Can a Transmission Problem be diagnosed with this issue I'm having?

[Veloist]

I'll be honest, I don't know much about how a car works...I just love to drive them.

With that being said, I needed some help to identify if I have a problem with my gearbox, or if I'm just paranoid.

Let me say that I sell Subarus and I have driven many new BRZ's with 5-6 miles on the odometer and none of them have ever had this issue I'm having.

Here is my vehicle info and its problem:

Model Year: 2016
Model: BRZ
Production: August 2015
Mileage when new: 5 miles
Current mileage: 28 miles
Delivery Date: 9-29-2015

Main problem of concern:
The shifter often gets stuck in between left neutral position and center neutral position after getting out of 1st or 2nd when the car is off. Enclosed is a picture for reference, where the red "X" marks the spot where the shifter gets stuck before returning to default neutral position.



When moving the shifter left in right, I can feel a notch right where the red "X" is as well, but only if I'm coming out of 1st or 2nd. This is still when the car is off.

I tested this out on another BRZ in my inventory...a 2015 with 45 miles on it and it didn't have this noticeable notch/issue where it was getting stuck. Today, we got a 2nd 2016 BRZ with 5 miles on it and it didn't have this notch or problem either. This is all with the car turned off.

Other issues that may be related/I'm concerned about:
I can feel the gears/synchros clash when shifting into 2nd and 3rd while driving. It also has the metal crunch when going into 3rd.

What does this mean and what part of the transmission would this even be related to?

The reason I'm a little paranoid is essentially that the other new BRZ's aren't exhibiting this issue. So I can't fully feel comfortable saying that I'll break it in more to see if it goes away.

Thanks in advanced!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[humfrz]

Well, @Veloist, here is my take on this.

A manual transmission is not a precision made piece of machinery.

Many need to be "broken in" before all the parts get to know and work well with each other.

Some are smoother that others, right out of the box.

Since your car has only 28 miles on it, I suggest that you drive it for a few hundred miles and see if it doesn't smooth out.

As far as shifting, here are my thoughts:

I would suggest that when shifting, wind up the last gear pretty tight (>4,000 rpms) before shifting into the next higher gear.

Also, when shifting from 1st to 2nd, pull the shift lever slowly and firmly into 2nd gear ....... same for 2-3 (except push it ..... ).

It's not a toggle switch ..... the lever is moving heavy transmission parts.

I suggest you NOT "lazy leg" it .... push the clutch pedal all the way to the floor.

Hey, it's under warranty ..... so, you have time to give it a chance to smooth out.


humfrz

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Well, @Veloist, here is my take on this.

A manual transmission is not a precision made piece of machinery.

Many need to be "broken in" before all the parts get to know and work well with each other.

Some are smoother that others, right out of the box.

Since your car has only 28 miles on it, I suggest that you drive it for a few hundred miles and see if it doesn't smooth out.

As far as shifting, here are my thoughts:

I would suggest that when shifting, wind up the last gear pretty tight (>4,000 rpms) before shifting into the next higher gear.

Also, when shifting from 1st to 2nd, pull the shift lever slowly and firmly into 2nd gear ....... same for 2-3 (except push it ..... ).

It's not a toggle switch ..... the lever is moving heavy transmission parts.

I suggest you NOT "lazy leg" it .... push the clutch pedal all the way to the floor.

Hey, it's under warranty ..... so, you have time to give it a chance to smooth out.


humfrz

All that^^^^^


Don't:





Up or down shifting: 1st, 3rd & 5th use just the heel of the hand don't grab knob







Up shifting (when moving away from you): just use the tips of your fingers





Down shift (when pulling toward you) 2nd, 4th & 6th use a couple of fingers







All pictures exaggerate the positions.
The most common shifting error made is gripping that knob Vin Diesel style and trying to manhandle it into gear. Your body actually fights the lever and makes the notch seem way worse than it is. If your revs are right you should be able to firmly yet gently just guide the lever where it already wants to go. Don't try to fight the gates.

[why?]

Does it do it if the car is on and you are just sitting in position? Or when you are actually driving?