Manual trans owners--both 4 and 5

Newt214 · Oct 1, 2022

Question for all the M6 owners--anybody having issues? I've had my 4V for a few months now and after more than 30 yrs of manual cars, this is the worst shifter/tranny combo I've had. I love everything else about the car, but after hearing raves about how good the M6/shifter was on these cars, I'm really hoping mines broke and fixable and that this isn't inherent to the tr6060. Aside from the known 1-2 sticky shift issue common to the tremec(which should be unacceptable on a car like this...) my car can also be difficult to get into 1st or 2nd even when at a stop or with the engine off. Approximately 50% of the time, it shifts well--good positive engagement and one solid "thunk" into gear, but the other 50% of the time it is all over the place. Sometimes its a sorta 2 click/minor grind into gear, sometimes it refuses to go and I have to declutch/re-engage to get it into gear and sometimes it just takes way to much effort. Even with the car off, shifting back and forth between 1st and second is variable. Sometimes its a good solid, easy ,butter smooth chunk and sometimes its a high effort mess. I'm hoping that since I have issues even at rest that the shifter is not properly aligned and this will be an easy fix, but after reading all the issues owners of other brands(and prior gen V owners) have with the 6060 I'm worried I'm going to get the standard "we can't replicate it/it's normal" from the dealer So, anybody else having issues at this point? For reference, the car only has ~900 miles at this point, but the shifter has felt like crap since I drove it off the lot. Even before I started it up, I went through the gears and it just felt off.
Thanks
Scott

Bigfx · Oct 1, 2022

Yeah my 4BW has none of those issues I’m 7k miles in and my 1-2 isnt clunky at all and smooth. Sounds like you got a bad tranny, that should be noticeable to any dealers

668LT4 · Oct 1, 2022

Absolutely not normal. And not everyone has 1-2 issues either.

DAC17 · Oct 1, 2022

I agree that not everyone has had issues. For the 472 HP that the 4BW has, I thought the clutch/tranny combo was one of the smoothest I've ever had. And I'm 68, with at least 20 MT cars.

cnofar · Oct 1, 2022

4BW owner with over 5000 miles. No clunking or jerking or difficult to engage shifts. Even when cold so far in Michigan weather. Does sound as if there's an actual inherent problem with your transmission. I was skeptical of the Tremec transmission after having multiple S2000s (the best shifter I've ever had), and some other BMW's, Subaru's, etc, but the Tremec is very robust and precise feeling.

I wonder if possibly changing transmission fluid would have any benefit for you? Might make some of the symptoms go away?

raptor5244 · Oct 1, 2022

I am at 800 miles on my 4BW. The gears can be a little notchy when cold but that is pretty normal for the Tremec 6060 and most manual transmissions in general. Once the fluid warms up it should be smooth to operate. Once in a while it may not want to go into 1st gear but I just shift to 2nd and then back to 1st to get the synchros happy and all is well. This is pretty normal, even in the highly praised Mazda Miata manual transmission.

The Tremec 6060 is a pretty beefy transmission designed to handle a lot of torque. You may want to give it some more time to break in. I would get everything warmed up and go for a spirited drive and really work it through the gears. I find this transmission performs best when you work it as opposed to just babying it. It is a performance transmission used in the Camaro and the Tremec 6070 (7 speed) was used in the C7 Corvettes.

If you don't notice any improvement I would let the dealer check it on a test drive. You may also find another 4BW owner to help compare and confirm if it is abnormal.

Daijoubu · Oct 1, 2022

I would take it into the dealer and have them drive it, while I rode in the passenger seat. If there is an issue this big, it will be obvious. It would also be hilarious to see them try to hide it, especially if you had a dashcam.

Mcard23 · Oct 1, 2022

Almost 8k miles and a few track days on my 5v with absolutely no issues or complaints

Newt214 · Oct 2, 2022

Thanks guys. I've had MT cars my entire life--everything from a hot-rod '56 VW Bug to a 650hp Lingenfelter C5 and everything in between, so I'm pretty familiar with MT cars and this just isn't right. I initially thought it just needed to break in, but if anything it is getting worse and doesn't change even when warmed up. I've found a dealer near me with a MT 4BW on the lot so I'm going to try to go today and see if they will let me drive that one for comparison. I'll report back.
Scott

raptor5244 said:
I am at 800 miles on my 4BW. The gears can be a little notchy when cold but that is pretty normal for the Tremec 6060 and most manual transmissions in general. Once the fluid warms up it should be smooth to operate. Once in a while it may not want to go into 1st gear but I just shift to 2nd and then back to 1st to get the synchros happy and all is well. This is pretty normal, even in the highly praised Mazda Miata manual transmission.

The Tremec 6060 is a pretty beefy transmission designed to handle a lot of torque. You may want to give it some more time to break in. I would get everything warmed up and go for a spirited drive and really work it through the gears. I find this transmission performs best when you work it as opposed to just babying it. It is a performance transmission used in the Camaro and the Tremec 6070 (7 speed) was used in the C7 Corvettes.

