I've recently acquired a 2006 997 C2 Coupe, 6 speed manual with approx. 17,800 miles on it. It's certified pre owned and while I've had it for 2 weeks now, I've been out of town and only had the chance to really drive it this past long weekend and 2 other days over the past 2 weeks.

I've noticed what feels like I'm hitting something on the first to second gear shift. This happens regardless of temperature. I'm not speed shifting or shifting at redline, just looking to shift smoothly from first to second at approx. 3k revs. If I pause between gears and shift slowly, no issue for the most part. If I pop the stick into neutral, and then into second, it feels ok, but moving straight from 1st to 2nd isn't happening at normal speed without a grab of some sort.

I've read the threads re adjustment of the shift linkage and the TSB. I took the car back to the dealer this morning to have them look at the "linkage" or shift action as well as a few other minor things. A quick call to the dealer this afternoon and I received the dreaded, " we can't find a problem, it seems fine to us." All the other little things have been corrected. I know I'm not imagining this issue, and the 03 I traded didn't do this.

My question is the following. For those in Colorado that may have had this issue, were you able have a given dealer find and fix the issue? Who fixed it? I'm headed back in the am to drive the car with them to show them what it does, but am ready to take it elsewhere.

 

this is a totally basic explanation and you obviously have more driving exp than I if you had a 996 prior to the 997. i have only been driving my 06 4S 997 for 3 years and a stick for that matter. on balance i noticed problems when i shift from 1st to 2nd. 2nd was and still now is extremely stiff to get the shifter into. (this is the first car i have ever owned in which i had to shift, so i did not know if historically if its common for 1st to 2nd to be difficult). in fact after a year of driving, i snapped the shifting cable (likely user error) and the car had to be towed to the dealership i was lucky i was on a side street and not somewhere that was busy. this happened when i was going from 1st to 2nd. they gave me a 987 as a loaner and that shifted like knife thru butter (i dont know if the 2 cars have different shifting set ups as i know they may share parts). to get back to your question: to this day i still feel a "catching" - not smooth feeling when going from 1st to 2nd. my solution was to move my seat up and make certain i smash that clutch down to the floor so its completely down. but overall i would say from 1st to 2nd it does catch and its not the easiest thing to do. the shifting does sometimes get smoother from 1st to 2nd, but it was nothing like the 987 shifting. as i said i really havent shifted a lot of other cars so i dont know if its common for 1st to 2nd to be difficult. not to highjack this thread, but i find it nearly impossible to go into 1st gear at 4, 5, 6mph for instance in the 997, where i would think 2nd is too high of a gear for that speed. anyone have difficulty going into 1st at that speed? i would think 3 years 911 w 25k miles i wouldnt have difficulty shifting, but sometimes i do - maybe user error, but i was able to easily shift the 987 loaner, shifted like a dream, my 997 does not. did your 996 shift smoothly?

 

Try searching this forum - lots of great info on this topic - and yes, my '06 C2S shifts the same way, not nearly as smooth as I though it would be, even though I did at least a dozen test drives before buying.

 

You must have a slight pause in N, between gear shifts, to give the synchro a chance to work.

 

Yep, I can only get into 1st gear when I'm at a zero mph dead stop. Fortunately the car has enough torque that 2nd gear at 4 mph doesn't stall.

It's a very balky tranny, you have to really match up the syncros well. When I first got my 997 I thought maybe something was wrong with it, but now that I know how to finger the **** just right I can make it shift without complaints. It is what it is. Some would say it's because it's a race style transmission that's very tough and handles a lot of torque. Others might say it's just badly designed and modern sedan trannies handle 400+ horsepower and are smooth as silk.

When you're really driving, you never get below 2nd gear, and it seems to do just fine for 2nd-3rd-etc.

 

Those also weigh a lot more...

 

thanks, at low speeds i do do 2nd and manage w the clutch so i dont come close to stalling. agreed 2nd 3rd 4th+ is a breeze. just wish 1st to 2nd was as easy as 987 (and no i am not going to go and get a boxster, so dont even ask :-) )

 

Double clutch and all will be well.

 

I get this as well, everything else is clickerty clack but 1st to 2nd you can get a grabbing sensation and feel the gears meshing, however on full bore changes its fine tends to be in traffic when I'm changing slowly and at low revs...

 

I guess Wills is talking a slight catch, or clip, or grind or scrape which is easily imagined as a couple of gear teeth chipping away at each other? I get that too; it's very slight, like a lump in oatmeal. Barely perceptible but there nevertheless. I avoid second gear when the car is cold. I just take it easy until everything warms up. First to second gets much better the hotter things get.

 

^^^True. I was just going to say that. As things warm up that 1-2 shift notchyness goes away. Also, I always pause slightly from 1-2 esp when cold.

 

and what does that have to do with the smoothness of shifting?

if anything, that would put a greater strain on the transmission, requiring it to be even more robust.

 

Perhaps a change in gear fluid would help. Anyone try that?

 

You should have arranged to be a passenger in the car while it was being test driven to observe how the driver managed the 1st to 2nd shift. It may be just fine, it may be your technique, but maybe the test driver was having the same difficulty as you.

You'll have to arrange to take the car back and this time insist on going along when the car is test driven and observe how the test driver shifts the transmssion.

Sincerely,

Macster.

 

A fluid change at this time might be worthwhile. Any "early" transmissioni fluid change a good idea regardless and since the transmission could be acting up -- assuming the OP's report of shifting difficulty is not his imagination (and I'm suggesting it is) -- a good examination of the old fluid might be enlightening.

From experience I do know that a change in fluid -- this with a transmission with many more miles on it -- can effect a marked improvement in a transmission's shifing. A fluid change won't resurrect a bad transmission but sometimes a transmission's shifting misbehavior is due to the old transmission fluid.

Sincerely,

Macster.