Hi there (I've also posted this in General in the hope someone spots it),

hopefully someone can help me diagnose a problem which has cropped up on my car over the last couple days. It's an MY02 WRX with 60 K miles on the clock, and is still running the original clutch and gearbox.

Starting over the last couple of days, whenever I need to change into first gear during normal driving, from a higher gear - like when coasting to a near standstill for a roundabout or a give way sign or something - when I try and engage first gear (with the clutch fully depressed obviously), it crunches really badly, almost as if I hadn't depressed the clutch at all.

This only happens when I try to change into first QUICKLY - if I give it an appreciable pause after depressing the clutch, it's fine.

Is my synchromesh on the way out? Clutch? Gearbox problem?
Hopefully someone can help.....

many thanks
DaveR

 

mine does the same - only done 11k miles. mentioned it to dealer at free 10k service + they said they can't find anything wrong (like they ever actually looked!) the only way i found to overcome it is to not change into 1st while still moving.

 

I think this is a common problem. Mine doesn't crunch (yet) but does take considerably more force to go into 1st when rolling than when compared with the other gears. I always try and stop the car completely before engaging 1st.

 

sometimes mine does it.other times not,seems to depend on when i try to select it,and at what speed.....thought all gearboxes were the same in that 1st gear lacked a syncromesh therfore it would crunch if selected when on the move,although my last car (mgzr) was fine in this respect......i just wait until im almost at a stop,or am stationary before selecting 1st,seems a commen scoob trait rather than a problem


martin

 

harruummmppphhh

thanks for the replies though

mine never did it until recently - and my driving style has remained the same! I've spoken to a couple of mechanics and they agree with one of my original guesses, that the synchromesh is on the way out. Apparently it also makes sense that 1st gear is the first to go (has to do most work to engage it).

sounds like an expensive job to me though

the crunching on mine is pretty violent - shakes your whole arm up if you get the full force

 

First option is to get your gearbox oil changed, Castrol Syntrax is used by lots of owners on here and is a very good oil for the Subaru box.

Secondly if your still moving you shouldn't really need to select 1st it would most likely be quicker and smoother to pull away in 2nd.

 

I'm not actually moving, I'm talking about the kind of situation where you have to become stationary for a roundabout or a give way sign or something, and need to select 1st in a hurry

this never used to be a problem, until recently ;(