2011 3.8 R-Spec gear box

[RBRSPEC]

I`ve read a few threads about shifting difficulties from 1st to 2nd and have had minor issues with that but only when the car is cold. Once everything is up to temp. it is fine. The problem I`m having now is excessive grinding up-shifting into 5th at 70 and up mph. Below 70 it`s smooth.Just turned 15k and looks like a trip to the dealership is coming.Anyone out there having this same issue or did I win?

 

[Top Gear]

Like others, I've experienced grinding into 2nd, and more than the other gears, even when warmed up. However, most of it cleared up greatly when I switched from a crappy regional brand of Hess E10 gas I'd been running for a couple of months to "Top Tier" (and after that, ethanol-free). I noticed it immediately when driving away from the station. As the engine stopped sputtering and became buttery-smooth, the shifting got smoother, too, probably from the combination of better performance, smoother operation as the computer re-tuned for the better gas, and better timing on my part. Getting into 2nd is still sticky sometimes, though.

 

[Philth]

Like others, I've experienced grinding into 2nd, and more than the other gears, even when warmed up. However, most of it cleared up greatly when I switched from a crappy regional brand of Hess E10 gas I'd been running for a couple of months to "Top Tier" (and after that, ethanol-free). I noticed it immediately when driving away from the station. As the engine stopped sputtering and became buttery-smooth, the shifting got smoother, too, probably from the combination of better performance, smoother operation as the computer re-tuned for the better gas, and better timing on my part. Getting into 2nd is still sticky sometimes, though.

How does the type of gas affect shift quality in a transmission?

 

[interrex]

#1 he is from South Carolina #2 he is a junior #3 wet behind the ears..

 

[Sal Collaziano]

How does the type of gas affect shift quality in a transmission?

He explained his feelings on that when stating, "As the engine stopped sputtering and became buttery-smooth, the shifting got smoother, too, probably from the combination of better performance, smoother operation as the computer re-tuned for the better gas"...

#1 he is from South Carolina #2 he is a junior #3 wet behind the ears..

I don't see anything wrong with being from South Carolina, we were all juniors once as well as wet behind the ears, if that is even truly a meaningful description of the guy. Please keep personal insults in other forum communities - not here...

Thank you.

 

[Top Gear]

How does the type of gas affect shift quality in a transmission?

Just like I said. If an engine is sputtering, the manual tranny connected to it will not always shift smoothly - which is obvious. My engine was sputtering more and more on Hess Premium E10, and the shifting was very prone to grinding. Shifting improved immediately, along with everything else, when I changed to Shell V-Power. It's really very simple to understand.

 

[Philth]

Thats a different theory. Never heard that before. Been in this game a long time. If your engine was missing THAT bad, you would have thrown some CELs. But what do I know.

 

[Philth]

He explained his feelings on that when stating, "As the engine stopped sputtering and became buttery-smooth, the shifting got smoother, too, probably from the combination of better performance, smoother operation as the computer re-tuned for the better gas"...

I'm sure he can speak for himself. Thank you.

 

[Southern Boy]

He is driving a Genesis Coupe most likely with a manual transmission which is a different animal than a sedan with an automatic trans that can be shifted electronically.
As for fuel without any ethanol it has been my experience that the engine seems to run smoother and is more responsive. The MPG improves also.

Here’s a web site that has a definitive list of ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada.
http://pure-gas.org/

 

[Top Gear]

He is driving a Genesis Coupe most likely with a manual transmission which is a different animal than a sedan with an automatic trans that can be shifted electronically...

Yes, sorry if that wasn't clear from my signature. It's a 3.8L V6 R-Spec Coupe with a 6-speed manual transmission. As I've experienced with many a manual car and bike, smoother engine operation means smoother transmission operation, particularly a race-oriented manual gearbox with a tight clutch

...As for fuel without any ethanol it has been my experience that the engine seems to run smoother and is more responsive. The MPG improves also.

Right. That's a whole other topic, but I've seen some wide swings of MPG and big changes in performance/responsiveness between off-brand E10 (10% ethanol blends), "top tier" E10, and top tier ethanol-free. I've always run premium in my vehicles, but the ethanol thing kinda snuck up on me as many stations silently changed over

The coupe engines are designed to accept 87 octane and/or E10 as a minimum standard, versus "premium" and ethanol-free on the top end. But, who buys a performance car and runs the worst kinds of gas?? You might pay less at the pump, but you burn more, pollute more, and get reduced performance. I've run premium even in my non-performance cars. The top tier brands like Shell, Chevron, and Exxon, are at least using additives to offset the ill effects of corn alcohol in their E10 blends, but it's better not to have the junk in there in the first place. To anyone who wants to try it, give it a tank or two with ethanol-free to clear out your system, and make sure you're using a top tier brand. However, it's getting harder to find, particularly premium ethanol-free...

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[Sal Collaziano]

I'm sure he can speak for himself. Thank you.

He certainly can. I'm simply sharing my insight.

