[Navigator]

I have an SS with the manual transmission and the shifting has felt very rough/ creaky(?) lately for the first 10-15 minutes driving it. I'm guessing this is due to the colder weather (30s F where I live)? The shifting seems to smooth out when the car is warmed up. Until then, the shifter does not feel like it wants to fit into gear and sounds and feels rough getting it into gear. It also seems almost like it wants to bounce out of gear going over potholes or rough spots when it's cold. This isn't my first MT and I understand they are not the smoothest until they warm up after a cold start, but is anyone else's like this? I don't remember my prior MT cars being this bad when cold.

Would changing the fluid help at all? I just hit 1,500 miles on mine.

[Dubchitts]

Mine was the same way, and my cue to put it in storage for the winter. Not sure if a fluid change would help. Mine I could drive for an hour and the trans temp wouldnt get over 100° in 40s weather.

[Navigator]

I'll be driving this year-round in much colder temps.

[2K16SummitSS]

Have had the same issue last year and now starting this year on cold days. I've read in many places that fluid change makes a world of difference. Most people seem to be going with Royal Purple or Redline. I need to get on the ball before it gets any colder down here.

[Cchief]

Originally Posted by Navigator

I have an SS with the manual transmission and the shifting has felt very rough/ creaky(?) lately for the first 10-15 minutes driving it. I'm guessing this is due to the colder weather (30s F where I live)? The shifting seems to smooth out when the car is warmed up. Until then, the shifter does not feel like it wants to fit into gear and sounds and feels rough getting it into gear. It also seems almost like it wants to bounce out of gear going over potholes or rough spots when it's cold. This isn't my first MT and I understand they are not the smoothest until they warm up after a cold start, but is anyone else's like this? I don't remember my prior MT cars being this bad when cold.

Would changing the fluid help at all? I just hit 1,500 miles on mine.

I traded a 2016 Vette with 1300 miles on it because the transmission sucked in cold weather, it was a Tremec 7 speed and I found bulletins to prove it but GM didn’t have a fix so I filed a lemon law and got $5000 and kept the car so I traded it in June, hope this isn’t the same issue. I have a 2017 2SS Fifty Vert, do you know what tranny is in the Camaro?
For over 20 years I worked for a company headquartered in Brookfield, I feel your pain with the winters.
With all of the research I did, Redline was the choice of tranny fluid that made the tranny shift smoother, my issue was shifting from 1st to 2nd. All other gears were fine. It didn’t get any better when it warmed up.

[Deakins]

Yep, mine sucked all last winter...it got slightly better with a change to synthetic RP ATF but not that great. The only option seems to be warming it up the best you can...the dealership sent me packing without wanting to address the issue...

[Navigator]

Originally Posted by Deakins

Yep, mine sucked all last winter...it got slightly better with a change to synthetic RP ATF but not that great. The only option seems to be warming it up the best you can...the dealership sent me packing without wanting to address the issue...

What kind of issues were you having? Mine just feels like there is a lot of creaking and metal-on-metal shifting it from 1-2 (and even 2-3) on cold mornings.

[Deakins]

Same issues, on really cold mornings it wouldn't want to go I to second gear on the first try. It also occasionally would want to not fully engage reverse and would pop out of gear. During the summer it's a dream and has zero issues...and has since survived 30 track hours without anything but flawless performance along with about 30,000 street miles...all is well until it gets cold.

[Navigator]

Originally Posted by Deakins

Same issues, on really cold mornings it wouldn't want to go I to second gear on the first try. It also occasionally would want to not fully engage reverse and would pop out of gear. During the summer it's a dream and has zero issues...and has since survived 30 track hours without anything but flawless performance along with about 30,000 street miles...all is well until it gets cold.

It was about 45F this morning and feels like a totally different transmission with no issues at all. The fluid must really lose effectiveness below around 40F until it warms up.

[6spdhyperblue]

Idk what real manual trans you’ve driven that’s not notchy when cold.

[soloknight6]

Here's a tip, soon after start up, before you take off, work first and second a few times. Be gentle, and it will shift smoothly.

[6spdhyperblue]

Originally Posted by soloknight6

Here's a tip, soon after start up, before you take off, work first and second a few times. Be gentle, and it will shift smoothly.

Truth

[Ryephile]

The stiff shifter complaint is really common.

A) the syncros need break-in time, several thousand miles
B) the factory trans fluid is garbage in cold temps, roughly below 45°F. Swapping in a very good fluid like AMSoil manual syncromesh oil alleviates almost all the cold weather notchiness.

Originally Posted by Nicul15

Idk what real manual trans you’ve driven that’s not notchy when cold.

Nearly anything not American, to be honest. Get to your nearest Miata or S2000 for examples of flawless shifter quality.

[2K16SummitSS]

Originally Posted by soloknight6

Here's a tip, soon after start up, before you take off, work first and second a few times. Be gentle, and it will shift smoothly.

Yep, did this on the old T56 in the 4th gen, doing it again in the 6th
Works fine unless you get into the low 20's or below, then you might as well forget it until you get down the road a bit.