Now that temps are geting below freezing when I start up my car, I can't shift into neutral, can't get it into gear... I actually bent the shifter cable under the center console trying to get the car out of first into neutral. I don't want to have to sit there with the clutch pressed in for a few minutes while it frees up. The car just turned 60k miles last night. I have a maintenance plan and hoping the powertrain warranty covers it. It seems to be ok once it warms up so I'm pretty sure its the fluid but ill let them worry about it. Anyone else have this issue?

 

Its normal. The fluid is frozen/extremely thick and you are waiting for it to thaw.

 

It is most definitely NOT normal.

If you're under warranty, don't do a thing until the dealership looks at it. Call GM before you drop it off so they know you mean business.

Could be a number of things but I'd start with the simplest which is changing the transmission fluid. Use the right stuff from GM and not ATF fluid.

 

I have this same issue, seems to be pretty common. Lmk what you find out at the dealership.

 

My guess for my particular problem is that it is moisture getting into the linkage and lube from condensation runoff around the cup holder. I noticed some oxidation in the grease when it happened to me the first time. I imagine a full correction of the issue will require a complete replacement of the cables. I am not to worried. The easy work around is to park your car in neutral with handbrake on, idle the car at start up with at least the floor/defrost settin for two minutes. I have found on sub 20 degree days the shifter can take longer to free up but will free up faster on days that coldif you have the heater controls set to full power, full heat, all flow directed to the floor.

The suggestion to change your trans fluid is just plain rubbish. The notion to have the dealer fix it if under warranty is good. I am curious what they'll say, i have had this going on since i bought the car new in April 2010 but since i prefer to defrost my windows with engine heat, i've considered it a non issue since the first occurance and a lesson to leave her in neutral.

Keep us posted

 

I put GM synchromesh in my Eclipse trans and this has never happened. Maybe they used different fluid now. It just seems odd that it would be so frozen the cables bent where they meet the shifter. The cupholder and console are removed so I saw it wasn't the cables being frozen. They were trying to move. I drop the car off Wednesday.

 

Like I said, I can only really speak to my own situation and seeings as it takes very little time and heat from the blower system to fully free my shifter I've run with the assumption there was moisture *********** into the outer sheath of the shifter cables both deep enough and of sufficient quantity to act like a tightened clamp when frozen. I simply refuse to consider the trans fluid as the issue. The first time it happened I rolled my car down the hill idling before i realized all I had was first gear because it had "stuck" and had to turn around and repark in front of my house. If the trans fluid was truly "frozen" to the point sludge why would I be able to roll at all? Or once I engaged the clutch to the flywheel when stuck in first?

Interestingly enough, side to side movement of the shifter is affected but not to the point where I cannot easily move it in the neutral center from side to side, there is some detectable resistance but for all intents its nothing but cold lube in the assmebly. For me in the 2 dozen or so times it has happened only fore or aft movement of the stick is "frozen" in your and other applications it maybe the transmission side of the linkage but for me I have to believe it is interior side. Why else does the heater affect it? If I do not run the heater (despite DIC/RPD reading engine coolant is typically 60-70degrees around the time I can actually start rowing gears) the shifter stays frozen for me until I give it its two minutes.

 

i have had that problem without it being cold, i would has to rev my car a lil and it would slip in gear or i would put it in 5th and work my way down, when my shift cable broke(from NLS) i got a whole new shift assembly from GM and have had no issues since then.

 

as a transmission builder i can tell you its not a "rubbish" idea. i actually see half a dozen or more cases each year when the temps start to fall of the same sort of thing, hard to get into gear when cold, hard or notchy shifting, even grinding when shifting. the root cause can be the wrong oil, vehicles get serviced at quicky lube shops or other general repair shops and the wrong type of oil gets used. the vehicle works fine till it gets cold, then problems start happening. what happens is the oil is too thick when cold and is unable to by pushed out from behind the syncro rings, creating a stiff/notchy feel. after a few blocks this clears up. im noticing this very slightly now that im running redline mt85 in my ss/sc, never had an issue with the gm oil.

however, in this case i dont suspect oil is the issue, it does sounds more like a cable issue to me. with the wrong oil its never hard getting out of gear into neutral like described.

if you have warrenty, use it.

 

I guarantee you if you've ever had your axle seals replaced that the dealer put Cobalt LS manual tranny fluid in it.

 

Any news on the issue??

 

I dropped it off Thursday, Friday they called and said it had no issues but they'd look at it Saturday. Haven't heard from them since. Now the temperature has dropped to 10 or so it might act up again. I know before it was around 30 degrees and it seems to happen when it's colder.

 

I just got a call from the dealer. They said this morning it was a bit sluggish to shift but not too bad. So they're going to replace the trans fluid and they ordered new shift cables today...

 

I have the same problem, but up & down is good, just side to side needs a little beating till warmed up.

Had aftermarket clutch done at dealer ship recently, when I started noticing the problem when <20F. They said they had originally put a newer style oil in the trans when the clutch was done. Now they said they put in the OEM called out fluid in. Still have the problem.

Does anyone know the part number for the shift cables(TC)?

Also, think it is a good time to buy a service manual. Does anyone know of a good manual? I wont be rebuilding a motor or trans or anything hard core. I had a Chiltons before for a previous car, seem to be good for me, since I need a service manual for dummies, kind of. Like to stay under $100 for the manual. Currently cant get the local GM dealership to be capable of adjusting the shift cables right. Can't get 5th to work exactly right since they touched it.

 

I haven't updated this but since they installed the new cables the trans has been shifting fine. Even on the 5 degree days. Now if only the rest of the car would work correctly...

 

well thats good news!. Im going to continue to put up with the freezing cable. THats OEM for cobalt SS's