Manual Transmission problems

I just recently bought a 2004 Subaru Outback and have had some
problems shifting the car into first and reverse. This only occurs
from a stand-still, and it happens about 10% of the time.

I took the car in and they told me that I wasn't pressing down hard
enough on the clutch. I explained that when I can't get the car into
first or reverse, I actually have to let up off the clutch slightly
before I can get the car into gear. After keeping the car all day,
they found that the first gear synchro was worn and the shift shaft
seal was leaking (which they replaced).

I am still having some problems getting into first sometimes, although
not as often as before. But reverse continues to be a headache.

The service crew is now telling me that this is because my car is an
All Wheel Drive vehicle and the gear teeth are bigger so sometimes
they don't come together easily. They told me that I have to double
clutch or shift into third before I shift the car into first or
reverse to align the gears.

Well, when trying to back out of my parking spot this morning, I tried
everything that they said. I double clutched, and I also shifted the
car into third 2 times before reverse finally engaged.

I have owned 3 other standards and have never had a single occurance
in which I couldn't get the car into first or reverse on the first
try...

I'm just wondering if this is common, or if I'm just being fed excuse
after excuse because I'm a girl...

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

wrote:
> I just recently bought a 2004 Subaru Outback and have had some
> problems shifting the car into first and reverse. This only occurs
> from a stand-still, and it happens about 10% of the time.
>
> I took the car in and they told me that I wasn't pressing down hard
> enough on the clutch. I explained that when I can't get the car into
> first or reverse, I actually have to let up off the clutch slightly
> before I can get the car into gear. After keeping the car all day,
> they found that the first gear synchro was worn and the shift shaft
> seal was leaking (which they replaced).
>
> I am still having some problems getting into first sometimes, although
> not as often as before. But reverse continues to be a headache.
>
> The service crew is now telling me that this is because my car is an
> All Wheel Drive vehicle and the gear teeth are bigger so sometimes
> they don't come together easily. They told me that I have to double
> clutch or shift into third before I shift the car into first or
> reverse to align the gears.
>
> Well, when trying to back out of my parking spot this morning, I tried
> everything that they said. I double clutched, and I also shifted the
> car into third 2 times before reverse finally engaged.
>
> I have owned 3 other standards and have never had a single occurance
> in which I couldn't get the car into first or reverse on the first
> try...
>
> I'm just wondering if this is common, or if I'm just being fed excuse
> after excuse because I'm a girl...
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated!
>

When you come to a stop, are you leaving the car in gear (but with the
clutch depressed) until the car stops dead, then trying to select first
or reverse? If you do that, all should be OK. Sometimes if you pull
the car into neutral while it is still rolling, you end up with gears
spinning down making it hard to shift (you'll be fighting the synchros
until they work their magic.)

When you can't shift, if you try to force things, do the gears grind, or
are you just unable to move the shifter?

nate

(really wishes you were my next door neighbor so I could just drive your
car and see what you were talking about)

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

On May 24, 11:14 am, Nate Nagel > wrote:
> wrote:
> > I just recently bought a 2004 Subaru Outback and have had some
> > problems shifting the car into first and reverse. This only occurs
> > from a stand-still, and it happens about 10% of the time.
>
> > I took the car in and they told me that I wasn't pressing down hard
> > enough on the clutch. I explained that when I can't get the car into
> > first or reverse, I actually have to let up off the clutch slightly
> > before I can get the car into gear. After keeping the car all day,
> > they found that the first gear synchro was worn and the shift shaft
> > seal was leaking (which they replaced).
>
> > I am still having some problems getting into first sometimes, although
> > not as often as before. But reverse continues to be a headache.
>
> > The service crew is now telling me that this is because my car is an
> > All Wheel Drive vehicle and the gear teeth are bigger so sometimes
> > they don't come together easily. They told me that I have to double
> > clutch or shift into third before I shift the car into first or
> > reverse to align the gears.
>
> > Well, when trying to back out of my parking spot this morning, I tried
> > everything that they said. I double clutched, and I also shifted the
> > car into third 2 times before reverse finally engaged.
>
> > I have owned 3 other standards and have never had a single occurance
> > in which I couldn't get the car into first or reverse on the first
> > try...
>
> > I'm just wondering if this is common, or if I'm just being fed excuse
> > after excuse because I'm a girl...
>
> > Any help would be greatly appreciated!
>
> When you come to a stop, are you leaving the car in gear (but with the
> clutch depressed) until the car stops dead, then trying to select first
> or reverse? If you do that, all should be OK. Sometimes if you pull
> the car into neutral while it is still rolling, you end up with gears
> spinning down making it hard to shift (you'll be fighting the synchros
> until they work their magic.)
>
> When you can't shift, if you try to force things, do the gears grind, or
> are you just unable to move the shifter?
>
> nate
>
> (really wishes you were my next door neighbor so I could just drive your
> car and see what you were talking about)
>
> --
> replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.http://members.cox.net/njnagel- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

When I'm coming to a stop, I generally keep it in gear with the clutch
pressed down...then throw it in neutral when I come to a stop...

