Transmission shifting when cold?
 

My '17 BRZ Limited w/ Performance Pkg has an issue when it's cold. From google searching I got mixed review if it's normal or not.


In the first five minutes of driving it when the vehicle is cold (not outside cold temp, but when engine/trans not up to temp), I can hardly get the damn thing to downshift to second gear when slowing to a stop (I'm talking 10mph or slower). I have to double clutch it and it helps. The car has 3,500 miles on it. The car has done this from day 1, and I hate bothering the dealer if it's normal. The car is bone stock. To me, in the many years I've been driving (and 95% of the cars I've owned are all manuals. I currently have 3 cars, and they are all manual).


Thanks in advance!

If you look through this forum, you'll see that this is very, very common with with the twins. Let her warm up or learn to expect it and you'll be all set.

I have 2014 BRZ and it too has a sticky 1st to 2nd when the transmission is cold. I think it's a common occurrence. I usually try to avoid or minimise the 1st to 2nd or double de-clutch. The stickiness goes quite quickly.

Super common. And super frustrating. Often I have trouble getting into first or second. Sometimes when at a stoplight I'll row between third and fourth a couple times to stir up the fluid. That makes getting into first or second easier.

It's certainly annoying! But if it's common, then it is what it is. It makes no sense to me, but I didn't design the transmission :)

Be thankful your not in Canada. My car at -20C is happiest double clutching upshifts when cold for the first few shifts between 1-2 and 2-3.

The car is will tell you what it's happiest weather slowing down shifts or double clutching. The twins for me are one of the more sensitive transmissions I have used when cold.

It's not a cheap solution, but the sti engine and trans mounts made a huge difference in low gear engagement in all sorts of situations on my 2017, including cold weather.

Normal 100%, I also have to double clutch to downshift into 2nd when the trans fluid is cold, otherwise it won't go in at all unless I really force it. I typically double clutch into 2nd anyways regardless of temperature, these cars tranny are known for having a notchy 2nd gear and double clutching just makes it go in easier compared to forcing it in from 3rd to 2nd even at low RPMs. Always have to double clutch to down shift into 1st. Never have problems with upshifting hot or cold.

A little disappointing since my old civic, which by all accounts is just a passenger car, had a much smoother shifter regardless of weather :/ Literally could downshift into 2nd from 3rd at any RPM with my pinky finger without double clutching.

Is this still as common in the '17s?

Like everyone has said, this is a very common issue with these cars, and yes it is an issue. Every other car ive driven does not do this when its cold. What i did to solve the problem was drain all the transmission fluid out of the trans and differential and replaced it with Motul Gear oil 300. I have not had a single issue since then. The trans fluid that subaru puts in these cars is garbage.

I've literally had that issue with every Subaru I've owned going back to my 87 wagon.

This topic comes up every other day during the Winter it seems. It’s a characteristic of Aisin transmissions. The S2000, NC Miata and BRZ that I’ve owned have all been a bit notchy or resistant shifting into 2nd when cold. I’ve found that a quick blip of the throttle actually smooths out the shift when cold and by the end of the street in my neighborhood the fluid seems to be flowing enough to make engaging 2nd easier. The reasoning/excuse given by the manufacturer is that the tight tolerances that make the transmission such a joy to shift at normal operating temps, make it a bit stiffer when cold.

Got my 17 PP a month ago, 600 miles on it now and I did notice the transmission is slightly 'stiffer' when cold but it's not really a big deal at all.

I actually think it's probably more to do with the fact that I don't think the clutch is adjusted properly as I get a tiny jolt when I put it into gear with the clutch pedal fully depressed. Now I know a car will still spin the wheels ever so slightly with the clutch still fully depressed if they were up in the air but this is a slight but noticeable jolt when on the ground.

Another thing I've noticed is in below zero weather, I start the car and release the clutch and it jolts as if it's in gear. Will only do this in the cold and I never noticed it until I switched to Motul. Worst change I ever made. Maybe it's good for the summer months but it's just awful for winter.

don't swift into 2nd when it's cold. :bonk: That's what i did when my car was new....till I changed transmission fluid. :D

Thanks to that horrible experience for 2 months .....I let my car sit for at least 10 mins before i started driving for like 1 year before i stopped doing that..... and even now when the car is cold I stays at 3k in 1st or 2nd before i left my community.

