It's fine about 5-10min after I start driving.


sonnier96

[Jerm95gt04WRX]

Mine makes some irritating noise when shifting into second sometimes that has no correlation to how I operate the clutch pedal or shift the car. Something really worrysome happened to me yesterday, at that moment you are just coming to a stop I went to first pulling up to a light, and the car spit me back out of first I could feel it in the gear lever. The clutch pedal was pushed the entire time and it was at the correct moment that should be easy on the sychro. Is my first gear sychro fooked?

[ChrisTahoe]

Mine will do that sometimes if I'm too gentle putting it in first at just the right (or wrong) speed.

2nd gear is fine in the cold since I put Pentosin MTF2 in.

[chanomatik]

Interesting... never had shifting issues, unlike my 2011 WRX. It can be a little slow to shift in the cold for sure, but not a huge struggle, and definitely no popping back out or anything like that.

[Jerm95gt04WRX]

Originally Posted by chanomatik

Interesting... never had shifting issues, unlike my 2011 WRX. It can be a little slow to shift in the cold for sure, but not a huge struggle, and definitely no popping back out or anything like that.

Well the popping out was weird because I never let the clutch out so why should I be feeling anything? I'm pretty good at driving a stick smoothly so I question if I should take it in to the dealer while IM in warranty. I do feel sometimes like the clutch doesn't engage properly since the car was new but I just figured that is the finnickness of the car. Grr I wonder if they can check it somehow.

[chanomatik]

That's what happened with my 2011 WRX. It would have a slight notchiness when I put it into 3rd gear. Then it had a little resistance. Then it would pop out. Then 3rd and 4th gear were gone. Found out the shift fork was bad and it eventually broke off from wear. Because of how much I drove the car, it happened within the warranty period (34.5k miles in 2 years), but I still had to pay out-of-pocket first to have it fixed, then Subaru "good will" reimbursed me. It was $1,500 to have the transmission pulled apart, investigated and repaired.

The dealership had kind of shrugged it off when they drove it, saying it was just a WRX thing. If they can't replicate the issue, they won't waste time and money on you. If you're willing to pay for it FIRST, then they'll play ball. You'd have to call Subaru first, open up a case, then have the shop repair it and then see where to go from there.

It sucks, but that's the best process I've seen and experienced. Definitely if your car's engine is modded AT ALL then you're screwed. So I'd highly advise returning to stock first.

[Jerm95gt04WRX]

Yeah the brz is 100% stock and hasn't seen any driving events. It has never popped out of first gear when driving, only giving me the weird resistance when putting the lever into first. I obviously don't shift down to first gear often man pretty discouraging

[chanomatik]

I guess I should clarify that my 3rd gear would pop out after I thought it had engaged successfully. So it just had a hard time staying in at the first try, then I'd clutch in and put 3rd gear back in and THEN it would stick. Once my 4th gear started doing the same thing that's when I knew I had problems, and it went out completely shortly afterwards.

Do what you can to log the issue with your dealer. I'd mention it during oil changes (if you take it to the dealer for oil changes). Otherwise the other thing you can try is a transmission fluid flush. I doubt you have many miles on your car.

[jtsimaras]

I have this trait as well in mine until warm. I'ved owned numerous manuals with the same trait so no biggie to me.

[Jaw2218]

Apparently the BRZ Transmission took a lot of design notes from the s2000 transmission and that this is perfectly normal