I haven't noticed any grinding really...it's hard for me to explain,
but I can move the shifter about half way into gear and it just seems
to hit a wall and I can get it to fully pop into gear...

In article .com>, wrote:
> I just recently bought a 2004 Subaru Outback and have had some
> problems shifting the car into first and reverse. This only occurs
> from a stand-still, and it happens about 10% of the time.

> I took the car in and they told me that I wasn't pressing down hard
> enough on the clutch. I explained that when I can't get the car into
> first or reverse, I actually have to let up off the clutch slightly
> before I can get the car into gear. After keeping the car all day,
> they found that the first gear synchro was worn and the shift shaft
> seal was leaking (which they replaced).

> I am still having some problems getting into first sometimes, although
> not as often as before. But reverse continues to be a headache.
>
> The service crew is now telling me that this is because my car is an
> All Wheel Drive vehicle and the gear teeth are bigger so sometimes
> they don't come together easily. They told me that I have to double
> clutch or shift into third before I shift the car into first or
> reverse to align the gears.

> Well, when trying to back out of my parking spot this morning, I tried
> everything that they said. I double clutched, and I also shifted the
> car into third 2 times before reverse finally engaged.

> I have owned 3 other standards and have never had a single occurance
> in which I couldn't get the car into first or reverse on the first
> try...
>
> I'm just wondering if this is common, or if I'm just being fed excuse
> after excuse because I'm a girl...

Every MT car I've ever driven has had some degree of not wanting to go
into first or reverse at a dead stop. What you describe seems normal to
me. I suppose the worst was an audi I had to drive very briefly, to move
from one parking place to another really... A3 I think... small 2 door
german market only car some years ago. Damn thing was a pain getting
into reverse and was new, being a rental and all.

On May 24, 11:17 am, wrote:
> On May 24, 11:14 am, Nate Nagel > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > wrote:
> > > I just recently bought a 2004 Subaru Outback and have had some
> > > problems shifting the car into first and reverse. This only occurs
> > > from a stand-still, and it happens about 10% of the time.
>
> > > I took the car in and they told me that I wasn't pressing down hard
> > > enough on the clutch. I explained that when I can't get the car into
> > > first or reverse, I actually have to let up off the clutch slightly
> > > before I can get the car into gear. After keeping the car all day,
> > > they found that the first gear synchro was worn and the shift shaft
> > > seal was leaking (which they replaced).
>
> > > I am still having some problems getting into first sometimes, although
> > > not as often as before. But reverse continues to be a headache.
>
> > > The service crew is now telling me that this is because my car is an
> > > All Wheel Drive vehicle and the gear teeth are bigger so sometimes
> > > they don't come together easily. They told me that I have to double
> > > clutch or shift into third before I shift the car into first or
> > > reverse to align the gears.
>
> > > Well, when trying to back out of my parking spot this morning, I tried
> > > everything that they said. I double clutched, and I also shifted the
> > > car into third 2 times before reverse finally engaged.
>
> > > I have owned 3 other standards and have never had a single occurance
> > > in which I couldn't get the car into first or reverse on the first
> > > try...
>
> > > I'm just wondering if this is common, or if I'm just being fed excuse
> > > after excuse because I'm a girl...
>
> > > Any help would be greatly appreciated!
>
> > When you come to a stop, are you leaving the car in gear (but with the
> > clutch depressed) until the car stops dead, then trying to select first
> > or reverse? If you do that, all should be OK. Sometimes if you pull
> > the car into neutral while it is still rolling, you end up with gears
> > spinning down making it hard to shift (you'll be fighting the synchros
> > until they work their magic.)
>
> > When you can't shift, if you try to force things, do the gears grind, or
> > are you just unable to move the shifter?
>
> > nate
>
> > (really wishes you were my next door neighbor so I could just drive your
> > car and see what you were talking about)
>
> > --
> > replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.http://members.cox.net/njnagel-Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> When I'm coming to a stop, I generally keep it in gear with the clutch
> pressed down...then throw it in neutral when I come to a stop...
>
> I haven't noticed any grinding really...it's hard for me to explain,
> but I can move the shifter about half way into gear and it just seems
> to hit a wall and I can get it to fully pop into gear...- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Sorry - I meant that I CAN'T get it to fully pop into gear

