So I've gotten a little use to driving the WRX after about 4 days and today I noticed that when engaging first gear with the clutch pressed to the floor, it feels like there is a grinding or rubbing feeling when pushing the shifter into first gear. When I start to move and shift to second I can feel the rubbing or grinding as I push the shifter into second.
I don't know if this is because it's a brand new car and it just has to be broken in. Because sometimes the shifting is very smooth. I messed around with it a little more when my car was parked and turned off and I found that sometimes when engaging gears there would be alot of grinding particularly in reverse. It was always really hard to put the gear in reverse without any grinding or rubbing.
I hope I didn't kill my tranny from my poor stickshift techniques =[
Nope it happens even when the car is warmed up and been driven after 10 mins. I'm not shifting too fast, I'm not like slamming it into gear. Even when I just put it into gear slowly I can feel it grinding against something. But if I like put it into gear and it feels funny, I'll put it into second with the clutch pushed down and put it back into first again. Sometimes that fixes the problem but I'll just play with it a little until it feels smooth but then third and fourth gear will then grind. It's ridiculous.
Like today when I was at a stop light i noticed that first and second gear was pretty smooth but then putting it into third and fourth I could feel it rubbing against something.
Are you sure it's the gears grinding? I have a 2011 WRX also and I've never noticed the gears grinding, if I'm trying to either upshift or downshift too quickly or at high or low rpms sometimes I feel some resistance moving the shifter into gear, but I never hear the gears grinding. Could just be your synchronizers trying to catch up. You'll know when you're grinding your gears.
I don't know what it is. Like if the car is turned off and I'm just moving the shifter around with the clutch down I can feel some resistance or grinding when I'm putting the shifter into first gear and into second gear. But when I play around with it a little by pushing it into first and second a few more times it'll start getting smoother but when I put it into third I can feel that resistance or rubbing feeling.
I stalled the car a few times the first day I got it since I'm not too good at driving stick and I think I've been burning the clutch a little bit but I don't think that can cause these type of problems... can they?
I just called the service department and told them what was going on and they said that it's not normal and I should make an appointment. I'm taking the car to get serviced this thursday so I'll see what happens.
oooo dude that sucks to hear i know i am a bit late but yea take it to the dealer... if they ask tell them you are not shifting fast or racing the car... explain how you are breaking it in like not shifting past 3thousand or at any constant speeds on the highway as constant speeds on the highway are bad for break in. if they ask to drive the car let them but go with the mechanic so you can properly explain to them. do not drive the car with the mechanic let him drive it. i have heard of some stuff but that is really strange to hear about the gearbox . i really dont think there is a way that they can place this on you and i dont think this is a result of bad shifting. i know people who dont even break in there car and never have a problem . i hope its just something that was a defect so they can fix it . im sorry to hear about the problem. but in all honesty dude i dont think this is your fault . just take it easy with everything always plan for the worst and hope for the best. means cover your arce. heh heh.
Thanks for the great reply. Yeah I don't think I'll drive the car with the mechanic in it, haha he will probably say I broke my transmission with my terrible shifting :shhh:
I scheduled an appt this thursday so I'll see what they say the problem is. I'm just glad it's under warranty.
Oh btw I think I worded my question badly. My gears grind even when the engine is turned off and I'm just moving the shifter around in gears. I can physically hear and feel the shifter rubbing on something when I'm moving it around in and out of gear. It's not the clutch that is grinding but the actual gear box.
I notice the same thing on my 09- but with just 1st and 2nd.
What's weird is sometimes- only sometimes- first and second are as smooth as butter. Most the time it feels like there's some sand in the linkage going into the tranny when trying to get into first or second. I thought it was normal- guess I better make note of it for the dealer.
Yeah! That's exactly what my WRX gearbox feels like most of the time. At first I thought it was just first and second but today I noticed it with third and fourth although I didn't feel it rubbing into fifth. Nope I don't have the SPT shifter, everything is base stock.
I played around with the gearbox in my 300zx and it was very very smooth compared to the WRX. If your 09's gearbox is doing that... I guess it's not a matter of my gearbox being new and not broken in.
This sounds normal to me. I had an 02 bugeye ages ago and it felt the same way as my 11 tranny does. Getting into 1st and Reverse sometimes takes some massaging. And it's not so much a grinding...it's just some resistence and not as effortless as going into other gears right?
I don't exactly know what it is, but it's normal. Sometimes I can't even get into reverse without first going into 1st and moving the car forward a hair before then being able to get into reverse. With 5.1 miles on my car at the dealer I couldn't get into reverse to back out of the parking spot on my first go.
One trick I use at stoplights or when starting up is to go into 2nd (which is always easy) and then into 1st before going. The 2nd-to-1st shift seems to ease gear entry. Give it a try.
The WRX tranny has never been something to be proud of. What you're describing is normal. I base this off the same exact behavior happening on my 02 as my brand new 11.
Oh I see, yeah I was getting a little worried hearing so many people with WRXs having this resistance or rubbing when going into a gear. But you were not able to go into reverse in your brand new WRX? Is that normal? And has the resistance gotten better over time?
I hear that the WRX 5speed is not as bulletproof compared to the STI 6speed. I wonder if they suffer from this resistance going into gear.
How fast is shifting too fast because I can still feel the resistance or rubbing when I shift very slowly. I'm not shifting like they do in the fast and furious but I still get resistance
My 6 speed isn't the best tranny I've ever shifted. But it is very nice with the short shifter and everything else. Putting a new clutch in as this is typed. The OEM clutch was great with the STi gearbox. This one should be even better!
First should be difficult to downshift into. I would think there is a first gear synchro in the WRX tranny but I don't know for sure. Either way it would necessitate being at a slow enough speed for the synchro to spin the gears into proper alignment prior to engaging. Or without a 1st gear synchro you would have to be nearly stopped to find 1st gear. The 2nd to 1st trick is essentially using the 2nd gear synchro to spin the gears so they align into 1st easier.
This is my first AWD so I'm no expert. But I've been told that an AWD drive train is inherently going to be a bit more mechanical/rough due to the complicated nature of making power to every wheel. Any of you Subaru Guru's out there care to educate us please?
I bet it is just because there is a really thin transmission fluid in your tranny. Try changing your trans fluid to like a synthetic or something. If the fluid isn't thick or clingy enough then you will free every movement of your gears.
didnt you take it to the dealer today ? what did they say when they drove it? its kinda hard for all of us to say or give advise on something we cant hear or feel dude we can only really give suggestions but you ultimately have to make a decision . resistance is ok grinding baaad lol in all foward gears reverse is i believe a strait cut gear and sometimes requires to fully let out the clutch and then fully engage the clutch if you have a stock clutch. it takes time to learn your car though man . let us know what happens at the dealer though!Thumbs Up
Ah yeah I had to cancel my appointment today due to something that came up at work, I couldn't take time off. I was going to reschedule to next week but after getting some more responses from you guys I guess it is normal. I tried the going into 2nd gear and then into 1st trick and it does seem to lessen the resistance.
I was just a little surprised that a brand new gearbox would have so much resistance when I compared it to my 91 300zx 5speed which was buttery smooth in every gear except going into 5th.
I might just drop by my dealer sometime after work next week just to ask the service guys if it is normal but for now, it seems like it's alright.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Subaru WRX Forum
329.6K posts
38.3K members
Since 2002
We're a forum community dedicated to the Subaru WRX. Come join the discussion on performance modifications, accessories, turbo upgrades, maintenance and more!