2018 cold shifting

[2020BRZtS]

My 2020 BRZ does the same thing but then again every car I've owned in the last 30 years has done it at one time or another. It usually happens before the car has totally warmed up and it feels like you have to give it a little nudge into second gear. There's a little resistance it but it will go into gear.

I don't drive very high-end cars - 2 Celicas, a tC, and now the BRZ and and the second gear cold nudge was always common. It usually goes away after about 15 minutes of driving and I don't think it's too much to worry about.

Over time, you will probably find yourself double clutching into 1st or reverse as your clutch and TOB experience normal wear... again nothing to worry about.

As others have mentioned the platform is a little less refined, and that was intentional. Personally I like the rawness of the car, all the way down to the lack of Jesus handles.

[C4RBON]

You guys complaining at 60 degF have it easy; try shifting when it is 0 degF! I had to reverse into parking spots and leave it in 1st, otherwise I'd be waiting 10 min before I could even move. Fortunately, it does get better with age. And after 30,000 miles I switched to Motul, which also helped quite a bit. Then I bought a 2nd car and the issue went away entirely!

Also, it is an excuse to learn how to double-clutch.

[Stomachbuzz]

Originally Posted by 2020BRZtS

My 2020 BRZ does the same thing but then again every car I've owned in the last 30 years has done it at one time or another. It usually happens before the car has totally warmed up and it feels like you have to give it a little nudge into second gear. There's a little resistance it but it will go into gear.

My experience differs.
Never before have I had a vehicle that has done this. Again, it's not a serious issue, just...odd? concerning? awkward? Not sure the right word.

I've never had a car that I've had to actively tell myself "okay, don't try to shift into 2nd gear like normal, I have to shift super slow and shove it through that weird resistance"

I'm talking about 20 year old shitboxes I've had. From 1995 Civic, 1994 Nissan hardbody, 2000 Tacoma, 2005 Tacoma (owned the 5spd/4cyl and 6spd/v6), 2003 Jetta, 1997 Boxster, 2004 Focus, etc. All of them over 100k miles with unknown fluid.

All of them have shifted pretty well, and perfectly consistent through each gear and temperature.
Again, not a huge issue, but absolutely something that needs to be updated in year-to-year tweaks.

[jonboy99]

I'm on my 2nd brz. The first one I went through about 6 different lots of tranny fluid trying to fix it, endless clutch pedal adjustments, etc. With each it felt better for a short while then back to how it was. My current car I just left stock and it feels no worse than the first car ever did.


These cars just have awkward gearboxes when cold (and sometimes when hot). I have also had no other cars in nearly 30 years of driving stick that pissed me off so much when the gear box is cold, but I've learnt to live with it. It's still my favourite car.

[jonboy99]

Originally Posted by jonboy99

I'm on my 2nd brz. The first one I went through about 6 different lots of tranny fluid trying to fix it, endless clutch pedal adjustments, etc. With each it felt better for a short while then back to how it was. My current car I just left stock and it feels no worse than the first car ever did.


These cars just have awkward gearboxes when cold (and sometimes when hot). I have also had no other cars in nearly 30 years of driving stick that pissed me off so much when the gear box is cold, but I've learnt to live with it. It's still my favourite car.

Oh, and I just set off in 2nd when it's really cold. Makes drifting out of side streets easier too...

[Decep]

yeah 2nd gear can be a bitch in the mornings. And thats here in an area of CA where it doesn't even get to freezing temps. I've found it helps to row through the gears before setting off.

[sukumizu]

Originally Posted by Decep

yeah 2nd gear can be a bitch in the mornings. And thats here in an area of CA where it doesn't even get to freezing temps. I've found it helps to row through the gears before setting off.

It was pretty bad with the factory transmission fluid, swapped in motul 300 a couple weeks ago and going into first in the morning is even worse. But once it's properly warmed up it's a night and day difference in how much better it feels.

[Larphraulen]

For the first 10 min of a drive, I'll shift 1-N-2 instead of 1 straight down into 2. This is all while holding the clutch down throughout the shifter movement (ie: not double clutching). I have no idea why this works well, especially with low revs in cold weather. That being said, I've been doing it here where it's -20C and the shifter is buttery smooth on stock fluid.

[Feistyfrog]

You guys are talking about upshifts right?

