Auris 2007 - stiff manual gearbox

[Artiom]

I have an Auris SR180, 2007 with manual gearbox.
When changing gears, it feels really stiff so that the movements should be slow and precise. Initially I was thinking that this is ok, but on my other car (Avensis 2005) I changed the clutch and apparently the gearbox oil was changed as well so that the gearbox feels really light and fast when shifting which adds a lot to driving comfort.

Did anyone else experienced the same issue? Is it possible to do something or this is by design?

[Heidfirst]

The 6 speed used with the 2.2 is usually quite notchy & obstructive in 1st & 2nd , particularly when cold. Other gears should be fine though. Various people have changed the gearbox oil for  the likes of  Fuchs Titan Race SRG 75 Full Ester Synthetic Racing Gear Oil & found a slight improvement.

[FROSTYBALLS]

So does your profile need updating?

[Artiom]

38 minutes ago, Heidfirst said:

The 6 speed used with the 2.2 is usually quite notchy & obstructive in 1st & 2nd , particularly when cold. Other gears should be fine though. Various people have changed the gearbox oil for  the likes of  Fuchs Titan Race SRG 75 Full Ester Synthetic Racing Gear Oil & found a slight improvement.

Hm.. indeed, it's mostly 1st and 2nd gears, but all of them are really stiff when compared to Avensis.

 

1 minute ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

So does your profile need updating?

Not quite, I own 2 cars and Avensis is my primary car - it serves me well for 2 years and 4 months :) The Auris was bought recently - in Feb 2016 - as a second car to be used primarily by my wife but I enjoy driving it as well ;) We were not hunting specifically for SR180, but this was the only car with climate control and leather seats that fitted our budget and satisfied all requirements of my other half.

[Konrad C]

My old Mk1 Avensis had a gearbox that was tricky especially in 2nd, plus the clutch was getting heavy. 

The bearings failed so the whole transmission was overhauled and clutch replaced. 

The car was changed after that, the gear change was a massive improvement and clutch lighter to press. 

I would do as suggested and change the gearbox oil. If that does not work then the clutch may next.

[Artiom]

Thank you for information. I will replace the gearbox oil and will post here any updates.

[Artiom]

Today I have replaced the gearbox oil. As expected - it did not make a lot of difference, but the things slightly improved (it may be subjective, though). The mechanic suggested that there is nothing more to do there as the behavior is by design and everything is okay with the gearbox.

However, he found another issue - the braking fluid was at its absolute minimum, so it was topped up as well - so now the car brakes better - which is more important than a stiff gearbox, IMHO.

A bit offtopic, but looks like I found the garage where I will bring my cars for service and repairs - he's honest and has reasonable prices. So if you need a good mechanic near north Bristol (Rudgeway) - send me a PM. In contrast, I had a really bad experience with MyGarage.