# Shifting gears **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 2, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifting-gears/21531 "2008-11-02T01:47:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cousin1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@cousin1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cousin1)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifting-gears/21531/1 "2008-11-02T01:47:07Z")
I am a women,79 years old with a 95 Chevy Lumna: 4 door 8 cyl. with 78810.4 miles. Very little driving-church, shopping. My problem, I have difficulty shifting gears in cold weather.(No trouble during the summer) I have the oil changed every 4 months. I have spoken with mechanic’s about this. I asked if I needed the gear shift oil changed, transmission changed or more fluid. The claimed “No”. Please help!! Mary Cain Cleveland, Ohio ---
**Author:** ![admitted\_amateur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@admitted\_amateur](https://community.cartalk.com/u/admitted_amateur)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifting-gears/21531/2 "2008-11-02T01:51:05Z")
Presumably you have told the mechanics of the problem. What have they said in response, and what have they done - if anything - to try to fix it? (And they are right in that this doesn’t suggest a need to change or add fluid, and especially not to change the transmission). ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 2:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifting-gears/21531/3 "2008-11-02T02:17:38Z")
Possibily shift linkage needs to be lubricated, you don’t mean you have trouble getting it out of “PARK” do you. Never saw a Lumina (sedan or APV) with a V-8 ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 10:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifting-gears/21531/4 "2008-11-02T10:51:09Z")
You did not say, but I will assume it is a manual shift car. If so there are two suggestions I would make. The linkage could need adjustment and/or lube. I also could benefit by a change of transmission fluid going to a wider rage synthetic lube. You may have say 90 weight in there now and replacing it with 80W90 will make cold weather shifting easier. If it is automatic, I would suggest linkage adjustment/lube. The very little driving, would tend to suggest the linkage adjustment and lube. You might want to try a different mechanic. ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 10:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifting-gears/21531/5 "2008-11-02T10:58:20Z")
Your mechanic is full of it. This gear lube is 13 years old!! Change it. It will make a world of difference. Also, like Joseph mentioned, try a synthetic. It will hold up longer, especially since this car sits a lot. I think thios car should be spec’ed for 75W90. Double check in the owner’s manual. I tried a thicker oil before, and winter shifting was horrible. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifting-gears/21531/6 "2008-11-04T00:10:16Z")
While I agree that getting the tranny fluid changed may help, I have to ask you where you live. When I lived in North Dakota and the weather got cold manual tranny fluid would get so thick I couldn’t even feel the gates. Moving the shifter was like dragging a stick through concrete mix. In extreme cold even a brand new manual tranny will get this way. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shifting-gears/21531/7 "2008-11-04T00:43:11Z")
All Luminas (sedans 2dr or 4dr) are automatics FWD. No V-8’s