It's really gay when you can't shift into 2nd on the way to work... i don't think I will never forget how worried I was at the time. lol

helpful, thank you for posting

Had difficulties with 1st and 2nd for the first mile or 2 in the winter until about 10k miles (first 2 winters). It got less restrictive after that and now I don't really notice. Or maybe I just figured out how to deal with it automatically :iono:.

The transmission is always connected to the wheels, so if you are off by half a tooth on the selector, the drivetrain or engine side of the transmission would have to rotate a bit. If your transmission doesn't like to rotate, then you will probably feel a very small jerk.

This is why I stuck with OEM, too much mixed reviews with Motul.

With my NC Miata I had this issue until I switched the MT fluid to Genuine Ford XT-M5-QS. After that, the transmission was buttery smooth, any temp, any time. That was the recommended and trusted fluid people had used for years, so wasn’t a fluke or me choosing things at random. I’m a little disappointed the FT86 community hasn’t found their version of that ford fluid.

The fluid itself is good however it is thicker than OEM fluid and requires a bit of warming up. Once at operating temp its butter.

Not in my car. And certainly not when cold. Motul 300 here.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Also no issues with Motul fluids here. The weather around here isnt as cold as it is in Canada on average, but I've driven in <10 Fahrenheit without issues.

I actually experience more issues going from neutral to first than first to second :(

I used the magic Ford juice in my NC Miata as well and there was still some slight notchiness when first starting off in the morning on a cold transmission, but it was really no big deal at all... I just drove it easy until the end of the street and it was good after that. I drive my cars very gently anyway until the engine has had time to fully warm up.

my old nc miata behaved about the same as this transmission. it was also a notchier transmission which i actually like. Once it warms up its fine. the temps around here, rev matching is fine to get it into second though i usually double clutch until its warmed up.

Good point ....... who wants to be "speed shifting" while the engine is cold anyway ...... :iono:


humfrz

Not an issue of speed shifting, but for my NC at least it was an issue of 2nd being inaccessible.

*sigh* I feel like a broken record in here.

Cold shifting is not a problem if the issue is understood. It is 100% fixed with driver mod.

Does anyone want me to go into it? ...again?

Well I don't think the issue is resolved if it takes an adjustment to the driver. That's what we call a work around. I say we should look at the root cause and address that, which is clearly not the driver.

The transmission is not going to change.

And I don't call it a workaround. I call it learning how to drive.

Ehh, its more like learning how to adapt. Unfair to imply someone doesn't know how to drive just because theyre not used to these "quirks"

That being said, I've gotten kind of used to it, but its still annoying on some groggy mornings. Heavy shift knob also definitely helps lol.

You are right. The transmission is not going to change. That doesn't change the fact the transmission is the problem.
If a professional driver has trouble shifting this transmission, do you think that driver just needs to "learn how to drive"?
I'm quite confident I know how to drive, as do other BRZ owners I know. Yet we all have problems with the tranny at some point.

My Cooper S tranny was absolutely brilliant compared to the piece of crap in our cars. Never had hot shifting or cold shifting issues, or any issues. Could get into any gear at any time, provided I blipped the throttle as needed. Having experienced that level of perfection, I have to say it feels a bit crappy having to get used to this poorly engineered and seemingly haphazardly thrown together transmission.

If our transmission was in an Alfa it would be described as character. As it's in Japanese machine it's described as 'crap'. Poor car..

Yes. I don't just think it. I clearly said it.

I have no trouble with this transmission. I know exactly what is happening when it's cold and I deal with it.

Do those same professional drivers complain to tire manufacturers about the lack of traction when their tires are cold?

It's not just this transmission. All manuals sharing a couple key characteristics behave exactly the same way. There is no 'fix.'

Adapting isn't the same as understanding which, although I didn't state clearly, is really what I meant when I said "learning."

I'll change it to "understanding how to drive with this transmission."

Did your NC have a 5 speed or 6 speed MT ..??

I never had a problem shifting my 2006 5 speed Miata transmission ...... :iono:


humfrz

Same here. I came from a Miata 5 speed to my FR-S 6 speed MT.

I never had (have had) a problem shifting with either one.

The only thing I had to "learn", in making the transition, is that now I have ...... one more gear ...... :thumbsup:


humfrz

Deal with what? There's nothing to deal with if the transmission works as it should, right? :D:cheers:

yeah in the 80s lol. We're talking about a toyota (beacon of reliability and user friendliness) released in 2017.

There is a fix, it's called 'compromise'

And it leaves everybody unhappy.

Which gen? The F56 one is crap, the knob has come off in my hands three times on course and it's vaguer than a passive aggressive lover.