wrote:
> I just recently bought a 2004 Subaru Outback and have had some
> problems shifting the car into first and reverse. This only occurs
> from a stand-still, and it happens about 10% of the time.
>
> I took the car in and they told me that I wasn't pressing down hard
> enough on the clutch. I explained that when I can't get the car into
> first or reverse, I actually have to let up off the clutch slightly
> before I can get the car into gear. After keeping the car all day,
> they found that the first gear synchro was worn and the shift shaft
> seal was leaking (which they replaced).
>
> I am still having some problems getting into first sometimes, although
> not as often as before. But reverse continues to be a headache.
>
> The service crew is now telling me that this is because my car is an
> All Wheel Drive vehicle and the gear teeth are bigger so sometimes
> they don't come together easily. They told me that I have to double
> clutch or shift into third before I shift the car into first or
> reverse to align the gears.
>
> Well, when trying to back out of my parking spot this morning, I tried
> everything that they said. I double clutched, and I also shifted the
> car into third 2 times before reverse finally engaged.
>
> I have owned 3 other standards and have never had a single occurance
> in which I couldn't get the car into first or reverse on the first
> try...
>
> I'm just wondering if this is common, or if I'm just being fed excuse
> after excuse because I'm a girl...
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated!
>

sounds lame to me. I have an 02 Subaru Legacy, and it drives just like
my other manual transmission equipped cars.

fwiw, the floormats on mine have a tendancy to slide forwards and lodge
under the clutch pedal, with the net result is the clutch pedal is only
about 90% down and you think it's 100% down.

Ray

> wrote:
>I just recently bought a 2004 Subaru Outback and have had some
>problems shifting the car into first and reverse. This only occurs
>from a stand-still, and it happens about 10% of the time.

I will say that I have been annoyed at my wife's Outback, which requires
the clutch pedal to go down a lot farther than I expected.

>I took the car in and they told me that I wasn't pressing down hard
>enough on the clutch. I explained that when I can't get the car into
>first or reverse, I actually have to let up off the clutch slightly
>before I can get the car into gear. After keeping the car all day,
>they found that the first gear synchro was worn and the shift shaft
>seal was leaking (which they replaced).

I hope they changed the clutch as well. If you're going to go through
all the trouble to drop the transmission you might as well change the
clutch in the process.

>I'm just wondering if this is common, or if I'm just being fed excuse
>after excuse because I'm a girl...

Try bottoming the clutch way out. Also ask if they can adjust it so
the friction point on the clutch is a little closer-in. The clutch on
the Outback has a really long throw but I think you're being fed excuses
too.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On May 24, 11:23 am, Ray > wrote:
> wrote:
> > I just recently bought a 2004 Subaru Outback and have had some
> > problems shifting the car into first and reverse. This only occurs
> > from a stand-still, and it happens about 10% of the time.
>
> > I took the car in and they told me that I wasn't pressing down hard
> > enough on the clutch. I explained that when I can't get the car into
> > first or reverse, I actually have to let up off the clutch slightly
> > before I can get the car into gear. After keeping the car all day,
> > they found that the first gear synchro was worn and the shift shaft
> > seal was leaking (which they replaced).
>
> > I am still having some problems getting into first sometimes, although
> > not as often as before. But reverse continues to be a headache.
>
> > The service crew is now telling me that this is because my car is an
> > All Wheel Drive vehicle and the gear teeth are bigger so sometimes
> > they don't come together easily. They told me that I have to double
> > clutch or shift into third before I shift the car into first or
> > reverse to align the gears.
>
> > Well, when trying to back out of my parking spot this morning, I tried
> > everything that they said. I double clutched, and I also shifted the
> > car into third 2 times before reverse finally engaged.
>
> > I have owned 3 other standards and have never had a single occurance
> > in which I couldn't get the car into first or reverse on the first
> > try...
>
> > I'm just wondering if this is common, or if I'm just being fed excuse
> > after excuse because I'm a girl...
>
> > Any help would be greatly appreciated!
>
> sounds lame to me. I have an 02 Subaru Legacy, and it drives just like
> my other manual transmission equipped cars.
>
> fwiw, the floormats on mine have a tendancy to slide forwards and lodge
> under the clutch pedal, with the net result is the clutch pedal is only
> about 90% down and you think it's 100% down.
>
> Ray- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Yeah, I thought about the floor mats and they are secure and never
wedged under any of the pedals

If I had ever had a problem like this with any of my previous MT cars,
I would understand that it's typical. I feel like I'm being pushed
around so that the 2 month warranty will end and then they don't have
to fix it.

