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    Jan 13, 2007 3:32:45 PM

    996Turbo
    Junior
    996Turbo
    Loc: Metro NY
    Posts: 51, Gallery
    Registered on: Jan 2, 2007

    1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    I have a low mileage 2003 996TT and find it quite difficult to shift into first gear when the car is cold. As it warms up the shifting gets easier. I had this problem with the stock shifter, and yesterday installed a short shift kit. While it is a bit easier, I still find 1st gear a bit trickier than shifting to the other gears. As the car (and I assume tranny fluids) warm up it gets easier. Any suggestions?

    Jan 14, 2007 7:40:37 PM

    Flying_Dutchman
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    Flying_Dutchman
    Loc: European Union BE BXL , Belgium
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    Registered on: Aug 13, 2003
    Reply to: 996Turbo

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    Maybe the cables between the shifter and the transmission need some tuning .

    Jan 14, 2007 10:11:31 PM

    Dock (Atlanta)
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    Dock (Atlanta)
    Loc: Atlanta, Georgia
    Posts: 386, Gallery
    Registered on: May 1, 2002
    Reply to: 996Turbo

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    Quote:
    996Turbo said:
    I have a low mileage 2003 996TT and find it quite difficult to shift into first gear when the car is cold. As it warms up the shifting gets easier. I had this problem with the stock shifter, and yesterday installed a short shift kit. While it is a bit easier, I still find 1st gear a bit trickier than shifting to the other gears. As the car (and I assume tranny fluids) warm up it gets easier. Any suggestions?



    My Turbo does the exact same thing (B&M shifter...properly installed and adjusted).

    Jan 17, 2007 2:48:48 AM

    996Turbo
    Junior
    996Turbo
    Loc: Metro NY
    Posts: 51, Gallery
    Registered on: Jan 2, 2007
    Reply to: Dock (Atlanta)

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    Next time in the shop I can ask the guys to check the cables. If others are finding the same problem, I gueess I'll have to learn to live with it. ZGo figure for a car as highly rated (and priced) as a 996TT.

    Jan 17, 2007 8:13:09 PM

    Dock (Atlanta)
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    Dock (Atlanta)
    Loc: Atlanta, Georgia
    Posts: 386, Gallery
    Registered on: May 1, 2002
    Reply to: 996Turbo

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    When my transmission warms up the B&M short shifter is just great! The minor stiffness associated with a cold transmission is a very small price to pay IMHO. On a similar note, my EVO Stage 2 upgrade does not run as smoothly when the engine is cold as it does when the engine is properly warmed up...

    If your B&M shifter is hard to use when the transmission is warmed up, the shifter is not installed or adjusted properly.

    Jan 18, 2007 3:15:38 PM

    996Turbo
    Junior
    996Turbo
    Loc: Metro NY
    Posts: 51, Gallery
    Registered on: Jan 2, 2007
    Reply to: Dock (Atlanta)

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    The stiff shifting is when cold and seems to be better when warmd up. Could this be a function of the tranny fluid being too thick or some other mechanical issue?

    Jan 20, 2007 1:29:25 AM

    Dock (Atlanta)
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    Dock (Atlanta)
    Loc: Atlanta, Georgia
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    Registered on: May 1, 2002
    Reply to: 996Turbo

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    It's just like walking outside in cold weather and, without warming up, attempting to throw your fastest "fast ball". My guess is that in this case you'd be pretty stiff.

    Jan 25, 2007 3:09:19 AM

    996Turbo
    Junior
    996Turbo
    Loc: Metro NY
    Posts: 51, Gallery
    Registered on: Jan 2, 2007
    Reply to: Dock (Atlanta)

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    I drove the 996tt to work today and stayed late on a project. When I left the office at 7:30 PM the temperature was below freezing and I could barely get the tranny into 1st. I was worried if I pushed the shifter any harder it might break something. This can't be right, can it? After about 15 minutes of driving it got a bit easier to shift into 1st. HELP!