If you don't notice any improvement I would let the dealer check it on a test drive. You may also find another 4BW owner to help compare and confirm if it is abnormal.

Slamminc6 · Oct 2, 2022

All I notice is notchy when cold but that’s it. Was same way on my 02 Camaro and 07 Z06. Normal until Warmup. Other than that, perfect tranny.

Mike Martz · Oct 6, 2022

You might want the dealer to take a look at the clutch. There have been some reports on the 5bw of the clutch line coming loose and your symptoms could be caused by a clutch that isn't being fully disengaged.

RobC7 · Oct 6, 2022

I remember when the C7 was released quite a few people had to take theirs in for a shifter adjustment / alignment. Hopefully it's something similar in your case, see below for reference:

C7 Shifter issues - Here's the alignment procedure - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion

C7 Tech/Performance - C7 Shifter issues - Here's the alignment procedure - If you are experiencing issues with your 7 sped manual shifter, GM knows how to address it..(See attachment)

www.corvetteforum.com

jbawden · Oct 6, 2022

Mike Martz said:
You might want the dealer to take a look at the clutch. There have been some reports on the 5bw of the clutch line coming loose and your symptoms could be caused by a clutch that isn't being fully disengaged.

100% agree with this advice. The OP also said engine off performance was hard to get in to gear, but I don't count that as a data point here.

Newt214 · Oct 6, 2022

RobC7 said:
I remember when the C7 was released quite a few people had to take theirs in for a shifter adjustment / alignment. Hopefully it's something similar in your case, see below for reference:

C7 Shifter issues - Here's the alignment procedure - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion

C7 Tech/Performance - C7 Shifter issues - Here's the alignment procedure - If you are experiencing issues with your 7 sped manual shifter, GM knows how to address it..(See attachment)

www.corvetteforum.com

That's what it feels like to me. I did go to the dealer Sunday, but they didn't have either the 4 or 5 on the lot they had listed on their website.

I don't think it's the clutch--the revs fall(or match if its on) appropriately when the clutch is depressed. I'm betting on shifter alignment, but we'll see. I don't really have time to mess with it now so I'll probably wait until spring to take it in and see if I can still find another one to try in the meantime(anybody live near Cincy?) Right now I'm trying to figure out the winter wheel/tire situation...

Newt214 · Oct 6, 2022

From that C7 TSB-- that describes my car to a T. Hope that's all it is...

jodakid69 · Oct 18, 2022

Newt214, sorry to hear about your problems. I have my CTV4-V BW for 2 months - 1500 miles. As I posted in my Post comparing my BMW M2 to the Cadillac CT4-V BW:

The cutch travel and engagement is very smooth and the shift action is great. I have been driving manual cars
for the last 40 years. This is by far the best manual compared to – M2, Chevy SS, Ford Contour SVT, Mazda RX7
GTUs, BMW 325i.

If you are having problems immediately act on this issue. Take it to another dealer and if they cannot fix the problems and escalate to Cadillac customer service if you do not get results at the second dealer. Take it back every week for a month if need be.

BrakeFade · Oct 19, 2022

I’ve driven a ton of high performance manual cars in my 25+ years of driving and my 5BW is one of the better feeling trannies I’ve experienced . Notchiness is perfect and shifts hit precisely almost every time at any shift speed. My only complaint is the clutch is a tad too light for my liking.
Sounds like you’re having abnormal issues that need to be addressed. Take it into the dealer and ride with the service advisor to show him/her your issues.

flipray · Oct 19, 2022

Having owned and driven both, the 5 does feel better and less clunky than the 4. I feel like if I lazily shift on the 4, I'd grind 2nd and 4th. Have to put more effort compared to the 5 for sure.

My1stCadillac · Apr 5, 2023

Newt214, Do you have any updates regarding your transmission problems? I picked up my 2022 CT4V Blackwing manual transmission in January of this year. It had 15 miles on it at the dealer lot when I picked it up. I live in PA and drove to a dealer in CT to get it. I took it for a short drive before leaving the dealer and I did slightly grind 2nd a couple of times which, in my excitement to get the car, I chalked up to user error. I have had plenty of manual cars over the years including an S2000, C6 Grandsport and a G35S manual, so I am not new to manual transmissions. I have about 1,125 miles on it now and I changed the trans fluid at about 900 miles using Valvoline Dextron III as noted in the owner's manual and when I called Tremec directly to ask what fluid to use. Tremec said to use Dextron III but did not state a specific brand. My shifts have improved noticeably but there is still a strong notchy feeling going into second and often out of second into third. It isn't horrible but it is a bit annoying because I feel like I need to be conscious of it at all times so I don't grind. I have also noticed that if I allow the car to slow to a crawl in 2nd or stop short in traffic while still in 2nd with the clutch to the floor - the gear shift seems to get stuck in 2nd and I have to gently force it into neutral. Have you gone to the dealer? Have you been able to resolve your issues? I'm hoping you got yours fixed and I can benefit from your experience.