One-Two Shift
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Joined: Jul 2003
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One-Two Shift
I have some comments and questions about the shifting of the 6M transmission. The shift from first to second has always been pretty chunky, particularly when I'm accelerating and shifting quickly. Shifts to subsequent higher gears, while still not velvety, are much smoother. I've never been enamored with the 6-speed gearbox and am less so when I hop back in the Crossfire after driving my A4 with a 5-speed.
Do you 6M drivers experience notchier 1-2 shifts than between other gears?
Could this be related to the "popping out of first" problem because of a mis-adjustment or assembly goof? (I've not had that horrible problem).
For the folks who got a new transmission because of the popping problem, did you notice any improvements in shifting with the new one?
Do you 6M drivers experience notchier 1-2 shifts than between other gears?
Could this be related to the "popping out of first" problem because of a mis-adjustment or assembly goof? (I've not had that horrible problem).
For the folks who got a new transmission because of the popping problem, did you notice any improvements in shifting with the new one?
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: ATLANTA, GEORGIA
I THINK YOU PEOPLE ARE CRAZY OR MAYBE CAN'T DRIVE I'VE DRIVEN FIVE OR SIX SPEEDS ALL OF MY LIFE AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH ANY OF THEM(MUCH LESS ON THE CROSSFIRE) MAYBE YOU JUST NEED TIME TO ADJUST TO THE CAR. AS FOR THE POP OUT OF FIRST THING I SELL CHRYSTLER CARS AND I'VE SOLD THREE CROSSFIRES(ONE TO MYSELF) AND NONE OF MY GUEST HAVE HAD THAT PROBLEM.
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Originally Posted by JASONMADER
I THINK YOU PEOPLE ARE CRAZY OR MAYBE CAN'T DRIVE I'VE DRIVEN FIVE OR SIX SPEEDS ALL OF MY LIFE AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH ANY OF THEM(MUCH LESS ON THE CROSSFIRE) MAYBE YOU JUST NEED TIME TO ADJUST TO THE CAR. AS FOR THE POP OUT OF FIRST THING I SELL CHRYSTLER CARS AND I'VE SOLD THREE CROSSFIRES(ONE TO MYSELF) AND NONE OF MY GUEST HAVE HAD THAT PROBLEM.
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Thanks!
Thanks for clearing that up. Indeed I must be crazy and cannot drive a 5 or 6 speed.
Wasted my money on the 4 Lotuses I owned, the one I have ordered, the misc. Triumphs, MG's, Datsun 510's (the originals), Honda's, Nissan Pickups, Blazer, my Crossfire, et al that had 4/5/6 speeds. Damn things just sat in the yard 'cause I didn't know how to get them to move.
Wish I'd met you sooner, I might not have wasted so much time and money! :lol:
Wasted my money on the 4 Lotuses I owned, the one I have ordered, the misc. Triumphs, MG's, Datsun 510's (the originals), Honda's, Nissan Pickups, Blazer, my Crossfire, et al that had 4/5/6 speeds. Damn things just sat in the yard 'cause I didn't know how to get them to move.
Wish I'd met you sooner, I might not have wasted so much time and money! :lol:
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: So. Calif. soon to be So. Oregon
I've got close to 7K miles on mine now. The first few hundred miles the trans was so smooth. It went into each gear with a very satisfying "snick". It is getting gradually harder to engage 1st gear and the shift to 2nd requires some effort. More pronounced when the car is cold. Got an appt. to get the radio changed tomorrow. I'll speak to the service manager about it. Let you know what he says.
Joined: Dec 2003
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I too have a 6 speed and have noticed from day one getting into 2nd gear was more laborious than any other gear. It is worse in the morning when cold. My first shift of the day even has an audible "clunk" sound. It's as if the clulch doesn't totally disengage when shifting to 2nd gear.
Joined: Oct 2003
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My old Ferrari had the transaxle in the rear and thus suffered mightly from cold shifting (as the tranny had to warm itself up without any help from the engine). A lot of folks got a big improvement switching to synthetic gear oil; anyone know if the Crossfire has synthetic or dino oil in the gearbox?
Joined: Jan 2004
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Let myself or one of the other Techs look into this before ANY one tries a different lube in their trans.
Many a synchroniser assembly uses a friction material not unsimilar to an auto trans clutch, and the wrong lube in the trans spells disaster for the gearbox.
A guy drained the Dextron II from his Viper T-56, pumped it full of GL-5 gear lube and wasted an otherwise fine transmission to the tune of $4500.
Many a synchroniser assembly uses a friction material not unsimilar to an auto trans clutch, and the wrong lube in the trans spells disaster for the gearbox.
A guy drained the Dextron II from his Viper T-56, pumped it full of GL-5 gear lube and wasted an otherwise fine transmission to the tune of $4500.
