kiyofox

I had this problem as well. But after the 2nd week I had my xA, I went to one of their little orientation meetings, and I asked the head service rep there about why it was so clunky going from 1st to 2nd gear (no matter what speed or RPM). He looked at me kind of funny, and said that it was probably just cause the car was brand new.

So I dunno if the guy thought I was just not a good driver or what...but I've had my car for 18 months and I *still* have this weird clunkyness in shifting from 1st to 2nd. I have learned how to double clutch alot better than I used to, and that helps some...but still.

I dunno if I'm relieved to see that so many others have had this same problem...

The_Riorden

i have the same problem with my gearbox. Its rediculous...i took it in and they say its nothing.

Back_In_Black_xA

News flash: It has a Toyota Echo engine and transmission. I really doubt they designed the car for sporty shifting. It's definitely not a sports car and won't take the abuse of smashing it through the gears. That's just it, there isn't anything wrong, that's just the way it is.

I changed my transmission fluid like every other oil change when I worked at the dealership since it was free and it really made no difference. Maybe synthetic would but I'm sort of scared to go putting all kinds of different junk into my transmission.

After a while you get used to how it shifts and you sort of have to pause half a second between shifts before jamming it into gear. It's just slow to react.

If you want a car with a good manual buy a Honda.

mikochu

Even my roommate's Celica GTS has a notchy transmission. Though...another friend's RSX Type S's tranny is like butter!

SXT_HuntToKill

i hate butter trans shifters... feel like a wrench in a grease bucket trying to find a bolt... it a yota thing... normal stuff

blt

Some of you have described the exact problem that I have with my car. If I drive it on the hiway and it gets really warm then the shifting is less clunky. It also feels like first gear is a little more to the left, and if I let it hang it the middle and release a little of the spring tension I can drop it in to second without the clunk. But it's annoying to have to be so slow and deliberate when shifting. I'm still breaking this car in so I'm not trying to race the car. Even though it's an inexpensive car it shouldn't shift so badly. Next week I'm going to bring mine back to the dealer and see if I have any luck.

cobb

Guess I must be the only other stick shift owner here? I thought seriously I was suffering from a nurological disorder and need to seriously consider trading to an automatic scion or bite the bullet and buy the prius I wanted in the first place.

I have jammed it into 3rd gear quite often and just thought at 1700 miles I just as well change the tranny fluid to get the metal chips out of it. THe idea to go with synthetic crossed my mind too.

Reverse is another story. Seems I need to partly let off the clutch when shifting into reverse for it to fully engage. Just moving it to reverse will result in a whine as you sit still as it is not fully engaged. This is at a full stop in a parking lot.

Second, while in reverse it sounds like I have marbles running around my tranny. A very sick sounding sound to hear from a new car.

Any word or tips on how to change the fluid? Size of wrench needed, capacity? Can this be done in the parking lot of a parts store?

Also, any word on the tsb? Unless I rev it to 3 grand before shifting or double clutching, I can not run through the gears regardless of how far i press the petal to the floor on the clutch. Funny how its easy to upshift, but not down shift.

DriverXa

Toyota sux when it comes to manual trans. They keep distancing themselves away from them. Remember when u use to be able to get a v6 5spd camry with an available trd supercharger?

I'm experiencing the notchy shifter as well. The 1-2 shift I've learned how to keep smooth but at times it's still alil jerky. First is a b*tch. It's so hard to get into first, but every once in awhile the shifter will just drop into it with zero effort.

What really ____es me off is the lack of communication/notchiness of the shifter. I find myself repeatedly getting hung up between the 2-3 and 4-5 shift. Also sometimes when I go to put it in first I wind up in third. I move over and up like I'm suppose to and it just winds up in third and I'm luggin it for abit untill I can get back in first. Toyota shifters just sux, especially after experiencing the new BMW M5 6spd, so smooth and percise with only wrist action needed.

djct_watt

When I had the xA I had this problem. . . from the first day to when I had nearly 100,000 miles on it. Putting in Redling MT90 helped a little. . . but it's basically the synchro working which is why it takes so long to shift.

Not all Toyota transmissions do this. The tC shifts perfectly from 1st to 2nd (in fact, it does so for all gears). The Celica 6spd is also great, but unfortunately the ratios suck as they are not matched well to the engine. That 1-2 shift was really annoyed the hell out of me. . . and nothing completely got rid of it.

Tercel95

It seems like everyone thinks toyota is not good at making manuals, thats just not true. I have an 06 xA with 2400 miles on it and I can say that I have the same problems with the shifts. Before this car I had a Tercel with 176,000 miles on it and the thing shifted great. Smooth shifts, no play in the shifter, it was great, I hardly ever missed gears in that car, even while driving it hard and that was the ultimate econocar. I don't exactly know what the problem is with the xA though.

xamike

I wonder if the TRD short shifter would help this any, and maybe a weighted shift ****, combined with the syn. oil.?

hnefrdo

I've tried all three. Each thing helps a little, but the Synthetic oil helped the most.

Give Syn oil a try.

xamike

PostPosted: 5/18/07 11:17PM Post subject: Re: Shifter
xamike wrote:
I wonder if the TRD short shifter would help this any, and maybe a weighted shift ****, combined with the syn. oil.?


I've tried all three. Each thing helps a little, but the Synthetic oil helped the most.

Give Syn oil a try.

Ok, I will, thanks for the info. How many quarts are needed?

cobb

I took mines to the dealer and after looking at it for 5 hours and charging me for a rental car for half a day, they said nothing was wrong. They also said nothing would help and all those scions shift the same way.

I am going to try synth oil, wish me luck. I will do it at a parts store, so I will have a selection of tools to choose from. My vw took a 17 mm hex socket to service the trany fluid and required a wheel removal to fill it up.

usc_ty

When I got my clutch switched out, the people installing it replaced the old gear oil with OE 75W140 synthetic gear oil and the shifting is a bit smoother although still not as easy as other cars when going from 1st to 2nd. It must be in the design.

DriverXa

I'm gonna try the synthetic gear oil further down the road. No sense in changing new oil. But I think I'm goin to try the brass shift cable bushings n shifter base bushing, should make the shifter more precise.

hnefrdo

If they know that all those scions shift the same way, why did they take 5 hours to look at it? I don't disagree with them that it's a common problem, but there's a discrepancy between what's said and done there.

cobb

I change my fluid to mobile 75w90 synth fluid. Did it in the parking lot of the auto store while doing my engine oil. It shifted way better right away. It goes right into reverse and have yet to slam or grind the gears. Just worried about the smell of gear oil where ever I park. I found the area near the drain plug was wet, but no puddls left where I park. Guess I need to crank that drain plug down real tight?

It seemed to have way more than 2 qts of fluid in it, but I only put 2 in it when I filled it up.

Beats me why they kept it that long and said what they did. I know the yaris sedan they let me rent can squeal tires and get hung up in 3rd gear when going down the on ramp to the interstate.

cobb

I was in rush hour traffic Friday and a traffic jam. Boy that was fun whipping around like i own the place launching my car at 3 grand, shifting at 5 and speed shifting as fast as I can tap the clutch petal and move the shifter. Now I just need to firm it up so I do not get sea sick from the car "floating" around as I moved between lanes and lights.

All hail mobile 1 synth 75w gear oil!!!

I checked the fluid with a bic pen cap and the fluid level was ok, guessing I spilled a bit on the case as to why it was wet and a few places I parked smelled like tranny fluid. That stuff smells nasty so be prepared to throw out the drain pan you use, the tube to pour it in and anything that it comes in contact with.

jct

changing over to brass bushings makes a world of difference!!!