Hello Everyone,

First of all let me tell you, that this forum is full of very usefull info - thank you.

I just bought my first subaru (2000 Forester), and I am enchanted. Partly, because I switched from 1990 Mazda 626, so the comfort level is a few classes up now.

As my beauty has a manual transmission, I noticed that when the temperature outside drops to 'close to zero', it's hard to shift to 1st, and 2nd gear. Once the engine (or probably transmission) gets warm, it shifts fine. I am wondering how it's going to react to the Canadian winter temperatures.

Does anybody have an idea, what it could be caused by, and how to attempt to fix it.

Thank you.

Greetings,

Chopin.

My Trooper does the same thing!

 

I have never figured it out???

 

Oh ya, Welcome to the board!

 

Glenn

82 SubaruHummer,....grinds with fast 1-2 shift....

88 Trooper:banghead:

01 Forester,....smooth shifting...

Gear oil just like all oils is much heavier when cold. Could heavy fluid is harder to push out of the way when shifting. If you think that is bad, my 2004 STi will actually learch forward a bit in the cold with the car in nuetral and the brakes off. It's totally normal. The only way to "fix" it is to put a thinner weight fluid in, and then once the temps outside warm up you won't have enough protection.

 

Keith

Hello Everyone,

First of all let me tell you, that this forum is full of very usefull info - thank you.

I just bought my first subaru (2000 Forester), and I am enchanted. Partly, because I switched from 1990 Mazda 626, so the comfort level is a few classes up now.

As my beauty has a manual transmission, I noticed that when the temperature outside drops to 'close to zero', it's hard to shift to 1st, and 2nd gear. Once the engine (or probably transmission) gets warm, it shifts fine. I am wondering how it's going to react to the Canadian winter temperatures.

Does anybody have an idea, what it could be caused by, and how to attempt to fix it.

Thank you.

Greetings,

Chopin.

This is normal. Gear oil is very thick so it takes a bit for dyno oil in the tranny to warm up enough to shift. And it only warm up from moving not from running the engine. The fix is to run synthetic fluid. But do not run conventional GL5, ie Mobil 1.

 

Get good tranny synthetic fluid, imo Red Line 75W90NS is the best.

Thank you for your replies. Very much appreciated.

Ch.

When shifting into first you are not moving, are you?

 

 

Because its really hard to put it in 1st while moving