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Ok, so when I shift from 1st to 2nd gear sometimes it feels really notchy and rough, like there's resistance. Doesn't matter how I drive it, and a friend who tried it out felt it too. doesn't matter what the weather/temperature is, but it seems to happen less often when i shift at higher rpm (3000+). took it to the dealer and they told me it was normal.

AND YES I DID SEARCH!

In fact, I read some 15 threads about synchros, gear shifting problems, etc. i'm just wondering if it's really just normal, or if it's something that needs to be fixed to prevent more damage. What I got from all the posts from people who had similar problems was that it might be due to damaged 1st gear synchro (and I was reading some porsche magazine today and someone wrote in about similar gear shifting problems for his 911 and the editor seemed to think it was due to the 1st gear synchro being damaged). also, that changing the transmission fluid to some redline brand might help make it smooth again.

some of these people don't come to this site anymore, that's why i want to ask again to see how many ppl have this same problem and what and if they did anything. any comments or suggestions would be appreciated (but don't be an a$$ and tell me it's cuz i don't know how to drive stick).

 
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it wasn't normal but i'm so use to it now that it's normal =)


I asked alot of people too but they don't seem to know what it is. mmm

 
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Mine mainly does it after it has been sitting in the cold in the garage all night...I just get in my car and drive, no warmup...so that may have something to do with it!


2Hottie

 
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My '02 is just a few weeks old. For the first week it seemed smoother than it is now. Everything works fine, so I dont think there is a problem. It just seems as if its more notchy shifting from any gear in either direction.

 
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hmm.. yeah i also didn't notice it the first couple weeks. i wouldn't really care too much (although it's annoying) if i were sure it's not going to damage the transmission or something (and of course, that would happen right after the warranty expires).

for my car it's not related to the temperature far as i can tell (i've been thinking up just about every possible scenario or possible cause).

i think i may take it to another dealer and hope they will check the synchros or whatever just to make sure it's not just "normal" like they told me at my original dealer.

 
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IMHO, the 01s had a lot of problems with all gears, which Honda talked about in a TSB (I dont remember which one), but the 02s have a similar problem in 2nd gear that Honda wont deal with. My 02 started having problems a few weeks after purchase exactly like that described -- ie, notchy shifting and resistance going into 2nd, especially when coming from 1st -- that have not gone away after 12 months. Twice (but only twice) I have shifted perfectly normally and the damn thing grinded gears. Ususally I just shift slowly and its not a problem, but then 3rd - 5th are so damn smooth I always remember how notchy 2nd is. I've also tried to pinpoint what conditions cause the bad shifting, and had no luck. I've thought about keeping a pad of paper handy and writing down what things were like when it shifts really badly.

Maybe someone smarter than me can figure out what's similar between the 01s and 02s, but that only affects 2nd gear in the 02s.

 
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I took my car into the dealership because it was doing the same thing. It was very stiff when shifting from 1st to 2nd and also sometimes popped out of 2nd when going around corners. They do have a service bulletin on the problem. They will start by replacing a cable in the transmission that they say gets corroded. Then when that doesnt work like in my car, they change 1st gear, 2nd gear 3rd gear and 5th gear along with the outer transmission housing and a couple pins and bushings. They actually let me read the bulletin at honda after coming back for the 3rd time and them not fixing the problem right for the first 2 times. You will also sometimes hear a sound which sounds like a squeaky belt, this is a bent clutch fork which I guess is also common in our cars.

Definatly bring your car into honda tho. I'll see if I can dig up my papperwork with the bulletin number on it.

 
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Custom2k1: If you find the TSB, please check to see if it applies to 02 civics. As I recall, it only applies to 2001s, which is what I meant by saying that Honda wont acknowledge the problem with the 2002s. I've tried going to a dealer with a TSB that says it applies to 2001s when my car had a similar problem, and they just shook their head and said the TSB didn't apply.

 
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Yep, I've also tried to see exactly what things will make it rough or smooth (like shifting slowly/quickly, shifting at 2k/3k rpm, pausing slightly before shifting after the clutch is in, etc.) and it doesn't seem to have any pattern at all. heck, the service guy at the honda dealer acknowledged that it felt notchy but said all civics were like that. of course, they didn't have any manual civics on the lot for me to try out to see if his claim was true.

but then he showed me some TSB that he said "probably won't help" but they were gonna do it anyway. then the service manager tries the car and says it doesn't even feel notchy at all and says forget the TSB you don't need it so we're not gonna do it. [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/IMG]

But I think the TSB might be the one custom2k1 is talking about, b/c the problem it addressed was "difficulty in moving the shifter" or something like that. but it might be the one for the 2k1 civics like you mentioned. keep us posted on how things with the dealer turn out.

