I’ve got a 2017 WRX with 82k miles on it. Lately, I’ve been having an issue with 1st gear grinding. I know it’s the synchro because if I go into 2nd gear first, then shift into 1st, it doesn’t grind.
Looking through the maintenance records, the previous owner had the same issue, and Subaru replaced the synchro under warranty. Now that I’m out of warranty, I’m wondering if there’s a way to convince Subaru of America (SoA) to cover the repair. I called, but they said no. I’ve heard that pushing a bit more or knowing what to say can sometimes help.
Does anyone have experience with this? Should I just keep living with it and using the 2nd-to-1st trick? It’s pretty annoying. Thanks in advance.
It’s a 7-year-old car with 82k miles. Things are going to wear out; Subaru won’t cover repairs forever. Your options are to rebuild/replace the transmission, keep doing the 2nd-to-1st trick, or hold the clutch for a second before shifting into 1st.
@Macon
Fair enough. My frustration is that Subaru said they fixed it before, so why is it happening again? I’ll likely just keep doing what I’m doing. Unfortunately, holding the clutch for a few seconds doesn’t seem to help. Thanks for your input.
I had a similar issue and fixed it by using a thicker transmission fluid. My car is older, but it worked, and 40k miles later it’s still shifting smoothly.
Nyle said:
I had a similar issue and fixed it by using a thicker transmission fluid. My car is older, but it worked, and 40k miles later it’s still shifting smoothly.
I’d try this first. It’s cheap and worth a shot before paying for major repairs.
Nyle said:
I had a similar issue and fixed it by using a thicker transmission fluid. My car is older, but it worked, and 40k miles later it’s still shifting smoothly.
Interesting! What fluid did you switch to? Mine is 75W-90. Should I try 80W-90 or something thicker? I’m more familiar with engine oil than gear oil, so I’m not sure what’s best here.
I’ve had great results with a mix of one bottle of Redline Shockproof and two quarts of synthetic gear oil. Last time I did this was on a 2005 Baja Turbo with 290k miles, and it shifted perfectly after.
@Dara
Same here! I used a similar mix for a 200k mile 2009 Forester when I thought the synchros were shot. All issues disappeared. Check out Uncle Scotty’s Cocktail on NASIOC forums—worked wonders for me. My car shifts like butter now.