Who needs first gear anyways?

[Armanduhx3]

Right?



Wrong.

This weekend I have completely lost first gear. It used to just not want to go into first, just kind of stops halfway..I'd let of the clutch and it would then go in smoothly.. Now when I do that, it just grinds.

So, that leads me to leave from 2nd gear everytime..
I made an appointment with Honda on wednesday, but hoping It's something simple :/

In my s2000, I never skip-shifted any gears due to the synchros..but somewhere here I read that skipping gears is ok... well it's obviously not...

[Koala Yummies]

Originally Posted by Armanduhx3

This weekend I have completely lost first gear. It used to just not want to go into first, just kind of stops halfway..I'd let of the clutch and it would then go in smoothly.. Now when I do that, it just grinds.

This sounds like a clutch and gear engagement problem. I'm not sure how it relates to skipping gears, as skipping gears usually means skipping 2-5th gear, you don't skip first, unless the car is already rolling forward.

From your description you had a hard time getting the shifter to go into the 1st gear position, but you would release the clutch and then it would go in? That would most certainly be damaging the 1st gear synchronizers. You're saying it wasn't going into first with your foot on the clutch pedal, but would go in, when you released the clutch pedal?

Skipping gears means going from 1st to 3rd, or from 2nd to 4th (skipping a gear in-between). Skipping first gear while stopped (engaging 2nd from a stop) just wears down the clutch in attempt to get a smooth start from 2nd, which is usually engaged after the car is already rolling.

I skip gears all the time, on every single M/T Honda I've owned and never had a problem. I've been skipping gears in the CR-Z for over 23,000 miles, with no problems. If you match the RPM, then there's minimal wear (like shifting into any other gear), and since you're skipping an entire gear, you don't put any wear on the skipped gear's synchros, so technically skipping gears reduced the wear on the transmission, but only if done properly. If you go too high or low on the rev-match, then you're introducing clutch and synchro-wear, which would occur even if you weren't skipping gears (because of improper rev-matching).

Your problem, of entering first gear sounds like what some were experiencing in this thread:

have trouble putting in gear 6MT

Which relates to putting the car in first gear, from a stop.

[Armanduhx3]

Here's an example.

Light turns green.
Press in clutch
shift arm to go into first...
doesnt go into first..
Release clutch and brake (slightly)
Gear goes in.

Now, when i release the clutch and brake slightly (to inch forward) it doesn't go in.

Feels like something is just stuck there.

Clutch feels fine.

[Koala Yummies]

Yeah, it doesn't sound good, I just don't think it's related to skipping gears.

You could check the clutch fluid reservoir, check the color of the fluid, if it's getting dark/brown/blackish then it would be time to replace, even if the pedal feels normal. It's possible something with the shift cable has came undone or got damaged.

Does the car come out of auto-stop, when you put it in first (on the times it doesn't go into gear)?

[Armanduhx3]

You know there have been times if im rolling it turns off..then i put it in first and it doesnt turn on!

its at honda now..

[Widget]

For gearboxes that everyone raves about, this car seems to have some transmission issues - seen a bunch on the CVT side as well.

[awptickes]

Hey, that's the same issue I have on occasion. When it's cold out, and I've auto-stopped at a light.

I've learned to put it into second, and without releasing the clutch, put it into first.

[SFLA-Z]

With my previous Del Sol and RSX and now my CR-Z (all MT's), the 'gear-oil' is unconventional, because it's base make-up is SAE 10W-30 which is a motor oil spec, not the usual gear oil weights with non Honda's. I used Redline MTL synthetic gear oil in lieu of the 10W-30 in the Del Sol, but I switched to Honda's Manual Transmission (MTF) Fluid blend, which debuted when I got the RSX. My consistent experience over time was increasedly difficult-shifting into 1st gear from a stop, when cold, at about the 25,000 mile point; changing the manual transmission oil before the scheduled mileage (60,000 miles for RSX severe service) would solve the problem. I've had ocassional 1st gear engagement problems in the mornings recently, my present CR-Z mileage is around 17,200 miles. I might need to change the MTF fluid soon, because the described CR-Z manual transmission needing warranty service is bad news. The Honda MTL fluid is probably a motor oil base (great for heat endurance) with pressure and shear additives to help it endure gear teeth pressures and grinding, and it's an old Honda problem that I tolerate with.

[chiggah]

I have the same exact problem Armanda has. I'm usually able to bypass it by throwing the car into second then shifting to first. Back then I would go into first... it'd go in a notch then slowly release clutch and it'd go in all the way. Now when I try that it grinds. Perhaps I needa bring it in to Honda as well.

[Isidore]

Could this be a first gear synchro problem? In the past, this kind of thing starts happening to me on cars when things are getting worn out- definitely not on a new car. Please let us know what Honda says...