 
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sorry for reviving this thread, but was this problem fixed? I have a 2 month old 2003 civic sedan and I it's pretty rough shifting into 2nd gear, I noticed it more after I installed my Solo short shifter adapter. Should I just un-install the short shifter and bring it in to Honda?

 
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It's normal. Shifting from 1st - 2nd is always "not smooth" Sometimes you'll get lucky and get a smooth shift, but it's not often. My '01 and my friend's '02 does the same. Don't worry you won't break anything. :P

 
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I have a 2002 SI Coupe 5spd with the same problem. The only rough shift is going from 1st to 2nd. I have to granny shift it to get it to go smoothly. When Im in a hurry when shifting, I get a crunch when going into second. The car is all origional with 4,000km and its only 3 months old. I'll probably take it in a week or two and get them to do something about it. It isnt a loud nasty grind between gears, but it sounds bad enough that it could do some serious damage over a few years. I dont want to pay for a manufacturing or design defect.

 
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guys...it will never be solved. or almost thats what it feels like. i have no hope left in them.
I've got an '01 and Ive been to the dealer ...damn can't remember how many times now.
And like some of u said...they always say its normal..or they'll do something and say its fixed...or they'll lube the bushings...or this..or that...
i'm one of those who wrote some of those original threads btw...and as much as I thank people who tried to help me, there are so many of us out there that have never actually had it FIXED. now that my warranty is gone (46k) i can only hope no disaster awaits my poor little tranny...


btw... check out my headlight dilemma thread i just posted.. I'd appreciate your help with that...i'll help u as much as I can...

 
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Wow...I have the exact same car, exact same problem. I thought my timing was just off. It only seems to happen when I'm hauling *** and shouldn't be missing shifts (like turning onto a highway!).

-z-

 
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sigh.... sorry about bringing back an old thread, but mine also does this.... like when shift it into 2nd from 1st gear... i get a "crunch" sound. This is only when the car is cold though... only after 5 minutes of warming up, and 5 more minutes of driving, it finally becomes smooth... anyone solve this problem??

 
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I dont think there is a solution. If it breaks, just bring it to honda. My second gear has only popped out once or twice. I had my first gear scenro replaced, because I could not start my car in first gear at all. It was like pushing a brick wall, no give. Try shifting when the clutch is all the way to the floor. You might be trying to shift when the clutch isnt all the way ingaged. Try that.

 
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honda dealerships is useless.... the fuken guy told me that he didn't hear a sound and like every damned time he started from a standstill the car would crunch and shudder i'm like... it's right there!!

I even made an imitation of the sound by voice and pinpointed its exact time but the guy was just being stubborn even tho the noise/shudder was super obvious.

I drive an '03....

Especially when there's a lot of ppl in the car and when making a right hand turn from 40mph, slowing down to 25mph and then releasing the clutch with the shifter in 2nd and pressing the gas.... i get that sound a lot... and a lot of frightening shuddering of the whole car.

 
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Have you tried a different dealership?

 
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Wow, old thread. I don't know if anyone solved this problem, but in my case, my car did this a few times when it was new, and settled out. At 23k it shifts smooth through all gears unless I try to speed-shift it. Lets face it, this weird cable linkage was just not meant to be shifted fast. It sucks, but it's an econo car. I can suggest a tube of Moly grease in the tranny. This has always worked wonders for my cars, and has made even worn and rough transmissions smooth as butter. In fact, as soon as the warranty is over, I'll squeeze a tube full in the civic.

 
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I had the exact same problem you were describing down to the detail
where the honda tech did not notice a problem until I showed him
how to make the grunt grinding sound.

It is a burned up syncro. It is due to agressive driving. Get it fixed
before it gets worse.

Under warrenty honda replaced my tranny comepletely and threw in
a new clutch. This was at 11,000 miles.

At 32,000 miles I was driving and lost all gears. the shifter could move in a circle without catching any gears. I could rev my engine and hear
no sound.

What happened was that the bolt inside the tranny backed out from the shift linkage. Took them a while to find the bolt and flush the tranny but all problems now solved.

take off the shifter console and if you see that your shifter is hitting
the white plastic, you know that the bolt is backing out.

 
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kjgracing, which dealership did you go to? around sacramento? maybe they can help me with this problem since they're familiar w/ this problem.

 
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Damn! That bolt backing out sounds like a major hazard. What if it happens in the wrong place and causes you to have an accident?
The longer I have this car, the less I want it. Too many "weird" problems with the 7th gen.

 
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How did you fix it ?? If I may ask. It happened today again. 2nd time in 2 years. Damn stick just goes around in circle but was in first gear. So I drove her home

Thank You

 
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He explained it in the comment you quoted.

 
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and asking him will do you no good. He posted that in 2004... 16-17 years ago. Who know how many cars have he had since then?