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6 speed question

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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 09:55 AM
  #1  
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'06 Lexus GS300 RWD, '07 Camry SE V6 auto, '91 190E 2.6 auto
6 speed question

For those w/ the new 6 speed, how would you describe the shifting action? Unfortunately, there are no manuals near me to compare mine to, but it seems like the shifting has become a little harder than when new, but I only get to drive the car maybe once or twice a week, so maybe my memory is jaded. Do you feel resistance when changing gears, sort of as if the shifter was moving through a very tight spot just before it goes into the next gear? Does your's sort of "pop" or "click" into gear. Maybe I'm just being neurotic?
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 10:43 AM
  #2  
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From: White Lake, MI
04 C320 Coupe MT
My C 320 Coupe is an 04 and started life out with the old transmission. I never liked it, and so I never really thought about why I didn't like it except that it was rubbery and never gave me the satisfaction you get from a nice clean shift.

So, I ended up finding a way to retrofit the the new six speed from the 05. All I can say is WOW! There is no comparison to the old one. It is so slick, well connected. I could go on, but it is just awesome. By the way, it dropped in with no problem, except that I had to modify the trim to accomodate the new shift knob.
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 12:17 PM
  #3  
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'05 C230 coupe
it's not the nicest feeling tranny in the world, but it's pretty good... for some reason, 2-3 can be a little vague
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 01:02 PM
  #4  
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'06 Lexus GS300 RWD, '07 Camry SE V6 auto, '91 190E 2.6 auto
Originally Posted by mbbodytech
My C 320 Coupe is an 04 and started life out with the old transmission. I never liked it, and so I never really thought about why I didn't like it except that it was rubbery and never gave me the satisfaction you get from a nice clean shift.

So, I ended up finding a way to retrofit the the new six speed from the 05. All I can say is WOW! There is no comparison to the old one. It is so slick, well connected. I could go on, but it is just awesome. By the way, it dropped in with no problem, except that I had to modify the trim to accomodate the new shift knob.
When shifting gears on the move, do you feel resistance just before it goes into gear, sort of like the shifter is passing through a very narrow spot? On mine, just as you move through the neutral area and towards the gear slot I get some resistance, and then it sort of "pops" into gear.
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 02:08 PM
  #5  
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2015 E350 Sport
I haven't driven my car since 3 weeks ago when I went back to school. However, when I let others drive it, they sometimes shifted to third instead of first when coming from neutral. Shifting down to second is also weird because a few times it went to fourth if I didn't pull hard enough to the left. I'll be back in my car May 8.
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 03:22 PM
  #6  
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2005 C320wz
Originally Posted by Jim Banville
...it seems like the shifting has become a little harder than when new, but I only get to drive the car maybe once or twice a week, so maybe my memory is jaded. Do you feel resistance when changing gears, sort of as if the shifter was moving through a very tight spot just before it goes into the next gear?
mine feels the same after 7k mi. it's much lighter than the manual transmission from my '99 328i. i don't think i would like it if it's lighter than what it is.
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 04:23 PM
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2014 CLS550 4Matic
I would say overall my 6spd works and feels pretty good and I really like the shift knob. One thing I am not particularly fond of is the high return spring force - the spring force you have to overcome to make the 1-2 shift and 5-6 shift and not get knocked over into the center shift gate. Maybe they call these detent springs? If you don't really think about pulling the lever to the left, the 1-2 shift becomes the 1-4 shift and the again for pushing to the right, the 5-6 shift can become a 5-4 back shift. Another nit pick I have is the syncro action. They seem to work a bit slow so that I actually feel some resistance going into the next gear if the rpms aren't just right. Maybe this is the same resistance or tight spots that Jim Banville is referring too. Feels like slow syncros to me and I am even starting to blip the throttle on down shifts while commuting (as well as sport driving) just to get a better shift.

-Jeff

Last edited by Jeffy; Apr 19, 2005 at 04:25 PM.
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 04:48 PM
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08' BMW E92 Coupe
i've noticed that the clutch is way easier than the bmw's was but the shifting does have abit more resistance. the clutch is just too easy, i like some sort of effort when pushing it in. however I know what your saying. the shifter passes through the middle portion easily then tightens up just as your about to pop into whichever gear. I notice this mostly shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear.
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 06:42 PM
  #9  
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Originally Posted by 808_230K
it's not the nicest feeling tranny in the world, but it's pretty good... for some reason, 2-3 can be a little vague
Could not agree more, on both counts. Indeed, I'd say that 2-3 upshifts are much too vague.