Joined: Jan 2004
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Cribbed from Dealerconnect:: (tech portal)
DESCRIPTION
The manual transmission is a fully synchronized two-shaft transmission with six forward gears and one reverse gear. The 6th gear is used to save fuel and reduce engine speed. The manual transmission is equipped with a conventional dry clutch with automatic wear adjuster which is operated by a central clutch operator. The transmission is maintenance-free and has a permanent oil fill. A precise and light shift with short shifting travels is achieved by the following measures:
Transmission of the shift lever movement to the transmission by the shift rod and control cable
Central shift shaft supported on needle bearings
Multiple-cone synchronization in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear
Fully-synchronized reverse gear
DESCRIPTION
The manual transmission is a fully synchronized two-shaft transmission with six forward gears and one reverse gear. The 6th gear is used to save fuel and reduce engine speed. The manual transmission is equipped with a conventional dry clutch with automatic wear adjuster which is operated by a central clutch operator. The transmission is maintenance-free and has a permanent oil fill. A precise and light shift with short shifting travels is achieved by the following measures:
Transmission of the shift lever movement to the transmission by the shift rod and control cable
Central shift shaft supported on needle bearings
Multiple-cone synchronization in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear
Fully-synchronized reverse gear
Joined: Jan 2004
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I, too, have issues with putting the car into first gear, but I also have the popping out of first gear issue (which may be the main problem). I have found that if I put it in second and then into first ... it goes into first more smoothly. Also, if the car has any sort of momentum, I put it in second gear to go.
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Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Mesa, AZ
Originally Posted by Mame
I, too, have issues with putting the car into first gear, but I also have the popping out of first gear issue (which may be the main problem). I have found that if I put it in second and then into first ... it goes into first more smoothly. Also, if the car has any sort of momentum, I put it in second gear to go.
The transmission is not the smoothest in the world but you do have a serious issue with it popping out of first gear. There have been several of us on this forum that had the problem. At first the dealer will try a fix, it usually doesn't last long. Most of the people had their entire transmission changed. You may have to do a little arm twisting, but in the end your dealer will get it fixed.
It is a hard problem to duplicate as you never know when it will happen. My dealer never once could duplicate the problem. They did the fix which lasted for 700 miles and ended up swapping out the transmission last week.
March down to the dealer, let him know that "you" know there have been a handful of cars with this problem. Stick by your guns... goodluck.
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Atlanta
I too have found the 1-2 shift notchier than the rest, but my only real gripe is the actual smoothness when releasing the clutch out of the shift into 2nd. It's really hard to do smoothly....the clutch seems to grab more abruptly at about mid travel in the release.
Sorta concerns me when I wanna race someone, because a FAST smooth shift seems almost impossible.
Anyone?
Dallas
Sorta concerns me when I wanna race someone, because a FAST smooth shift seems almost impossible.
Anyone?
Dallas
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 137
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Yeah, I've noticed similar tendancies in 2nd.
Worked on it a bit. I got it pretty smooth most the time (except cold mornings, half asleep). Sometimes it hard to analyse what you yourself are doing (especially when it is all by feel, like this) but what I perceive myself doing is:
a combination of only lightly clutching out of first and dropping the RPMs a bit more than seems natural.
But, that may have nothing to do with it. The learning Tranny might be just compensating...
Worked on it a bit. I got it pretty smooth most the time (except cold mornings, half asleep). Sometimes it hard to analyse what you yourself are doing (especially when it is all by feel, like this) but what I perceive myself doing is:
a combination of only lightly clutching out of first and dropping the RPMs a bit more than seems natural.
But, that may have nothing to do with it. The learning Tranny might be just compensating...
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Mesa, AZ
Originally Posted by wonderdallas
I too have found the 1-2 shift notchier than the rest, but my only real gripe is the actual smoothness when releasing the clutch out of the shift into 2nd. It's really hard to do smoothly....the clutch seems to grab more abruptly at about mid travel in the release.
Sorta concerns me when I wanna race someone, because a FAST smooth shift seems almost impossible.
Anyone?
Dallas
Sorta concerns me when I wanna race someone, because a FAST smooth shift seems almost impossible.
Anyone?
Dallas
On the bright side, the longer I drive the car it seems I've gotten better at shifting from 1st to 2nd. :wink: :wink: :wink:
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Chicagoland
I came over to this board specifically to post on this very topic, was gratified/disappointed to find I was not the first. In my first full day of Xfire driving I found 2 -> 3, 3->4, 4 -> 5, and 5 ->6, Sweet! Very smooth. But no matter what I did -- high RPM, low RPM, fast engage, slow engage -- couldn't seem to get the 1 -> 2 shift smoothly. Almost always a jolt.
My manny tranny experience is a little odd, I learned to drive a stick on a school bus -- talk about long-throw shifter! I confess it's been a decade since I drove a stick, since that superb racing machine, the '78 Horizon
ops:
But note the following from USA auto writer James Healey in a May, 2000 article http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/...ealey/0014.htm about the then-new 6-speed SLK 320:
Any of that sound familiar?
