New 997 2CS - how hard is manual gear selection?

[simonm]

How hard is it to select another gear with the clutch 'fully' depressed using the manual gearbox?

I have a 997 2CS with 1000 miles on the clock, and I'm getting used to a 'manual' box again, but I don't want to force the gears unnecessarily.

I find 1st gear can easily be selected only when the car is stationary.

When driving slowly, I can change down to 2nd gear, but never to 1st gear, unless the car is completely stationary.

2nd gear is easily selected whilst driving, but never when stationary.

Reverse requires a quite firm push to the left to get it selected - I'm not lifting/pushing the lever up or down.

I have noticed that the natural resting position of the gear lever is 3rd/4th. Pushing across to 1st or second reaches a 'stop', but the push across to 5th/6th reaches a 'stop' but there is still some 'travel' against a 'spring'.

The problems I'm experiencing are with the clutch 'fully' depressed so I was expecting the lever to select any gear (within reason) easily.

 

[simonm]

I have made a small change to my seat position - I'm now sitting one 'notch' further forwards and fully engaging the clutch is now easier. When pressing the clutch down I couldn't hear the 'click' of the clutch switch - now I hear this when pressing fully down on the clutch I have found that the shifter can easily select any gear when the vehicle is stationary. I have not released the clutch in any gear other than first, but it's nice to know that 2nd is a possibility (and 3rd - 6th are available even if not required).

I haven't found blipping the throttle makes any difference when selecting 1st and find 1st is only accessible when the car is stationary or almost stopped.

Overall I do find the gears a little 'notchy' and the mechanism is a delight and very precise but with the apparent limitation on selecting 1st. I will certainly keep the 'box' under review especially if it either doesn't improve or if reverse or any of the gears become hard, impossible to reach easily, or 'notchy'.

 

[YvesD]

I have no experince of the Porsche system personally but it cant be any worse than the very grumpy cold gear change on the BMW E46 M3 ( which is liveable with ) so on that basis its not worth worrying about. Just drive around it.

Regards

Yves

 

[Guest]

Contact your dealer. There is a non-critical "recall" that alters the alignment of the gear selector cable. When I had my car in for the safety recall relating to the exhaust tips, they did about another half dozen repair items under warranty that I knew nothing about. It was noticably easier to select 1st and reverse after this work was done.

Tim
997S Carmon Red

 

[Faz]

Hi Simon, I had / have exactly the same symptons, and when mine was in for the exhaust recall, at about 2,000 miles, they adjusted the gear linkage mechanism, but this only made a marginal improvement. It's now done about 4,000 miles and it's still reluctant to go into 1st unless stationary. When I swapped the 996 C4S for the 997 C2S in my opinion the gearchange was not as slick, and my Porsche Centre said it was because it was new and needed wearing in. This surprised me as according to Porsche's 997 launch literature the box was one of the many improvements over the 996.

 

[Guest]

I had an intermittant problem selecting reverse on very hot days during the summer or after a long drive.

After a visit to the local OPC with the diagnosis "we cannot replicate this gearbox problem" the fault seems to have mysteriously disappeared (not that I'm complaining)

 

[simonm]

ORIGINAL: Faz
This surprised me as according to Porsche's 997 launch literature the box was one of the many improvements over the 996

I was at the OPC today to have a technician drive my C2S with manual transmission - I have covered 7.5K miles since September and it was my first visit back to an OPC.

Have always thought that 1st gear is difficult to change into once the car is in motion, and the lower gears are slightly harder to use, although it's always a pleasure to change gear.

I was pleased to say that verdict, after quite a long test drive was that it was performing exactly as it should. You could almost see it written all over his face and, as a passenger in my own car, I'm actually also in total agreement!

I'm told that the box will only allow 1st gear when the synchromesh is ready (to protect the gearbox) and that the first three gears have a different type construction hence it's possible to feel a variation - different but not wrong. I remember once reading about the improvements to the Japanese Asin gearbox that Porsche use - the lower gears are carbon coated and use a different type of 'improved' synchromesh.

 

[Guest]

My experience with 1st and 2nd gears is exactly the same as yours Simon. I was gald to see that mine was not an isolated case. 1st will not engage unless the car is totally at standstill. 2nd difficult to engage at standstill.

2nd gear in an M3 has always been notchy.