IMHO, the reverse gear is also too easy to engage by mistake (e.g., you try to get in gear fast at an intersection or when a line gets moving, and you end up not being fast at all because you find out that you almost got into reverse and thus need to get back to neutral, then into first sloooooowly).
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 07:09 PM
  #10  
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From: Los Angeles
C 230K Coupé
I've driven a buncha of different manual cars like bmw, mazda, and others. The mercedes transimssion is definitelly different from those, prob not as sporty and a little looser. It was kinda rough during the first 2500 miles but after that it smoothed out. Right now i'm pretty happy with it. My friend drove it and i think he described it very well... it's very "clicky". Also said it's pretty easy and enjoyable to drive in comparison to a hard sport transmission.
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 07:34 PM
  #11  
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From: Portland, OR
2014 CLS550 4Matic
Originally Posted by ayilar
IMHO, the reverse gear is also too easy to engage by mistake (e.g., you try to get in gear fast at an intersection or when a line gets moving, and you end up not being fast at all because you find out that you almost got into reverse and thus need to get back to neutral, then into first sloooooowly).
Really? Its totally different in our '05 C320. Getting into reverse almost requires two hands to pull it past the detent. It really takes a lot of effort and have never mistakenly grabbed reverse. Btw, the car has 3700 miles.

-Jeff
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 07:46 PM
  #12  
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From: Scripps Ranch, San Diego CA.
05' C230 Kompressor SS Mars Red 6speed--1990 300D 5speed
Originally Posted by Jeffy
I would say overall my 6spd works and feels pretty good and I really like the shift knob. One thing I am not particularly fond of is the high return spring force - the spring force you have to overcome to make the 1-2 shift and 5-6 shift and not get knocked over into the center shift gate. Maybe they call these detent springs? If you don't really think about pulling the lever to the left, the 1-2 shift becomes the 1-4 shift and the again for pushing to the right, the 5-6 shift can become a 5-4 back shift. Another nit pick I have is the syncro action. They seem to work a bit slow so that I actually feel some resistance going into the next gear if the rpms aren't just right. Maybe this is the same resistance or tight spots that Jim Banville is referring too. Feels like slow syncros to me and I am even starting to blip the throttle on down shifts while commuting (as well as sport driving) just to get a better shift.

-Jeff
Thats a perfect explanation for Jim Banville Question....thats what happens with my car too and i think that is for all the 6speeds. If you dont shift at the right time its going to have some resistance....but i love the overall feeling of driving it
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 07:53 PM
  #13  
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From: Scripps Ranch, San Diego CA.
05' C230 Kompressor SS Mars Red 6speed--1990 300D 5speed
Originally Posted by ayilar
IMHO, the reverse gear is also too easy to engage by mistake (e.g., you try to get in gear fast at an intersection or when a line gets moving, and you end up not being fast at all because you find out that you almost got into reverse and thus need to get back to neutral, then into first sloooooowly).
Thats really weird beacause on my car it takes a lot of effort to put it in reverse...when i first started driving the car it world take forever to put it in.
-Adam-
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 08:13 PM
  #14  
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From: The blue white rock, third out.
2002 C230 Coupe(M111)
Originally Posted by mbbodytech
My C 320 Coupe is an 04 and started life out with the old transmission. I never liked it, and so I never really thought about why I didn't like it except that it was rubbery and never gave me the satisfaction you get from a nice clean shift.

So, I ended up finding a way to retrofit the the new six speed from the 05. All I can say is WOW! There is no comparison to the old one. It is so slick, well connected. I could go on, but it is just awesome. By the way, it dropped in with no problem, except that I had to modify the trim to accomodate the new shift knob.
Is it an all new tranny? One of the smarter techs told me it just a new shifter barrel in the tranny, and a single rod vs the dual cables of the old one.
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 11:07 PM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by Jeffy
Really? Its totally different in our '05 C320. Getting into reverse almost requires two hands to pull it past the detent. It really takes a lot of effort and have never mistakenly grabbed reverse. Btw, the car has 3700 miles.
-Jeff
5k miles here. Initially, reverse was hard to engage but that cleared up by the first thousand miles -- I now have the opposite problem.
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Old Apr 19, 2005 | 11:08 PM
  #16  
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Originally Posted by AdamVax
Thats really weird beacause on my car it takes a lot of effort to put it in reverse...when i first started driving the car it world take forever to put it in.
-Adam-
Overall, my transmission is now much smoother than it was at first, but...

Initially, 3-4-5-6 upshifts and 6-5-4 downshifts were very smooth, but the 1-2 upshift and 4-3 downshift were too notchy. Ditto for the reverse, which was hard to engage. Most of that loosened up over the course of the first few hundred miles.

Five thousand miles later, my only issues are, in order of increasing importance: (i) the throws are too long -- they feel much shorter on my 2002 Passat, which is not a sporty car; (ii) the 2-3 upshift is vague, especially when rushed (going at WOT in second, I try to upshift and the shaft has no idea where to go); (iii) I wish there were a security lock for reverse -- I once was very lucky that the car behind me was far enough, because I had no clue that I had engaged reverse and ended up starting to go backward.

