Help! My manual tranny is rock hard in the frigid cold!

[MinnesotaNole]

-1994 Honda Accord EX

-Aprox. 109,000 miles on vehicle

-16,000 miles since last manual tranny fluid change

-Current manual tranny fluid: Genuine Honda manual tranny fluid (Owners manual states 10W-30 petroleum oil is recommended)

I live in Grand Forks, ND and we regularly see days where the temperature doesn't rise above 0 F. My manual transmission takes forever to warm up on these frigid days and thus most of my shifting isn't silky smooth like in the summer. My MT is rock hard after sitting all night.

I've been very dissapointed in the cold weather performance of the Honda MTF. I need better cold weather performance from my MTF.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'm thinking 2 quarts of the Redline MTL is the way to go!

Help!

 

[eljefino]

Why not run Mobil 1 10w30? Odd that Honda prefers non-synthetic. Maybe you're having trouble in the shifter cables, perhaps their lubricant? Did this just start this winter? My dodge truck stick shift specs 10w30 and I'm running walmart synthetic in there now...

 

[Jelly]

Redline MTL.

http://www.redlineoil.com/whitePaper/13.pdf

 

[uconn1150]

Don't use synthetic motor oil. The synchros won't like you. If you do a google search, lots of Honda & DSM'ers are mixing Pennzoil (GM) Synchromesh available at AutoZone with good results. I'd go half and half to try it out first--and not go 100% Synchromesh.

 

[jthorner]

I have been very pleased with the performance of Redline MTL in my '72 Volvo which recommended engine oil as the lubricant of choice.

I don't have a manual transmission Honda, but would still give the Redline a try.

John

 

[newtoncd8]

Please don't use Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil in your Honda manual transmission. If you peruse rec.autos.maker.honda, you will see that is bad news for the synchros.

I had a 1994 Acura Integra and I used Redline MTL in it and in Maryland / Colorado, it always shifted nicely. Granted, not as cold as North Dakota.

I don't know about long-term impacts of the synchros and Redline, but when I traded it at 90,000 miles, the tranny was working great.

So, you might give Redline a try.

 

[BlazerLT]

It is cold out, face it.

Why are you expecting your transmission to shift like it does when the temp is 40 degrees hotter?

No oil will help you in the cold, it is all physics.

 

[White 03]

I wonder if a 5W-30 would be OK?

 

[Greaser]

I would go with the syncromesh fluid from either Quaker State or Pennzoil ,same fluid different labels.This fluid has the viscosity of a 5W-30 motor oil but REALLY IS a tranny fluid,not a motor oil.I use this fluid in my Jeep tranny (thats whats speced)and it is a bit stiff when cold but warms up quick and shifts good.

 

[brianl703]

If this manual transmission called for ATF I would suggest using Mercon V instead of Mercon/Dexron III.

Switching the manual transmission in my car from Mercon to Mercon V greatly improved cold-weather performance.

 

[heyjay]

I purchased new a 1992 Honda Prelude SR with a 5spd. That was in October of 1992. Even parked in the garage, at -40 it shifted stiffly. Parked outside for 4-6 hours, it was almost impossible to shift.

I was surprised about Honda recommending a 10W-30 motor oil in the transmission. I asked my Honda dealer if Mobil 1 10W-30 would be ok, and he said it would be.

I drained and refilled with Mobil 1 10W-30 and experienced MUCH improved cold shifting. Even parked outside at -40, it might shift somewhat stiffly for the first 5 minutes, then settle down. It NEVER shifted as stiffly as with the factory-fill 10W-30.

It only held 2 litres of oil in the transmission, so I did fluid drains and refills every fall. I sold it with 80,000km on the odo and it still shifted fine, hot or cold.

Given the recent temps here in Manitoba or ND, the 10W-30 is hard as a rock. There have been a rash of front seal failures on motors around here as folks have tried to start at -40.

 

[MolaKule]

I would use a synchromesh type lube for the duration of the winter, such as our SynchroGlide. Send me a PM if interested. For some reason, it disappeared from the
Specialty Formulations product list.

BTW, it was -4 here the other morning and the MTL-P worked just great in Nissan Frontier.

[ January 16, 2005, 03:23 PM: Message edited by: rugerman1 ]