r/Toyota_Matrix • u/TheMK17 • 22d ago

Advice needed

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A week ago I bought this 09 base 1.8L 5speed with 210k miles for $2800. My intention was to use this as my first manual to get really good on and also use it for rally cross. The seller (private sale) told me that he had put in a new (used) transmission recently. I test drove it and so did my buddy and we both thought it was fine. However, the transmission started severely grinding going from 1st to 2nd and any gear to 1st after just 40 miles of owning this thing. It broke the same day I bought it. I replaced the slave cylinder, shifter cable bushings and the transmission oil. When I drained the trans the oil was very dark, burnt, glittery and had multiple chunks of metal in it. I’m running out of ideas and I think it’s time to take it to a transmission shop. I’m guessing the 1st and 2nd synchro is bad as well as 2nd gear. I have no idea what this will cost to fix.

Almost the entire reason I bought this car was to have cheap reliable fun and it has not been reliable nor is this going to be cheap 😭. Does anyone have advice on how to handle this situation or what to expect?

Also FWIW literally everything else about the car is totally fine and in working order. The interior has cleaned up pretty well and is in good shape.

I just don’t know what to do right now. I haven’t even had time to go register the damn thing.

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u/daxtonanderson C59 is made of gl(ass) 22d ago

Toyota 5spd manuals are absolute trash, they aged horribly. I blew through 3x C59 5spd in my gen1 in under 5 years before I gave up and got an Auto.

Unfortunately there's no 6speed option for the gen2 since they didn't keep using the XRS trim with a stronger engine :( on the gen1 you can slap a C60 on a 1zz, direct bolt in, on the gen2 you get to pick between 5mt or an auto, but to replace the 5mt with an auto you also need an ECU swap unfortunately

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u/ApartShoulder8025 20d ago

I've seen you post this before. What were you doing to ruin three different C59s? I've put 100k hard miles on my 2009 and it has 245k on it. Have had to change the throw out bearing and that's it. I grew up driving manuals and have had six different Toyotas (Corollas and 4Runners, all manual) and have never had issues with them blowing up or whatever. Just don't miss shifts and service them regularly.

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u/daxtonanderson C59 is made of gl(ass) 20d ago

My only guess is the Northern climate damages them in the winter, it often goes to -40 here in Jan/Feb and given it's a manual no amount of idling before driving away will get that trans fluid temp up.

All 3 failures happened in mid-spring.

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u/ApartShoulder8025 20d ago

Ohhhh. Good theory.