I have owned a Ford Probe, Mazda MX-6, Mercury Cougar, Honda
Civic...all with MT and I have never had any problems at all with any
of them...

The newest excuse that I was told last night by the sales manager was
that they make reverse difficult to engage so that you don't
accidently shift it into reverse when you don't mean to...

I feel insulted because I've been driving manuals for close to 8 years
now! They keep talking to me like I just don't know how to drive it!

On May 24, 11:23 am, Ray > wrote:
> wrote:
> > I just recently bought a 2004 Subaru Outback and have had some
> > problems shifting the car into first and reverse. This only occurs
> > from a stand-still, and it happens about 10% of the time.
>
> > I took the car in and they told me that I wasn't pressing down hard
> > enough on the clutch. I explained that when I can't get the car into
> > first or reverse, I actually have to let up off the clutch slightly
> > before I can get the car into gear. After keeping the car all day,
> > they found that the first gear synchro was worn and the shift shaft
> > seal was leaking (which they replaced).
>
> > I am still having some problems getting into first sometimes, although
> > not as often as before. But reverse continues to be a headache.
>
> > The service crew is now telling me that this is because my car is an
> > All Wheel Drive vehicle and the gear teeth are bigger so sometimes
> > they don't come together easily. They told me that I have to double
> > clutch or shift into third before I shift the car into first or
> > reverse to align the gears.
>
> > Well, when trying to back out of my parking spot this morning, I tried
> > everything that they said. I double clutched, and I also shifted the
> > car into third 2 times before reverse finally engaged.
>
> > I have owned 3 other standards and have never had a single occurance
> > in which I couldn't get the car into first or reverse on the first
> > try...
>
> > I'm just wondering if this is common, or if I'm just being fed excuse
> > after excuse because I'm a girl...
>
> > Any help would be greatly appreciated!
>
> sounds lame to me. I have an 02 Subaru Legacy, and it drives just like
> my other manual transmission equipped cars.
>
> fwiw, the floormats on mine have a tendancy to slide forwards and lodge
> under the clutch pedal, with the net result is the clutch pedal is only
> about 90% down and you think it's 100% down.
>
> Ray- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I thought about the floormat, but it's definitely secure and does not
wedge under any of the pedals.

I have owned several other MT cars - Ford Probe, Mazda MX-6, Honda
Civic, and Mercury Cougar - and none of them have ever given me any
problems with first or reverse (or any other gear for that matter)

I just feel like they are trying to keep me coming back until my 2
month warranty is up and then they don't have to fix it. They talk to
me like I don't know how to drive the car properly - but I have been
driving standards for almost 8 years now!

On May 24, 11:26 am, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
> > wrote:
> >I just recently bought a 2004 Subaru Outback and have had some
> >problems shifting the car into first and reverse. This only occurs
> >from a stand-still, and it happens about 10% of the time.
>
> I will say that I have been annoyed at my wife's Outback, which requires
> the clutch pedal to go down a lot farther than I expected.
>
> >I took the car in and they told me that I wasn't pressing down hard
> >enough on the clutch. I explained that when I can't get the car into
> >first or reverse, I actually have to let up off the clutch slightly
> >before I can get the car into gear. After keeping the car all day,
> >they found that the first gear synchro was worn and the shift shaft
> >seal was leaking (which they replaced).
>
> I hope they changed the clutch as well. If you're going to go through
> all the trouble to drop the transmission you might as well change the
> clutch in the process.
>
> >I'm just wondering if this is common, or if I'm just being fed excuse
> >after excuse because I'm a girl...
>
> Try bottoming the clutch way out. Also ask if they can adjust it so
> the friction point on the clutch is a little closer-in. The clutch on
> the Outback has a really long throw but I think you're being fed excuses
> too.
> --scott
>
> --
> "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

I always press the clutch all the way to the floor when changing
gears...that's the way I have always driven standards...

So, when they first told me that it was just happening because I
wasn't pressing down hard enough on the clutch, I was insulted.

They didn't replace the clutch - just the first gear synchro and the
shift shaft seal...