[sgodd23]

I've been having problems with my transmission these past few days. The biggest problem is that when I shift into 2nd, it grinds just a little bit but then it goes into the gear and works fine. My mechanic said it was a problem with the syncro and I need a new transmission. Also, sometimes it's pretty hard to shift into 1st or 2nd gear. It'l go but it just takes a little force, like it's getting caught on something, but it still feels like I'm hurting it or something. So I'm wondering, what is wrong, what needs to be replaced, and how cheap can I get it replaced for? Thanks in advance.

 

[Rocky2]

Well, all our eclipses have troubles gringing second gear. but first is really hard to get into unless you are moving below 3mph, atleast for me

 

[IAmTheSTIG]

that just means you have a genuine 3g eclipse, lol, mine does the same thing for shifting into second 1 out of every 7-10 times and as far as first gear goes it's alot easier if you go 2-1 instead of straight to one.

 

[AgentSkully]

consider this...its cold out side which makes your gear oil less viscous. whenever I shift into first, with the clutch in I go from second to first to line up the syncros. its makes it easier to get it in and another thing is feather the clutch a little bit. if you do force it too much you could bend the fingers. by the time you drive 1 block, the oil is warm enough to have a smooth shift anyway so just be patient with it....besides its called itsabitchy fora reason.

 

[kidney_bean]

consider this...its cold out side which makes your gear oil less viscous. whenever I shift into first, with the clutch in I go from second to first to line up the syncros. its makes it easier to get it in and another thing is feather the clutch a little bit. if you do force it too much you could bend the fingers. by the time you drive 1 block, the oil is warm enough to have a smooth shift anyway so just be patient with it....besides its called itsabitchy fora reason.

He didn't say he was forcing the clutch, he said he was forcing the shifter. Also, he said he sometimes has the problem shifting it into 2nd, so telling him to shift into 2nd then 1st isn't a complete fix. As for the lower viscosity due to temperature, a manual transmission only uses the fluid for lubrication, not for helping the synchros to engage.

To the person who started the thread, there's not much information here to give you a good diagnosis...read the thread I linked below and give as much detail as you can...maybe then we can give you some accurate info...

http://www.club3g.com/forum/problem-reports/104059-read-before-posting-any-problem-reports.html

 

[MarkSpyder]

Well, all our eclipses have troubles gringing second gear. but first is really hard to get into unless you are moving below 3mph, atleast for me

:rofl: That is the worst advice I have ever heard. My 01 GT is at 90K miles and I have probably had a sloppy/grinding 2nd gear shift ONCE due to me not paying attention. Grinding is NOT normal. Also, you should NEVER put the car in 1st car if it is already moving. 1st is to make the car move. Once moving you should switch to 2nd gear. The car is designed to make downshifting into 1st gear nearly impossible (for good reason as that is a stupid thing to do).

1st thing you need to do is replace the tranny fluid. That usually results in much smoother shifts. If that doesn't work then have the tranny rebuilt or replace the syncros. Replacing the tranny just because a syncro has gone bad is fucking retarded. Actually, I would NEVER use that "mechanic" again. I would expect the cost of rebuilding the tranny to come out to around $600-1000, assuming a professional shop is doing the work.

As stated you need to post up more info about the car. Engine type, miles, tranny type, last tranny fluid flush, etc.

 

[vedled]

I agree...that is terrible advice. The cars are designed to not let you downshit into 1st gear. Pretty much every manual car i've ever driven does this by design. Granted, the Eclipse limits it to a very low MPH but still. In my old Probe it was around 10 MPH. The 2nd gear issue is an actual problem with the syncro/2nd gear. I just got my 03 GTS (MT) about a month and a half ago and the car has this problem. I actually noticed the problem before i bought it but just chalked it up to me being a retard and not pushing the clutch in far enough or something since i hadn't driven manual on a regular basis in like 4 years. In any event, 2 weeks after having the car i took it to the dealer and got new tranny fluid put in it thinking that would fix it. Shifting was smoother but the 2nd gear grind / blockage is still present in the mornings. Just on Friday i took the car back down to the dealer and told them about the issue just to see what they would say and what they could do. The mechanic that test drove it has been working on Mitsubishi's for 7 years. He also drives a 3G eclipse as his personal vehicle. By the time we got back to the shop, he said they'll need to order 2nd gear and a new syncro. I asked what that would cost and he estimated about $1000 but i would need to talk to the shop manager. Shop manager said the car is under the powertrain warranty yet so i'm just waiting for the parts to come in so they can take care of it.

Mechanic said it's a common problem and that it wasn't the first time they've seen/heard of it. You can let it go and deal with it but it will just get worse over time.

 

[psychohaulic]

Worst I've had is small metalic tap sound when shifting into second.
There are two situations when it's ok to downshift into first: when you want to give your passenger whiplash and when it's freezing rain and your fishtailing in 2nd at 10mph and want to slow down without stalling or losing front wheel traction (because if you take it out of gear for too long, you start spinning).

I got caught coming home from college... damn near shit my pants that night

 

[GSXROFDFW]

I had all these same problems and yes they are normal if you still have the trans fluid that comes in our cars.

I tried other synthetic trans fluids like redline and mobil 1. Don't waste your time or money. A member on one of the forums or maybe RRE told me to use BG products sythetic manual transmission fluid. You can buy it at a Dodge dealer for $25 or so a bottle. Our car takes 3! I think it was worth it. Was it a 100% fix...no, but my car shifts much better when cold.

It takes several miles for the trans to warm up. Idling in the garage won't warm up a transmission. Just drive it easy for the first few miles which you should be doing anyway. It is like sex. You gotta start off slow if you love your girl.

 

[stilwrks]

Interesting, on the track I have no probs. except 5 gear & then its just a little chirp/ nick type feeling!
Have been using RRE's formula of Redline, 2 parts MTL to 1 part MT90!