Binary

Had the car for about a month now it currently has almost 800 miles I have noticed a few things that concern me. Keep in mind I have a manual 6 spd.

1) On 6th gear at 80-85 mph 3000-3100 rpm. Is this normal? Seems high for a gear that is supposed to be to maximize fuel efficiency. I can't compare it to my 2012 Camry because of the different gear ratios. The last stick shift I owned was a 1995 Integra GSR 5 spd.

2) When the clutch is depressed and the car is moving forward doing less than 10 mph and I try to place it in reverse without releasing the clutch, the gears grind. Is this normal? I remember being able to do this in my GSR & boosted 93 Civic with no issues. I read the owners manual and yes I am aware it states the vehicle is not to be in motion when shifting between 1st and reverse.

3) When I start in 1st gear sometimes I don't shift to the next gear I just put the clutch in and coast but I hear a loud whine that seems to come from the transmission. Is this normal?

I'll also complain about the rubbery gear box and how when the car is in 6th it looks like it's in 4th same goes for 5th looks like 3rd. In addition is anyone else clutch high? I understand the 1st gen complained about low clutch but now it feels Scion took it to the other extreme.

viseshv

All are normal. Well by normal I mean every tc does those things.

When i start my car in 1st, after i start moving i immediately switch to 2nd.
If I plan on drifting along...maybe in the parking lot or something....I put it in neutral so the whinning sound goes away.

The high rpm's are normal. The tC has short gear ratios and its just normally high revving so yeah the rpms around 70 is about 3K. I have a 2011 camry as well, and the rpms at 70 mps on the camry are about 2-2.2K. Dont worry about the RPM's.

But yeah, when you start in 1st and decide to just cruse...just put it in neutral so it doesnt whine like that. I dont think it hurts to stay in 1st, but if you dont like the sound just put it in neural.

And yeah dont put it in reverse when the cars moving. Wait till the car is stopped to go into reverse or come out of reverse.

Binary

Thanks for the reply car still whines with clutch depressed. Do you mean take it out of first and have it in neutral that way?
Doesn't it defeat the purpose of having a 6th gear if the rpms stay high? I didn't buy it for fuel efficiency but it does seem to do poor on gas I'm only averaging 21.x combined city & highway with almost 800 miles on the odometer.
Another question is anyone running 83 to 93 octane gas for comparison? I know it's going to sound strange but I do feel I got slightly better mileage with 83 vs 93.

talt2008

To get the whine to go away you have to move the shifter to neutral. Yes everything you have stated is normal compared to everyone, and your still in the break in period so mpgs are going to be low. I average between 28-31 combined (I have 62,xxx miles). All you have to do is find a driving style that the car likes for best mpg lol. As far as 87 vs. 93, I tried both and think 93 is a complete waste of money and i was getting better mpg with 87. Boot rubbery feel too I would recommend the TRD quick shifter with the torque solutions shifter bushings. Thatll clean up the shift feel, and I have had zero problems with them.

viseshv

Yes. Even if you have the clutch in, as long as its in 1st and your rolling its going to whine. You have to pop it into neutral to make it stop. I dont think you are hurting the car by letting it "whine" but it does bother me so i put it in neutral if i have to roll.

And about the high rpm and gas mileage...ehh...I mean i mainly high way driving (around 70 miles highway a day) and I drive no less than 70 mph. I still get 30 mpg. So it doesnt really effect your mileage per say but I understand your concern.

Also has a lot to do with the way we drive, when I first bought the car..I use to shift at 3000 rpm. Doing half city and half highway and I average around 22-24 mpg. But I drove shifting between 2-2.5k rpm in the city and I get 26mpg. So yeah If you want good gas mileage stay below 2500 rpm when shifting and try to keep it around 2000 rpm when driving.

TheQuietThings

The important thing to remember here is that gas mileage is calculated by LOAD, by RPMs. Its very easy for the motor to move the car in the 3k RPM range, and much harder to move it in the 2K RPM range.

russiankid

Everything you described is normal. These transmissions are noisey, and weird compared to other vehicles I've had in the past. However, the gearing is nice, it scoots the tC without a problem.