Snoops

Hello

After starting in the morning and from cold I find going from 1st to 2nd causes a crunching noise. However after a couple of minutes driving all is well.

Is this a normal characteristic symptom?

TIA

Snoops

Robin 993DX

Yes, when the transmission is cold you should change gear slowly to allow the syncros enough time to work. When shifting you should first slowly let the syncros make contact first (This is the point right before the gears engage, you should feel the syncros working from your shift ****) and then 1 second later slowly apply pressure to the gear lever to engage the 2nd gear after the syncros have had enough time to match the speed of the gears.

One other way to avoid the cold crunch is to double clutch. To do that you would pull the gear out of 1st gear with the clutch pedal in, and then release the clutch while the gear is in neutral and then push in the clutch and engage to 2nd gear.

Anir

Snoops,

This is also a problem for me when the temp drops below 30 F, but quickly disappears after driving a mile or two. As Robin suggested, don't force it.

DJF1

I must agree with Robin. I had the same thing on my 95 and my mechanic told me that as well which when i tried it, it did not crunch at all. However I decided to change the gearbox oil and moved into synthetics which actually improved the gear change and have eliminated the crunch too!!!
My mechanic had thought that the synthetic would eliminate the crunch but he was not sure hence did not pressure me to do it. I'm glad I did it though!

Ray Calvo

By DJF1
Surprising; I have tried a few different synthetic brands (all 75W90) and still get a crunch when cold. This is on easy shifts as well. SO I take it real easy until warm.

Snoops

Thanks Guys, the advice is priceless

One last question also when just starting is that I get a lot of white smoke from the exhaust when I start. Again after a couple of minutes driving it disappears. I check my oil regulary and all is well their.

Aprt from checking the oil is their any quick checks I need to do? My Oil temperature is usally between the 8 and 9 o'clock mark and my oil pressure fluctuates but at idle after driving the readings are as follows:

Oil level: Halfway
Oil temp: About 8 o'clock
Oil Pressure: above half way.

TIA

Snoops

E. J. - 993 Alumni

I have read here before that the flat 6 design of the engine allows some oil to seep into the piston (I think) when the car sits overnight. The white smoke is this oil getting burned off. Totally normal.

I hope someone will correct me if I am wrong.

E. J.

bet

I always thought that any smoke produced from the burning of oil that may have leaked into the piston area came out as bluish in color. Or am I just assuming that because of college days oil burning machine produced all kinds of blus smoke

jeff91C2T

I had a similar problem with the 2nd gear crunch.

I checked my transmission fluid and noticed it had Swepco installed by the PO. A while back there was a lengthy discussion regarding the use of Swepco verses a synthetic. I thought I'd try it just to see if it made any difference. Drained the Swepco and added Mobile 1 (75w-90 I think).

Did it make a difference? Well yes and no. It does shift smoother, especially when cold. But there is still a tight spot going into second until it warms up.

Randall G.

Hi Snoops,

I'm amazed at how much water vapor my own car and a friend's '95 993 puts out when started up cold--or not so cold. The vapor looks just like "smoke." But, when you put a piece of glass to the smoke, it fogs, then clears when you pull it away--just as if you had blown hot/moist air on the glass. Also, no oily residue on the glass, and look for drips of water coming out of the exhaust tip, wetting the ground beneath.

Last time my car was at Andial, on the lift after a cold start-up, water coming out the pipe. I asked Pete (with the straightest face I could manage), "Hey, is my head gasket blown?"

Oh, and to add to the crunching gear when cold discussion ... both my old 5-speed and current 6-speed do this. I think it's (unfortunately) quite normal once the trans. has over (say) 35k miles.

Sam N

I switched to synthetic tranny fluid and also added a "climbing agent" to it, in order to get the lubricants up the gears. At least that's what TPC told me when they put it in. Helped the cold gear shifting.

E. J. - 993 Alumni

What is a climbing Agent?

E. J.

Robin 993DX

Sounds suspiciously like "friction modifier", ironically Porsche manual specifically mention not to use any additive.

DJF1

Posted by Ray Calvo
What can I tell you! I service my car at Advantage Porsche in Houston TX. My technician (Hans) changed the oil to synthetics. He said that it might help- he was not sure- which indeed it helped. I do not know what brand they used, I'm not sure if Porsche has OEM synthetics for the tranny. Maybe you should give them a call? Maybe my box was not as cruncy as yours, I can tell you that I was caught by surprise the next morning when I drove the car stone cold and 2nd slipped in without a sound. Also the box feels smoother so I'm pretty happy.
Hope that helps.

Anir

Randall,

I experience "the crunch" (sounds like something Seinfeld would say) even at 14,000 miles. It occurs only when it's pretty cold outside - say below 35 F.