2nd gear cold start problem
 

Has anybody experienced their 2nd gear making a clunk/metal noise? Everytime i cold start my car until it warms up and drive it first thing in the morning its kinda hard to shift it to 2nd gear and makes that clunk/metal noise(which is kinda embarrassing when people hear it and be like oh this dude is new to stick shift/irritating. But after a few minutes of driving the 2nd gear is smooth to shift and doesnt make that sound. Idk whats the problem but im guessing i should change the transmission and differential fluid? I already complain this to the dealer but the mechanic said it was normal. Anybody knows how to fix this problem?

Mine does this sometimes too. Not sure of the solution. I have a brand new transmission too


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This car is known for being hard to shift first/second gear when cold. Completely normal. I can't even shift into second if my RPMs are below 4k when cold.

As for the metal/clunky noise you're hearing: If it sounds like a heavy "thunk" coming from the rear when you shift into first, then that's normal as well. If it's more of a metal grindy noise, that could be a transmission problem.

Edit: Just re-read your post and saw that you hear when shifting into second, which I can't comment on.

What's your mileage? How do you use your car? Hard driving/track or daily drive?

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upshift no. downshift, i could force it but i rather double clutch.

@Beachin86 the has 35,000 miles when i bought it from toyota and right now 37-38,000 i think. Yeah it makes that “thunk” sound. Did you by any chance change your transmission fluid? Also im wondering why my friends brz is diffirent from mine like shifting the gear is much shorter and pressing the clutch to the floor is light and shorter too while my frs kinda has a travel when pressing the clutch and a bit hard which is normal to me loll

Starting in here might help:
Engine, Exhaust, Transmission - http://www.ft86club.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=8

or

Issues | Warranty | Recalls / TSB - http://www.ft86club.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=72

Yep, as others have pointed out, it's most likely the nature of the beast.

As your mechanic says "it's normal".

Some folks have had some luck by changing the transmission fluid.

I suggest you just let the transmission warm up a bit before you start driving ....... or just be patient with the 1-2 gear shift.


humfrz

New game: try to break the world record for the most instances of the word 'Normal' in a single thread. I see we are off to a good start.

My contribution: It's normal.

:popcorn:

I've been using Motul transmission fluid for the past 3 - 4 years and never really experienced that 2nd gear clunk after switching out the factory fluid. When I was using factory transmission fluid it would get that clunk when it was cold.

Master the quick 1-2 flick for minimum force.
Master double-clutching your way through missed/down shifts.

Getting smooth with this cold transmission will make you a MT jedi.

These things make every friggin noise possible. Hard to believe they were made in Japan. If they were European we would celebrate the noises as part of the "driving experience " lol. In reality it's just part of owning a 25k sports car.

Either just toot the horn between the 1-2 shifts......

OR

start off in 2nd gear ......



Fixed ..... :thumbsup:



humfrz

Shift it back and forth while standing, in the morning, before you get going. Just a few times from first to second and vice versa. Spreads that lube nicely (hehe)

Your reaction is normal under normal circumstances.

yes, like everyone has said, this is quite normal for the twin's MT.

..best way to avoid it is before taking off let the car warm up a little longer and move your stick between 1st and 2nd a few times.

don't think you've driven many 90s sports cars from Japan then lol

I have been combating with shifting shitty gears in my brand new M/T BRZ from the day one. In actual, every gear is hard, crunchy, making funny noise when cold. Things get better and better the more the car and the transmission is fully warmed-up and as the mileage piles on.
Even at fully-operating temperature like after an hour of long drive, if you stuck in the traffic for too long, the gear will become sticky again. I need to rev the car up and do a couple of high-rpm pulls to clear the gear up.

My tip: In the morning or after the cold start, I will warm the synchros up by:
1. Reving the engine up to 2-3 K rpm
2. Cluthch-in immediately
3. Put the gear into 1st. You will feel the resistance because the synchro is trying to do its work by braking/slowing down the rotaion speed of the countershaft. Just be gentle pushing the lever into the gear position....
4. Put the gear into nutral
5. Clutch-out
And strart it all over with other gears.


This way of warming up the synchros can reduce the frustrate time I must endure with when the engine and tranmsion are cold.

Some have had luck using Pentosin MTF for cold starts, but stock Subaru MTF should work just as well.

I've been using Pentosin MTF2 for the last 70K+ miles. Occasionally I still encounter a hard shift into 2nd, but all other times, it feels 10X better... especially when the tranny's still cold after first starting up the car.
As long as it doesn't grind, the clunky/metal noise is normal.

So I replaced the transmission and differential fluid with motul 300. It shifts smoother now but still making that clunk/metal sound on 2nd sometimes 3rd gear. I think the sound is coming from under the shifter and also i could feel it when im putting it on 2nd & 3rd gear. This only happens when im driving normal or just cruising around(2000-2500rpm) but when i do spirited driving it doesnt make any sound. Should I replace my shifter maybe?

How many miles on the car?

@Ultramaroon 41000 miles. It was 35000 miles when i got it and thats when i noticed the sound. The mechanic who works at the dealer said it was normal but for me they just saying that so i could go back.

Oh, just keep up the spirited driving … ;)


humfrz

@humfrz yeah ive been doing that most of the time loll. But there are times i feel like meh

It'd help to hear a recording of the sound but I can see where that might be difficult.


I don't mean to grill you but I'm trying to get a feel for your expectation of the transmission. Have you been driving stick for long?


This transmission can make some loud clunks when shifting. If it's just the clunk of it dropping into gear, that's ok.

@Ultramaroon ive been driving for a long time now. I drove a lot of my friends car brz, frs, golf, civic and so on. All of them are fine every shift is smooth nothing makes any sound. I feel like this part is the one that makes the sound where it connects to the linkage? It might be broken or since its a 5 year old car so it shows some wear and tear? ill check it tomorrow just to be sure.

Ya, I know...;)

@Ultramaroon may be onto something when he asks you about your expectations of a MT transmission.

For example, I drove an NC Miata with a 5 speed MT for over 80,000 miles and I don't remember one time, that I felt (or heard) a peep out of it when I changed gears.

Now, my FR-S is a bit different, not that it's not stubborn nor does it grind when shifting gears … but, a lot of times I do feel the gears meshing when I shift.

"Feeling the gears meshing" is my expectation of this transmission.

It's not a smooth as my old miata's transmission, it's just different.

;)


humfrz

There's a trick to feeling for wear at that joint you circled. You shouldn't be able to rotate the shift lever about its vertical axis at all. If there is any looseness there, then it would confirm your suspicion.


It would also feel really sloppy - like dramatically...


Let us know what you find.

Does that really help?
I'll try that next winter :w00t:

Yep works for me