Spect2K3

I have an '06 tC. I have driven a stick shift for years, but with this car, everytime I start it up for the first time in a day (had been off for approx. 10 hours), first gear gives me no problem, but going from first to 2nd, there is a grinding in the stick. This only happens the very first time that I go from 1st to 2nd, and only on a cold start. Every other time that I shift, it is perfect. The grinding in the stick is frustrating me, anybody have any advice or ideas?

ScionBandit

do you let the vehicle warm up before driving??
or just out right cold start, u start driving and it happens that one time??

Spect2K3

I don't usually give it any more than 5 seconds after I turn on the car to start driving (the amount of time it takes to put on my seatbelt) It just happens once a day, the very first time I turn on the car from a cold start. When i turn it on 3 hours after I last turned it off, then no problem - just that ice cold start.

scoobyroo2002

Yeah i have that too, and i have the 05 model. It's only the first time when shifting to 2nd..it feels wierd and is annoying i know, i dont think there is anything we can do about it since it goes away after that, i think it's because the fluids havent quit lubed all the gears yet. I dunno...but mine does tha too in the morning from a cold start.

ScionBandit

just say, as a test.......let it warm up next time, and see what happens

scoobyroo2002

IT's summertime! no need to really warm the car up! it's like 100 outside when i go to start the car. HA! Now in the winter i let my car warm up for about 5 to 10 minutes before i go anywhere.

Spect2K3

Good point, it's not like the car is actually cold, last week was 92 degrees when I first started it up and it did it. I am going to bring the car in to service and find out what they think. Some people are thinking it may be the gear synchronization, others are saying that it is the shifter bushings (even though I don't know what that is), and you said that it may be that the lubrication hasn't gotten to the gears quick enough. If anybody else knows anything, that'd be great. Thanks for the help!

ScionBandit

it may be warm outside..but your vehicle itself is cold
when engine parts are cold, and vehicle is run hard..bad things happen

bB2NER

The trans doesn't warm up untill after you start driving. If it doesn't get worse,live with it. Otherwise have the dealer check it out. Sounds like a problem with the syncros.
Try shifting into third instead of second and see if it still does it.

harrisch

try not going straight into second and pausing for a second in neutral

Spect2K3

I have tried that as well. And I also have tried depressing the clutch ridiculously hard when doing it. The one thing that I haven't tried and I will do tomorrow morning, is to back out of my driveway and go right into second rather than 1st. Thanks for the suggestion (I thought it would work as well). Anyone else have any other ideas?

codycat

I would bring your car rightback to the dealer. Leave it there overnight so they can see for themselves exactly what you are talking about.
You should never hear any grinding, unless you are low on hydraulic fluid or the rack is somehow damaged.

I was hearing the same type of grinding on my 2000 Excel. The grinding was always on the downshift between 1st and 2nd gear.
Would never happen when the car was warm. Only happened when the car was cold in the morning.
I left the car at the dealer overnight and they determined it was the the gears gringing into the tranny rack. Somehow they weren't lined up correctly. Anyway, they ordered the part from California. I was without my car for 1 week, but it was completely covered by the new car warranty. However a rental car was not in the warranty aggrement. The dealer fixed the problem and I have never had the problem again..

scoobyroo2002

Hmmm well i have heard a lot of people have this problem with the tC. I thought it was just normal...i mean it's annoying but it's only second gear and it's only once it's the first shift while taking off...after that it wont do it again. I am not sure if it's worth losing my car for a day or week or whatever....but if it moves to all gears..then yes of course i will take it in.

Spect2K3

Good point, but I figure that if it does become worse in the future, they will have seen that I brought it in previously.

Thinking it over, I don't think that it has much to do with warmth of the car, because I can go into second, to neutral, and then back to 2nd within 2 seconds and it doesn't happen anymore. I believe that this rules out tranny warmth. I am going to bring it to service and I will post another thread then and let you guys know what happened.

Being that this is not a problem with JUST my tC, that makes me feel a bit better.

Anyone else think of anything?

scoobyroo2002

Ummmmm i think some people have switchced their tranny fluid to synthetic...maybe that will help?

The_Instigator

Maybe you could try running through the gears while sitting still to help realign the synchros...kinda like how it doesnt like to go into reverse sometimes?

scoobyroo2002

Yeah i hate the reverse thing..if you put it in another gear..then go back it's fine HA! dang reverse he he

xnevergiveinx

let your car warm up more than 5 seconds. what i do is start the car, then push in the clutch and run the shifter through all the gears, then let out the clutch in neutral. i haven't had any grinding in second since i've started doing that

boxlver

i think its the bushing. i forget who posted it about the xb but it was the same problem and they took it back to the dealer and it was the bushings.

boxlver

here is the post i was refering too. as i said previously it was the bushings. hope this helps

https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=62589