kenlola

My 04 has a problem with putting it into 1st gear. It feels like its in 1st but when you let out the clutch its not in gear. If your hand is on the shifter it can cause a loud grinding noise. This usually happens when at a stand still.
I thought it was an isolated problem with my car, but I was talking to David Wallens (the Grassroots Motorsports S2000 project driver) and he said his 04 does it too.
The Honda Dealer was of no help of course as the car wouldn't do it at the dealer. Has anyone else experienced this problem and what can be done to correct it.

Ken

PS: water bottles?

jguerdat

I had problems years ago on a Fiat X1/9 where I'd try to go to 3rd and it wouldn't go. I took it to the dealer and had a mechanic ride with me. When it happened, he took his hand and moved the shifter over a bit and it slid into gear. My point was that I could use the quick shift "slide" from 2nd to 3rd in other cars without needing to follow a strict H pattern. His decision (which I just happened to overhear when I walked back into the service area) was that I didn't know how to shift. Of course, these were the same guys who couldn't believe I could read the wiring diagrams since they couldn't.

Point - it may be as simple as the exact position of the shift lever when trying to go into first. Try being more precise and repeatable. Also, it may "loosen" up with mileage, making it easier to get into gear.

Of course, it may just be that the synchros don't want you to do that...

CoralDoc

If you shift into second gear first and then shift into first gear second () does that allow the transmission to engage first more easily? Is it more difficult to engage first when the car is cold, or does it do this when the transmission is good and warm too?

If yes to either one of these questions, it may just be "balky transmission" that may wear in or be improved by a fluid change. The more dire diagnosis is a bent shifter fork, but I'd not suspect that yet.

If you haven't yet done so, you may want to change the transmission oil as shifting nearly always improves in my car with fresh oil, even when there's only 5k miles since replacement.

Banannie

Mine is very very tight but if I "work it" a bit it goes into gear. Hardest when the car is cold (which of course is expected).

I have had it pop out of fourth gear under load a few times, something I never had happen in my '00, '01, or '02 cars... which I determined that I was expecting it to shift like the earlier cars and the tolerances are much tighter.

Try a different hand position, if that doesn't work, keep getting it in the dealer's face - it increases the liklihood it will do it when they're testing and also gets a good documentation path going.

Annie

Gregg Lee

This may be the classic upshift to first problem. Try double clutching. Spin the box a little in neutral to get it up to engine speed (so the synchro doesn't have to do all the work), then shift to first.

The 04 has different synchros from earlier cars, so experience with them may or may not not apply, but I have had my 00 balk at going from 0th to 1st occasionally, especially cold. Double clutch always works. The problem declined with age. I have had the same problem with other cars as well.

The grinding is of course the ends of the engagement splines on the shifter sleeve and on first gear banging against each other.

Gregg


[QUOTE]Originally posted by kenlola
My 04 has a problem with putting it into 1st gear. It feels like its in 1st but when you let out the clutch its not in gear. If your hand is on the shifter it can cause a loud grinding noise. This usually happens when at a stand still.

Mrsideways

My 01 occasically does something similar, but it does it for 1st and reverse. It feels like it's in gear but if you really take a good look you'll see your only half way in. Let the clutch out and it pops out of gear. Come to think of it every car I've ever owned has occasionally done it once or twice. I've just formed a habit of when I'm at a stop pullin it into 2nd then going to 1st and when backing up going from 2nd to reverse. I was also told that this habit is nicer to the synchro's.

80s Boy

I've had the first gear deal with my car a couple times. But only when it's cold out first thing in the morning. And never more than once at any given time. It does almost seem to have a "double knotch" to get into gear though.

PoweredByCamry

I've had this happen in basically all my cars, actually the S2000 is the only one that doesn't do it so far. You don't even need to spin the engine- all you have to do is let the clutch out and then put it back in again. Once you let the clutch out, you'll spin the input shaft and all the gears around and it should go in fine. If it's a persistent problem, then you'll have to wait for it to be bad enough for service to diagnose it.

Peter

PS- man, this water bottle thing is really driving you crazy isn't it?