    Jan 25, 2007 11:34:11 AM

    easy_rider911
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    easy_rider911
    Loc: London , United Kingdom
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    Registered on: Nov 8, 2004
    Reply to: 996Turbo

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    AFAIK when it's really cold this can happen randomly on the 997 too. Just a suggestion: if you find that the gear lever doesn't slot neatly into 1st gear, put it into 2nd (or at least nearly into 2nd) then try putting it into 1st gear. I think this solution works when experiencing this problem while at a standstill and the car has been in neutral. I wouldn't try to force the lever into 1st.

    Jan 25, 2007 11:10:14 PM

    Dock (Atlanta)
    Pilot
    Dock (Atlanta)
    Loc: Atlanta, Georgia
    Posts: 386, Gallery
    Registered on: May 1, 2002
    Reply to: 996Turbo

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    Quote:
    996Turbo said:
    I drove the 996tt to work today and stayed late on a project. When I left the office at 7:30 PM the temperature was below freezing and I could barely get the tranny into 1st. I was worried if I pushed the shifter any harder it might break something. This can't be right, can it? After about 15 minutes of driving it got a bit easier to shift into 1st. HELP!



    In very cold weather my B&M exhibits the same stiffness...until a little heat has been generated in the transmission. I warm my Turbo up a bit longer in cold weather...it doesn't take long for the heat from the engine to radiate far enough to help with the 1st gear stiffness.

    And as mentioned in the post above, I try to select 2nd gear first, then select 1st gear (from a stop).

    Jan 26, 2007 1:46:30 AM

    996Turbo
    Junior
    996Turbo
    Loc: Metro NY
    Posts: 51, Gallery
    Registered on: Jan 2, 2007
    Reply to: Dock (Atlanta)

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    Thanks to all. I bought this car just a couple of months ago and wanted to make sure not to do anything foolish. This is my 4th 911 but the first with this issue.

    Jan 26, 2007 4:42:11 PM

    Leawood911
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    Leawood911
    Loc: Kansas, USA , United States
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    Registered on: Aug 29, 2006
    Reply to: 996Turbo

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    If the lever does not want to slide into the gate, release the clutch (while in neutral) for a second and depress it again (putting it in second gear and then back to first is really doing the same thing - giving the syncro a second chance - but is perhaps not necessary.).
    After you release and depress the clutch for the second time the lever will likely drop right into gear (the first time you got it caught between two cold cogs).
    The same trick also works well if you have difficulty with reverse. Both reverse and first have more 'cogs' and so they are more difficult to mesh when cold. This is an oversimplified explanation but it paints the right picture.
    Hope this helps.

    _easy notice -
    I would like to note that my post here is not in reply to any post by Easy_Rider911 - until the ban is lifed by the MAN himself. (Although, I do find his request for me to stop posting replies to his 'works' not only amusing but a very impressive and mature legal 'tactic'. )

    Jan 27, 2007 3:45:45 PM

    996Turbo
    Junior
    996Turbo
    Loc: Metro NY
    Posts: 51, Gallery
    Registered on: Jan 2, 2007
    Reply to: Leawood911

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    Leawood, thanks for the info. When the local snow, sand and salt go away I'll try out your suggestion.
    And what's all the nonsense with Easy_Rider911 all about?

    Jan 27, 2007 4:53:21 PM

    easy_rider911
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    easy_rider911
    Loc: London , United Kingdom
    Posts: 22190, Gallery
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    Reply to: 996Turbo

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    I have had a few discussions in the past with Leawood911 which didn't end well. I don't propose to bore you with the detail.

    As a result, I no longer wish to discuss anything with him again. So I made a polite request to him not to interract with me.

    He, of course, chose to misconstrue this request. I would have thought my humble request was pretty clear to anyone minded to understand it.