This is my first winter with the 86 and we've had a couple really cold mornings over the last weeks and I've had no problems with upshifts, even when the car isn't warmed up. It was -14C this morning and I had this thread in mind. I did a couple of stops on my commute before I got to main road. Nothing different on upshifts than when the car is warmed up or the outside temperature is above freezing. Obviously, it's not the time for a lazy left foot but like @Larphraulen said, it's buttery smooth on mine with stock fluid.

To me, the "issue" is with downshifts when it's cold. The second and first gear are nearly impossible to engage while moving without rev match (doesn't always work), double clutching or going through gears. It's no big deal and it makes me do longer stops than I would normaly do. It might even saved me from a ticket last week, so it's not all bad.

Oh and what about reverse? Mine is a bitch the colder it is...

[N_Raged]

Originally Posted by Larphraulen

For the first 10 min of a drive, I'll shift 1-N-2 instead of 1 straight down into 2. This is all while holding the clutch down throughout the shifter movement (ie: not double clutching). I have no idea why this works well, especially with low revs in cold weather. That being said, I've been doing it here where it's -20C and the shifter is buttery smooth on stock fluid.

This is what I do as well after reading about it from another thread. However it's become a permanent habit of mine even when the car is warmed up - it helps me with timing because of the rev-hang in first gear.

I have to be swift - while pausing in neutral for a brief moment - and trying to not press against the sides of the gate, it will slip into 2nd like butter and like it's perfectly synchronized.

When it's really sub-zero outside, I'll idle the car until the engine oil temp reaches 22*C on my Torque app. Then I'll row through 1-2-3-2-1 a few times to circulate the tranny fluid before driving off.

Sometimes the first shift into 2nd might take some muscle, but after that it's an easy flicking motion 1-N-2 I can do with my fingertips.

Oh and I'm on still on stock fluid. Considered Red Line MT-90 for a while but I've been able to live with how it shifts now.

[PenGun]

Whats happening is that the shifter is hanging up on the reverse gate. I saw a vid on youtube, Straight Pipes, that showed that this is what is making the first/second shift difficult. I can confirm its true, and so can you.

[N_Raged]

Originally Posted by PenGun

Whats happening is that the shifter is hanging up on the reverse gate. I saw a vid on youtube, Straight Pipes, that showed that this is what is making the first/second shift difficult. I can confirm its true, and so can you.

That was a Raiu edition that was passed around to all of the local journalists including a buddy of mine and they all reported the same thing. I think something was wrong with the stupid STi short shifter in that Raiu. I personally think the stock shifter is fine and the car does not need the short shifter.

I did read about an actual Raiu owner on this forum also having difficulty shifting from 1st to 2nd. Possibly more evidence that the short shifter was a bad idea.

[PenGun]

Originally Posted by N_Raged

That was a Raiu edition that was passed around to all of the local journalists including a buddy of mine and they all reported the same thing. I think something was wrong with the stupid STi short shifter in that Raiu. I personally think the stock shifter is fine and the car does not need the short shifter.

I did read about an actual Raiu owner on this forum also having difficulty shifting from 1st to 2nd. Possibly more evidence that the short shifter was a bad idea.

Its the same tranny. Lets put it this way. With that in mind, I can avoid the reverse gate and shift perfectly even when cold.

[wolffbite]

Originally Posted by N_Raged

That was a Raiu edition that was passed around to all of the local journalists including a buddy of mine and they all reported the same thing. I think something was wrong with the stupid STi short shifter in that Raiu. I personally think the stock shifter is fine and the car does not need the short shifter.

I did read about an actual Raiu owner on this forum also having difficulty shifting from 1st to 2nd. Possibly more evidence that the short shifter was a bad idea.

Wouldn't be a bad idea to check if your reverse lockout plate is aligned correctly based on your symptoms.

https://demos.starbase7.net/t3Portal..._rm_index.html

Drivetrain > TL70 Manual > Shifter Lever Assembly > Installation > 11. ADJUST SHIFT LEVER POSITION

A few people on here have had to adjust this plate on their stock shifter that was misaligned from the factory. I had to install and align mine after a short lived experience with an IRP shifter and have had no issues before or after.

I doubt the STI shifter itself is to blame. It's a direct drop in replacement of the OEM one into the same carrier, and uses the same plate. My money would be on the plate not being aligned properly.