I recently had the 30k check up and now I can't shift into second until 10 minutes after I start my drive to my destination, usually when the car is good and warm. Naturally the dealership couldn't replicate the problem. I have to wait until the Subaru represenative comes back to see if there is a problem. I hate dealerships, all they want to do is screw the customer.

 

Oddly enough, the trans is now working the way it should have from the start.

You shouldn't shift into first at 18-20 MPH. It will eat up the 1-2 synchro's very quickly, followed by eating first gear. This is not, by the way, unique to the WRX. It's true for just about every car you can name.

I know, you (or some friend) used to have some car or other that you could shift into first at 180. That's crap. I've owned just about every car ever made, from three speeds to six, and it just ain't so.

Keep forcing it into first at anything above about 4-5 MPH and you will then be posting about what a crappy trans the WRX has.

Further, if you're idling in neutral with the clutch out, the gears are spinning. There is no synchro from neutral to either first or reverse. If you don't give that shaft a second or two to stop spinning, it will grind.

That is normal. Just give it a second or two.

There are a lot more crappy drivers than there are crappy transmissions.

 

"i used to be able to downshift into 1st at about 15-18mph"

Yeah, the problem is that doing this for the first 30K miles has begun to eat up the synchros.

I went out and tried this gently with mine and the pressure required on the shifter makes it pretty obvious that it just doesn't want to go there.

My other car is a 325i and it won't do it either. I've had two RX7's (Original one and a TT) and they wouldn't do it. A Corvette and a Camaro wouldn't do it. Two 911's ('70 and '93) wouldn't do it. Two MG's, a Corvair, a Mustang, a Mercedes, an Opel, a Mini Cooper, a Plymouth and a Triumph wouldn't do it.

The WRX won't do it.

As for sitting at a light with the car in neutral and the clutch out and having to wait 1-2 seconds before putting it in gear, ditto for all of the above.

Go to a local trade school or JC and take a tranny class. Then you, like me and just about everybody over the age of 19, will understand why this is.

 

I learned to come to a complete stop to shift into 1st the first 100 miles I drove the car. This is my first MT and was curious why I couldn't get the tranny into 2nd until after it warmed up now that I have had the 30k mile service. Prior to the service it would go easily during the winter compared to after the service.

 

Wise words OldGuy.

 

I had the exact same problem after my service. Turns out they put in the wrong weight (80W90) trans fluid in rather than OEM 75W90. It is a good chance that your dealer did the same. They did not know the OEM manufacturer so they drained it and put in Castrol synthetic 75W90. Seems to have mostly fixed the problem.

 

The crude, old skool feel of the transmission is one thing I love about the wrx. I like the fact that there's some zen involved in driving this car.

Other synchronized transmissions I've driven feel too soft and rubbery, as if they're made for the average jabrone or housewife who think the shifter is some sort of magical joystick that should 'put' the car into whatever gear they want at any speed.