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manual transmission doesnt like to change gears

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Toocruze

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Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited)
Hi, I picked up a cruze a few weeks ago and I changed the manual transmission fluid with 2.5qts of amsoil 75-90 manual transmission fluid as recomended on the forum for better shifting. I did not notice a difference at all when the transmission is warmed up and when the transmission is cold it is stiffer than it was before. But the dealer that I bought the car from looked like they put in fresh transmission fluid before they sold me the car.

I didnt pay much attention at first because I thought I just needed to get used to the car. But the more I drive it the more I realize that this transmission is a piece of crap.

At 25k miles It shifts like the syncros are blown out it acts more animic in the lower gears) but it shouldnt feel like that even if the car had 200k on the clock

My next step is to bring it back to the dealer and see if they can fix it or piss and moan until they put in a new transmission considering its still under its bumper to bumper waranty.

Sorry for the rant, I'm just used to buying junk $1000 cars and I spent the $$ to buy a practaly new car that Im having issues with expecting a turn key car.

It is nice not working on a rot box though lol
 
#4 ·
Depending on the recalls they could have replaced 2 right axles and needed to add more. Did you measure what came out? The gen 1 was notorious for being underfilled from the factory. I did like you at about 20K or so swapping to the gear oil and the trans eventually went from being underfilled that 20K miles prior.
 
#5 ·
How many miles on this Cruze? You're describing worn synchronizers or a worn clutch.
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
Merc6 said:
Depending on the recalls they could have replaced 2 right axles and needed to add more. Did you measure what came out? The gen 1 was notorious for being underfilled from the factory. I did like you at about 20K or so swapping to the gear oil and the trans eventually went from being underfilled that 20K miles prior.
Click to expand...
I filles the empty bottles with what came out so i spilled some and thransfred this from the oil pan so aboit 2quarts
 
Discussion starter · #7 · (Edited)
26k miles

Let me add that 2nd and third gears are the only ones that I ve grinded several times in the three weeks Ive owned the car so far. Its not perdectable sometimes it will go right into gear and other times.

Its a short quick grind each time its happened, its not like a grind like a missed gear grind
 
#9 ·
I agree. I've driven a ton of really crappy cars with really bad manual transmissions and all of them were better than the Getrag M32 gearbox in the Cruze. It fights you if you even think about driving like a normal person. It wants you to drive like your grandma on Sunday. If you do anything else, you'll have to force it, and it's sensitive too so it might grind. I miss my Cobalt's robust Getrag F23 5-speed manual. And my Mazda MX-5's 6-speed close ratio manual is perfect, it's so amazing. Then every time I get back into the Cruze, I end up swearing at the transmission for being such a *****. I can't want to pay off the Miata so I can get rid of the Cruze for a truck.
 
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#10 ·
For me 4000 and or wot 2nd was not gonna happen. I would have to run 2 out lift, wait a split second then shift. I had the No Lift Shift tune but it wasn't something you could do often if you wanted to. The Accord trans was so night and day I kept missing gears in the beginning because the throws are that close together. When I let the lease go, I'm not sure I could get another manual econo car.
 
#12 ·
Discussion starter · #13 ·
Merc6 said:
What RPM and how much throttle are you using when it happens?
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The transmission shifts slightly better when Im downshifting than up shifting.

Shifting at low rpm 2-3k driving like a grandma it is more difficult to shift than laying into it shifting a high rpm 5k~
If i mat it to the floor and shift at high rpm is when sometimes it grinds.

For whatever reason this transmission doesnt like to shift fast. I can make quicker shifts with my jeep with a nv3550 shifts better than this and that is a pickup truck transmission that was put into dodge dakotas. So talk about a long throw.

Even shifting the car in a way to try and make the transmission as happy as possible. Sometimes it feels like Im trying to push it through the gears and not getting confident feedback that the transmission is fully in a gear.
 
#15 ·
If i mat it to the floor and shift at high rpm is when sometimes it grinds.

For whatever reason this transmission doesnt like to shift fast. I can make quicker shifts with my jeep with a nv3550 shifts better than this and that is a pickup truck transmission that was put into dodge dakotas. So talk about a long throw
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This is fairly normal. We believe it has to do with the clutch delay valve and an orifice in the hydraulic line that lets a very small amount of fluid through, which makes the clutch super slow to respond. That, crappy synchros, and wide ratios don't help its case.

Even shifting the car in a way to try and make the transmission as happy as possible. Sometimes it feels like Im trying to push it through the gears and not getting confident feedback that the transmission is fully in a gear.
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Mine was extremely clunky, but aside from an occasional grind into 2nd or sometimes (rarely) 3rd, you could definitely tell when it was in gear. I often ground 2nd trying to dart into traffic with a 5K+ shift and trying to slam it in 2nd. Sometimes it would grind at 2500 RPM when cold, which was just immensely annoying.
 
Discussion starter · #16 ·
jblackburn said:
This is fairly normal. We believe it has to do with the clutch delay valve and an orifice in the hydraulic line that lets a very small amount of fluid through, which makes the clutch super slow to respond. That, crappy synchros, and wide ratios don't help its case.


Mine was extremely clunky, but aside from an occasional grind into 2nd or sometimes (rarely) 3rd, you could definitely tell when it was in gear. I often ground 2nd trying to dart into traffic with a 5K+ shift and trying to slam it in 2nd. Sometimes it would grind at 2500 RPM when cold, which was just immensely annoying.
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Did you find a solution to any of your problems besides changing the transmission fluid?
 
#17 ·
Toocruze said:
Did you find a solution to any of your problems besides changing the transmission fluid?
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I bought a new Cruze with an automatic :D

Seriously though, no. I had my trans replaced for a flywheel and knocking issues and it seemed much better about going into 2nd, but I didn't drive it for very long before I got fed up with the car and traded it.

bartonmd wrote this the other day:
http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/34-g...-gen1-1-4l-turbo/214474-fixed-clutch-hanging-disengaged-fast-pedal-release.html
 
#18 ·
There is a clutch delay system that I am redesigning a part for that will fix many of these issues with grinding into gear. I'm hoping to have it available within the next month.

For cold mornings, let the car idle in neutral with the clutch pedal not pressed for a minute or so and the shifts shouldn't be too bad.
 
#19 · (Edited)
For cold mornings, let the car idle in neutral with the clutch pedal not pressed for a minute or so and the shifts shouldn't be too bad.
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Oh, I'd forgotten about that. Yes, that makes those first few shifts of the morning - and clutch actuation - much less stiff. Typically, waiting for idle to fall from high idle did the trick for me.
 
Discussion starter · #20 ·
jblackburn said:
Oh, I'd forgotten about that. Yes, that makes those first few shifts of the morning - and clutch actuation - much less stiff. Typically, waiting for idle to fall from high idle did the trick for me.
Click to expand...
Thats what I normally do but its still stiff. Takes a few mins after that before it starts to loosen up and mind you it is technically still fall, winter has not started yet.
 
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