Had it for about 2 1/2 years now, and it has 36,000km on it.
Lately I've noticed that when I gear down from second to first, the synchro-mesh occasionally seems to let me into 1st before the rpms have synched up properly - it results in a bit of a thud, or even the occasional skip of a gear (dare I say the 'g' word?)
Anyhoo. It really feels as if this has come on over the past few months, and I'm not pushing the shifter any harder.
Can the synchro-mech mechanisms be adjusted? I'm just hoping to educate myself a bit before I call the dealer, so I don't sound like I'm talking out of my @$$.
Learn to double-clutch and you won't have any problems.
That said, no, there's no "adjustment." The synchros can and do wear out however. The only advice I can offer is to make sure that your clutch is releasing completely and perhaps change the gear oil in the transmission. other than that you are looking at big $$$ to tear down the tranny and replace the synchros.
I drove an '84 GTI for years with no 2nd gear synchro at all. Was a good lesson in double clutching; I had to learn pretty damn quick, or else never downshift!
36,000 km is awfully early for the synchros to be worn out. On the other hand, why are you bothering to downshift to first on the move at all? The usual reason for downshifting to first is because you are slowing to a stop. Why not save the wear on the transmission and just wait till you are stopped before shifting to first? Heck the first few manuals I drove didn't even have synchronized first gears. Manufacturers did not think it was necessary. If you are just trying to go fast, you are probably losing more time downshifting to first than the extra performance you are gaining will justify.
No adjustments are possible, although a fluid change may help. It is also possible that your clutch is dragging. If the clutch doesn't disengage properly it makes the job of the synchros much harder. The 1st gear synchros are usually the first to show this problem. Check clutch disengagement by bringing the car to a complete stop with the clutch disengaged. Shift into first, and then slowly shift into reverse. If you feel any grinding or notchiness, your clutch may be dragging.
If you can't "fix" the problem by changing the fluid or adjusting the clutch, a transmission rebuild may be the only way to fix the 1st gear synchro. Before you spend a lot of money on a transmission rebuild, I'd suggest you modify your driving style.
Not sure how cars vary but my wife's mazda mx6 has 215K miles on it with the same clutch and never has a problem grinding and never even tried to double clutch. Neither one of us "down shift" to brake so typical shift is relatively sychronized going up through the gears. Maybe that helps. She did work downtown for several years so these aren't all highway miles.
Yup - that's exactly what I'm doing - coming down to a stop - and the rpms are only going up from say 1000 to 1500 when I do it. I'm really at a crawl when this happens.
And the reason I put it into first as I slow to a stop is that I like to go easy on the brakes when I can; if I can use the motor to slow me down as I go, I do it; even at that speed.
And it is rare - only happened a handful of times - it just feels like with the same amount of light pressure on the shifter as I slow down, the synchro occasionally lets it slip into 1st a little early, and the tranny kind of hitches.
I'm not really concerned; I don't think anything's really wrong with it; it's just that I'm pretty sure it was a little tighter when I first got the thing and my driving style has been consistent (I think!) ;-)
I'm in for service next week; I'll mention it to them.
Oh - and I tried double-clutching from 2nd into first as I slowed down. I almost have to heel/toe when I do it, to keep the brakes on so I don't bap into the car in front of me as it comes to a stop. I don't think that's gonna work out. ;-))
Well there y'go. Why wear out your cheap and easy to replace brakes when you can use the expensive trans to do the job. But, if you really want to to continue to use (or abuse) your trans, try changing the oil to GM's friction modified oil or an aftermarket equal.
Lesson #1- brake pads are MUCH cheaper than clutches to replace.
Lesson #2- brake pads are a HELL OF A LOT cheaper than synchros to replace.
That said, if you've worn the synchro out in that few miles, I have to wonder if you're habitually downshifting to first without FULLY releasing the clutch. With the clutch completely disengaged, its not a lot of abuse on the synchro to spin the pressure plate up to speed. Or Subaru still makes the same kind of cr*p they made years ago...
BD wrote: } Hey, all... } } I have an '02 Subaru WRX. } } Had it for about 2 1/2 years now, and it has 36,000km on it. } } Lately I've noticed that when I gear down from second to first, the } synchro-mesh occasionally seems to let me into 1st before the rpms have } synched up properly - it results in a bit of a thud, or even the } occasional skip of a gear (dare I say the 'g' word?) } } Anyhoo. It really feels as if this has come on over the past few } months, and I'm not pushing the shifter any harder. } } Can the synchro-mech mechanisms be adjusted? I'm just hoping to educate } myself a bit before I call the dealer, so I don't sound like I'm } talking out of my @$$.
