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Hesitates to go into 1st gear...

OffTheWall503

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Memphis, TN
#1
This may or may not be an issue, who knows. But occasionally when I come to a stop sign or light and move the shifter into first gear, it's like I can't go into gear and most of the time depressing the gas pedal and pressing it back in will allow me to get into 1st. It can occur when car is hot or cold, I haven't seemed to be able to correlate temperature having an affect on it.

Does anyone else have this issue? My 2016 has just about 4,000 miles on it. I'm wondering if changing to a Motul or Amsoil fluid could help this, it never grinds, but could be synchro related?
 


Messages
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Location
Fort Carson
#3
Try bringing it down in to second, then it should slide smoothly into first. It's very common in pretty much all transmissions, I've noticed it more in front wheel drive cars though. On my Civic Si, changing the fluid helped but only marginally. FWIW, my car doesn't have this issue, also a '16...
 


Hijinx

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U.S. Air Force Veteran
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Auburn, AL, USA
#4
normal. every manual transmission I've ever owned, including bikes, has done this.
Yeah. Seems pretty normal. Sometimes things don't line up right, so you gotta spin it it again with a quick pump in neutral or a little rev. In the case of the rev, drag from the spinning flywheel helps things line up.
 


Messages
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Location
Brooklyn
#5
I switched to motul v300 and the issue noticibly minimized but its still there. Usually i just release the clutch and step on it again and it slides into 1st like butter.

I only owned 3 manuals that did this including the 16 fiesta, my 94 corolla, and 90 240sx... Never had this issue in my rx7s, vw, or audi.

Noticed it in my friends accord though.
 


Zormecteon

Active member
Messages
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Location
Kelso
#6
I learned to stick shift a '64 VW that did the same thing. .. I got into the habit of moving the stick neutral to 2nd and only then into 1st. A habit that has served me well as nearly every other car i've driven balks at 1st gear ... sometimes.
 


Messages
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13
Location
Los Angeles
#8
This may or may not be an issue, who knows. But occasionally when I come to a stop sign or light and move the shifter into first gear, it's like I can't go into gear and most of the time depressing the gas pedal and pressing it back in will allow me to get into 1st. It can occur when car is hot or cold, I haven't seemed to be able to correlate temperature having an affect on it.

Does anyone else have this issue? My 2016 has just about 4,000 miles on it. I'm wondering if changing to a Motul or Amsoil fluid could help this, it never grinds, but could be synchro related?
Ive noticed the same thing but it usually tends to happen when i get too excited and shift quickly, I've noticed that it usually will happen because i pushed it too far left and then tried to push it up into 1st. it usually goes in nicely when i try again but just pushing it with the palm of my hand and letting it slide into place :)
 


Messages
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Location
Huntington Beach
#9
Does anyone else have this issue? My 2016 has just about 4,000 miles on it. I'm wondering if changing to a Motul or Amsoil fluid could help this, it never grinds, but could be synchro related?
I haven't have the first gear problem but sometimes, I'll grind in 2nd or 3rd. I might not have the clutch all the way depressed- were talking like a cm from fully depressed. I think it might be the synchros, but it also seems to happen when I'm lazy with my shifts. I think I'm gonna change my transmission oil this weekend and see if that helps but any advice would be appreciated
 


neeqness

1000 Post Club
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LA
#10
I agree motul 300 helps but only so much. What I've found for me is that it usually happens if I try to go into 1st when I'm not fully stopped or if I'm "lazy" like someone else said and not fully pressing the clutch. On previous cars, fully pressing the clutch was not necessary as pressing it past the point of engagement was sufficient but this car seems to be at least occassionally sensitive to it so I try to fully press it while changing gears. I usually just retry though and it eventually works, but I'll have to try that moving into 2nd idea next time.

Sent using Tapatalk
 


Messages
173
Likes
28
Location
LA
#11
No worries. Same issue here. Shifter seems to stop about half-way into 1st. Does it to me at least a few times a day, mostly in traffic. I just modulate the clutch a bit or let it out and start over and it slides in. I have no mods except the Mountune short shifter.
 


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Location
West Bloomfield
#12
Normal here as well, quick tap on the gas pedal always fixes the issue .
This ^ or just go to 2nd and back up to first. It'll go in smooth.

Love the people saying this is an issue with all transmissions though. It is not haha. No 135i, 335i, M3, MK5 GTI, MK6 GTI, MK7 GTI, 500 Abarth, Challenger SRT8, or Hellcat, Viper 1/2 Gen, or the new ACR for example that I've driven have ever had this issue. It is localized to a few transmissions including ours.
 


Messages
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Location
Texas
#13
yeah, blip the throttle to 2k. This has become SOP for me in just how I drive three pedal cars.
 




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