My manny tranny experience is a little odd, I learned to drive a stick on a school bus -- talk about long-throw shifter! I confess it's been a decade since I drove a stick, since that superb racing machine, the '78 Horizon
ops: But note the following from USA auto writer James Healey in a May, 2000 article http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/...ealey/0014.htm about the then-new 6-speed SLK 320:
"Transmission. Nice of M-B to offer a six-speed stick shift. Too bad it's so sloppy. The gear lever moves like a churn through chunky, warm butter - sloppily, imprecisely and with occasional clunkiness.
If you're driving like Hades and paying attendant attention, the gearbox is OK. You remember to forcefully find each gear and overlook the fact that the box is so vague you can wind up in fifth or neutral instead of third. But most of the time, in the stop-and-go slugfest that's real life, the manual shifter is just an annoyance. Plus, it likes to make a slight grinding noise when you engage first or reverse, a built-in mechanical drawback that gives neighbors the impression you aren't smart enough to push in the clutch all the way.
....
Clutch. Darned hard to engage smoothly between gears unless you're barreling full-bore and slap-shifting like a drag racer, where a little jolt when you let out the clutch is irrelevant."
If you're driving like Hades and paying attendant attention, the gearbox is OK. You remember to forcefully find each gear and overlook the fact that the box is so vague you can wind up in fifth or neutral instead of third. But most of the time, in the stop-and-go slugfest that's real life, the manual shifter is just an annoyance. Plus, it likes to make a slight grinding noise when you engage first or reverse, a built-in mechanical drawback that gives neighbors the impression you aren't smart enough to push in the clutch all the way.
....
Clutch. Darned hard to engage smoothly between gears unless you're barreling full-bore and slap-shifting like a drag racer, where a little jolt when you let out the clutch is irrelevant."
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Chicagoland
You are not alone
I continue to assume here that this is the same tranny and shifter as in the SLK. If not, fair to assume there is similar lineage. Here are three more SLK320 review excerpts:
From Frank Aukofer, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Mar. 3, 2001:
Full review @ http://www.jsonline.com/wheels/test/...lk02030101.asp
From Krisiti Bannen, The C.A.R. Show:
Full article @ http://www.thecarshow.com/review110200slk320.htm
and finally, this blast from edmunds.com, 12/27/2000:
Ouch!
While autowriters sometimes seem to know as little about cars as sportswriters do about throwing a curveball, these folks drive a lot more cars than most of us and when THEY are saying this is a difficult clutch, I think hey! maybe it ain't me! I have a theory on the shifting but it'll take a few more miles to test this out...
From Frank Aukofer, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Mar. 3, 2001:
Unfortunately, especially for folks who don't spend a lot of time shifting for themselves, the SLK six-speed is not an easy car to drive. Because of the amount of power on tap in the lower gears, as well as a need for expert slippage of the clutch, it takes time and concentration to drive the SLK smoothly.
The shifter gets the job done, but it is both sloppy in feel and a bit crunchy through the gears, especially when you want to shift rapidly.
The shifter gets the job done, but it is both sloppy in feel and a bit crunchy through the gears, especially when you want to shift rapidly.
From Krisiti Bannen, The C.A.R. Show:
The 2001 SLK 320 comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission that felt quite powerful and had some definite kick to it as you shifted into higher gears. However, it was difficult at first to find the perfect balance shifting between gears and getting used to the clutch - it was a bit touchy.
and finally, this blast from edmunds.com, 12/27/2000:
What caused the powertrain to ultimately disappoint our evaluators was the crappy six-speed manual transmission charged with routing power to the rear wheels. In fact, the balky clutch take-up, floppy shifter, vague feel, murky gates and lousy heel-and-toe pedal arrangement are to blame for almost dragging the Benz to third place after all was said and done. Jerky around town and generally unpleasant to operate, the SLK's manual gearbox garnered only one positive comment in the logbook
While autowriters sometimes seem to know as little about cars as sportswriters do about throwing a curveball, these folks drive a lot more cars than most of us and when THEY are saying this is a difficult clutch, I think hey! maybe it ain't me! I have a theory on the shifting but it'll take a few more miles to test this out...
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2003
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On one hand it's good to know I'm not the ham-fisted and footed driver my friends think I am (when attempting to make a spirited shift from 1st to 2nd) but on the other hand, I would rather it were something with my driving that I could change to fix...
Maybe it still is, but based on all the excellent posts here, it would appear that there's a problem with the transmission... flywheel... clutch... system.
Otherwise, average, "normal" driving is not a problem (once the transmission warms up).
Crossfire Techs: Any technical info on why this is, what can be changed or adjusted?
Maybe it still is, but based on all the excellent posts here, it would appear that there's a problem with the transmission... flywheel... clutch... system.
Otherwise, average, "normal" driving is not a problem (once the transmission warms up).
Crossfire Techs: Any technical info on why this is, what can be changed or adjusted?