I've got a 02 WRX with 30k miles on it, and all of the sudden I am having trouble shifting into first and second. It does not grind; rather, it just feels much stiffer than usual, as if the shift lever is having to move something out of the way. The rest of the gears feel identical to how they were before this happened.

There is no grinding, so I don't think I lost the synchros, and I don't feel any slipping of the clutch at all; it just feels clunky and stiff to shift. Any idea what this is, and how I might remedy it? This is a stock 02 WRX, never changed transmission fluid (dealership actually warned me against it and talked me out of it, twice) and I don't do 5k clutch drops.

 

Are you talking about upshifting or downshifting, or both? Any problem engaging 1st and 2nd when the engine is running and the car is sitting still (is your clutch still good)? Have you checked the level of the tranny lube?

I've got just under 50k on my 5MT with no shifting problems whatsoever. On this original, untouched tranny, I have about two dozen drag strip passes and about four 20-minute road course sessions (only one of which was driven hard by an instructor). Gear lube has not yet been changed but I was considering doing so in the very near future for some sort of synthetic. Other members like to use a concoction of GM synchromesh fluid and something else.

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