This is my first manual transmission so I don't know all about it. But today I was switching to second with the clutch all the way down and i slowly put it into 2nd and it grinded a little. The clutch was all the way down. But if i pop it in 2nd at a normal speed it doesnt grind. Is this normal??

 

I would say no... but let some of the more senior members answer this for you. I am told the 6mt is a pos and gear grinding is common. Still doensn't mean it's natural

 

That depends. Only happens when it's cold, or all the time? Sometimes when cold, it's a little picky. Also, it depends on how your holding the shifter, and your "approach" into 2nd gear. I'd say if it's grinding when you're shifting slow, but not when shifting normal, perhaps you're shifting at a different angle, or you may have slid the shifter to the right just enough that it won't engage smoothly (because when shifting slow, you might've hesitated in neutral before engaging 2nd). i find that if you grip the shifter with your palm on the side and your thumb over the top of the ****, it goes into 2nd gear quite smoothly, as your tendency then will be to pull the shifter towards you, which would be best for 2nd gear. Also, perhaps change the manual tranny fluid (if you just recently bought it used, this might be a good idea) and make sure you have enough clutch fluid. If all that still doesn't work, then you might want to take it in to the dealer to get checked out....

 

how do I check the manual tranny and clutch fluid?

 

What exactly is grinding (never heard it on my car before, thank god)? Is it a gringing noise or do you feel it in the shifter or what?

 

Manual tranny fluid--you'll have to get under the car. Or just take it in to get changed and see if that helps any. As for clutch fluid, there should be a container under the hood, driver's side. i'm not looking at my car right now, so can't pinpoint exactly for you, but it should be just under the hood, driver's side. The clutch master cylinder should be by the brake master cylinder. Search and you might find a picture of it somewhere here, I think...

 

my friend drove my car and said everything was just fine... just sketchy how it grinded when putting it in 2nd VERY SLOW with the clutch down