First post here. I finally test drove the dream and started my shopping for a C7 yesterday. M7 car, I am old school and totally sold on the stick, especially after driving one. My 1965 C2 365 HP w/4 speed wants a companion that is more of a daily drivable car and I see the C7 as the best combination of muscle car, sports car and grand touring car. Some concern though, the C7 that I drove sort of had a sort of silent 'scritch' going into second. Maybe the trans on that car was thrashed and the second gear synchro weak? Opinions? I doubt that the scritch is normal, but I thought I would check.

 

My M7 is a little difficult going into 2nd gear when it's cold. Seems like once the temp is up, smooth as butter.

 

Welcome!

Unfortunately it's very normal. Search up "second gear grind" or similar and you'll see a lot of posts about it.

The C7 uses a Tremec 60xx series transmission, which are seemingly well known for having a nearly unusable second gear when cold. A fluid flush with a quality fluid helps, but it won't resolve it entirely. The TR6060 and two TR6070s I've driven recently all exhibited this issue, and the countless posts about this will help to confirm that. You'll get used to either starting in second gear or shifting 1->3, there's enough torque to handle that.

At operating temperature, maybe one in every ten shifts from first to second gear audibly grinds on my 2018, with only 17k miles. Switching out the factory fluid to Toptec1800 helped a bit, bit it's still angry when cold. The fluid coming out of it looked just fine as well. Per the gauges, the transmission is happiest above 100F, and starts to get mostly smooth by 115F, but with a 28F ambient temperature right now that's hard to achieve.

 

Welcome and good luck with the search!

 

I've seen others post that they have a similar experience. To be honest...I've had my 2019 M7 for 3 years after buying it brand new, and never had the slightest issue. And I've driven it in sub-zero temp's here as long as the roads are dry. It's a smoother gearbox than my C5 M6, and light years ahead of the clunky M4 in my C3. Never drove a C2 but guessing that your M4 in there is about the same. Good luck!

 

Thanks all, Yep - it was literally freezing out and I likely did not drive the car long enough to warm it up. So it is back on the list & I will think about a longer drive and having it checked out by a mechanic. All opinions welcome. The car WAS a total thrill.

 

I find it to be very notchy when cold and it takes awhile to get warm. The only time it grinds is when the driver fails to pull it all the way into second gear. You shouldn’t be banging shifts on a cold transmission. I learned with my C6 GS (same problem) that the car is happiest when ALL systems are up to normal operating temps. Note: The the engine oil and coolant heat up much faster than the M7 gearbox which heats much more slowly.

The LT1 has a restricted redline when cold so take it easy for the first 10-15 minutes and you’ll be golden.

As to shifting, I find 1-3-5-7 works just fine in suburban driving, no cold shifting issues with nice gear splits for driving in traffic. Second gear is a lot of fun but if you are really using it aggressively you’ll overrun traffic and exceed most speed limits.

 

It’s normal especially when it’s cold. Getting it into first while sitting still takes some muscle sometimes. The good news is, the trans is seemingly bulletproof. I recommend redline trans fluid and a mgw shifter.

 

what you are experiencing is not uncommon on C7's

 

just like my 2019 M7, if that is your only concern my then just do it

 

Same experience here on my 2019 M7 as others have said. A little difficult getting into 2nd when it’s cold but smooths out when it gets warm.

 

Have 59K miles on my Z06 M7, have to warm her up to overcome the notchy 1-2 shift, nature of the beast.

 

2nd gear notchiness when cold is normal. Been that way since the C5 came out.

Replace the transmission fluid (I prefer RedLine D4 ATF, others like Amsoil) and use the "Ranger" method on the clutch fluid. For both my C6 and C7, that eliminated it entirely. YMMV

 

Many if not most sticks, despite all the best syncros in autodom, sometimes feel a little "raspy" going into 2nd, especially if cold (as noted) and/or if shifted very quickly. But, in normal cars it is quite intermittent. Really, you need to find/drive another M7 so you can get a feel of more than one car yourself. Best of luck!

 

As posted, the M7 Tremec is known to be sensitive to cold weather.
A couple of other M7 points -

• Dealers will remind you to be sure you have the seat positioned so you get full clutch disengagement - If the clutch isn't fully disengaged, it can cause shifting problems.
• The trans may feel like it's in first if moved into position gently, but often it needs a bit of a push to get past an internal component, perhaps the 1st gear synchro. Leaving the gearshift "un pushed" can cause the trans to pop out of first gear.
• The LT1 engine has a mushy, indistinct throttle response off idle, making smooth starts a challenge. Many owners (I among them) installed the Soler throttle body and throttle controller, which gives you control of how the throttle responds, and makes the car perform as it should have from Bowling Green. Search for Soler, dozens of threads on it.

 

yeah with the others, warming up is your friend for sure. I mean I have done an after market shifter which helped me overall when it comes to shifting and new trans fluid all positives in shifting quality. sometimes under normal driving when first getting started i do 1-3 alot.

 

I haven’t experienced this with my M7 but this is the first I’m owning it in cold weather. But to your other comments, yes it’s a great sport car, muscle car and GT car. We’ve really enjoyed the first summer with it… and put 8k miles on it.

 

You are picking a winner! I've only experienced a stiffness in shifting when cold. When warm, all shifting issues are with the operator, me...

 

All Tremec 6 and 7-speed transmissions do this especially when cold. Once the trans warms up after a couple of miles of driving the nibbling usually goes away although some transmissions will still have some. Not a bid deal.

Bill

 

Just my 2 cents. I also transitioned from a C2 (63 vert 4 spd Borg-Warner) to a C7. That C2 4 spd was the smoothest trans I've ever used. This Tremec 6060 is a warm up trans and requires a deft shift to 2nd. I have adapted, as will you, but the occasional 2nd gear stiffness and slight grind will happen from time to time. Never felt a need for new shifter or throttle adjustments. A fluid change is probably the answer along with patience and adaptation. These cars are amazing and I'm impressed every time I drive it.