shifting problem.

[powerofvoodoo]

I'm having difficulties shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. When I took it to the dealer yesterday, the dealer thought I meant that I was having problems shifting with the paddle shifters.
The service guy said that I need the right paddle shifter replaced. When I asked about having the same problem shifting with the gear shift lever he said that it wasn't on the sheet to check and said that the computer sometimes takes a minute to shift. Overall, I got the impression that he didn't test the gear shift lever. I decided that since I have to take it back next week, I would just keep an eye on it because I started to doubt that I had problems with it.
Tonight however, confirms it: I'm having the same problem shifting between 1st and 2nd gear with my gear shift lever.

Now for the major concern (because I don't know anything about cars): is it just a weird coincidence that I'm having the exact same problem shifting with the paddle shifters and the gear shift lever or does this sound like a transmission issue?

Background: 09 smart passion coupe that I purchased brand new just under 3 weeks ago and currently has just under 2k miles on it.

[tvengineer]

Originally Posted by powerofvoodoo

I'm having difficulties shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. When I took it to the dealer yesterday, the dealer thought I meant that I was having problems shifting with the paddle shifters.
The service guy said that I need the right paddle shifter replaced. When I asked about having the same problem shifting with the gear shift lever he said that it wasn't on the sheet to check and said that the computer sometimes takes a minute to shift. Overall, I got the impression that he didn't test the gear shift lever. I decided that since I have to take it back next week, I would just keep an eye on it because I started to doubt that I had problems with it.
Tonight however, confirms it: I'm having the same problem shifting between 1st and 2nd gear with my gear shift lever.

Now for the major concern (because I don't know anything about cars): is it just a weird coincidence that I'm having the exact same problem shifting with the paddle shifters and the gear shift lever or does this sound like a transmission issue?

Background: 09 smart passion coupe that I purchased brand new just under 3 weeks ago and currently has just under 2k miles on it.

I would say NO... it is not the paddle shifter or the lever..
If you say the problem is only between 1st and 2nd... the paddle shifter and lever both shift between 2nd 3rd - 4th 5th.. OK..
it is the same electrical switch .. no matter what gear..
Paddle / Lever = SHIFT UP...
makes no differece what gear its in..

But..it is in warranty.. so I would let them change all the parts that they want to, until they actually find the real problem.

I don't know alot about these particular transmitssions .. but my bet would be on an acctuator..

good luck..

[headless]

You say you are having trouble shifting between 1st and 2nd, some more info would help us to be able to help you, what sort of trouble, is it slow and clunky or is it more serious, and is it just in manual or is it in auto that you have the trouble?

[powerofvoodoo]

The problem is in manual - when I move the gear shift lever or hit the paddle shifter to shift up, it won't shift. I'll still get the arrows telling me to shift up, it just doesn't do anything. It's an intermittent problem (at least for now) but when it does occur I have to keep attempt to shift it at least 3 times before it will actually shift.

[tvengineer]

Originally Posted by powerofvoodoo

The problem is in manual - when I move the gear shift lever or hit the paddle shifter to shift up, it won't shift. I'll still get the arrows telling me to shift up, it just doesn't do anything. It's an intermittent problem (at least for now) but when it does occur I have to keep attempt to shift it at least 3 times before it will actually shift.

Not that we are actually helping.. but it is interesting to think about..

I know on mine if I click the paddle shifters twice quickly.. I can skip a gear..
go from 2nd directly to 4th....

could you .. while in 1st.. "double click" the paddles and have it go into 3rd???

Might help to narrow down if it's a computer problem. or the transmission refusing to go into 2nd..

[rfernatt]

Originally Posted by powerofvoodoo

The problem is in manual - when I move the gear shift lever or hit the paddle shifter to shift up, it won't shift. I'll still get the arrows telling me to shift up, it just doesn't do anything. It's an intermittent problem (at least for now) but when it does occur I have to keep attempt to shift it at least 3 times before it will actually shift.

Mine does this after a cold startup and not driving very far. I may have to hit the paddle 2-3 times before it will shift from 1st to 2nd. But, I believe it is a normal/quirky part of the cold startup process. If I take my time after startup, wait for the air injection cycle to end, etc., it seems to rarely happen. It could be a function of time or distance after cold startup before the computer lets you shift into 2nd. Or, it's a grade logic quirk - I back down my driveway at a decent incline, turn around, and then continue driving down forward down the incline. Perhaps the shift in angle after cold startup from R to 1 creates a small delay before 2nd is available? My previous Civic wanted to hold the current gear when descending an incline and even if you gave it gas to accelerate, it wouldn't upshift easily. As I descend my driveway incline in 1st, perhaps the smart transmission is doing something similar and variables of speed, angle, etc. determine when it will allow a shift into 2nd? Who knows? Maybe it's a combination of factors from above, but it doesn't bother me when it happens now that I know to expect it.

So, if you're only noticing this immediately after a cold startup or have an incline issue like mine, I wouldn't be too concerned. If it does it at other times, I would definitely have the dealer dig into the transmission.

[headless]

If it changes in auto, then the tranny is ok.
When cold my roadster won't let me change up from 1st to 2nd if the revs are low, to save the car lugging, try revving higher before you change up and see if that works, I'm only guessing!
Even in manual mode the car won't change gear if it thinks it should'nt, eg, my car won't let me go into 6th if I am below 40mph, and if I am doing a high speed and am slowing down, when the car hits 40 the car changes down from 6th to 5th, so you are never completely in control even in manual.

[powerofvoodoo]

Originally Posted by tvengineer

Not that we are actually helping.. but it is interesting to think about..

I know on mine if I click the paddle shifters twice quickly.. I can skip a gear..
go from 2nd directly to 4th....

could you .. while in 1st.. "double click" the paddles and have it go into 3rd???

Might help to narrow down if it's a computer problem. or the transmission refusing to go into 2nd..

I tried double clicking the paddles and it just goes into 2nd. If I'm in 2nd and I double click, it goes to 3rd.

It doesn't happen all the time and there's no way for me to tell when it will happen. Once it happened after I had been driving it for 10 minutes and I had to hit the paddle shifters/lever about 10 times before it would shift - that's when I realized that it was definitely a problem, before I thought I wasn't hitting it right/hard enough.

[headless]

Originally Posted by powerofvoodoo

I tried double clicking the paddles and it just goes into 2nd. If I'm in 2nd and I double click, it goes to 3rd.

It doesn't happen all the time and there's no way for me to tell when it will happen. Once it happened after I had been driving it for 10 minutes and I had to hit the paddle shifters/lever about 10 times before it would shift - that's when I realized that it was definitely a problem, before I thought I wasn't hitting it right/hard enough.

Sounds like you do have a problem then, I would take it to dealers to sort out

[Smartfor2guy]

Originally Posted by headless

Sounds like you do have a problem then, I would take it to dealers to sort out

Well, duhhhhh I think he said that in the 1st post of the thread....