sleepysnake

Hi everyone.

Had my 02 S2000 for 5 days and am very worried after my most recent drive.

I was cruising along a mostly empty motorway and testing high speed acceleration.

Dropped the car into 4th and accelerated up to around 8500 rpm. As I up shifted up to 5th, i don't think the gear got all the way in before i released the clutch. There was no jerk or anything, but I heard something that sounded like a little bits and a large bit of metal falling off the car. Horrified, I dropped the clutch and coasted for a while, thinking, oh no. After 10 seconds I went back into 5th with no issue. Carried on driving for 20 miles or so with no apparent change in gearbox operation.

Once I came off the motorway and noise levels were lower, it became apparent that gearbox is making a whining and humming sound. This is definitely something I have not heard before. Whilst the car seems to shift perfectly still (in fact it seemed smoother) I am obviously distressed at the thought of any damage I may have caused.

Any ideas what a likely outcome of this unfortunate event could be?

Chuck S

Put the car on a lift. Oil leaking? Anything look broken under there. 8500rpm is about 115mph in 4th gear. Missing a gear is never good. The throw from 4th to 5th goes over the dogleg and easy to miss when you're learning the car and holding the steering wheel with both hands and your 3d hand is holding tight to the seat cushion.

Sure you didn't nick or engage 3d?

-- Chuck

sleepysnake

I'm pretty sure I didn't touch 3rd. The engine just dropped in revs due to what I assume is me dipping the clutch immediately after feeling something wrong. The engine didn't feel any different. Just a fairly quiet whine present when in gear.

I'll get the car on a lift on Monday. I'll drive the car for a bit tomorrow and get a video.

windhund116

Drain out the tranny oil. See what you have in the fluid.


Hopefully, not a lot of bits of metal.

sleepysnake

I think that's a good idea. Hopefully a quick drive tomorrow will not do much more harm.

Thinking back, I cant remember for sure if there was a grind accompanied with the sound of bits falling off the car. There may well have been. I guess not fully engaging the next gear at those revs is not gonna do much good to the gearbox.

B serious

Sounds like yoh missed or grinded a gear. This isn't the end of the world. It happens all the time.

chefs2000

I've grinded gears and never heard any thing fall off my car ... If you heard something fall then makes sense that you will prolly notice something missing under there

sleepysnake

Grinding gears at 8500 RPM though? Someone on another forum reckons I have probably damaged the engine more than the gearbox.

Car Analogy

He said it sounded like something fell off the car. That doesn't mean that is what actually happened. He never saw anything in the rearview, etc.

My guess is your clutch is dragging a bit, making high rpm shifts difficult, and you got some gear grind. No big deal. Are you sure the difference in sound is not just you being paranoid and now hearing every little sound?

Turkey baster your master cylinder, then wipe clean, then gavity bleed your clutch fluid at slave. Then adjust clutch pedal height, and clutch rod free play.

There are easy diy's for all 3. If you can change oil, you can do these.

Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup

B serious

^yes, I agree. Those things should be checked.

So....don't shift like a gorilla. People grind gears at high RPM all the time. Its when you're most likely to grind them. The car's not going to go noteably slower if you just patiently put it into 5th gear before continuing on your GTA 5 style rampage down the highway.