Won't go into first when hot and in traffic
 

Hey guys

Sometimes when I'm driving in deep traffic I'll try to put the car in first gear but I get locked out. I tried having the dealer look at it but they couldn't replicate the problem.

So anyone else experiencing this?

When the car is moving or stopped?

Because I believe you aren't supposed to put it into first if you're going fast than 5 mph...

Agree with this except not sure on the actual speed. If your car is rolling in traffic, there is no need to go to first. It places unnecessary stress on the transmission and engine, don't do it unless after you come to a complete stop

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Have noticed what OP is talking about; not really a temp issue, but when going over a certain speed it is difficult/impossible to go in to first (like when coasting in to a stop sign, I would try to put it in first preemptively; no longer).

Just uh, don't put it in first until you're going slow enough. Worked for me!

Use 1st gear when the car is completely stopped. If you're already moving use 2nd.

What everyone else said. Also double clutching usually makes it easier to get into first.

I downshift into first at like 15mph sometimes. Pretty sure there's no lockout...

i know exactly what you are talking about OP.

in order to disengage the 'lock', tap your gas pedal, as RPM goes a bit up, it will slide right into 1st gear

Always rev match. Every gear. Especially a downshift to first!

Why would you ever need to downshift into first?

Because there's a stopsign handy and I want to practice for slow corners? I didn't think downshifting to first was a real thing either until I drove Pike's Peak. When you're entering a 15mph, steep, uphill corner at 9,000 feet, you really don't want to take it in second :3

I've started doing it all the time for my driveway here at home, too-- it's transition from a steep hill onto an even steeper driveway end and has a not-so-great transition that you really want to take slowly to avoid scraping or just upsetting the car as you accelerate up it. You can do it in second-- barely-- but you really lug the engine doing it. The car is much happier in first.

It's really not much harder than downshifting to any other gear once you get used to it. You just need to be a little more precise with your rev-matching than usual.

The following is a comment that is inappropriately applied to the OP's question because it applies to a specific situation that the OP did not describe. It therefore may imply to some other readers that shifting into first gear "... at like 15mph sometimes..." is advisable.

In this case when one states a procedure in their initial post one should explain the circumstances. In this case, describing that it was a Pike's Peak situation and not a common driving habit.

I've had the same problem climbing Mount Hamilton in a mark one MR2. Switchback, uphill, at granted less than 9000 feet, you really need to be in first gear to get out of the turn. I'd recommend rev matching, and/or double clutching. If you're on the flat, and don't need a lot of power, just go to second gear.

Ummmm it was in direct response to this dude:

...who implied that there's a speed-related lockout on first gear? There is no such thing; that's all I'm saying. If the OP is getting locked out of first gear then something is Wrong(TM).