Last edited by ayilar; Apr 20, 2005 at 08:02 AM.
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Old Apr 21, 2005 | 03:10 AM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by ayilar
IMHO, the reverse gear is also too easy to engage by mistake (e.g., you try to get in gear fast at an intersection or when a line gets moving, and you end up not being fast at all because you find out that you almost got into reverse and thus need to get back to neutral, then into first sloooooowly).
hmmm, never had a prob getting it into R, or mistakenly into R. it rocks into 1 really easy from neutral, and pops into R only when I need it to would be nice if it had a bit more positive feel through the gates, but hey, at least it doesn't drive like a truck ^_^
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Old Apr 22, 2005 | 01:22 AM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by Jeffy
I would say overall my 6spd works and feels pretty good and I really like the shift knob. One thing I am not particularly fond of is the high return spring force - the spring force you have to overcome to make the 1-2 shift and 5-6 shift and not get knocked over into the center shift gate. Maybe they call these detent springs? If you don't really think about pulling the lever to the left, the 1-2 shift becomes the 1-4 shift and the again for pushing to the right, the 5-6 shift can become a 5-4 back shift. Another nit pick I have is the syncro action. They seem to work a bit slow so that I actually feel some resistance going into the next gear if the rpms aren't just right. Maybe this is the same resistance or tight spots that Jim Banville is referring too. Feels like slow syncros to me and I am even starting to blip the throttle on down shifts while commuting (as well as sport driving) just to get a better shift.

-Jeff
agreed, trying to shift from 5-6 it's very easy to shift to 4 by accident. 1-2 shift is not too hard though.
does anyone else find that it's nearly impossible to shift into first if your speed is over 20 or 30 mph? for example I might be going 40 in 3rd and see a red light up ahead so i'll shift into neutral and then try to shift into first when i'm doing about 30 and approaching the light, the shifter will not let you go into 1st if you're going too fast but as soon as you slow down it goes in no problem. i would never let the clutch out in 1st while i'm moving but it won't even let you put the shifter there if it's going too fast.
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Old Apr 22, 2005 | 09:59 AM
  #19  
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Originally Posted by ctC230K
does anyone else find that it's nearly impossible to shift into first if your speed is over 20 or 30 mph?
1st gear is locked out... it's to keep you from breaking something... my VW was designed the same way
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Old Apr 22, 2005 | 01:17 PM
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Yeah my 92' Nissan Stanza has the same "feature". I like to downshift for braking when approaching a far off red light. The speed that would "feel" like first (often 25 or 30 mph) would not allow me to engage the transmission in that gear.

But just take off in second! Besides 1st is pretty short on our cars to begin with.


As far as "Reverse Lock" goes of course its not going to lock you out when you take off at a light. The car doesn’t know you want to go forward. Reverse lock only stops you from going into reverse when you are moving forward. At a complete stop you can go into any gear.
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Old Apr 22, 2005 | 01:48 PM
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Originally Posted by k_lundquist
As far as "Reverse Lock" goes of course its not going to lock you out when you take off at a light. The car doesn’t know you want to go forward. Reverse lock only stops you from going into reverse when you are moving forward. At a complete stop you can go into any gear.
Sure. What I meant was a ring that needs to be lifted (or a downward push that needs to be made) before one can get into reverse.
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Old Apr 22, 2005 | 02:47 PM
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Ah. Yeah that makes more sense. My girlfriend's Jetta is setup like that.(have to push down and over to get into Reverse)

I never understood why German automakers like to put reverse over by 1st. On a 6 speed it makes sense, but on a 5 speed? Why not put it in the same place the Japs do?

Less chance of ending up in reverse that way.
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Old Apr 22, 2005 | 07:21 PM
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Originally Posted by 808_230K
1st gear is locked out... it's to keep you from breaking something... my VW was designed the same way
ok i'm not crazy
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Old Apr 22, 2005 | 07:51 PM
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QUOTE]Is it an all new tranny?[/QUOTE]

Yes and no. It is a different designation (716.669 versus 716.667 for the old one) However, most of it is the same, and that was obvious when I had the old one out and they were side by side. However, there are more differences than just the linkage. The new one just has a shaft exiting the case, and that's it, whereas the older one has two attachment points for the linkage, plus the cable for reverse.

Something that almost got me was that with reverse being on the top row instead of the bottom, the switch for activating the reverse lights was causing the reverse lights to stay on whenever it was not in reverse. Same switch and everything. But, I was fortunate that on my car the front SAM had a version code for which transmission the vehicle is equipped with. So that was a relief!
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Old Apr 22, 2005 | 10:36 PM
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Originally Posted by k_lundquist
I never understood why German automakers like to put reverse over by 1st.
It was always amusing to watch someone try to find R when driving my GTI :p
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