Won't go into first sometimes
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 13,592
Likes: 187
From: Hudson WI
NCM Sinkhole Donor
I've never owned a manual transmission car that hasn't had this issue from time to time. My multiple RX7s, 82 911, 2010 GT500, and C6 all had the issue. Go to 2nd, then first. Don't force it. Now if it's doing it all the time in all conditions you might have a problem.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,155
Likes: 44
From: If you wanna live life on your own terms, you gotta be willing to crash and burn Florida
You just get used to it. It happens to me once in a while too, I don't do much city driving so it's not much of a deal anymore. When I first got it though I took it to the dealership and they had numerous mechanics beat the **** out of my poor car (I assume) and it didn't do it once! I was pissed, but most of all I had a bunch of strangers doing who knows what to my car. Makes me sick just thinking of it. 
Don't feel left out, it happens to a lot of us
Don't feel left out, it happens to a lot of us
Retired & lovin' it!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,474
Likes: 547
From: Jackson NJ
Intermittent Block Out of First Gear from a Stop
A GM Service Bulletin was issued sometime in mid-2005 & stated:
Condition/Concern - Intermittent block out of first gear from a stop. Driver may have the vehicle in neutral when stopped in traffic & when depressing the clutch pedal to engage first gear, the shift is blocked.
Recommendation/Instruction - If this condition occurs less than 5 percent of the time, it would be considered normal. This condition occurring more than 5 percent of the time should be repaired. A clutching tooth improvement has been made to the first speed gear. Replace the first speed gear in the transmission. Check the gap between the vertical faces of the blocking ring teeth & the speed gear as per document #588712.
The bulletin applied to the 2005 Corvette, Cadillac CTS-V & Pontiac GTO...all with manual trans.
I've owned my '05/Z51 since new & do have occasionally encountered this problem, but I've learned to live with it. I've found that if an initial shift to first is blocked, a quick double-clutch in neutral will spin the trans & allow the shift into first. Quite frankly, I'd rather do that then have a dealer mess with the vehicle & perhaps cause more damage. To the best of my knowledge, there was never any formal recall for this condition.
Condition/Concern - Intermittent block out of first gear from a stop. Driver may have the vehicle in neutral when stopped in traffic & when depressing the clutch pedal to engage first gear, the shift is blocked.
Recommendation/Instruction - If this condition occurs less than 5 percent of the time, it would be considered normal. This condition occurring more than 5 percent of the time should be repaired. A clutching tooth improvement has been made to the first speed gear. Replace the first speed gear in the transmission. Check the gap between the vertical faces of the blocking ring teeth & the speed gear as per document #588712.
The bulletin applied to the 2005 Corvette, Cadillac CTS-V & Pontiac GTO...all with manual trans.
I've owned my '05/Z51 since new & do have occasionally encountered this problem, but I've learned to live with it. I've found that if an initial shift to first is blocked, a quick double-clutch in neutral will spin the trans & allow the shift into first. Quite frankly, I'd rather do that then have a dealer mess with the vehicle & perhaps cause more damage. To the best of my knowledge, there was never any formal recall for this condition.
