2019 thoughts on my 2002 S 6 Speed manual transmission sometimes issue going into 2nd
 

Hi and thanks for looking at my post. I'm very appreciative of this forum and have been lurking since I got my car 9 months ago and have learned much.
My 2002 S has 46K miles on it, has not had anything done to the 6 speed manual transmission to date I can determine. But, I think it may be time. I have been studying up on the issue the 6 speed manuals sometimes have with second gear and many of the forum posts are very old at this point. The most extensive posts seem to be from 2012. Looking for your opinions on steps you would take on it and in what order, please.
My shifts into 2nd, sometimes, but almost always when from a cold start up, are met with slight grinding if I do not slowly wait for gears to align before I pop it into second. When warmed up it does not seem to happen and shifts normally.
Thinking these should be my steps towards helping the problem and assessing along the way how they effect it.
1. Replace the transmission fluid with the OEM Porsche fluid. (I have no indication it has been changed previously)
2. Check the motor mounts.
3. Install the G-Box detent, which some write ups call out as being effective for the issue I am having.
4. Further suggestions?
Thanks!

Very common issue indeed !

-Change fluid and maybe add some additive, I think there are better solutions out there than the Porsche oil (especially in terms of price...).
-Check mounts : Yes, but not likely to be a real problem for your concern.
-G-box detent : Yes ! I haven't seen a single bad review. Though... I haven't been able to install mine because I can't get the old one out !
-Check shifting cables and shifter mechanisme, too much play could result in a bad gear engagement.

Use the Porsche fluid, pricy, but one and done. Leaves out any variables.

Motor mount, not necessarily trans mounts can be an issue and as mentioned, shifter and cables too. If your motor mount is original there is a 90% chance it’s dead. I have an 02 as well and my internal mount literally fell out when I pulled the unit. Not uncommon, old, dry, heat cycled rubber.

Detent swap, do it. Kind of a pain, but does help, but keep in mind it’s a bit of a time buyer, not a full on “fix”. The synchros are beginning to fail, so over time they will go regardless. I did my detent 2yrs ago and it’s still not an issue. To the above, a strong magnet got mine out, while wiggling the shift linkage a bit.

Or, just bite the bullet and have the transaxle gone through...

Merci! Do you find this unusual on a car with 46K miles? Regards, Kevin

Thank you! I am going to search out costs and issues on a rebuild. Do you think this is unusual on a car with 46K miles? Regards, Kevin

A bad motor mount can exhibit signs such as a rough feeling idle, even if your engine, looking at the tach, seems steady. It can also make the car have a resonance at ~2.5-3K rpm.

I will watch this thread. My 02 s with 52000 just started grinding noise going into second gear. It's only done it twice but I haven't had it out much this year. It's still winter here in Michigan for a few more weeks mine has always been a little stiff until warm. The grinding is new. I can't believe the transmission is shot with only 52000.

With the detent, you could drive for quite awhile I’m sure. Mine has 60k and while mine doesn’t grind, it did pop out occasionally when first started cold. And yeah, the synchros can be starting to go around this mileage. The repair doesn’t necessarily require a full rebuild, just the second gear synchro. Or, just do it all and call it good. Grinding can sometimes be clutch related too, but second gear synchros are notorious for giving it up early.

Or for more info search, this issue is as old as the Boxster S, 19 years.

Man I’m glad I don’t have an S. 😉

Mine can be a bit tough into 2nd on cold days, no grinding though.
Start with changing the trans fluid (Use Porsche fluid)
I park it in 2nd gear
Trans mounts leak oil so if they are not, then they should be ok. Change motor mount as originals just don't last long.

"clickman: Man I’m glad I don’t have an S." === Here we go

ME == "Man I'm glad I bought an S."

My 02 mustang GT was hard to shift into 2nd gear in cold weather until it warmed up

Looking into the fluid options for the 6 speed manual, I see the Porsche product suggested often. Some suggest it is made by shell oil co. The Porsche tax is pretty stiff @40$ quart vs say $18 for a similar product. Does anyone know what type of voodoo juice is in there to justify more than twice the price. The bottle is not all that impressive, nothing to proudly display on a shelf in my basement. I'm just asking as I am of dutch heritage and all generalizations apply. I also own a fair amount of stock in Shell oil co.

I have an 01S, 6spd manual. At 27K miles, second gear grinded a bit until warmed up. At 45K miles it still grinds in second (not significant) and doesn't grind when warmed up. I'll change the tranny oil, but have no concerns about the tranny's performance.

While there have been rare exceptions, over the many years I've been on this forum the consensus seems consistently to have been---go with the Porsche product. So that's what I've done. That said, I haven't tried other products, so I can't really compare. But apparently others have. (And most of them have said...go with the Porsche product :)) It's not a process that has to be performed all that frequently.