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I have a 2019 Z06 with M7. I was away on an extended business/vacation trip for 3 weeks and before leaving, I hooked up the C7Z with a battery tender in my garage.
Yesterday, I took it out for a drive and noticed that shifting was really tough especially from N to 1st gear and 1st gear to 2nd gear. The higher gears seemed better, however the lower gears felt very clunky throughout the drive.
I live in Fl and the garage stayed warm, however I'm curious if there is a certain amount of time I should let the car run at idle after a long period of inactivity in order for the fluids to warm up? I know the digital display has maximum rev targets based on how well the car is warmed up, however I'm curious if there is a transmission indicator as well. I scanned the manual but didn't see anything.
Start it. Let the gauges settle down and then drive. When the rainbow above the tach disappears, you can go as fast as you can afford. Until the rainbow disappears, keep the tach below the rainbow red line.
Elmer
Last edited by eboggs_jkvl; Aug 13, 2019 at 04:23 PM.
Manual transmissions will shift a little harder when cold, once the fluid and synchros warm up, it gets smoother. I always shift nice an easy the first few minutes of driving but other than that there is no warm up for the transmission or anything like that.
Summer in Florida??? Just start and drive. Many seem to forget the things are cars. The tach shows you how to do so appropriately.
I'm guessing you might be over sensitive to the shifting. I've driven manuals all my life and find what you have described not uncommon, but not with my M7 to the extent you seem to experience/describe it. You can take it to a dealer and I suspect what they are going to say is, "It's normal." But, if it will help you feel better, do go ahead and do so.
Shift from 1st to 3rd until your trans temp is over a 100*. That works for me. Under 100* and its very notchy 1-2 shift. I also put a MGW shifter in which helped a lot and I changed the trans fluid to amsoil ATF.
I find if I shift to each of the 8 gears before I leave the garage, shifting becomes so much easier. I believe it was advice from another forum member that led me to do this with much success. Try it! I think you'll find shifting into 1st and the shift to 2nd will be much easier when you first start driving.