No adjustments in the transmission, but you may be able to adjust your shifting technique. On my '62 Ford when shifting into 2nd I would push until I felt some resistance where the syncros started working, then I'd pause for a second to let the sycros do their work, then it slid right into 2nd without any grinding.
Huh? Just slow to a stop and when the engine's speed drops to near idle push in the clutch until you completely stop, then shift into first just before you drive off. Personally if it is a long light, I leave the transmission in neutral and the clutch out until just before I need to move off. I believe there is no point for is going down through the gears when you are coming to a stop if you are just doing normal everyday driving. In fact, when I still had a car with a clutch, I usually just shifted to neutral when approaching a red light and only shifted back into a gear when I needed to accelerate.
And if you really believe it is illegal to stop in neutral, please cite a few references. I don't know about "most" states, but I do know there is nothing in the North Carolina Statutes that make stopping in neutral illegal. It would have to be a pretty specific law that makes it illegal to have the transmission in neutral, but legal to have the clutch disengaged.
I don't think it's illegal to stop in Neutral in Oregon but I do recall the drivers manual recommending against it. The concern is that if your sitting waiting at a light minding your own business with the vehicle in neutral and out of the blue you get rear-ended, your foot will come off the brake and you will get bounced into traffic. If your in gear and this happens and your foot slips off the brake, then your other foot is going to come off the clutch and your vehicle will immediately stall out.
Why not just wait until you're at a complete stop until shifting into first, unless the light turns green before you do so?
I appreciate your desire to save your brakes, but in this instance IMHO it's false economy. Brake pads and rotors are cheaper than any of the other components involved in slowing you as you describe.
That might just be some general drivetrain slop; I know in my 944 the ring and pinion is a little loose and I can get the same effect if I don't shift very carefully. In an ideal world I would have the transaxle rebuilt; but I'm fairly sure that that would add up to a significant fraction of the car's value, even if I did the R&R myself. It's not the CV joints; all of those are new.
Why not? it's a good skill to learn. If nothing else, I always take notice when I hear another driver executing a nice heel and toe downshift, because it's so rare. Speaking of which, is it just me or do foreign cars seem to have pedals much more amenable to heel and toeing than American cars? I've got fairly wide feet but even I have a hard time doing it in my '62 Studebaker - the brake pedal is just too far away from the gas, and they're on different planes.
nate
(who's been limited to driving only an automatic the last couple weeks, as the Fabulous BeaterPorsche is in the body shop as I write this :/)
Sitting STOPPED in neutral is fine (in fact, it saves the throw-out bearing and you should always sit at a light in neutral with the clutch released, rather than in gear with the clutch depressed). But COASTING to a stop in neutral is specifically against the law in Texas, and I presume many other states as well. Not that its frequently enforced...
No, it failed to function properly and you should get a warranty replacement. Coasting in neutral IS specifically prohibited in many states' traffic codes.
Hi, BD. I've read all above posts. You indicated willingness to learn and practice--good open-mindedness, IMO. Please consider learning to drive w/o down-shifting to 1st. Other gears, optional. I *personally* think it unnecessary to d-shift to 1st, except on those rare occasions when you are attempting to slow to a stop and at the last second, the lite turns green. This woud occur when you are close to being stopped, and would be at a speed where anything faster, 2nd gear would be adequate for acceleration. I believe that when older cars were not synchroed in 1st and reverse, there was this reason: there was not much need in d-shifting to 1st (and, of course, no need for reverse). We were taught in school-bus driving, by state instructors, that down-shifting was ok so long as we avoided d-shifting to 1st--and these buses were synchroed in all but reverse. Sure, their trannies were somewhat different from today's cars; but d-shifting to
1st was a completely different feel (and used different mechanical components inside the tranny) than d-shifting to 2nd or higher gears. Having driven many, many different cars, due to having pursued an auto-related business, I've never driven a car that I felt I could justify the need to d-shift to 1st. (PLEASE note the use of the word *I*, and not generalizing to necessarily include others.) Driving the same vehicles, I feel I COULD justify d-shifting to any of the other gears. Having said all this, you may considering trying a modified driving pattern to exclude d-shifting to 1st. I honestly believe that if you try it for a few weeks, you will agree and adjust accordingly. Respectfully suggested, s
Yes, I agree. I tried some double-clutching the other day, and decided that no thanks, that wasn't for me. And you're right; it's only when I'm coming close to a rolling stop at a right turn that I ever drop down into 1st (and not each time at that). And of those times, it's only been a handful of times that it didn't go in perfectly smooth.
I am basically discarding any urge to go down to 1st at a corner, unless I stop completely. I agree that there isn't much reason for it.
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