Problem with downshifting into second gear

I bought my 2007 Cayman (leftover) a few days ago (300 miles now) and I am having difficulty downshifting into second gear without the gears grinding. I have driven a standard shift for 48 years and I KNOW how to shift. I have been told that Porsches used to have this problem years ago, but it seems unlikely that they wouldn't have solved this by now. It also refuses to shift up into second if I rev. past 5000RPM in first unless I pause for at least 3/4 of a second between gears. The other gears are fine. Should I just get used to this, or is this something more serious like a faulty synchro in second? I don't want to complain to the dealer and have them tell me it is normal. Please help.

I'dcomplain - it's not normal.

This is NOT normal. I've never had anything like this happen in either of the two Caymans (an '07 & '08) I've driven. This sounds like something you really need to bring to the attention of your dealer. Good luck getting this sorted out.

This is probably the shifting cables being out of adjustment - take it in and have them fix it...if they tell you t's normal, then take it to another area dealer and have them fix it. brad

Thanks for the responses. I checked the shifting again this morning and I think Brad (above) may have hit on the answer to the problem. The feel of the shifter going into second from first is different when the gears grind. The shifter feels like it is passing over the detent between gears instead of through it. If the cables are out of adjustment, they may not be fully releasing the current gear before trying to engage second. This is a much better (and more likely) scenario than a bad transmission delivered from the factory. I'll speak with the service manager tomorrow, Thanks again!

I agree with the cables being out of adjustment probably being the cause. It is quite common on FWD cable shifted cars (VW Corrado) so I don't know why the reverse would not be the easiest first place to look. Let us know what you find. DanM

downshifting into 2nd, there is more resistance especially in 2nd in 2 Caymans I have driven. Doing a double declutch solves the issue. Upshifting to 2nd at 5000rpm from 1st - no issue, but don't rush it. Smoothness is key.

Wow, exact same problem here with my 2006 CS, short shifter, 20,000 miles. Grinding downshifts into second, and lately grinding upshifts. The other gears are fine. My shifting technique is not the issue. I am no mechanic but it sure seems like damaged syncros. Car has never been tracked or abused. My car has been in the Porsche dealership shop for 2 weeks. The cables were replaced, but that was not the problem. As of today the transmission is out, but the shop cannot "open it up" since their is no tech info on this and apparently the mechanics are not allowed to work on it. The alternative may be a new transmission. I will find out tommorrow. Keep us posted on how your problem resolves, I will do the same.

I have tried revising my shifting technique to avoid the problem with second gear. This greatly reduced the number of times it happens, but did not completely eliminate it. This involves pausing deliberately for approx. 1/2 second or more between first and second gears. If I pull directly (but gently) between first and second without pausing in neutral so the revs can reduce I get very little resistance going into second, but also slight grinding as it engages second gear. My previous car was a 6 speed Audi TT roadster and I can't remember this ever happening with it. I never force the shifter into any gear it doesn't want to engage easily. I made an appointment with the service department for next Tuesday. I'll update the forum Wednesday.

OK, why do you continue to drive it with an obvious problem?

yeah get it into service and and get it fixed. unfortunately it seems you have a major issue, but under warranty.

OK, After many phone calls back and forth, the dealer aagrees there is a problem engaging second gear on downshifts. They checked the shift linkage and did not find any misadjustment. The Porsche Tech Advisor for warranty work had them drain and inspect the fluid, no metal contamination found. They then advised the dealer to replace the fluid and check again - still a problem with shifting (no surprise to me). Now they are planning to disassemble and repair the transmission (five speed, not six). They have worked on 911 five speeds before, but not Caymans or Boxters. After they inspect and determine the problem (assuming they can find it) they will order replacement parts and re-assemble and test. All this has taken one week so far with another week estimated before I get it back (assuming this fixes the problem). Very disappointing with a brand new car, but I will be very happy to get it back fixed.

Yeah. The Cayman gear box really isn't the greatest anyhow. Then again the only gear box I've really been happy with is Honda's.

Hi Wilsond7, What was the final resolution with your second gear problem? There are two of us with two CS's with relatively low mileage (~4000) that experienced difficulty with 3>2 downshifts at a recent AX. In my case it almost feels like there is no gate to enter, and without a double clutch & exceptionally precise rev match, it just won't go into gear. This has happened sporadically about a half dozen times. Local dealer says no problem that they can detect. Thanks

have 16000 mi on 06 S. your irregularities never happened to me.