Notchy Gear Shift in my new Chevy Aveo UVA

EatMyDust · 25th July 2007, 11:00

I own a Chevy UVA June 2007. I have a problem with a notchy (hard) gear shift.

The car I had test driven had a gear shift smoother than butter. And that was one of the reasons I went for this car.

My Qs:

1. Is the notchy gear shift because its a new car and hasnt run even 500km?
2. Can a notchy gear shift be corrected in the service?
3. What are the reasons of having a notchy gear shift?
4. Has anyone else has this experience where the td car was smooth but the car you buy isn't? I am worried whether dealers deliberately keep their better cars for TD-ing?
5. Is my car a lemon?

Should I report this and get a replacement or something?

-EMD

If this post doesnt belong here, MODS pls modify the section.

benbsb29 · 25th July 2007, 11:07

EMD, the gear shift is probably notchy as its a new car. If you may have observed, the demo car would have clocked up quite a few thousand kms before you got to test drive it. Hence, the gears shift becomes smoother with time. Give it some time. This doesnt mean your car is a lemon, and there is nothing to worry about.

That said, i feel GM cars dont really have among the best gear shifts around. This based upon my test drives of the Aveo, both before and after the improved gear shift versions.

gemithomas · 25th July 2007, 11:30

Chevy was known for its notchy gear. But i heard they had worked on this in the Aveo. SO the Uva should also have got the modified versions. I think i've seen an aveo review where he says the gear became smooth only after a few 100 kilometers. I guess you should wait for longer till you reaally try to get something done. Let it complete 1000km. Maybe it its still the same you could bring it up at first service.

CrAzY dRiVeR · 25th July 2007, 12:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by EatMyDust

5. Is my car a lemon?

Should I report this and get a replacement or something?

500 kms is too early to say that.

Please let the car complete run-in and first service. Most probably should be sorted out by first service.

(or you might get used to it

)

nitrous · 25th July 2007, 16:48

Take it to the service centre.
Drive a few other cars that are present there.
If ur car doesn't feel the same, take it up with them.

These days, GM is being very loyal and loving to their customers and they won't give U a tough time,IMO.

deepakhon · 25th July 2007, 16:51

I think you should wait till your first service. You might have put up about 1500 km till then. Check if the gear is still notchy. If yes, then GM might not have extended the gear shift improvement of Aveo to UVA. You should definitely take that issue up in such an eventuality.

nirmalts · 17th April 2008, 20:51

My Aveo (not UVA) is the facelifted one without a gearshift problem. But after 7000kms it has become extremely notchy. When I shift gears, I get a feeling of dragging a metal piece between two rusted metal bars. Got it checked with Vijai Auto last week. They said they greased it. I dont see a difference.

How could a gearshift that was not at all notchy become so after a while?

Nirmal

PatienceWins · 17th April 2008, 21:04

Did they check the gear oil as well?

Otherwise, i do not see any reason for this change?

Jaggu · 17th April 2008, 21:57

Replies inline. Hope it helps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EatMyDust

1. Is the notchy gear shift because its a new car and hasnt run even 500km?

80% yes

2. Can a notchy gear shift be corrected in the service?

Report it by 5000 kms if things dont improve

3. What are the reasons of having a notchy gear shift?

Bad design, synchro's in gear box are kaput, bad installation etc etc

4. Has anyone else has this experience where the td car was smooth but the car you buy isn't? I am worried whether dealers deliberately keep their better cars for TD-ing?

I have, except for my ol iKON

5. Is my car a lemon?

Should I report this and get a replacement or something?

Try your luck if you want a new color just kidding.. NO!

Jaggu · 17th April 2008, 21:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by nirmalts

My Aveo (not UVA) is the facelifted one without a gearshift problem. But after 7000kms it has become extremely notchy. When I shift gears, I get a feeling of dragging a metal piece between two rusted metal bars. Got it checked with Vijai Auto last week. They said they greased it. I dont see a difference.

How could a gearshift that was not at all notchy become so after a while?

Nirmal

Check your clutch settings first, most of the time this is the culprit.

GTO · 19th April 2008, 11:09

Just wait until you car has complete 2000 - 3000 kms. The shift will surely *open* up by then, though it wont be as smooth as some slick-shifting Japanese boxes. GMs (Daewoos) cars in India are famous for vague gearshift quality.

DieselFan · 19th April 2008, 19:14

My Swift VDI initially had a very notchy gear shift. Now at almost 20000 km it is as smooth as butter except for reverse gear. NOt to worry let the car age with time.

the_maassk · 5th June 2009, 09:46

Reviving and year old thread.

I just completed one year (9k km) on my U-VA. The gear shifts are starting to smoothen a little now. During my last service, I talked to the mechanic at the workshop about U-VA's gear shifting. He told me that it definitely is a tad harder than others. He told me that I can put in a few drops of gear oil/brake oil into the shifting mechanism every couple of months myself. Also, I should keep an eye on the clutch setting and make it a point to keep is adjusted. He told me to avoid greasing the mechanism for some reason.