 

[Southern Boy]

I`ve read a few threads about shifting difficulties from 1st to 2nd and have had minor issues with that but only when the car is cold. Once everything is up to temp. it is fine. The problem I`m having now is excessive grinding up-shifting into 5th at 70 and up mph. Below 70 it`s smooth.Just turned 15k and looks like a trip to the dealership is coming.Anyone out there having this same issue or did I win?

Why I everyone jumping on this guy for making an inquiry about what he conceives as a problem?

Making remarks about where he lives and intelligence based on that.

Accusing someone who is 40 years old of being “wet behind the ears” and questioning their knowledge because he is seeking information?

I really think we should be above that. No wonder he never posted anything else.

I personally want to apologize to him for the way he was treated on this site and welcome him to continue to visit and ask questions.

I intend to PM him since I’m sure after reading some of the post here he would never want to come back.

There are no dumb questions only dumb people who don’t ask questions.

 

[Top Gear]

No, he/they were attacking me, Southern Boy, not the original poster, RBRSPEC "Hyundai Genesis" is the owner of this website.

The point raised is the grinding RBRSPEC is having when downshifting into 5th at high speeds, which I haven't experienced. He and I both have experienced 2nd gear grinds, and my point was, while 2nd is still tricky sometimes, much of the grinding or unsmooth shifting I was experiencing in my car was cleared up by switching back to a top gas brand, which affected my timing as well as the engine's

As your 5th gear problem, RBRSPEC, can you tell us more about what you're doing when it happens?? Did the 15k servicing clear it up??

 

[Philth]

Why I everyone jumping on this guy for making an inquiry about what he conceives as a problem?

Making remarks about where he lives and intelligence based on that.

Accusing someone who is 40 years old of being “wet behind the ears” and questioning their knowledge because he is seeking information?

I really think we should be above that. No wonder he never posted anything else.

I personally want to apologize to him for the way he was treated on this site and welcome him to continue to visit and ask questions.

I intend to PM him since I’m sure after reading some of the post here he would never want to come back.

There are no dumb questions only dumb people who don’t ask questions.

I never insulted where he lived or anything of that nature. I kept on topic and asked legitimate questions. Yes, I completely understand he has a manual transmission and a different car.

I've had my fair share of experiences with manual cars, close-ratio gearboxes, and 11-sec street cars. I have never, ever had a shifting problem that was attributed to bad fuel. If you think I was being snide in asking him that, you are severely mistaken. Same goes for the kingpin of the site as well and whoever else thought that.

 

[Philth]

If you are grinding while downshifting at high RPM....not SPEED (huge difference), your 5/6 synchro is most likely toast, or on its way out. There are band aids out there to help slow the wear process (diff fluid, rev matching) but it will need to be changed at one point, sooner or later.

Good luck getting the dealer to admit a synchro is bad. If they do, they'll generally say it was abused. Been there, done that.

 

[Southern Boy]

No, he/they were attacking me, Southern Boy, not the original poster, RBRSPEC "Hyundai Genesis" is the owner of this website.

The point raised is the grinding RBRSPEC is having when downshifting into 5th at high speeds, which I haven't experienced. He and I both have experienced 2nd gear grinds, and my point was, while 2nd is still tricky sometimes, much of the grinding or unsmooth shifting I was experiencing in my car was cleared up by switching back to a top gas brand, which affected my timing as well as the engine's

As your 5th gear problem, RBRSPEC, can you tell us more about what you're doing when it happens?? Did the 15k servicing clear it up??

Sorry about the mix up of who was the intended person of the postings.

So, I personally want to apologize to you for the way you have been treated on this site and welcome you to continue to visit and ask questions and share thoughts.

I also want to state I wasn’t referring to any postings by “Philth”. That’s why we come to this site to share / gain knowledge from the personal experiences of people who have been there and done that, or make inquiries.

All’s you have to do is read through the thread and it will become clear who I was addressing.
Amen.

 

[Top Gear]

Sorry about the mix up of who was the intended person of the postings. So, I personally want to apologize to you for the way you have been treated on this site and welcome you to continue to visit and ask questions and share thoughts...

Thank you.

If you think I was being snide in asking him that, you are severely mistaken.

Thanks for that. Of course, this is a discussion forum, and there's nothing wrong with "arguing". We're all arguing.

I've had my fair share of experiences with manual cars, close-ratio gearboxes, and 11-sec street cars. I have never, ever had a shifting problem that was attributed to bad fuel... If you are grinding while downshifting at high RPM....not SPEED (huge difference), your 5/6 synchro is most likely toast, or on its way out.

Well, I've experienced all kinds of strange consequences stemming from how well an engine is running over the years, as I'm sure you have. Fuel certainly affects the engine, and a poorly running engine due to bad fuel can affect the gearbox operation to the extent the clutch engages it to that poorly running engine. I can't speak for every vehicle in existence, but all of mine have felt subtly different in shifting and clutching depending on the smoothness of the engine, among other factors of course. This one just felt more noticeably different, perhaps due to a combination of the mechanical aspects of clutching as well as all the electronics and drive-by-wire. Even with all the electronics, this is one reason I like manual over automatic, as I just feel more connected to the car

Oops, I meant to say earlier that for those of you in sedans with automatics, these grinding issues are not uncommon complaints from coupe owners with manuals.