    He knows he is perfectly at liberty to reply to other people's posts here on Rennteam whether I may happen to have made a little comment or not.

    Sometimes I wonder whether people deliberately try to be awkward/annoying or whether they are just naturally like that. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I couldn't care less either way.

    Jan 28, 2007 4:55:24 PM

    996Turbo
    Junior
    996Turbo
    Loc: Metro NY
    Posts: 51, Gallery
    Registered on: Jan 2, 2007
    Reply to: easy_rider911

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    Well OK then. Pity we can't all play nice in this relatively small sandbox.

    Jan 28, 2007 10:49:36 PM

    easy_rider911
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    easy_rider911
    Loc: London , United Kingdom
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    Reply to: 996Turbo

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    Since my last post, I am happy to say that Leawood911 and I have resolved our differences amicably. He is indeed a gentleman

    Jan 29, 2007 1:11:11 PM

    996Turbo
    Junior
    996Turbo
    Loc: Metro NY
    Posts: 51, Gallery
    Registered on: Jan 2, 2007
    Reply to: easy_rider911

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    It's nice to play nice. Especially in a public forum of like-minded enthusiasts.

    Feb 2, 2007 5:22:34 AM

    911digital Offline
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    911digital
    Loc: Staffordshire , United Kingdom
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    Reply to: 996Turbo

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    You should replace the gear oil with some fresh synthetic.

    Before you change the oil you should try using some engine flush, like wynns engine flush (manual gearboxes only)

    I only found out that this can be used in manual gearboxes the other day, as i've always thought it was an engine only product.

    Well my vw gearboxes on both the gti and vr6 when i've done oil changes on them the oil always comes out black and doesnt look very good, and i can only imagine the benefits of using an engine flush in the gearbox.

    obviously the cogs and syncros will perform better when the cogs are clean and this allows the oil to work better and you get a better gear change.

    Heres the products i use wynns and forte.

    http://www.forteuk.co.uk/
    http://www.wynns.be/

    If your unsure about using engine flush in the gearbox ask your porsche tech, but i'm sure it will help your stiff gear change..

    Feb 2, 2007 5:31:44 AM

    911digital Offline
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    911digital
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    Reply to: Leawood911

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    Quote:
    Leawood911 said:
    If the lever does not want to slide into the gate, release the clutch (while in neutral) for a second and depress it again (putting it in second gear and then back to first is really doing the same thing - giving the syncro a second chance - but is perhaps not necessary.).
    After you release and depress the clutch for the second time the lever will likely drop right into gear (the first time you got it caught between two cold cogs).
    The same trick also works well if you have difficulty with reverse.




    I always engane 2nd before reverse, this allows the inputshaft and outputshaft cogs to syncronise speeds before engagement.

    Most gearboxes don't have a syncro on reverse gear and reverse will crunch unless the cogs are syncronised before engagment.

    Vw's suffer with jumping out of reverse gear, the cause chipped reverse gear, caused by people enganging reverse and making it crunch by not doing the above.

    Also helps by letting the vehicle stop completely before attempting to engage reverse.

    Jan 3, 2010 9:26:03 PM

    neutron Offline
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    neutron
    Loc: West Palm Beach , United States
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    Registered on: Jan 3, 2010
    Reply to: 911digital

    Re: 1st Gear Shifting Not Smooth When Cold

    My '99 C2 has this same issue and I live in South Florida.  After the car has been driven a few miles, all is well.  My owner’s manual for the 1999 says SAE 75 W 90 oil for the Transmission/Differential.  Do newer cars use something else, a thinner Synthetic perhaps?  Are there any Porsche Techs on this forum who could elaborate?

    I remember my previous car, a Saab, had a Service Bulletin that required flushing and changing the transmission oil to something else.  The bulletin said “This fluid is designated: SAAB MTF 0063 and is NOT to be confused with Saab Synthetic Manual Transmission fluid that has been used since 1996."  It seemed to help shifting issues.

     
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