Just for the heck of it, I tried some Zorrik (equivalent to WD40) in the linkages today morning. The shifting seems smoother (don't know if it will wash off the grease by the evening!). The shifting mechanism does not look too complicated. I might even go ahead and open it up to look at the internals one of these days.

Will keep you posted on the Zorrik effect!

25th July 2007, 11:00	#1
EatMyDust BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 122 Thanked: 0 Times	Notchy Gear Shift in my new Chevy Aveo UVA I own a Chevy UVA June 2007. I have a problem with a notchy (hard) gear shift. The car I had test driven had a gear shift smoother than butter. And that was one of the reasons I went for this car. My Qs: 1. Is the notchy gear shift because its a new car and hasnt run even 500km? 2. Can a notchy gear shift be corrected in the service? 3. What are the reasons of having a notchy gear shift? 4. Has anyone else has this experience where the td car was smooth but the car you buy isn't? I am worried whether dealers deliberately keep their better cars for TD-ing? 5. Is my car a lemon? Should I report this and get a replacement or something? -EMD If this post doesnt belong here, MODS pls modify the section.
	() Thanks

25th July 2007, 11:07	#2
benbsb29 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,968 Thanked: 13,216 Times View My Garage	EMD, the gear shift is probably notchy as its a new car. If you may have observed, the demo car would have clocked up quite a few thousand kms before you got to test drive it. Hence, the gears shift becomes smoother with time. Give it some time. This doesnt mean your car is a lemon, and there is nothing to worry about. That said, i feel GM cars dont really have among the best gear shifts around. This based upon my test drives of the Aveo, both before and after the improved gear shift versions.
	() Thanks

25th July 2007, 11:30	#3
gemithomas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 2,366 Thanked: 143 Times View My Garage	Chevy was known for its notchy gear. But i heard they had worked on this in the Aveo. SO the Uva should also have got the modified versions. I think i've seen an aveo review where he says the gear became smooth only after a few 100 kilometers. I guess you should wait for longer till you reaally try to get something done. Let it complete 1000km. Maybe it its still the same you could bring it up at first service.
	() Thanks

25th July 2007, 16:48	#5
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	Take it to the service centre. Drive a few other cars that are present there. If ur car doesn't feel the same, take it up with them. These days, GM is being very loyal and loving to their customers and they won't give U a tough time,IMO.
	() Thanks

25th July 2007, 16:51	#6
deepakhon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,441 Thanked: 65 Times	I think you should wait till your first service. You might have put up about 1500 km till then. Check if the gear is still notchy. If yes, then GM might not have extended the gear shift improvement of Aveo to UVA. You should definitely take that issue up in such an eventuality.
	() Thanks

17th April 2008, 20:51	#7
nirmalts BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Stuttgart, Germ Posts: 252 Thanked: 7 Times View My Garage	My Aveo (not UVA) is the facelifted one without a gearshift problem. But after 7000kms it has become extremely notchy. When I shift gears, I get a feeling of dragging a metal piece between two rusted metal bars. Got it checked with Vijai Auto last week. They said they greased it. I dont see a difference. How could a gearshift that was not at all notchy become so after a while? Nirmal
	() Thanks

17th April 2008, 21:04	#8
PatienceWins Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,416 Thanked: 807 Times View My Garage	Did they check the gear oil as well? Otherwise, i do not see any reason for this change?
	() Thanks

19th April 2008, 11:09	#11
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,512 Thanked: 300,673 Times View My Garage	Just wait until you car has complete 2000 - 3000 kms. The shift will surely open up by then, though it wont be as smooth as some slick-shifting Japanese boxes. GMs (Daewoos) cars in India are famous for vague gearshift quality.
	() Thanks

19th April 2008, 19:14	#12
DieselFan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,584 Thanked: 259 Times	My Swift VDI initially had a very notchy gear shift. Now at almost 20000 km it is as smooth as butter except for reverse gear. NOt to worry let the car age with time.
	() Thanks

5th June 2009, 09:46	#13
the_maassk BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Vadodara/ NG7 2QP Posts: 205 Thanked: 6 Times View My Garage	Reviving and year old thread. I just completed one year (9k km) on my U-VA. The gear shifts are starting to smoothen a little now. During my last service, I talked to the mechanic at the workshop about U-VA's gear shifting. He told me that it definitely is a tad harder than others. He told me that I can put in a few drops of gear oil/brake oil into the shifting mechanism every couple of months myself. Also, I should keep an eye on the clutch setting and make it a point to keep is adjusted. He told me to avoid greasing the mechanism for some reason. Just for the heck of it, I tried some Zorrik (equivalent to WD40) in the linkages today morning. The shifting seems smoother (don't know if it will wash off the grease by the evening!). The shifting mechanism does not look too complicated. I might even go ahead and open it up to look at the internals one of these days. Will keep you posted on the Zorrik effect!
	() Thanks