6 Speed M/T Shifts Poorly When Cold

[GeorgiaBII]

I'll help anybody with an open mind. You've made your mind up. Enjoy the car.

 

[Fyodor Dostoevsky]

Manual transmission fluid is one of those topics, like motor oil, that is subject to multiple opinions, staunch loyalty and frequent word-battles. I can provide my opinion and experience. Many people swear by OEM, AMSOIL, etc. I have used Redline MTL in my Mk6 and Mk7 GTIs, '99 and '98 New Beetles, '91 Jeep Wrangler, '13 Jeep Wrangler, and '06 Civic. In each case, the feeling of the shifter as the gears meshed into one another was vastly improved, regardless of the weather and temperature.

This is the issue I have - the feeling of the shifter as the gears mesh. I was driving my car last night, and it was only about -4 C (25 F) Even after an hour of driving around the transmission shifts still weren't smooth, in particular from 1st to 2nd. It's a subtle feeling. Probably most people wouldn't even notice or care, but I can feel that it isn't as smooth as in my previous cars. It feels like the synchros are grabbing slightly.

Maryland winters are frequently in the teens and single digits in the dead of winter. I've never had a problem.

In my most recent vehicle, the '16 GTI, I replaced the OEM with MTL at 13K miles and again at 45K miles. I could tell the difference in the feel of the shift each time, so my duration is 30-40K miles for the 6sp MT. Even my daughter could feel the difference in her '98 New Beetle when I changed her transmission oil. In my '99 New Beetle, I lost a syncronizer at 105K miles, after which I replaced the OEM oil with MTL. That transmission was fine for another 160,000 miles before the vehicle got totaled.

Like I said, this response could generate a lot of haters to provide their opinions, but I know what worked for me. I'm sold. Give it a shot, the only thing you have to lose 3 the funds for 3 quarts of MTL.

Thanks for the advice, it's an option to consider.

Right now I'm reluctant to deviate from the OEM oil. So, I'll probably try replacing the OEM oil first. If there's no improvement in the shifting then I'll consider an aftermarket oil.

 

[zrickety]

I like Mobil 1 gear oil. Run it in all my vehicles. It may be a little stiff on a cold morning, for the first few miles that's normal. I used to live in upstate New York. It's not Calgary, but I had my share of cold weather.